Why do quantum theory and general relativity not fit together?

In quantum mechanics, fields are discontinuous and are defined by ‘quanta’. Quantum mechanics is incompatible with general relativity because in quantum field theory, forces act locally through the exchange of well-defined quanta.

Is general relativity part of quantum physics?

In general relativity, events are continuous and deterministic, meaning that every cause matches up to a specific, local effect. In quantum mechanics, events produced by the interaction of subatomic particles happen in jumps (yes, quantum leaps), with probabilistic rather than definite outcomes.

Will quantum gravity be solved?

Currently, there is still no complete and consistent quantum theory of gravity, and the candidate models still need to overcome major formal and conceptual problems.

What was Einstein studying before he died?

After having become famous for several brilliant breakthroughs in physics, including Brownian motion, the photoelectric effect, and the special and general theories of relativity, Albert Einstein spent the last thirty years of his life on a fruitless quest for a way to combine gravity and electromagnetism into a single …

Can quantum mechanics and the theory of relativity really be unified?

This shows that quantum mechanics and the theory of relativity really can be unified. For almost a century, the two major theories of physics have coexisted but have been irreconcilable: while Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity describes gravity and thus the world at large, quantum physics describes the world of atoms and elementary particles.

Can string theory reconcile general relativity with quantum mechanics?

Since the late 1960s, a group of physicists and mathematicians have been developing a framework called string theory to help reconcile general relativity with quantum mechanics; over the years, it has evolved into the default mainstream theory, even as it has failed to deliver on much of its early promise.

What is the clash between relativity and quantum mechanics?

That’s the guiding principle behind his current research. The clash between relativity and quantum mechanics happens when you try to analyse what gravity is doing over extremely short distances, he notes, so he has decided to get a really good look at what is happening right there.

Is Einstein’s theory of gravity compatible with quantum mechanics?

Copyright Norma Sanchez. Yet although Einstein’s theory has been watertight enough to hold up to even the latest astronomical observations, it appears to be completely incompatible with quantum mechanics. For physicists, this calls for an even deeper generalisation, which has been pre-emptively given the name ‘quantum gravity’.