RUBBER BANDS AND STRINGS

WHAT HAPPENED TO PHYSICS?

In the early 1900’s, after Albert Einstein finalized his relativity theories, he
thought that he could find proof that unified all four physical phenomena. These four
forces are: electromagnetism, gravity, the strong nuclear force (which holds the atom
together), and the weak nuclear force (which causes radioactive decay). Unfortunately,
Einstein died before he found the unification theory.

By 1980, the standard model of physics had been evolved which explained the
relationship between protons and neutrons in the atom which led to the discovery of
quarks which are held together by gluons. Since that time, no one has done an experiment
which is not consistent with this model or with general relativity. For the past 25 years
many theories have been proposed, but none have made much headway in the solution of
unification.

Two promising theories evolved after relativity. One was quantum theory and the
other was string theory. Einstein had considered quantum theory as an answer to why
photons acted in some cases like particles and in other cases like waves. He finally
concluded that all matter had a granular structure, as did the electric charge and so has
energy. Photons are the energy quanta of which light is composed. So is light a wave or a
shower of protons? Is a beam of electrons a shower of elementary particles or a wave?

In 1970 a new theory evolved. This theory treated particles not as points but as
strings (very tiny strings), that could be stretched like rubber bands – and like rubber
bands, they vibrated. These strings opened and closed, vibrating as they traveled,
colliding with one another and exchanging energy. String theory promised to be a
quantum theory of gravity which is also a unification of forces and matter. Wallah!, the
unification of the four forces was at hand - but there were problems. There were lots of
solutions in string theory and up to ten dimensions, but no one could show by experiment
that these extra dimensions existed or how they could be measured. There was no
correlation with the real world.

Several other theories have been advanced since string theory was proposed, but
none have been absolutely proven to be the answer to the unification of the fundamental
forces and the standard models of particle physics. Still, no theories proposed in the last
25 years have been successfully experimentally proved. It is hoped that the new
supercollider at CERN will answer some of these questions.

In the interim, science marches on with theories being proposed and worked on by
several scientists in the hope that each idea will solve the problems or, at least, contribute
to the general knowledge. Stay tuned!