Questions tagged [theory-of-everything]
The theory-of-everything tag has no usage guidance.
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Is the big bang (BB) correctly summarized as a sequence of symmetry-breaking events? [closed]
Please take this as a serious question from a curious yet deeply underinformed lover of this universe. This is more of a basic question concerning the overall mechanics of the transition stages from ...
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Could the fundamental symmetries of a fundamental theory of everything be explicitly broken, somehow?
If our universe was fundamentally described by a theory of everything (let's say e.g. string theory) it would have a set of fundamental symmetries (which would correspond to the fundamental symmetries ...
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Fundamental symmetries in Theories of Everything changing due to a vacuum phase transition? [duplicate]
I am studying the concept of a vacuum phase transition. As far as I know, the vacuum could change into another vacuum with a different energy potential (which would have different properties like ...
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All possible QFTs from geometry? [closed]
Physicist Nima Arkani-Hamed has taken an approach to understand fundamental physics based on geometry (specifically, positive geometry). This started with his work with Jaroslav Trnka in the ...
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Is String Theory actually the supreme theory of Physics that can unite the 'Theory of the Big' and the 'Theory of the Small'? [duplicate]
As Dr. Michio Kaku says, that in the current state of Physics, we have the 'Theory of the Big' that is black holes, the Big Bang, cosmology, astrophysics on one hand and the 'Theory of the Small' that ...
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Why do we need Quantum Gravity [duplicate]
I know this question has been asked many times but I have not found a satisfying answer to it yet. I understand Gravity as an emergent phenomenon of mass/energy. I understand quantum mechanics as the ...
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Grand Unification Theory (GUT) and Theory of Everything (TOE) [duplicate]
I need an elementary introduction to Grand Unification Theory (GUT) and Theory of Everything (TOE), for a third year college going student. Please suggest some reference material.
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What are the minimum requirements for a new fundamental theory?
If we knew a most-fundamental theory of physics, the many currently-known equations would be derived naturally from it. Perhaps, most of the unsolved problems in physics may be fully explained by the ...
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Are there non-Newton-based theories that explain the world at least as good? If not, why? [closed]
The history of physics basically goes like this:
There was one clever guy, Newton, who did some amazing work explaining the motion of objects using mathematics. Over the time the experiments got ...
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What experiments could be done *in principle* to help down-select between different versions of string theory?
I understand that string theory (broadly defined) is a solution to quantum gravity. That is, it is a unified theory the explains both quantum phenomena (such as the particles of the standard model ...
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What is the shortest form way to fully describe the way our universse functions? [closed]
Let's say we wanted to explain to some alien living in another universe with different laws of physics to how our universe worked, what is the shortest way of doing this?
A different way of looking at ...
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Implications of M-Theory on the correctness of String Theory
So we know that there are 5 types of string theories (Type 1, Type IIA, Type IIB, $SO(32)$ heterotic, and $E_8 \times E_8$ heterotic). It was shown that these 5 types are just limits of something ...
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Types of physics [closed]
So I have heard that physics has three types, Classical, Relativistic and Quantum. So Relativity has two types special and general and the theory of everything (TOE) need to unify all of physics. So ...
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Mathematical prerequisites for M-theory [duplicate]
I am interested in learning M-theory; however I have no Idea as to what mathematics is required for it. Are the prerequisites the same as string theory? Is there more mathematical knowledge needed for ...
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Can we calculate everything with an exact theory? [closed]
This question is not opinion based:
If we have found the fundamental theory of how our universe works and we have no limitation for our Supercomputer:
Could we then calculate everything/ every ...
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Could there have been primeval energy associated with the primeval particle?
I was researching up on the big bang theory and came across the primeval atom hypothesis. I know that nothing is known of this time period but I was wondering hypothetically is it is possible. I am a ...
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Why is string theory considered the best candidate for quantum gravity if it cannot resolve singularities? [closed]
The reason we want a theory of quantum gravity is to be able to understand singularities like the big bang and black holes.
However the best candidate so far for such a theory, string theory, does not ...
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Physical principles and their rigidity
In many of his talks and interviews, Nima Arkani-Hamed mentions how incredibly constrained are the laws of physics.
For example, in a recent interview he says:
“[I]f we just took these general ...
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What is Eric Weinstein's Geometric Unity theory? [closed]
I can usually follow the basic ideas of a theory, but Weinstein's Geometric Unity theory is completely incomprehensible to me. It leads me to suspect that it is high level crackpottery, but he seems ...
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Is anyone attempting to disprove the existence of ToE? (Formerly: Is there necessarily a theory of everything?) [closed]
Does the following claim have a proof?
Theorem: There exists a theory of everything.
[edit: Added the following to hopefully clarify what I’m driving at.]
Is any physicist working on proving the ...
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Why search for a renormalizable theory of quantum gravity?
I recently heard a talk at my university about the search for a renormalizable theory of quantum gravity. I then asked myself the following question:
Isn't the reason that we need to regularize and ...
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What question is it that theoretical physics are trying to solve?
The so-called Ultimate Question is the question whose answer is a Theory-of-Everything. The trouble is that as far as I can tell theoretical physics are not certain what the question is they're trying ...
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Does Chew's bootstrap idea accept the possibility that there may be infinitely many possible laws of physics?
Physicist Geoffrey Chew proposed the concept of bootstrap (related to S-matrix theory) where he denied that fundamental laws of nature existed at all, as it is indicated in a writing in his memory ...
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Relationship between physical scale and certainty
Partially motivated by this question, I get the impression that it is generally more difficult to make accurate statistical predictions in Physics about "the small" (microscopic phenomena) ...
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Combining gravity with other forces [duplicate]
We all know we have 4 fundamental forces, and among them we can combine 3 forces but not gravity as in Standard model and some other. But force is something we can measure, as Einstein told us in ...
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Why is a unified field theory necessary? [duplicate]
I have read almost everywhere that the biggest questions in physics is to unify all the fundamental forces but I simply do not understand why do the forces have to follow a same set of rules or why is ...
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Can a theory of everything solve the oldest problem of turbulence? [closed]
Can a theory of everything solve the oldest problem of turbulence?
Can we have unified theory of universe without solving the problem of turbulence?
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Are standard QFT and general relativity contradictory?
My professors say it's only a matter of finding the right mathematical formalism to unite GR and QFT, and that new physics can only possibly be found on extremely high energies and small scales.
they ...
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Why is there a possibility for unification of GR and quantum mechanics when they are fundamentally in contradiction?
To me it's quite obvious that these theories are mutually exclusive simply by fundamental logic.
QM at its very core is dependent on flat spacetime background and its implied conservation laws (...
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Can the foundation of physics be completed? [closed]
The current foundation of physics is not complete because two parts of it, namely General Relativity (GR) and Quantum Mechanics (QM), are not compatible. But why should we believe that it can be ...
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Unification of Electromagnetism and Gravitation [closed]
Is it true that this can be accomplished in 5 dimensions? (Kaluza-Klein model)
It seems that Einstein liked this idea but it didn't completely unify all forces.
Recent commentators say that this ...
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How do you do science on Theories of Everything? [closed]
A theory of everything will always have an explanation for why the observed world fits into it's explanation.
So cries of "it's not falsifiable!" don't really add anything to the discourse. Of course ...
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What are all the features required for a Quantum theory of gravity? [closed]
I do understand why are we seeking Theory of Quantum Gravity. What I am specifically asking is if there was a Theory of Quantum Gravity what would be its key features. Such as when would it be ...
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Is it possible that a perfect mathematical model of the universe doesn't exist? [closed]
Up until now, we have tried to introduce mathematical models to explain physical phenomenon. But we're still struggling to explain many observations with those models. Universe is supposedly infinite, ...
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What would be the mathematical features of a theory of everything?
GR and QFT are both axiomatic systems, right? If their axioms are logically independent, and a number of them are absolutely true in describing the universe, i.e. non-removable from a TOE, is there ...
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Brute-forcing the theory of everything [closed]
If brute force doesn't work, you're probably just not using enough of it. That's especially true for guessing combinations of stuff, like characters in a password. Assuming some combination of ...
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Gödel undecidability in physics [duplicate]
According to Gödel's Incompleteness theorems, there exist problems in any sufficiently powerful, consistent system of arithmetic that are undecidable form the axioms of said system.
*What known ...
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How does physics research work? [closed]
I am going to try and be as short and as concise as possible.
I was thinking these last few days about how we're still trying to discover a unified Theory of Everything.
The question is: how is this ...
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What is the motivation for developing a "theory of everything"?
What is the reason physicists are working so hard looking for a "theory of everything" and trying to unify gravity with quantum mechanics?
Historically, new theories were always developed to explain ...
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Does string theory accommodate effects of dark energy?
String theory is arguably, among best candidates for a Theory of Everything. So, because every TOE is an attempt to bind together the big and very small effects and things, a TOE must be able to ...
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Is $E_8$ theory any close to reality by any means? [closed]
The E8 theory from Wikipedia:
"An Exceptionally Simple Theory of Everything" is a physics preprint proposing a basis for a unified field theory, often referred to as "E8 Theory", which attempts to ...
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Why Einstein's unified field theory is believed not to work?
In his later life, Albert Einstein was trying to extend his general theory of relativity to incorporate electromagnetism and other fundamental forces with it, something he himself called "The theory ...
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Why are we trying to fit GR in QFT when there's a chance that GR is incomplete?
GR explains most phenomena in our universe, but not everything.. Dark matter and Dark energy still don't fit in explanation of GR. QFT, on other hand, is almost complete. Shouldn't physicists go for ...
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Emergent physics in the gap between the Planck scale and the "size" of quarks [closed]
The smallest probed length scale to date is around $\Delta x \approx 10^{-18} m$ (see here).
If we compare this to the Planck scale of $\Delta x \approx 10^{-35} m$ we are left with almost 20 orders ...
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Running of gravitational constant versus. other coupling constants, GUT and TOE
Is there any theory that proves convincingly that the gravitational constant runs with energy AND it is like the other coupling constants and converge at a single point at a given energy? Or is that a ...
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Field theory if no fundamental space-time [closed]
If there is no fundamental space-time, is the field concept also doomed? If so, how can we derive unified field theory in a background space-time if there is no background space-time or worst, no ...
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String theory and one idea of "quantum structure of spacetime"
First of all, I do recognize that I haven't studied string theory up to this point. I'm actualy just getting started with it.
So my question here is as follows: Einstein's theory of General ...
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Could the graviton be more than one particle?
I guess this amounts to saying that gravity isn't a fundamental force and is, in fact, an emergent phenomenon (as in Erik Verlinde's theory). If gravity can be 'unified' with the other forces surely ...
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Are we closer to a theory of everything thanks to the detection of gravitational waves?
A couple of weeks ago I heard an astronomer explain that one of the latest detections of gravitational waves was accompanied by simultaneous detections of the same astronomical event in various other ...
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Is there a mathmatical theory to explain all physical phenomena? [duplicate]
Does anybody know of any physicists or mathematicians who have put forward a theory to everything, for which this mathematical theory would explain all physical phenomena in the universe in one ...
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