- On sub-Planck-scale, the quantum undulations are so violent that they destroy the notion of a smoothly curving geometrical space causing general relativity to break down.
- A more detailed description of a particle accelerator can be determined when smaller particles are shot at it in a particle accelerator
- Higher energy particles are able to more accurately observe details of a particle when collided because the margin of error when using a point particle as a probe is directly related to its wavelength. So an increase in the energy of a particle shortens its wavelength, increasing the accuracy of the collision. This is why such enormous distances are used in particle accelerators such as the large hadron collider to accelerate particles to enormous speeds close to the speed of light.
- A string on the other hand that is smaller than Planck-length when given enough energy will actually be caused to GROW from the energy it receives as opposed to a point particle which will continually increase in probing accuracy. A string will behave like a particle until it reaches the Planck-scale. Question~ Why is the Planck-scale such an important point for a string specifically?
- A string could actually be caused to grow to macroscopic scale if it was given enough energy as was available during the big bang.
- The negative for particle physicists here is that particle acceleration cannot be used on sub-Planck-length distances. Question~ If such an apparent difference exists between strings and point particles, shouldn't we be able to determine whether or not particles are points or strings based on whether the accuracy of particle probing increases on sub-Planck-length scales? Or is this beyond our technological or observational capabilities?
- The implication of this is that strings cannot detect quantum undulations smaller than Planck-scale. This smoothes out the incompatibility between general relativity and quantum mechanics.
- In string theory, there is NO WAY to expose the sub-Planck-scale "imperfections" in the fabric of space. According to this, the conventional notion that we can always observe something on smaller and smaller distances is untrue. So someone who must be able to observe and measure something to believe that it exists would claim that they do not exist at all because they cannot be measured. Question~ What precisely stands in our way of being able to observe the sub-Planck undulations? Is it simply that we cannot see the effects of them on the strings?
"A Sleight of Hand?"
- The problems between quantum mechanics and general relativity were essentially of our own making if string theory is to be believed. Because we so adamantly believed that particles were points and didn't hardly question it previously, we ran into problems as we went down to smaller and smaller scales. It took a very radical theory like string theory to strike at science's very core beliefs in order to find a logical solution.
- According to string theory, there is a limit on how closely we can observe the universe and the reason we encountered such problems on the microscopic scale is because we believed that we could infinitely measure the universe so long as we had the technology.
- Quantum-mechanical probability - prevents physical objects from randomly disappearing from the universe without a trace (I just thought it was awesome that they have a word for that, Alex :) )
- Point particle quantum field theory description of a collision between an electron and positron: The two particles slam together, annihilating each other, producing a photon. The photon then produces another electron and positron. Question~ Why does it produce another electron and positron?
9/1
- String theory implies that a particle is 1 dimensional instead of having zero dimensions as with Point particle physics.
- With point particle physics, infinite answers result when the graviton is incorporated in particle reactions.
- Strings spread out force of the gravitational force, lowering it enough to produce finite answers.
- On sub-Planck-scale, the quantum undulations are so violent that they destroy the notion of a smoothly curving geometrical space causing general relativity to break down.
- A more detailed description of a particle accelerator can be determined when smaller particles are shot at it in a particle accelerator
- Higher energy particles are able to more accurately observe details of a particle when collided because the margin of error when using a point particle as a probe is directly related to its wavelength. So an increase in the energy of a particle shortens its wavelength, increasing the accuracy of the collision. This is why such enormous distances are used in particle accelerators such as the large hadron collider to accelerate particles to enormous speeds close to the speed of light.
- A string on the other hand that is smaller than Planck-length when given enough energy will actually be caused to GROW from the energy it receives as opposed to a point particle which will continually increase in probing accuracy. A string will behave like a particle until it reaches the Planck-scale. Question~ Why is the Planck-scale such an important point for a string specifically?
- A string could actually be caused to grow to macroscopic scale if it was given enough energy as was available during the big bang.
- The negative for particle physicists here is that particle acceleration cannot be used on sub-Planck-length distances. Question~ If such an apparent difference exists between strings and point particles, shouldn't we be able to determine whether or not particles are points or strings based on whether the accuracy of particle probing increases on sub-Planck-length scales? Or is this beyond our technological or observational capabilities?
- The implication of this is that strings cannot detect quantum undulations smaller than Planck-scale. This smoothes out the incompatibility between general relativity and quantum mechanics.
- In string theory, there is NO WAY to expose the sub-Planck-scale "imperfections" in the fabric of space. According to this, the conventional notion that we can always observe something on smaller and smaller distances is untrue. So someone who must be able to observe and measure something to believe that it exists would claim that they do not exist at all because they cannot be measured. Question~ What precisely stands in our way of being able to observe the sub-Planck undulations? Is it simply that we cannot see the effects of them on the strings?
"A Sleight of Hand?"
- The problems between quantum mechanics and general relativity were essentially of our own making if string theory is to be believed. Because we so adamantly believed that particles were points and didn't hardly question it previously, we ran into problems as we went down to smaller and smaller scales. It took a very radical theory like string theory to strike at science's very core beliefs in order to find a logical solution.
- According to string theory, there is a limit on how closely we can observe the universe and the reason we encountered such problems on the microscopic scale is because we believed that we could infinitely measure the universe so long as we had the technology.
- Quantum-mechanical probability - prevents physical objects from randomly disappearing from the universe without a trace (I just thought it was awesome that they have a word for that, Alex :) )
- Point particle quantum field theory description of a collision between an electron and positron: The two particles slam together, annihilating each other, producing a photon. The photon then produces another electron and positron. Question~ Why does it produce another electron and positron?
9/1
- String theory implies that a particle is 1 dimensional instead of having zero dimensions as with Point particle physics.
- With point particle physics, infinite answers result when the graviton is incorporated in particle reactions.
- Strings spread out force of the gravitational force, lowering it enough to produce finite answers.