• Question: Do you believe that string theory is: A) A correct theory, or B) a theory to follow up without experimental data.

    Asked by Chester to Heather, Helen, Hugh, Julian on 19 Nov 2014.
    • Photo: Julian Onions

      Julian Onions answered on 19 Nov 2014:

      A) No one knows, but it has a lot of attractive features apparently in the maths – like gravity appears as a force which it doesn’t in other theories of the very small. So I’m just waiting and seeing! It seems the best bet so far.
      B) So far I don’t think it has made any predictions that can be followed up by experiment, so that is one of the big issues with it as a theory.

      So so far, its just people playing with equations – which may or may not reflect the real world.

    • Photo: Helen Johnson

      Helen Johnson answered on 19 Nov 2014:

      Yep, as Julian said, we really have no idea if it’s true or not. It’d be very exciting if it made some predictions that could be tested in say the LHC at CERN.

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