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das1130 das1130
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13 years ago
In *The Elegant Universe*, Brian Greene states that if string theory is correct, everything in the universe is comprised of "one fundamental ingredient: unimaginably small vibrating strands of energy called strings."

Would someone please explain how one can call something a "strand" of energy? I thought that energy was just a mathematical convenience that allowed certain complex problems to be solved without resorting to forces or other more concrete ideas. So how can you point at ANYTHING and say, "Well, that right there is energy?"
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#1
13 years ago
i dont know anything about the string theory, but i can tell u about the string CHEESE theory!
its a good source of calcium and is cheese that peels in to strings!
wrote...
#2
13 years ago
I think you are trying to apply what you know of the world to the quantum world. It will never make sense like that.

I found a message board with some answers that might help:
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#3
13 years ago
everything that has matter is comprised of something else the idea is that rather than be able to zoom into an object an infinite amount of times and continually be able to see what it's made of eventually you just get to these vibrating strings of energy.
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#4
13 years ago
Errrrr, I'd imagine a strand of energy might resemble a strand of hair, or maybe a fibre optic might be a better visualisation. It may have properties that can channel energy over infinite distances in any direction available but without the physical fibre optic conduit. I have no idea!

Take a look at sun rays emerging from behind a cloud. As a pictorial representation one might suggest that the rays resemble strands of energy which comprise the actual sun-ray make-up. Grrrrrrr. The suns energy could then be considered, when looking at sun rays, to utilise string theory in the methodology of the transportation of the energy from the source to the destination. Each RAY, or string-set, has fundamental properties which encompass so called string theory relative in so far that the vibrating energy particles follow a path specific to the properties of that energy form.

Though if energy is just a mathematical idea then you wouldn't be able to bench 250 as that energy, as a simple mathematical convenience, may not entirely exist therefore making your workout harder. So since it exists as far as science can prove, it's been labelled energy... that right there is energy.

Energy then, If the unimaginably small particles create a physical event, be it illumination, heat, work/movement etc; one can superimpose the theory of channelling this thing that make such event occur. fkit, I give up, tell us the answer
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#5
13 years ago
The best analogy I can give you for a "strand" of energy is this:

Look at a guitar string, when you pluck it, it vibrates.

This vibration is an example of energy.

So the string in Superstring Theory is very similar. The difference is that instead of a guitar string, we have pure energy.

But what is pure energy? Well, here I will use another analogy.

Look at sound or light. Sound is basically waves or vibrations traveling through the air, and light is also a wave traveling through space. It is also vibrations of electric and magnetic fields. Strings are like these vibrations of air and electric/magnetic fields. The only difference here is that for strings, the only thing that is vibrating is just "energy". Whatever energy is.
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