Maxwell’s electromagnetism and Einstein’s general relativity together predict warped space-time known as wormholes, unlike other theories which may lead to infinite infinities. Also, this theory allows physicists to hand in dimensions themselves for “handling infinities”.
Susskind and his colleague Pierre Raymond later changed the game by adding particle spin theory as another layer to their theory, thus inviting bosons and fermions with half-integer spin into their calculations.
1. The possibility of unifying particle physics
Physics’ aim is to find a theory that unifies all forces and particles of nature into one lie /h3xqzgxoc5q, cohesive framework – this goal is known as grand unification theory (GUT). Researchers have been working hard on this objective for decades but still have not succeeded.
Up until this point, all they had succeeded in doing was reconciling quantum mechanics principles with general relativity as proposed by Einstein over 100 years earlier – no easy task!
Physicists have discovered that string theory could provide the solution to their dilemma. It has been demonstrated that when point particles like electrons, protons, and neutrons are transformed into tiny loops of string they act just like their respective point counterparts – unifying electroweak and strong forces into a single force called gravity and making some previously challenging problems of theoretical physics accessible.
2. The possibility of predicting the number of dimensions in the universe
Physical scientists had never before encountered a theory with such an extraordinary power to make predictions on the fundamental aspects of spacetime itself, specifically with regard to number of dimensions. String theory asserts that, at its highest energy levels, our universe must contain at least three spatial dimensions and one time dimension.
However, this theory goes further: it predicts that the universe originally started out as a 1-plus-1 universe and has only recently evolved into the 3-plus-1 structure we see now, explaining why there are no signs of extra dimensions in data collected at experiments like those at the Large Hadron Collider.
Reason being, extra dimension theories state that heavier versions of standard particles appear at higher energies and must pass through smaller dimensions on their way out of larger ones – leaving clues behind for detectors to pick up – yet these haven’t been observed so far.
3. The possibility of predicting the properties of dark matter
Physical scientists understand the impact of dark matter on cosmic structures and evolution, yet its properties remain mysterious. There have been various models proposed; some propose particles while others suggest modified gravity; cold dark matter remains popular as an explanation, though its effects don’t match up well with observations on larger scales.
Astronomers have many methods available to them for testing theories about dark matter and searching for evidence of its existence, including gravitational lensing of galaxy clusters and the most recent proposal from Justin Khoury and Lasha Berezhiani of Princeton University who contend that dark matter acts similar to a superfluid on galactic scales.
Key to this idea is that dark matter interacts strongly among itself while only weakly with ordinary matter – which is different than current models which assume dark matter to be one particle. If this model holds true, it could help address some discrepancies between current theories of dark matter and observations made in space, including discrepancies between dark matter theory and observations from cosmology studies. Other research indicates previously unexplored forces acting strongly on dark matter but very weakly (if at all) on regular matter.
4. The possibility of predicting the properties of dark energy
Dark energy is an unfathomably mysterious form of positive energy thought to be driving the universe’s expansion. Though much more abundant than dark matter, its causes remain poorly understood – some researchers suspect quantum fluctuations that accumulate to infinite values may be behind its appearance.
Dark energy was first revealed by studies of Type Ia supernovae, which produce red-shifted light when they explode and therefore allow astronomers to accurately gauge the rate of expansion of our universe – to their surprise, scientists discovered it is increasing at an unimaginably rapid pace.
Some physicists have proposed that the acceleration of the universe could be explained by an unknown fifth force, distinct from gravity, electromagnetism, strong and weak nuclear forces and electromagnetic induction. But this explanation remains contentious; many scientists instead favor the simpler theory that suggests our universe is expanding because matter and energy that cannot fit inside is being compressed – which explains why scientists have worked so diligently on new telescopes like James Webb Space Telescope and Large Synoptic Survey Telescope that are expected to offer 100x improvements in accuracy over the coming decade.