What string theory is really good for
STRING theory: you love it or loathe it.
To some it represents our best hope for a route to a "theory of everything"; others portray it as anything from a mathematically obtuse minefield to a quasi-religion that has precious little to do with science.
There might be a middle way. String theory's mathematical tools were designed to unlock the most profound secrets of the cosmos, but they could have a far less esoteric purpose: to tease out the properties of some of the most complex yet useful types of material here on Earth.
STRING theory: you love it or loathe it.
To some it represents our best hope for a route to a “theory of everything”; others portray it as anything from a mathematically obtuse minefield to a quasi-religion that has precious little to do with science.
There might be a middle way. String theory’s mathematical tools were designed to unlock the most profound secrets of the cosmos, but they could have a far less esoteric purpose: to tease out the properties of some of the most complex yet useful types of material here on Earth.
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