Slashdot Mirror


String Theory Put to the Test

secretsather writes to mention that scientists have come up with a definitive test that could prove or disprove string theory. The project is described as "Similar to the well known U.S. particle collider at Fermi Lab, the Large Hadron Collider, scheduled for November 2007, is expected to be the largest, and highest energy particle accelerator in existence; it will use liquid helium cooled superconducting magnets to produce electric fields that will propel particles to near light speeds in a 16.7 mile circular tunnel. They then introduce a new particle into the accelerator, which collides with the existing ones, scattering many other mysterious subatomic particles about."

12 of 407 comments (clear)

  1. Life, The Universe, and Everything by eviloverlordx · · Score: 4, Funny

    42.

    Did anyone honestly think that the answer would be different?

    --
    'Loose' is when your pants are three sizes too big. 'Lose' is when you misuse 'loose'.
  2. XKCD Has a great take on this... by Acy+James+Stapp · · Score: 5, Funny
    --
    -- Too lazy to get a lower UID.
  3. Re:Flipping Philosophies? by skoaldipper · · Score: 4, Funny

    I say, kill all the particles and let science sort 'em out...

    --
    I hope, when they die, cartoon characters have to answer for their sins.
  4. Large what collider? by elliott666 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Oh...Large Hadron Collider. If it was in the Castro district I would really be suspicious.

  5. Re:Bah by Bluesman · · Score: 4, Funny

    Actually, ALL of the experimental data in the universe could do that.

    --
    If moderation could change anything, it would be illegal.
  6. debate still rages? by mugnyte · · Score: 5, Funny


      It thought this was cleared up years ago:

      Scanning/Copying based on a terminator byte pattern is fraught with error and is definitely not secure.

      Buffer sizes are terribly problematic when left tot he caller to check on overflow. It must be in the methods, and thus part of the data structure. (see point above).

      Strings these days are UTF-7 or 8, which makes them an even better candidate for a object-based construct rather than a memory map.

    I'd like to point out the....oh, wait...

  7. Why not use ten dimensions but make them bigger? by spun · · Score: 5, Funny

    Nigel: As you can see, our theories all go to eleven, right across the board. Look: eleven, eleven, eleven.
    Marty: Does that mean it's better? Is it any better?
    Nigel, well, it's one more, isn't it? Most blokes, their theories only use ten dimensions. They're at ten, where do they have to go from there? When we need that extra push over the cliff, you know what we do?
    Marty: Put it up to eleven?
    Nigel: Eleven. Exactly. One more!

    --
    - None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
  8. The trick is projection by benhocking · · Score: 5, Funny
    Impossible to visualize? Yep.

    Not at all. You merely have to project one of the dimensions down so that you're only considering a 10-dimensional space.

    --
    Ben Hocking
    Need a professional organizer?
    1. Re:The trick is projection by cain · · Score: 5, Funny

      Impossible to visualize? Yep. Not at all. You merely have to project one of the dimensions down so that you're only considering a 10-dimensional space. Then just project that down so you're only considering a 9-dimensional space. Easy. Then just project that down so you're only considering a 8-dimensional space. Easy. Then just project that down so you're only considering a 7-dimensional space. Easy. Then just project that down so you're only considering a 6-dimensional space. Easy. Then just project that down so you're only considering a 5-dimensional space. Easy. Then just project that down so you're only considering a 4-dimensional space. Easy. Then just project that down so you're only considering a 3-dimensional space. Easy. Then just project that down so you're only considering a 2-dimensional space. Easy.

      Then just project that down so you're only considering a 1-dimensional space and you get this --> .

      So where's my freakin' Nobel?

  9. Mythbusters by Cervantes · · Score: 4, Funny

    it will use liquid helium cooled superconducting magnets to produce electric fields that will propel particles to near light speeds in a 16.7 mile circular tunnel. They then introduce a new particle into the accelerator, which collides with the existing ones, scattering many other mysterious subatomic particles about.

    This is why the Mythbusters should not be allowed to design scientific equipment. I can picture Adam dancing about in girlish glee even now...

    --
    If I knew the wedgies I gave you back in 6th grade would have resulted in this . . . I might have taken a moments pause.
  10. Re:Flipping Burgers? by jaweekes · · Score: 5, Funny

    Thou shalt have four dimensions. No more, no less. Four shall be the number of thy dimensions, and the number of the dimensions shall be four. Five shalt thou not have, neither thou have three, excepting that thou then proceed to four. Six is right out.

  11. Re:Bah by Dragonslicer · · Score: 5, Funny
    Of course, how would one know when they got there?
    They'd see the sign for the restaurant. It's pretty tough to miss.