- #1
metman
- 5
- 0
So I've been reading a book on string theory lately. It built up through relativity and quantum theory to strings. It's raised a number of questions for me, but I wanted to post 2 of them here.
1. So my understanding is that strings, being the fundamental building blocks of the universe, are indivisible and irrudicible. Nothing is smaller than them. That said, I also understand that they are not point particles; that is, they have dimension along at least one axis. This led me to wonder, is space itself discrete at some level? By that, I mean are there discrete Planck-length cubes or spheres of space, somewhat analogous to a pixel on a computer monitor, that are the smallest discrete locations a particle can occupy, or is space continuous, such that particles move through continuous, infinitely divisible space?
2. If a string is 1-dimensional, how can it be in the shape of a loop, or even ocillate in a waveform at all? Doesn't being circular or having a waveform intrinsicly imply at least 2-dimensionality? Or is the "loop" and "wave" of a string really just an illustrative device like the deformed membrane of relativity? In that case, can someone explain to me what strings really are? :)
1. So my understanding is that strings, being the fundamental building blocks of the universe, are indivisible and irrudicible. Nothing is smaller than them. That said, I also understand that they are not point particles; that is, they have dimension along at least one axis. This led me to wonder, is space itself discrete at some level? By that, I mean are there discrete Planck-length cubes or spheres of space, somewhat analogous to a pixel on a computer monitor, that are the smallest discrete locations a particle can occupy, or is space continuous, such that particles move through continuous, infinitely divisible space?
2. If a string is 1-dimensional, how can it be in the shape of a loop, or even ocillate in a waveform at all? Doesn't being circular or having a waveform intrinsicly imply at least 2-dimensionality? Or is the "loop" and "wave" of a string really just an illustrative device like the deformed membrane of relativity? In that case, can someone explain to me what strings really are? :)