At the Large Hadron Collider in Europe, the discovery of the century could start with nothing. When physicists begin smashing protons together at unprecedented energies over the next year, they will ...

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For more than a century, physicists have suspected that the familiar three dimensions of space and one of time might be only a sliver of reality. Extra dimensions, if they exist, would not just be a ...

In this video, we explore the relationship between string theory and quantum field theory (QFT). QFT is a mathematical framework that describes nearly all particles and forces in the universe but ...

String theory proposes that the fundamental constituents of the universe are one-dimensional “strings” rather than point-like particles. What we perceive as particles are actually vibrations in loops ...

Scientists seeking the secrets of the universe would like to make a model that shows how all of nature’s forces and particles fit together. It would be nice to do it with Legos. But perhaps a better ...

Heterotic string theory remains a captivating framework in the pursuit of unifying quantum mechanics with gravity. By merging aspects of bosonic and supersymmetric strings, it provides a fertile ...

NOVA: What is so compelling about string theory to make you want to devote your career to it? Lykken: I think when a lot of people go into theoretical physics, they're looking for the big answers to ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. The Universe is out there, waiting for you to discover it. String theory is perhaps the most controversial big idea in all of ...