The History of String Theory: Debates and Discoveries in the 1960s

In summary, string theory was first proposed in 1968 by Gabriele Veneziano and was later improved upon by Yoichiro Nambu, Holger Nielsen, and Leonard Susskind. It suggests that matter is made up of tiny one-dimensional strings that vibrate in different energy states, corresponding to different fundamental particles. The theory has since evolved and incorporated supersymmetry in an attempt to unify the four fundamental forces of nature. However, its validity is still a topic of debate among physicists.
  • #1
Tom McCurdy
1,020
1
I was just trying to remember didn't String theory first come up in like 1968 when it was debated whether someone found something from oilers equations that happened to describe the strong and weak force? Or was that when it was making its first comeback... ah I can't remember.

Just trying to figure out how string theory was started.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
Tom McCurdy said:
I was just trying to remember didn't String theory first come up in like 1968 when it was debated whether someone found something from oilers equations that happened to describe the strong and weak force? Or was that when it was making its first comeback... ah I can't remember.

Just trying to figure out how string theory was started.

See Gabriele Veneziano (page 136 of Brian Greene's The Elegant Universe) and even Susskind's contribution
 
Last edited:
  • #3
String theories
Michael Green and John Schwarz continued development of string theory – discovered in 1968 by Gabriele Veneziano and improved on in 1970 by Yoichiro Nambu, Holger Nielsen and Leonard Susskind – and in 1984 they released superstring theory. It suggests that matter is made from incredibly small one-dimensional quantum strings 10^-35 m in length that exist in a 10-dimensional environment – six hidden and four visible to us.
These strings have no mass – like light; they spin, vibrate and rotate, yielding different quantum energy states. Their energy states or harmonics correspond to different fundamental particles within the same family. The extra invisible dimensions can be regarded as mathematical artefacts.
David Gross later added 16 extra dimensions to account for bosons – the transmitters of force. A total of 10 dimensions are needed for fermions, and 26 dimensions are needed for bosons in order to be consistent with quantum theory.
Superstring theory (string theory for short) has incorporated supersymmetry in an attempt to unify the four fundamental forces of nature. But physicists are still a long way from being able to say whether string theory is correct.
 
  • #4
Tom McCurdy said:
I was just trying to remember didn't String theory first come up in like 1968 when it was debated whether someone found something from oilers equations that happened to describe the strong and weak force? Or was that when it was making its first comeback... ah I can't remember.

Just trying to figure out how string theory was started.

There's a good capsule history of string theory at superstringtheory.com. That site is maintained (slowly!) by Patricia Schwartz, who was (is?) married to John Schwartz one of the key figures in the development of string physics.
 
  • #5
thank you for your responses
 

1. What is the history of string theory?

The history of string theory dates back to the 1960s when physicists were trying to understand the fundamental particles and forces in the universe. String theory proposes that the smallest building blocks of matter are not point-like particles, but tiny strings that vibrate at different frequencies, giving rise to the different particles we see in the universe.

2. Who were the key players in the development of string theory?

The key players in the development of string theory were Gabriele Veneziano, Leonard Susskind, Yoichiro Nambu, and Holger Bech Nielsen. They were among the first to propose and develop the theory and were later joined by other physicists such as Michael Green, John Schwarz, and Edward Witten.

3. What were the major debates surrounding string theory in the 1960s?

One of the major debates surrounding string theory in the 1960s was whether it could be used to explain the strong nuclear force, one of the four fundamental forces in the universe. Another debate was whether the theory was mathematically consistent and could be used to make testable predictions.

4. What were the major discoveries in string theory during the 1960s?

The major discoveries in string theory during the 1960s were the realization that strings could be used to describe the strong nuclear force and the development of the dual resonance model by Gabriele Veneziano, which provided the first mathematical framework for string theory.

5. How has string theory evolved since the 1960s?

Since the 1960s, string theory has evolved significantly. It has expanded to include multiple dimensions, leading to the development of superstring theory and M-theory. It has also been used to explore other areas of physics, such as black holes and quantum gravity. However, the theory is still not experimentally proven, and it continues to be a subject of ongoing research and debate in the scientific community.

Similar threads

B Balancing theories and empirical data, especially concerning string theory
    • Beyond the Standard Models
2
Replies
47
Views
4K
A The double copy of (2,0) theory
    • Beyond the Standard Models
Replies
1
Views
2K
A "Monstrous Higgs and Leech Spacetime"
    • Beyond the Standard Models
Replies
0
Views
988
I Trying To Conceptualize Two Dimensions Of Time
    • Beyond the Standard Models
Replies
2
Views
2K
A Twistors and celestial holography
    • Beyond the Standard Models
Replies
14
Views
3K
I Two recent tests of loop quantum gravity theory
    • Beyond the Standard Models
Replies
6
Views
371
It is possible from the general relativity reach a ToE?
    • Beyond the Standard Models
Replies
13
Views
2K
Simple calculation of Compton scattering in string theory
    • Beyond the Standard Models
Replies
2
Views
2K
A Explaining the Hubble tension with fundamental physics
    • Beyond the Standard Models
Replies
6
Views
3K
A Higgs inflation and quadratic gravity
    • Beyond the Standard Models
Replies
1
Views
149

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top