String theory, that bizarre attempt to produce a "grand unified theory" in the realm of physics that would reconcile Einstein's Theory of Relativity with Quantum Mechanics, has any number of proponents around the world. Its basis, like much of physics is largely mathematical but it makes a number of predictions, amongst them the rather bizarre requirement for an additional eight or ten spatial dimensions. Nonetheless there are problems with the theory.
The most obvious is that virtually no one can understand it but the most critical is that there seems to be no way to prove or disprove it thereby making more like speculation than a workable scientific theory.
Now scientists at Carnegie Mellon University the University of California (San Diego) and The University of Texas at Austin have devised a test that should be capable of disproving at least part of string theory. I will not pretend to understand what the hell they are talking about but for those with interest an explanation is to be found here.
The most obvious is that virtually no one can understand it but the most critical is that there seems to be no way to prove or disprove it thereby making more like speculation than a workable scientific theory.
Now scientists at Carnegie Mellon University the University of California (San Diego) and The University of Texas at Austin have devised a test that should be capable of disproving at least part of string theory. I will not pretend to understand what the hell they are talking about but for those with interest an explanation is to be found here.
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