Question: What are your views on string theory?

Tim Hollowood answered on 12 Nov 2013:

Nice question…this is precisely my field of interest.

One of the biggest problems in physics is how to unify the theory of very small things (quantum theory) with the theory of the universe (gravity). It’s a very tough problem that Einstein tried to solve without success. It’s clear that something very radical would be needed. String theory, a theory where the fundamental entities are tiny string (like elastic bands) rather than the more conventional particles, is the only know consistent way of achieving Einstein dream. The strings are so small that to us they look like point-like particles but rather amazingly one can account for all the different particles including the particle of gravity (the graviton) by the different ways that the string can vibrate. That’s an amazing simplification. String theory is a tough theory though and there’s lots of work to do to show that it predicts precisely what we see out there. It early days yet and it’s going to take a long time to figure it all out…so why not study physics and join the fun!