Ah, the vast vibrating strands of infinateley powerful energy that vibrate and contain the three dimensions we know (plus the other eight most are ignorant to) bending and colliding so freely, we cannot truly understand the definition of the word. One day perhaps, whence we cease to hold our conscious these three spatial requirements, transcend our infinitesimally small brane(not brain) and truly become 'one' with the universe. With the knowledge that only a medium amount of kinetic energy, being all that holds the fabrics of our reality together, why is it so hard to break the chains of the physical nature?
String theory is made up "magic" to explain the effect on "our world" from that which is too small for us to "see". Things are happening to the smallest things we can "see" by things even smaller...and string theory attempts to "explain" it. Just like all the rest of the theories. It's how we humans do it... We MUST explain WHY everything happens the way it does. We started off with "Gods" doing everything, got closer with "science"...and someday, we'll hit the brick wall. Someday our ability to "resolve" smaller and smaller things will reach a limit.
That is only the constraint of our dimensional perception. So yes, science as we know it can only take us so far.
But do we need string theory, brane and all? Surely at some point we should take the decision to switch resources towards saving lives in the here and now, not pontificating and theorising about what might be?? When we get to that point perhaps we could consider ourselves civilised.
All this research into understanding our universe is not for nothing. These (non)random acts of science have saved countless lives. Putting men on the moon has contributed to everyday life. The research needed to do this has benefited mankind in health and welfare by its research. Formula 1 in its research has contributed to health and welfare with materials it has discovered. There are many many examples of where by products of research for seemingly pleasure purposes has being for the benefit of mankind. The theory of relativity is alive and well in our everyday life, a small example are GPS systems which everyone seem to rely on these days. Were ever possible our understanding of the universe gets exploited for the benefit of mankind. To stop this discovery of our understanding would leave us worse off. Yet many people do not relate our discoveries in science to the benefits in their on life. All these things people think just happened or just are, computers worked, tv's worked, gps's worked, phone's worked, heat rate monitors worked, defibrillators worked, they just work because they do. All this is because of discoveries in science. All these discoveries are built upon from legends of our past who have contributed to making our lives what they are today. Science has benefited you in so many ways by saving life's and feeding people.
Actually ol you are making my point for me! How does GPS help the starving in India??? You mention 'exploited' lord knows theres plenty of people on this planet being exploited right now! Any movement into space will be for PROFIT not to benefit anybody, except the shareholders of course!!! Time to shift resources from theory into practical solutions. I'm not saying close down theoretic physics totally but any more large hadron colliders should be ditched!
There is no practical solutions unless the theoretical groundwork have been done first. What theoretical research may yield in practical application, is entirely unknown. Research such as the LHC may lead to new insight that again leads to new energy-resources or new materials. Biological agricultural research have given us crops that are far more efficient than more naturally bred ones. Assuring that billions of people are fed, every day. Space exploration, by profit or not, is essential to secure the safety of our planet and everything on it. Besides, the resources out there are for all practical purposes endless. It would be a great boon to the world economy, indeed all human economy, if those were harvested. Doing science just for the insight it gives, is reward enough. If it results in some practical application, so much the better. Like when electricity was discovered. At the time it was regarded as just another physics party trick with no use in everyday life. Yet, we would not have this conversation via computers on a world wide network, were it not for those scientists that tinkered along with their fancy ideas and theories. If money spent is your problem, then don't look at scientific research as a place to save a few pennies. That research can only lead to one thing, understanding and progress. For every penny spent on research, we get over time everything back, with interest and then some. If you want to save some money to "feed the poor" or whatever other idealistic project you imagine, then take a good hard look at world military expenditure. A large standing military in peace time is no better than throwing money down the toilet.
The Indians are coming on board...so our technology IS helping them now. People are exploited for two reasons...ignorance or weakness. Either they don't have the capacity to "keep up", or they just don't know how things work yet. Africa seems not to have the capacity... Others are figuring things out and are joining the global community. Science leads to technology...it's a good thing.
Wow... how can you believe this? 'Joining the global community' means getting exploited by the G8... LOL Wake up man.. half the world is starving !!!
Not to be an asshole but string theory only has 10 dimensions. so its the 3 we know and 7 most are ignorant to.
Who exactly are starving? Not members of the G8. You join the club and you win. The people starving live in countries that think they can buck the system. Play ball nicely, do what you're told...and you too can prosper. White people CAN help you...
WoW a nice scientific thread on strings gets turned into a rant for feeding the poor. So getting back to strings, dont forget they can also expand into brains.
thats an entirely different theory. in string theory they do not expand into membranes. that would require an eleventh dimension. That would be M theory