Contact with experiment

The mathematics of string theory may lead to new insights on quantum chromodynamics, a gauge theory which is the fundamental theory of the strong nuclear force. To this end, it is hoped that a gravitational theory dual to quantum chromodynamics will be found.

This means that the discovery of a new gauge group with a small quantum of charge and only heavy charged particles would falsify string theory. Since this argument is very general — relying only on black-hole evaporation and the holographic principle, it has been suggested that this prediction would be true of any consistent holographic theory of quantum gravity, although the phrase “consistent holographic theory of quantum gravity” might very well be synonymous with “String Theory”.

It is notable that all the gross features of the Standard model can be embedded within String theory, so that the standard model is not in the swampland. This includes features such as non-abelian gauge groups and chiral fermions which are hard to incorporate in non-string theories of quantum gravity.

— Wikipedia on String theory

2011.01.26 Wednesday ACHK