Editing 171: String Theory

{{comic
| number    = 171
| date      = 
| title     = String Theory
| image     = string_theory.png
| titletext = This works on pretty much every level.
}}

==Explanation==
String theory is an elaborate theory in theoretical physics for explaining how the universe works.
When a new theory is thought up, the theorists will usually supply some predictions of future discoveries based on the theory;  I suppose Randall is unimpressed with the quantity of such predictions that have been made by string theorists.
String theory has also yet to provide any ''useful'' new knowledge to engineering science the way quantum physics has, and lacks the imagination-stirring philosophical implications that the general population associates with other fields -- for example, quantum scientists have Schroedinger's cat to talk about, and relativity gave us the twins paradox and (unscientific talk of) time travel, but string theory hasn't reached that stage yet.

==Transcript==
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{{comic discussion}}
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 {{comic
 | number    = 171
-| date      = October 16, 2006
+| date      =
 | title     = String Theory
 | image     = string_theory.png
@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 ==Explanation==
-{{w|String theory}} is a theory in theoretical physics for explaining how the universe works. It is a theory trying to explain everything belonging to our universe; specifically, it aims to unite {{w|general relativity}} and {{w|quantum field theory|quantum field theories}}.
+String theory is an elaborate theory in theoretical physics for explaining how the universe works.
+When a new theory is thought up, the theorists will usually supply some predictions of future discoveries based on the theory;  I suppose Randall is unimpressed with the quantity of such predictions that have been made by string theorists.
-When a new theory is thought up, the theorists will usually supply some predictions, measurable by experimental physicists. String theory's predictions, however, are few and extremely difficult to test; although its inception was over forty years ago, string theory has yet to be experimentally tested.
+String theory has also yet to provide any ''useful'' new knowledge to engineering science the way quantum physics has, and lacks the imagination-stirring philosophical implications that the general population associates with other fields -- for example, quantum scientists have Schroedinger's cat to talk about, and relativity gave us the twins paradox and (unscientific talk of) time travel, but string theory hasn't reached that stage yet.
-[[Randall]] is unimpressed with string theorists (for another instance of this, see the punchline to [[397: Unscientific]]). String theory has not provided any ''useful'' new knowledge to engineering science as quantum physics has, and lacks the imagination-stirring philosophical implications that the general population associates with other fields — for example, quantum scientists have proven predictions like {{w|quantum tunneling|tunneling}}, used by modern electronic devices, and relativity is relevant to modern systems like {{w|GPS}} navigation. String theory either hasn't reached that stage yet or cannot.
-In the title text, Randall points out that string theory is so technically difficult that, at essentially every level (except, presumably, the very top), this explanation is as good as it gets.
 ==Transcript==
-:[Heading above panel:]
+<!-- The transcript can be found in a hidden <div> element on the xkcd comic's html source, with id "transcript".
-:String theory summarized:
+  -- Tip: Use colons (:) in the beginning of lines to preserve the original line breaks.
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-:[Two Cueballs are talking.]
+  -- Do not include the title text again here -->
-:Cueball: I just had an awesome idea. Suppose all matter and energy is made of tiny, vibrating "strings".
-:Friend: Okay. What would that imply?
-:Cueball: I dunno.
 {{comic discussion}}
-[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
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-[[Category:Physics]]
-[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]