What every layperson should know about string theory (Synopsis) [Starts With A Bang]

“I just think too many nice things have happened in string theory for it to be all wrong. Humans do not understand it very well, but I just don’t believe there is a big cosmic conspiracy that created this incredible thing that has nothing to do with the real world.” -Edward Witten

You don’t have to be a fan of string theory to understand why it’s such a promising area of scientific research. One of the holy grails of physics is for a quantum theory of gravitation: that describes gravity on the same footing as the other three forces, in very strong fields and at very tiny distances. Surprisingly, by looking at analogies between gravity and field theories, replacing particles with strings might be the answer.

It’s an incredibly difficult concept to understand why this would be the case without a slew of advanced mathematics, but last year, the world’s leading string theorist, Ed Witten, tried. That is to say, he wrote a piece for other physicists entitled, “What every physicist should know about string theory.” But what if you want to understand it and you’re not a physicist?

Here’s my attempt at making the same physics concepts accessible to everyone. Here’s what every layperson should know about string theory, including it’s issues and its great possibilities!