| Themes > Science > Physics > Elementary particle physics > Elementary particle physics Today > String Theory and the Unification of Forces > The Physical Idea of String Theory |
The physical idea is utterly simple. Instead of many types of elementary point-like particles, we postulate that in nature there is a single variety of string-like object. The string is not ``made up of anything'', rather, it is basic and other things are made up of it. As with musical strings, this basic string can vibrate, and each vibrational mode can be viewed as a point-like elementary particle, just as the modes of a musical string are perceived as distinct notes! Thus string theory certainly is a model of elementary particles. The great surprise is that mathematical equations describing strings are highly constrained by consistency. In some sense, most of the equations we would think of writing down turn out to be inconsistent, only a few appear to be allowed. Indeed, it looks most likely that (unlike particle theories) there is only one unique string theory! If so, what does it predict, and is it the promised unified theory? |
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