Alright guys, I don't really expect anybody to know much about this subject, but might as well ask. I have to do a presentation over string theory at my high school next week, I kindof understand the basics, but was wondering if anyone has a background in physics and would be able to expand on this subject for me. I don't want to get to much into the mathematical aspect, because it is near impossible for anyone my age to understand, but some good information about the theory that explains but also goes past the basics would be great. Thanks for any help.

man... what are you doing in high school.... string theory? lol good luck with that

__________________
another day, another dollar

Its for my chemistry class, at the end of the year everyone has to choose an extra topic relating to science and do a presentation over it. I couldn't decide what i wanted to do, so my teacher suggested string theory.

Anyways, i understand the basic concept, the theory that the fundamental particle/force in nature is a vibrating string, that there is nothing smaller then this string. The shape, size, energy, characteristics of particles then are determined by the way the string vibrates. Its like a violin, for every different way you vibrate a string on a violin, you get a specific frequency, or note, just like these supposed strings that make of everything (but instead of note you get a specific characteristic of a particle)

Then there are bunch of different types of string theories (bosonic, superstring, m-theory) that differ on a lot of different stuff. Each different theory is proven in different dimensions, bosonic = 26 dimensions (25 space + 1 time), superstring = 10 dimensions, and m-theory = 11 dimensions.

I know i will not be able to understand the math behind this, but I feel like there is a lot more to this topic that i can learn at my level that I still have not uncovered. It seems as though everything i have found on the internet is either really general stuff i already know or really really complicated theoretical and mathematical ideas that I can't understand. The reason i posted this thread was to see if someone who had a background on this topic could maybe post some interesting insights/facts/theories about string theory at a level that I am able to understand.

I wasn't expecting many replies, when I asked the AP physics teacher at our school about this topic, he said I was crazy for even trying to study string theory.

whoa my dad's actually reading a book on that right now. random. i could get you the name of the book if you like cuz he said there isn't much math in it, but it's pretty big so i'm not sure you'd want to tackle something like that for a high school project. but maybe if you're just interested you can check it out.

i don't know much physics, but nomanner might be able to help you...he's gonna be a t.a. in a physics class this summer and his parents are physicists.

let me know if you want the name of the book and i'll ask my dad when he's awake.

Why are you doing a AP physics type of presentation for AP Chem? Just weird. I'm surprised that you got this approved. You'd need to have studied basic Newton Laws for this and experimented first hand, I'd think. Maybe I'm just more of a visual learner.

I took AP Physics and remember some basics, not to mention playing music since I was 4. I don't exactly remember what you're asking, but I still have my books and it wouldn't take me long to look some stuff up for you.

__________________

Missy - Yea, i have gotten really interested in these sort of topics. I would like to learn mroe about this outside of class, the name of the book your dad is reading would be great. Thanks. I'll PM NoManner and ask him if he can help me out too.

Alex - I am a lot more interested in physics then chemistry, and because we can chose pretty much any science topic, i decided i would do somethign unrelated to chem. Yea your right, I don't know much about fundamental physics, because i havn't taken the class yet, but this isn't meant to be too extensive of a project. One of the reasons i posted this was not just to get more information for class, but also just to learn more about it cause its interesting. If you could, some more information would be great. Thanks.

ok i found the book. it's called the elegant universe by brian greene. i found it here on amazon for about ten bucks. it was also a special on nova on pbs. the dvd of that is here for about fourteen bucks. hope that helps.

Google "string theory, there are some good links.

OK I confess.. my PhD is in physics... what do you want to know?

__________________
See me playing $10/$20NL like it was play money

http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?...405&q=xxdemexx

Doberman: "but Sarge, isn't poker gambling and just luck?"
Sgt. Bilko:" not the way I play it"

Sweet! Do you know much about string theory? If so, could you give me some insight into this topic. I am confused trying to think about something in the 10th or 11th dimension, and am also confused as to what a p-brain, d-brain is? Why is string theory important? How will it help us technology wise, understanding the universe wise? Does string theory teach us anything about black holes and the big bang theory? Can a string be broken? What kind of math is needed to understand this topic or have a phd in physics in general. Are there any strange phenomens that result when thinking of everything in terms of strings? If we know what the fundamental particle of the universe is, can we somehow control it? Does string theory take the four forces of nature and combine them into one ultimate fundamental force? What is T-Duality, S-Duality, Compicatication (i think thats how its spelled), eucledean, non eucledean ... I have been seeing a lot of these words when trying to research this topic and have no idea what they mean.

Just some random questions that have been running around my head about the topic. Any other insight or good information about string theory would also be helpful. Thanks.