Читать книгу String Theory For Dummies - Andrew Zimmerman Jones - Страница 69

Before you can figure out whether string theory is scientific, you have to ask, “What is science?”

Science is the methodical practice of trying to understand and predict the consequences of natural phenomena. This is done through two distinct but closely related means: theory and experiment.

Not all science is created equal. Some science is performed with diagrams and mathematical equations. Other science is performed with costly experimental apparatus. Still other forms of science, while also costly, involve observing distant galaxies for clues to the mystery of the universe.

String theory has spent more than 40 years focusing on the theory side of the scientific equation and, sadly, is relatively lacking on the experimental side, as critics never hesitate to point out. Ideally, the theories developed would eventually be validated by experimental evidence. (See the later sections “The need for experimental falsifiability” and “The foundation of theory is mathematics” for more on the necessity of experimentation.)