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Articles: Devotion | In quest of infinity - 9
- Prof. venkata ramanamurty mallajosyula
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Developing his speculations further, Nambu argued that if Veneziano’s idea is taken seriously it simply means that many particles known in physics could be simply regarded as one basic string vibrating in different modes. Since that modest beginning, the idea of strings grew slowly at first and then more rapidly, to assume a very strong and respectable position in fundamental physics. How come this has happened? What is it that is going for String Theory? Has it made any sensational predictions that have been verified by experiments? If not, what is so great about String Theory?
Japanese Physicist Yoichiro Nambu Theoretical Physicist Gabriele Veneziano.
Well, basically there are three attractive features about String Theory that cannot be dismissed easily. Firstly, it is less plagued than conventional particle physics is, by a terrible disease called infinities [nothing to do with what we are after!]. That certainly is a blessing that cannot be dismissed. Next, it makes a natural place for a feature called SUSY, which is short for Super Symmetry; I can’t go into that technicality here but SUSY brings quarks and leptons [see Fig. 3] together. SUSY had to be invented and incorporated [by hand, as they say] into traditional particle physics.
In String Theory, SUSY does not have to be put in by hand which certainly is a plus. Thirdly, and this is very important, in String Theory, gravity comes in quite naturally. What I mean is this. In conventional particle physics, one has to say, “Well, we have these particles which interact via many forces, which form a natural part of the theory of particles. However, these particles also interact via gravitational force, but that is not a part of our theory.” In String Theory, gravity does not have to put in by hand, and that is a huge plus.
I must say a few words about the significance of what I have just mentioned. In 1915, Einstein made the spectacular breakthrough that related gravity to space-time and gave it meaning as well as substance. Thereafter, cosmology had a framework for development. And then, in the twenties and early thirties, quantum mechanics came into existence with spectacular success and plenty of mystery. For decades, gravity and quantum mechanics ruled supreme in their own domains – the two did not have to meet, and for a good reason; quantum mechanics was for the microscopic world while gravity became a serious tool when one considered the Cosmos.
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