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ApplePion
Mar18-11, 12:36 PM
Can someone give me some specific experimental predictions that come from string theories--things that at least in principle could experimentally unambiguously be confirmed or disproven?

Thanks.

petergreat
Mar18-11, 04:21 PM
Can someone give me some specific experimental predictions that come from string theories--things that at least in principle could experimentally unambiguously be confirmed or disproven?

Thanks.

Since you said "in principle", it's easy. Just measure graviton scattering amplitudes and compare with string theory. You should see an infinite sequence of resonances at beyond Planck energies, due to an infinite number of massive particles in string theory. This task is easily done with a trans-Planck energy collider of galactic size.

If you drop "in principle", then no one knows whether there will be any in our lifetime.

Vanadium 50
Mar18-11, 09:41 PM
No theory can be unambiguously confirmed. There's always the potential that some future measurement may disprove it.

crackjack
Mar19-11, 05:53 AM
Holographic principle has seen the most (of course, relatively speaking) success so far.

In this context, the following question (posted by Jeff Harvey) seems relevant:
http://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/2026/condensed-matter-application-of-ads-cft
I am not competent enough to verify if any of the answers really addressed the main issue of the question (David. T is David Tong probably?)