Will string theory make the grade?

Einstein dreamed of a unified theory that could explain everything from the tiniest particles that comprise an atom to the entire universe itself. Many think that string theory fits the bill. With strands of energy vibrating at various rates and in multiple, undiscovered dimensions, string theory certainly has captured our imaginations. But dissenters argue that string theory doesn't make predictions that can be tested experimentally, so the theory can't be proven or falsified. So is it really a theory at all? The lack of testable predictions, among other reasons, has put string theory in the hot seat. A recent article in the New Yorker takes a close look at the criticism facing string theory today.

In this climate, Physics Professor Ira Rothstein (who is agnostic about string theory) and colleagues at the University of California, San Diego and the University of Texas at Austin have developed a test of string theory. Yes, you read that correctly. A test of string theory. Read more about it - and its implications - here.

Amy Pavlak