New Calculations May Lead To a Test For String Theory 284
dexmachina writes "A team of theoreticians, led by a group from Imperial College London, has released calculations that show string theory makes specific, testable predictions about the behaviour of quantum entangled particles. Professor Mike Duff, lead author of the study from the Department of Theoretical Physics at Imperial College London, commented, 'This will not be proof that string theory is the right "theory of everything" that is being sought by cosmologists and particle physicists. However, it will be very important to theoreticians because it will demonstrate whether or not string theory works, even if its application is in an unexpected and unrelated area of physics.' In other words, string theory may finally have shed its critics' most common complaint: unfalsifiability. However, given the second most common complaint, I can't help but wonder: which string theory?" Update: 09/03 23:34 GMT by S : Columbia University's Peter Woit, author of the Not Even Wrong blog, says these claims are overblown, and adds that a number of string theorists said as much to Wired.
Well... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:And when it fails this test too (Score:5, Funny)
Obviously, it follows that love created the world in six days. Then love created a flood that destroyed just about fucking everyone, because you don't fuck with love, love is a sociopath.
which string theory? (Score:5, Funny)
which string theory?
The one that will come out of the renormalization that they'll need to do to make it fit the observed outcome of this experiment, obviously.
Re:And when it fails this test too (Score:3, Funny)
[...] or assuming the correctness of math before Godel (who proved math is not consistent, whoops)
You got to improve your trolling - you have to be irrational and coarse enough to be enraging, yet not so loony that you self-identify as a troll. I rate you a 6 out of 10 for aggravating, which is OK I guess. What puts you over the top is stating that Godel proved that math is inconsistent. At that point the trolling just becomes too obvious.
Re:Physicist speaking (Score:4, Funny)
If you complain at string theory, then PLEASE state what you are proposing. What is the use in complaining when you have no alternative?
Which by an astonishing coincidence is the same argument in favor of god-did-it theory.
Re:Physicist speaking (Score:4, Funny)
Nylon theory (nylon is made of strings, you see) (Score:5, Funny)
No, it's nylons... and they only go down from the thigh (otherwise we're talking about pantyhose, which are a creation of the devil.) From the thigh up, it's garters. If you find turtles, retreat immediately. It's likely to get worse, and you don't want to know about that... guys that want to know about that become gynecologists. And no one with any sense at all wants to encounter dark matter. Also, garters first, panties (optional, of course), second.
Experimenting in this realm is highly recommended. Repeat a lot - you want to be sure.
Re:Physicist speaking (Score:4, Funny)
does that not also imply that QM cannot be distinguished from string theory?
That's what I've always said!
The quality manager didn't find it funny.
Rediculous. (Score:4, Funny)
This has been solved for quite a long time. Perl's built in regular expression tests have had the ability to check for strings for many years now.
if( $var =~ /\w/) {}
Re:Not a test (Score:3, Funny)
Where is... (Score:1, Funny)
the pizza analogy guy on this one?
Re:I think the complain about string theory (Score:2, Funny)
Now there's nothing wrong with purse math.
That's a massive understatement. For most people, money counting is the most important type of math.
Re:Wazza? (Score:3, Funny)
My head hurts. You took the correct phrase in the summary "its (plural) crtics' (plural possessive)" and turned it into the mind bending "it's (contraction - it is) critics (plural)". Twice. With bold face.