What is the string theory in simple terms?

String theory proposes that the fundamental constituents of the universe are one-dimensional “strings” rather than point-like particles. What we perceive as particles are actually vibrations in loops of string, each with its own characteristic frequency.

What does it mean for a dimension to be curled up?

Compactifying
Compactifying means “curling up” extra dimensions of the theory to a very small size. To curl up two dimensions, for example, take a doughnut (a two-dimensional surface), and begin by squeezing it down to a circular wire with an unobservably small cross section. Then squeeze the wire loop down to a point.

Why does string theory require 11 dimensions?

In string theory, the multiverse is made of different dimensions but the highest is 11th dimension. Beyond 11 dimensions, the universe would become unstable and dimensions higher than 11 would collapse to an 11-dimensional universe.

Is string theory a failure?

String theory has so far failed to live up to its promise as a way to unite gravity and quantum mechanics. At the same time, it has blossomed into one of the most useful sets of tools in science.

Does string theory explain everything?

String theory is one of the proposed methods for producing a theory of everything, a model that describes all known particles and forces and that would supersede the Standard Model of physics, which can explain everything except gravity. Many scientists believe in string theory because of its mathematical beauty.

What is compactification string theory?

In string theory, compactification is a generalization of Kaluza–Klein theory. It tries to reconcile the gap between the conception of our universe based on its four observable dimensions with the ten, eleven, or twenty-six dimensions which theoretical equations lead us to suppose the universe is made with.

Can you imagine higher dimensions?

While it’s pretty much impossible for most of us to imagine figures in higher spatial dimensions, if it’s the sort of thing you’re obsessed about, you might be able to imagine what the 3D ‘sheep’s of a figure of higher dimensions might look like.

How many dimensions does string theory predict?

10 dimensions
Current versions of string theory require 10 dimensions total, while an even more hypothetical über-string theory known as M-theory requires 11. But when we look around the universe, we only ever see the usual three spatial dimensions plus the dimension of time.

Does string theory predict the number of dimensions of spacetime?

Image © R. Dijkgraaf. But string theory has one very unique consequence that no other theory of physics before has had: it predicts the number of dimensions of spacetime. For the mathematics of string theory to be consistent, the number of dimensions of spacetime must be 10. Initially people took this to be a criticism of string theory.

Why do so many people believe in string theory?

String theorists are built of stern stuff and working with complex vibrations in multiple dimensions didn’t daunt them. With its simplicity as the underlying idea that can explain everything in the universe, string theory has proven very seductive.

Does string theory hide the extra dimension?

If string theory is correct, more convoluted mathematical trickery is required to hide these extra dimensions from us. String theorists are built of stern stuff and working with complex vibrations in multiple dimensions didn’t daunt them.

What happened to the string theory in 1984?

Because of these obstacles, the number of physicists working on the theory had dropped to two—Schwarz and Michael Green of Queen Mary College, London—by the mid-1980s. But in 1984 these two die-hard string theorists achieved a major breakthrough.