String theory hints at explanation for superconductivity

Nature News ^ | 19 July 2009 | Eric Hand

[allmost]

Add every number and every equation ever conceived, you have string theory. The resulting is garbage based on lies.

[allmost]

String theory predicts I have to use the bathroom in a few minutes. I don’t want to get up so we switch to M-theory.

[happinesswithoutpeace]

/

[SpaceBar]

Fitting observation to a model is only the first part of theoretical physics. Prediction of as yet unobserved/unknown phenomena is the real test. Waiting.

[InterceptPoint]

It suggests that we are on the verge of understanding a new state of matter using a string-theory description,"

Good language for a short proposal to obtain more grant funds for your favorite scientific pursuit. Tie your project to String Theory and the money flows. Propose something actually practical and it's a no-go. That is the state of science today. String theory is a pretty mathematics and poor science. But worse, it has become, like Global Warming, a new religion. IMHO it is well past the time when String Theory needed to be either proven or abandoned.

[wendy1946]

String theory answers the question of whether the universe actually contains anything stupider than the theory of evolution...

[mosaicwolf]

Oh the time these folks waste on trying to explain an illusion.

[grey_whiskers]

That's a new bumper sticker / T-shirt if I ever saw one.

"String theory causes climate change."

Cheers!

[ozark hilljilly]

String theory suggests that vibrating strings that exist in 10 dimensions underpin the observable Universe.

Sounds like it could be an offshoot of the Flying Spaghetti Monster religion.

I've read a lot of explanations of 'string theory' and for the most part my feeble noggin can't quite grasp it. I wish it could, because this stuff does interest me. But at the same time, the more I read up on it the more I find it hard to believe that these same folks think we're nuts because we believe in God. ; )

[Bobalu]

[Moonman62]

Thanks for the article. Too bad it’s such a draw for the FR anti-science crowd.

[muawiyah]

Don't abandon a multi-dimensional Universe so quickly. The Bible itself contains the teachings of God's own prophets that there are, behind our own personal existence, the dimensions of "heart", "body", "soul", "mind", "spirit", "consciousness" and possibly others.

Some Orthodox Jewish groups count 11 such dimensions and do not rule out yet others.

All of this may well be something that can be discussed in the same langauge.

[muawiyah]

There's a small group who are of the impression that "Let there be light" and the "Big Bang" are somehow different concepts. So, yeah, threads like this attract them.

Since "string theory" at this time is simply a mathematical language that enables us to discuss the interactions of the fundamental forces in the Universe, I'm not quite sure what their point is concerning it.

It's pretty obvious to me that it has a parallel/cognate language used in the Judeo-Christian tradition to discuss God, and that's pretty doggone profound. Consequently, it would seem to me that it would be much more likely for the anti-religion crowd to be against "string theory" than the religious minded.

[AdmSmith]

Thanks for the link. There is another program, perhaps even more interesting, about High Temperature Superconductivity. The talks are as well rather technical, but check out the “Discussions of Issues Raised in the Conference” http://online.kitp.ucsb.edu/online/highertc09/

[AdmSmith]

Consequently, it would seem to me that it would be much more likely for the anti-religion crowd to be against "string theory" than the religious minded.

No, I do not think so, ;-)

[muawiyah]

Oh, yes, and it's just a matter of time until they find out about the parallels.

Or, maybe not. Modern theoretical physicists are usually pretty ignorant of a lot of things ~ current events, how government works, girls, stuff like that ~ and religion.

[tlb]

>>>Good language for a short proposal to obtain more grant funds

The ultimate, inescapable, and inevitable booogeyman someone throws into nearly all FR science threads. “Grants”.

I guess that which must be paid for is invalid. Just because.

[AdmSmith]

Well, being trained as a tp I can assure you that we were (and are) ”interested in a lot of of things ~ current events, how government works, girls, stuff like that” ~ but I agree with you about being ingnorant about religion. Occam's razor you know...

[InterceptPoint]

I have no problem with grants. They are an obvious necessity if we want to support science, which I do. The problem isn’t with the grants themselves but with the process by which they are awarded. There is bias in the process that hurts scientific pursuit and “String Theory” is one of those popular buzzwords that helps you get funding. “Climate Change” is another. “Global Warming” used to work but it has fallen out favor (LOL).