Over many centuries physicists have developed ways of understanding reality, from the tiny to the enormous, the freezing to the fiery. Their quest? To explain of all nature with just one set of rules. It’s been a long journey, with many dead ends and setbacks. But some are hoping we’re nearly there.
Taken from whystringtheory.com/motivation/the-basics/
Why String Theory is a website set up by by Edward Hughes and Charlotte Mason in Summer 2012 at the University of Oxford. The project was funded by the Royal Society via Dr Joseph Conlon’s University Research Fellowship. Dr. Joseph Conlon, Charlotte Mason and Edward Hughes wrote the articles.
The website is aimed at a general audience. The website motivates string theory and why scientist are interested in it. The website assumes no prior knowledge of advanced mathematics or physics.
Not for the layperson
If you want a proper introduction to string theory then I suggest the following books:
- Barton Zwiebach, A First Course in String Theory, Cambridge University Press, 10 Jun 2004 – 578 pages.
- Richard J. Szabo, An Introduction to String Theory and D-Brane Dynamics, Imperial College Press, 2004 – 128 pages.
- Joseph Polchinski, String Theory: Volume 1, An Introduction to the Bosonic String, Cambridge University Press, 2 Jun 2005 – 424 pages.
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