String theory could be real? A bootstrap model reveals solid hint

String theory remains unproven because even the world’s most powerful accelerator cannot detect string scattering. But a new approach offers a promising hint.

Updated: Jan 19, 2025 09:30 AM EST

Rupendra Brahambhatt



An illustration showing strings in space.

NonVFXStudio/iStock

String theory suggests that the most fundamental building blocks of the universe are not particles like electrons or quarks, but tiny, vibrating strings of energy.

It is the vibration and arrangement of these strings that then gives rise to particles, matter, energy, and other natural forces. The theory suggests that everything in this universe is interconnected and particles are not point-like objects but, in fact, strings. However, string theory remains unproven to this date, but a new study reveals a bootstrap approach that strengthens its case.

Using scattering amplitudes to detect strings
Some previous studies estimate that a string is about 10−35 m in size. The reason why scientists haven’t been able to detect strings is that even the world’s most powerful accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider can detect objects up to a size of 10-20 m.

So confirming the presence of strings in an experimental setup is impossible for now. This is why the study authors adopted a theoretical bootstrap approach.

“A bootstrap is a mathematical construction in which insight into the physical properties of a system can be obtained without having to know its underlying fundamental dynamics,” said Remmen, one of the study authors and a postdoctoral fellow at New York University.

More:
https://web.archive.org/web/20250120165736/https://interestingengineering.com/science/bootstrap-model-string-theory

Or:
https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/01/string-theory-could-be-real-a-bootstrap-model-reveals-solid-hint