Michio Kaku: Mr Parallel Universe (new variation on string theory)

[Dover]

Michio Kaku: Mr Parallel Universe

Michio Kaku is playing the hottest game in town, with his new variation of string theory. By John Crace

Tuesday February 22, 2005
The Guardian

Take a trip to a New York ice-rink at the weekend and you're likely to see a middle-aged Japanese man jumping and spinning in perfect harmony with Newtonian physics. This is Michio Kaku's idea of relaxation; no relativity, little friction - just one man and the three laws of motion. He moves almost effortlessly, his blades carving perfect patterns in the ice; but then the three-dimensional world should present few problems to a man who is equally at home in 11.
Kaku is the Henry Semat professor of theoretical physics at the City University in New York, and the man who, in the late 1960s, co-founded the field theory of strings - the equation that united a complex series of equations which described the behaviour of sub-atomic particles into a coherent whole.

Mention string theory - the notion that an electron is not a dot, but a rubber band which, if vibrated enough times, can turn into every single sub-atomic particle in the universe - to most people and you get a glazed incomprehension: but to theoretical physicists it is just about the hottest topic around. "It either explains everything, or it explains nothing," Kaku shrugs, though his expression tells you exactly which side of the fence he is on.

Over in the US you can buy a T-shirt with Kaku's equation printed on the front, but it has taken a while for him to gain this recognition. Back in 1974, he was laughed off campus when it was discovered that strings could only vibrate coherently in 10-dimensional hyperspace, and Kaku groans as he remembers being taunted by the Nobel laureate Richard Feynman with "How many dimensions are you living in today?"...cont'd

http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/news/story/0,9830,1419422,00.html

[McKenzie]

1. Bookmarked for later. This stuff fascinates me.

although sometimes it is difficult to grasp. Especially Quantum Theory, or what little of it I understand. It puts the zap on my head. Schroedinger's Cat and all that...eeee...my head hurts.

thnx

[Mojambo]

2. That guy is awesome

He really knows how to relate very complicated theories so that regular minds can grasp them.

He is one of my favorite guests whenever he's on Coast to Coast AM.

[Fridays Child]

3. Great article

:kick:

[papau]

4. A great read

I see the string theory assertion that gravity varies because of that possible other universe in the room - but how /when was that derived?

The article says it is asserted by both String and M - BUT all I find are folks saying the equations can not be solved for anything of interest?!?

Indeed he implies relativity can be derived from string theory - ok - who did that bit of work?

[NationalEnquirer]

5. Mind bending stuff.

This guy is great.
He looks like some Iron Chef, but he is as cool as the other side of the pillow.

[Ready4Change]

6. Built an atom smasher at 16?

Wow. Fun article. I'm just re-reading Brian Greene's "The Elegant Universe" on string theory (about which I'm starting another thread.) so this was timely for me.