String Theory Notes (Parts 1, 2, and 3)

Part 1
• String theory
• Universe 11 dimensions
• Universe made of strings
• EVERYTHING MADE FROM VIBRATING STRANDS OF ENERGY CALLED STRINGS
• Vibrate differently
• UNIFICATION of laws throughout the universe
• Every law points to one spot
Newton
• Unified heaven + earth in Laws of Gravity
Einstein
• Light is an extremely fast beam
• Solves Newton’s problem of not knowing what gravity is (??)
• Sun disappears: planets out of orbit
• Not true: takes time
Einstein thought of fabric of space time
• Curve of space time is gravity
• Curve caused by sun’s gravity
• Resolved conflict of Newton
• Ripples happen when sun disappears
• Earth doesn’t feel effects until ripples reach earth
Electromagnetism
• Telegraph  uses electromagnetism
• James Carl Maxwell (Scottish)
• Electricity closely related to magnetism
• Compass runs wild with lightning
• Compass runs wild with lightning
• Unified electricity and magnetism
• Einstein wanted to unify his equation with electromagnetism to get an ultimate equation

• Jump off building collide with sidewalk
• Sidewalk doesn’t break  because electromagnetism binds atoms together
• Gravity much smaller force than electromagnetism
Neil’s Bore
• Found nucleus
• Nucleus cannot be bound together by gravity or electromagnetism
Theory of Quantum Mechanics
• Predict possibility of one outcome or another
o Cannot predict everything
• All possibilities HAPPEN
• Can probably walk through wall
o But try for an eternity
• Einstein believed that everything was predictable still
o But experiment after experiment proved him wrong
Two Forces in an Atom
• Strong nuclear force – bind nucleus together
• Weak nuclear force binds electrons to nucleus (radioactivity)
• Strong nuclear force  think nuclear bomb when split
• Cannot put general relativity into other forces

Part 2
• Investigate blackhole
• Shortshield found that huge energy compacted into dot = black hole
• Center: tiny+heavy
o Use quantum general relativity
• String – everything in the universe as strings, vibrating
• String theory – can’t test, so it is not science, its philosophy
Two Sets of Rules
• Quantum mechanics – atoms (web of space chaotic, twisted, unpredictable)
• Theory of relativity – planets (web of space predictable, smooth)
• Set two theories together; breakdown, they conflict
• Scientists are not trying to combine everything

• Gravity, electromagnetism, quantum theory, radioactivity can explain the birth of a star
• Young physicist 1968 found accidentally an equation that explained string theory (this is the birth of string theory)
• Messenger particles (in between) drag things together
Electromagnetism + Weak force + Quantum Mechanics meld together when universe started
String Theory – particle of gravity (graviton)
Maseless particle
Anomalies in theory
• Solved by Michael Greene – made lecture called “Theory of Everything”
• Electron made of corks
• Corks made of strings
• Strings are so small, it is like the atom is the size of the universe and the strings is the size of a tree
• Strings vibrate differently
o Thus allowing different masses, properties
String Theory makes Quantum Theory Calm
• But this needs to be proved
• Universe may have 4 dimensions
o Perhaps a tiny tiny dimension smaller than atoms
• String theory proposes 6 other dimensions
• Dimensions are twisted and curled
• These dimentions control the way the string moves
• Strings may have open strands, causing 6 dimentions
o Which one is ours?
Five Unanswered Questions that I Thought Of
Is there a unified equation to unite the 3 forces of the universe?
How would you be able to experiment with string theory?
Are there really 11 alternate dimensions?
If so, which one is ours?
Is there even a theory of everything?
Questions I need to Answer:
What is the difference between theory and philosophy?
Theory is when a scientific concept is widely accepted to explain a phenomena, but cannot be proven
Philosophy is a set of individual belief that influence they way they live their life and the way they look at others.
When does a theory become a fact?
A theory becomes a fact when it has been tested and proven.
When will string theory become a religion?
String theory will become a religion if it doesn’t get proven for a long time.

Part 3
• Shortest distance between 1 points – straight line
• Albert Einstein said space could bend and create wormholes
• Space bend, distance between 2 points decrease
• Einstein says space can’t rip
• Wormhole doesn’t exist because of that face
• Strings calm chaotic world of atoms
• World of atoms rip, strings put protective shield over rip
• So space can actually rip
5 different string theories competing
• Ed Witman solved this problem
o Provided different view of string theory
• 5 different theories turned out to be 5 different ways of looking at string theory
• Called M Theory
• 10 dimensions (normal), 11 dimensions (M theory)
• 1 Time Dimension
• 3 Space Dimensions
• 6 Tiny dimensions
• Other dimensions
o  think movie – 2-D
o characters look like they can move, but really, they are stuck in a frame
• String can stretch 11 dimensions
• String called membrane (or brane)
• Can stretch as big as universe
• We can live inside a larger, bigger dimension
o Like living in a loaf of bread
• Gravity very weak electromagnetism 1000 billion billion billion billion billion times stronger than gravity
• Possible that gravity is just as strong as electromagnetism, but we can’t see it
• Strings may be open-ended – end tied down to earth
• Graviton strings tied together, leave our membrane
• We believe big bang was a bang out of nothing, not a little dot
• Could be caused by 2 parallel branes colliding with each other
• When membranes collided, there was debris
• May see signs of strings on other stars
• Two labs tried proving string theory by colliding two atoms together without their electrons
• Fermilab and CERN
Bonus: I would send Ptolemy because he was probably the first scientist who tried to understand the universe.