String Theory: Will it Always be a TOENAIL?

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SUMMARY

String theory is currently not considered a Theory of Everything (TOE), but rather a Theory of Everything Not Appearing in Laboratories (TOENAIL), as defined by Warren Siegel. The discussion emphasizes the need for a significant breakthrough in string theory to elevate it to TOE status. Key requirements include developing a viable theory of gravity that aligns with General Relativity, accurately representing known accelerator physics, and achieving unification of gravity with the other fundamental forces. The consensus is that while string theory is valuable, it requires new insights to overcome its current limitations.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of General Relativity (GR)
  • Familiarity with particle physics and accelerator physics
  • Knowledge of string theory fundamentals
  • Awareness of the concept of unification in physics
NEXT STEPS
  • Research developments in background independent theories of gravity
  • Explore advancements in string theory and its implications for particle physics
  • Investigate current efforts in unifying gravity with the other three fundamental forces
  • Study the historical context and breakthroughs in theoretical physics that have influenced string theory
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The discussion is beneficial for theoretical physicists, researchers in quantum gravity, and students of advanced physics seeking to understand the challenges and future directions of string theory.

George Jones
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Right now string theory is just not a TOE, it's just a TOENAIL! :smile:

Will this always be so? Will string theory ever expand to include a whole TOE?

Personally, and from a position of ignorance, I take (the unoriginal) view that a new revolution is needed, and that string is something like Bohr-Sommerfield quantization. If this is true, then: 1) we're missing something big; this notwithstanding, string theory is worth studying.

Regards,
George

PS According to Warren Siegel, a TOENAIL is a Theory of Everything Not Appearing in Laboratories. Saw in this in a comment on Jo Anne JoAnne Hewett's interesesting blog posting, http://cosmicvariance.com/2005/11/18/a-particle-physicists-perspective/#comments", on Cosmic Variance. Dimitri Terryn makes a nice comment.
 
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I think even dedicated string physicists suspect that their theory need some new insight to break out of the landscape blind alley. But their history is replete with new insights coming right out of left field, so I don't give up on them. In my optinion, what they have to do to claim TOE status is:


1) Get a real theory of gravity (background independent as well as graviton) with GR as a true low energy limit.

2) Get a real representation of known accelerator physics in some not too ugly low energy limit.

3) Hopefully show some unification of gravity and the other three forces.