superstring theory

[redgiantjohn]

I'm currently reading a fantastic book about superstring theory(the theory of everything) if this theory is correct it will unify the theory of quantum mechanics and the theory of relativity to find out how the entire universe works on a sub-quark level. What I was thinking is if and when the superstring theory is fully understood what would be left for scientists to discover surely after the theory of everything is understood there is nothing left.....

[Lonnie]

Try Lisa Randall's Warped Passages which covers String Theory, Branes and Hidden Dimensions and proposed ideas on gravity. A very readable book.

[JulianO]

well

1) String theory currently makes no testable predictions - although apparently the maths is very encouraging.

2) Even if it does give us a "theory of everything" I think we'll find, like the answer 42, we're not quite sure what sort of everything its a theory of!

[ollypenrice]

I have what I don't doubt is a great book on string theory, given to me because the author and I took one of the pictures together. Alas, it is in Dutch!

If you want to see the doubters' point of view try The Trouble With Physics by Lee Smolin.

Olly

[mag10]

JulianO is quite right.

Every time we "solve" a problem, the answer generates completely new and unexpected riddles, which in time, we solve, which brings in...

From Ptolemy to Copernicus, Kepler and Galileo, to Einstein and Hubble, to Dark Matter and Dark Energy...

It's a great universe to live in, if you enjoy solving problems!