The discussion revolves around the question of whether string theory can explain the role of friction in everyday operations on Earth, touching on various types of friction and their implications in physical phenomena. The scope includes theoretical considerations and the relationship between fundamental physics and classical mechanics.
Participants express disagreement regarding the applicability of string theory to explain friction, with some arguing against its relevance and others suggesting a more complex relationship that may not be useful in practical terms.
The discussion highlights the limitations of applying string theory to classical phenomena, indicating that classical mechanics may be a more effective approach for understanding friction, but does not resolve the underlying assumptions or definitions involved.
String theory is a possible explanation for the way fundamental particles behave. So there is a sort of long rambling path of arguments that relates friction and any other classical phenomenon to strings. But that path would still involve the intermediate step of classical / QM description. Such a treatment wouldn't really be worth using because of the vast numbers involved and would require approximations in the process. Classical mechanics is an approximation that works very well so that would always (probably) be the best approach, rather than some alternative. The connection is too remote.denisaf said:Does string theory explain that physical principle?