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String Theory Put to the Test

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the line-em-up-and-shoot-em-down dept.

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."

3 of 407 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Epicycles redux? by PCM2 · · Score: -1, Troll
    I am an engineer who has taken a LOT of physics classes over the years and I'm not completely ignorant either ... Maybe string theory is right, I don't honestly know. But it seems like a lot of group think is going on and little progress is being made.

    That's OK, though. You're forgiven for thinking like an engineer. This is science -- or at least higher math -- not industry. We're talking about thinking here, not producing a product. If these smart guys believe they're getting somewhere with all that thinking, then by all means let them. If, at some point down the line, some practical application of what they're talking about turns up, then the engineers can get excited about it, too.

    --
    Breakfast served all day!
  2. Re:Flipping Burgers? by garglblaster · · Score: 0, Troll
    ELEVEN DIMENSIONS??


    You must be joking.

    I'd personally prefer a theory with 3 dimensions + time as an imaginary 4th.
    This has been proven over and over again and is consistent with temporary physics.

    Anything containing more than let's say 5 dimensions is absolutely speculative and there has not been any evidence for this whatsoever..
    Last time I checked I couldn't see any evidence for more than 3 dimensions (+time as a 4th) anywhere
    - even when looking under the sofa.

    Please get real folks

    --

    perl -e 'printf("%x!\n",49153)'

  3. Re:The trick is projection by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    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 project that one down so you shut the fuck up.