Are multiverses real? If so, what do they look like? How do you get there without disturbing time? – Emily, age 9, Pune, Maharashtra, India. The idea of a multiverse — a h ...

String theory attempts to unify general relativity and quantum theory. Popular in the 1990s, string theory fell out of favor as it failed to provide testable predictions and required ten dimensions ...

Artwork illustrating how string theory emerges from a few simple mathematical assumptions about particle collisions. Credit: AI-generated art by Clifford Cheung. Physicists searching for a better ...

Physicists may have uncovered a surprising new clue that string theory—the idea that the universe is built from unimaginably tiny vibrating strings—could be more than just a mathematical fantasy.

With just a handful of assumptions, string theory stands alone. Based on the idea that all subatomic particles are made up of vibrating strings of energy, string theory is a candidate for a “theory of ...

Fifty-eight years after it first appeared, string theory remains the most popular candidate for the “theory of everything,” the unified mathematical framework for all matter and forces in the universe ...

In 1998, astronomers discovered dark energy. The finding, which transformed our conception of the cosmos, came with a little-known consequence: It threw a wrench into the already daunting task of ...

Natural physical networks are continuous, three-dimensional objects, like the small mathematical model displayed here. Researchers have found that physical networks in living systems follow rules ...

In this video, we explore the relationship between string theory and quantum field theory (QFT). QFT is a mathematical framework that describes nearly all particles and forces in the universe but ...

The concept of hidden extra dimensions has appeared in many theoretical physics ideas, such as string theory. Physicists use seven-dimensional shapes known as G₂ manifolds to model these invisible ...

The idea that the universe is made of tiny vibrating strings was once the science theory du jour. String theory promised to unite the disparate theories describing particles and gravity, and many ...