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Perimeter Institute Launches Modern Physics Resource

An anonymous reader writes "You can find six new online sources of info about hot topics in modern physics at the 'What We Research' outreach page of Perimeter Institute. The info includes text, graphics and online presentations dealing with Cosmology, Superstring Theory, Quantum Gravity, Quantum Foundations, Quantum Information and Particle Physics. The resource section at the bottom of each page recommends a wealth of interesting online lectures by some famous scientists. PI is an independent, nonprofit scientific research and outreach organization."

2 of 30 comments (clear)

  1. Re:what's old is new again by dotancohen · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Technically you can "see" the strings, since in string theory every elementary particle is a string. In string theory, any time you detect an electron or a photon, you're looking at a string. It's just that they're so small, we may never be able to tell that they're actually strings and not point particles.

    Correct me if I'm wrong, but as I understood it the particles are strings in x dimensions, and in the superplane of our 3d existence they appear as points. Just as a line passing through a plane appears as a point on the plane.

    --
    It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.
  2. Re:what's old is new again by Karma+Bandit · · Score: 3, Interesting

    AFAIK that isn't a requirement, though it does lead to some neat things to think about.

    For example, imagine one string with both of its ends stuck on our 3D "plane", but with the bulk of it floating "above" the plane. The point at one end is an electron and the other end a positron. When they meet, the loop closes, forming a photon, which is a closed loop type of string.