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Single Idea 21177

[filed under theme 27. Natural Reality / B. Modern Physics / 5. Unified Models / b. String theory ]

Full Idea

String theory works as a quantum theory of gravity because string vibrations can describe gravitons, the hypothetical carriers of the gravitational force.

Gist of Idea

String theory offers a quantum theory of gravity, by describing the graviton

Source

New Scientist writers (Why the Universe Exists [2017], 09)

Book Ref

New Scientist writers: 'Why the Universe Exists' [John Murray 2017], p.169

A Reaction

Presumably the main aim of a quantum theory of gravity is to include gravitons within particle theory. This idea has to be a main attraction of string theory. Compare Idea 21166.

Related Ideas

Idea 21166 Standard antineutrinos have opposite spin and opposite lepton number [New Sci.]

Idea 21194 The Standard Model omits gravity, because there are no particles involved [Hesketh]

The 41 ideas from 'Why the Universe Exists'

21142 Classifying hadrons revealed two symmetry patterns, produced by three basic elements [New Sci.]
21140 Spin is a built-in ration of angular momentum [New Sci.]
21144 Top, bottom, charm and strange quarks quickly decay into up and down [New Sci.]
21138 Neutrons are slightly heavier than protons, and decay into them by emitting an electron [New Sci.]
21141 Neutrinos were proposed as the missing energy in neutron beta decay [New Sci.]
21143 Quarks in threes can build hadrons with spin ½ or with spin 3/2 [New Sci.]
21147 Quantum electrodynamics incorporates special relativity and quantum mechanics [New Sci.]
21158 Fermions, with spin ½, are antisocial, and cannot share quantum states [New Sci.]
21159 Supersymmetry has extra heavy bosons and heavy fermions [New Sci.]
21155 Photons have zero rest mass, so virtual photons have infinite range [New Sci.]
21154 Three particles enable the weak force: W+ and W- are charged, and Z° is not [New Sci.]
21149 Quarks have red, green or blue colour charge (akin to electric charge) [New Sci.]
21160 The Higgs field means even low energy space is not empty [New Sci.]
21146 Electrons move fast, so are subject to special relativity [New Sci.]
21150 Three different colours of quark (as in the proton) can cancel out to give no colour [New Sci.]
21148 The strong force is repulsive at short distances, strong at medium, and fades at long [New Sci.]
21152 The strong force binds quarks tight, and the nucleus more weakly [New Sci.]
21151 Gluons, the particles carrying the strong force, interact because of their colour charge [New Sci.]
21157 Particles are spread out, with wave-like properties, and higher energy shortens the wavelength [New Sci.]
21145 The four fundamental forces (gravity, electromagnetism, weak and strong) are the effects of particles [New Sci.]
21153 The weak force explains beta decay, and the change of type by quarks and leptons [New Sci.]
21156 The weak force particles are heavy, so the force has a short range [New Sci.]
21162 Only supersymmetry offers to incorporate gravity into the scheme [New Sci.]
21161 In the standard model all the fundamental force fields merge at extremely high energies [New Sci.]
21165 Spin is akin to rotation, and is easily measured in a magnetic field [New Sci.]
21163 The mass of protons and neutrinos is mostly binding energy, not the quarks [New Sci.]
21164 Why do the charges of the very different proton and electron perfectly match up? [New Sci.]
21167 Gravity is unusual, in that it always attracts and never repels [New Sci.]
21166 Standard antineutrinos have opposite spin and opposite lepton number [New Sci.]
21168 Gravitional mass turns out to be the same as inertial mass [New Sci.]
21169 Only neutrinos spin anticlockwise [New Sci.]
21170 The Standard Model cannot explain dark energy, survival of matter, gravity, or force strength [New Sci.]
21171 The symmetry of unified electromagnetic and weak forces was broken by the Higgs field [New Sci.]
21172 The evidence for supersymmetry keeps failing to appear [New Sci.]
21173 Supersymmetry says particles and superpartners were unities, but then split [New Sci.]
21174 Dark matter must have mass, to produce gravity, and no electric charge, to not reflect light [New Sci.]
21175 String theory might be tested by colliding strings to make bigger 'stringballs' [New Sci.]
21177 String theory offers a quantum theory of gravity, by describing the graviton [New Sci.]
21178 String theory is now part of 11-dimensional M-Theory, involving p-branes [New Sci.]
21179 Supersymmetric string theory can be expressed using loop quantum gravity [New Sci.]
21176 In the Big Bang general relativity fails, because gravity is too powerful [New Sci.]