How well accepted is M-Theory?

  • Thread starter rorix_bw
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    M-theory
In summary, M-theory has gained significant popularity through recent books and TV shows, but it remains a hotly debated subject with both defenders and detractors. However, it has not yet been experimentally supported, leading to a low acceptance rate from a scientific standpoint. There is no metric available for determining the level of scientific acceptance for M-theory.
  • #1
rorix_bw
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Lately popular science 'rags' have been selling M-theory especially after Stephen Hawking and Brian Green's recent books and tv shows.

Just how well accepted or widely rejected is M-theory?

Are we seeing a paradigm change or is just the media tying to sell papers?
 
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  • #2
I think you should consider it a hotly debated subject with defenders and detractors arguing over it.
 
  • #3
It hasn't provided any experimentally verified predictions, or been otherwise experimentally supported, so scientifically speaking it is about 0% accepted :smile:

Not rejected either, because it has not been experimentally tested.
 
  • #4
@torquil
I see your answer comes down to "Ahh! what is this! This is not science!" :-) But can I please ask for your opinion on the question below?

@all
Can anyone provide some kind of metric? Like "N% of scientists I know are working on it, vs T% of scientists punched me when I asked them about it, whereas W% are sitting on the fence"
 
  • #5
rorix_bw said:
@torquil
I see your answer comes down to "Ahh! what is this! This is not science!" :-) But can I please ask for your opinion on the question below?

@all
Can anyone provide some kind of metric? Like "N% of scientists I know are working on it, vs T% of scientists punched me when I asked them about it, whereas W% are sitting on the fence"

Although I don't know the answer to that, perhaps you could try to search Spires for the keyword M-theory like what is done in the second post here:

https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=233600

The problem is that it might not be good enough to just count the yearly number of articles that mention the keyword "M-theory".
 
  • #6
rorix_bw said:
@all
Can anyone provide some kind of metric? Like "N% of scientists I know are working on it, vs T% of scientists punched me when I asked them about it, whereas W% are sitting on the fence"
This is not how science works.
 
  • #7
@tom.stoer: paradigm is a religion? :-)
 
Last edited:

Related to How well accepted is M-Theory?

1. What is M-Theory?

M-Theory, also known as the Theory of Everything, is a theoretical framework that attempts to unify all branches of physics and explain the fundamental nature of the universe.

2. How well accepted is M-Theory among the scientific community?

M-Theory is a relatively new concept and is still being researched and debated among scientists. While it has gained some support and has potential to explain many unanswered questions in physics, it is not yet widely accepted as there is currently no experimental evidence to support it.

3. What are some potential criticisms or challenges to M-Theory?

Some scientists argue that M-Theory is too complex and abstract, making it difficult to test and verify. Others question its lack of experimental evidence and argue that it is not a truly complete or unified theory.

4. Are there any developments or progress being made in M-Theory research?

Yes, scientific research and experiments are ongoing in an attempt to gather evidence and further develop M-Theory. However, as it is a complex and difficult theory to prove, progress may be slow.

5. How does M-Theory differ from other theories, such as String Theory?

M-Theory is an extension of String Theory, incorporating additional dimensions and unifying different branches of physics. While String Theory focuses on strings as the fundamental building blocks of the universe, M-Theory suggests that there are multiple fundamental objects, including strings and membranes.

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