During its forty year lifespan, string theory has always had the power to divide, being called both a 'theory of everything' and a 'theory of nothing'. Critics have even questioned whether it qualifies as a scientific theory at all. This book adopts an objective stance, standing back from the question of the truthor falsity of string theory and instead focusing on how it came to be and how it came to occupy its present position in physics. An unexpectedly rich history is revealed, with deep connections to our most well-established physical theories. Fully self-contained and written in a lively fashion, the book will appeal to a wide variety of readers from novice to specialist.
Author(s): Dean Rickles (auth.)
Series: The Frontiers Collection
Edition: 1
Publisher: Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
Year: 2014
Language: English
Pages: 251
Tags: Quantum Field Theories, String Theory; Philosophy of Science; History and Philosophical Foundations of Physics; Elementary Particles, Quantum Field Theory; Classical and Quantum Gravitation, Relativity Theory
Front Matter....Pages i-xix
History and Mythology....Pages 1-18
Front Matter....Pages 19-19
Particle Physics in the Sixties....Pages 21-50
The Veneziano Model....Pages 51-70
The Hadronic String....Pages 71-95
Supersymmetric Strings and Field Theoretic Limits....Pages 97-109
Front Matter....Pages 111-111
An Early Demise?....Pages 113-132
Theoretical Exaptation in String Theory....Pages 133-146
Turning Point(s)....Pages 147-166
Front Matter....Pages 167-167
Superstring Theory and the Real World....Pages 169-206
A ‘Second Superstring Revolution’ and the Future of String Theory....Pages 207-242
Erratum to: Particle Physics in the Sixties....Pages E1-E1
Back Matter....Pages 243-251
