Photons and Special Relativity

[CarGrrl]

I think there is no such thing as TOE. What's going on in theoretical physics is an attempt to eliminate unidentified variables from the mathematics used to define various aspects of the force interactions.

 

Well if string theory, or more properly M-theory, is right then there is basically a TOE. It doesn't just concern itself with force interactions but such things as the origins of mass and differentiation of forces. If you have that, and a framework of force interactions you can then just go on to explain more and more. Physics is working backwards. There's all these theories, some of which explain the whats and hows of theories that came before. And now physicists may be reaching so far back that there's no more back to go theoretically. If M-theory is right then the issue will be working out all the predictions of it. Which if something as clumsy as quantum electrodynamics can provide hundreds of pages of something that goes to an even more fundamental level should provide even more. And if M-theory is wrong? There's going to be a huge need for grief counselors at physics departments across the world :)

[lindagarrette]

I think we are all on the same page, literally. It's not only fun to speculate and explore the possibilitiy of TOE, but it's also not necessary to glom onto the next available theory. What I'm proposing is that the search for TOE may be futile bun seems no one wants to give up yet, including me. I just wish I had more knowledge.