--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In string theory, the situation is very…" description: "\"“In string theory, the situation is very different. The law of motion dictates the laws of the forces. This is because all forces in string theory have..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bed/lee-smolin-4171_quantum-theory_in-string-theory-the-situation-is-very-d_1269835.png" --- # In string theory, the situation is very different. The law… ![“In string theory, the situation is very different. The law of motion dictates the laws of the forces. This is because all forces in string theory have the same simple origin-they come from the breaking and joining of strings. Once you describe how strings move freely, all you have to do to add…” quote by Lee Smolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bed/lee-smolin-4171_quantum-theory_in-string-theory-the-situation-is-very-d_1269835.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bed/lee-smolin-4171_quantum-theory_in-string-theory-the-situation-is-very-d_1269835.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bed/lee-smolin-4171_quantum-theory_in-string-theory-the-situation-is-very-d_1269835.png) > ““In string theory, the situation is very different. The law of motion dictates the laws of the forces. This is because all forces in string theory have the same simple origin-they come from the breaking and joining of strings. Once you describe how strings move freely, all you have to do to add forces is add the possibility that a string can break into two strings. By reversing the process in time, you can rejoin two strings into a single string (see Fig. 5). The law for breaking and joining turns out to be strongly prescribed, to be consistent with special relativity and quantum theory. Force and motion are unified in a way that would have been impossible in a theory of particles as points.”” [Lee Smolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-smolin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. String theory unifies forces and motion by treating particles as vibrating strings that can split and merge, obeying relativistic constraints. **In simple terms:** Strings that break and join explain forces and motion together. Key Takeaway Explore string interactions to understand fundamental forces. Themes physics unification theory fundamental forces quantum mechanics Mood curious analytical Type scientific educational When to use this quote - research seminars - graduate courses - theoretical modeling - science communication Key Concepts string dynamics relativistic consistency force unification Questions to Reflect On - How does string splitting relate to known forces? - What experimental evidence could support this view? A Different Perspective Complex mathematics can limit accessibility for non‑experts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Forces String](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forces-string-4066850/) [Quantum theory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quantum-theory/) [Rejoin Strings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rejoin-strings-4066851/) [String theory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/string-theory/) [Strings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strings/) [Strings Freely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strings-freely-4066849/) [Theory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theory/) ## Related quotes > [Just like an ordinary guitar string, a fundamental string can vibrate in different modes. And it is these different modes of vibration of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-smolin/just-like-an-ordinary-guitar-string-a-fundamental-string-can-vibrate/) [Lee Smolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-smolin/) > [The best theory comes from string theory, which states that dark matter is nothing but a higher vibration of the string. We are, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/the-best-theory-comes-from-string-theory-which-states-that-dark/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [In life, people tend to wait for good things to come to them. And by waiting, they miss out. Usually, what you wish for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/in-life-people-tend-to-wait-for-good-things-to-come-to-them-and-by-2/) [Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/) > [Your humble correspondent realizes that many readers are left-wing, anti-string-theory fighters. So they probably smoke marijuana and this is my modest attempt to help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lubos-motl/your-humble-correspondent-realizes-that-many-readers-are-left-wing/) [Lubos Motl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lubos-motl/) > [ String theory?\[pause\] It closed the conceptual gulp between relativity and quantum mechanics. It postulates that subatomic particles are not points, but strings, about one… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-garson/string-theory-pause-it-closed-the-conceptual-gulp-between-relativity/) [Willie Garson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-garson/) > [There are a lot of good things about string theory, and it's great that some people want to work on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-garrett-lisi/there-are-a-lot-of-good-things-about-string-theory-and-it-s-great/) [Antony Garrett Lisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-garrett-lisi/) > [The beauty of string theory is the metaphor kind of really comes very close to the reality. The strings of string theory are vibrating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-greene/the-beauty-of-string-theory-is-the-metaphor-kind-of-really-comes-very/) [Brian Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-greene/) > [According to String Theory, what appears to be empty space is actually a tumultuous ocean of strings vibrating at the precise frequencies that create…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-h-williams/according-to-string-theory-what-appears-to-be-empty-space-is-actually/) [Roy H. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-h-williams/) > [String Theory describes energy and matter as being composed of tiny, wiggling strands of energy that look like strings. And the pitch of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-h-williams/string-theory-describes-energy-and-matter-as-being-composed-of-tiny/) [Roy H. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-h-williams/) > [In string theory, all particles are vibrations on a tiny rubber band; physics is the harmonies on the string; chemistry is the melodies we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/in-string-theory-all-particles-are-vibrations-on-a-tiny-rubber-band/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [The idea that excites me the most concerns the two greatest puzzles in science: the origin of the universe, and the origin of consciousness.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/the-idea-that-excites-me-the-most-concerns-the-two-greatest-puzzles/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [The Big Bang has gone away, but as far as Super String, that is suspicious for me. It all starts out with the notion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-mitchell/the-big-bang-has-gone-away-but-as-far-as-super-string-that-is/) [Edgar Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-mitchell/) > [We do not know how to formulate string theory nor do we know its underlying principles. Surprisingly, this fact does not stop us from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-seiberg/we-do-not-know-how-to-formulate-string-theory-nor-do-we-know-its/) [Nathan Seiberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-seiberg/) > [String theory is the most developed theory with the capacity to unite general relativity and quantum mechanics in a consistent manner. I do believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-greene/string-theory-is-the-most-developed-theory-with-the-capacity-to-unite/) [Brian Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-greene/) > [I had two passions when I was a child. First was to learn about Einstein's theory and help to complete his dream of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/i-had-two-passions-when-i-was-a-child-first-was-to-learn-about/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) ## More by Lee Smolin > [“This unification of forces and motion has a simple consequence. In a particle theory, you can freely add all kinds of forces, so there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-smolin/this-unification-of-forces-and-motion-has-a-simple-consequence-in-a/) [Lee Smolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-smolin/) > [“One field Faraday studied was the electric field. This is not a number but a vector, which we may visualize as an arrow and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-smolin/one-field-faraday-studied-was-the-electric-field-this-is-not-a-number/) [Lee Smolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-smolin/) > [“It is interesting to note that the quantum-mechanical revolution was made by a virtually orphaned generation of scientists. Many members of the generation above…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-smolin/it-is-interesting-to-note-that-the-quantum-mechanical-revolution-was/) [Lee Smolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-smolin/) > [“In fact, the particle-antiparticle annihilation and the closing of the string is necessary, if the theory is to be consistent with relativity, meaning the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-smolin/in-fact-the-particle-antiparticle-annihilation-and-the-closing-of-the/) [Lee Smolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-smolin/) > [Every string theory that's been written down says the speed of light is universal. But other ideas about quantum gravity predict the speed of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-smolin/every-string-theory-that-s-been-written-down-says-the-speed-of-light/) [Lee Smolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-smolin/) > [“Unfortunately, no one has ever successfully postulated a super-symmetry holding between two known particles. Instead, in all the supersymmetric theories the numbers of particles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-smolin/unfortunately-no-one-has-ever-successfully-postulated-a-super/) [Lee Smolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-smolin/) > [Those who do good science do so because they choose problems that are suited to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-smolin/those-who-do-good-science-do-so-because-they-choose-problems-that-are/) [Lee Smolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-smolin/) > [“Here's a simplified version of what the Stanford group did. They started with a much-studied kind of string theory-a flat four-dimensional spacetime with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-smolin/here-s-a-simplified-version-of-what-the-stanford-group-did-they/) [Lee Smolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-smolin/) > [“The current crisis in particle physics springs from the fact that the theories have gone beyond the standard model in the last thirty years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-smolin/the-current-crisis-in-particle-physics-springs-from-the-fact-that-the/) [Lee Smolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-smolin/) > [“By the time I began my study of physics in the early 1970s, the idea of unifying gravity with the other forces was as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-smolin/by-the-time-i-began-my-study-of-physics-in-the-early-1970s-the-idea/) [Lee Smolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-smolin/) > [“These two discoveries, of relativity and of the quantum, each required us to break definitively with Newtonian physics. However, in spite of great progress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-smolin/these-two-discoveries-of-relativity-and-of-the-quantum-each-required/) [Lee Smolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-smolin/) > [“So the challenge for any quantum theory of gravity is to give us a deeper understanding of Bekenstein's entropy and Hawking's temperature.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-smolin/so-the-challenge-for-any-quantum-theory-of-gravity-is-to-give-us-a/) [Lee Smolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-smolin/) > [“Problem 1: Combine general relativity and quantum theory into a single theory that can claim to be the complete theory of nature. This is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-smolin/problem-1-combine-general-relativity-and-quantum-theory-into-a-single/) [Lee Smolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-smolin/) > [“The loop approach to quantum gravity is now a thriving field of research. Many of the older ideas, such as supergravity and the study…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-smolin/the-loop-approach-to-quantum-gravity-is-now-a-thriving-field-of/) [Lee Smolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-smolin/) > [“During the life of a black hole, it will pull in huge amounts of matter, carrying huge amounts of intrinsic information. At the end,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-smolin/during-the-life-of-a-black-hole-it-will-pull-in-huge-amounts-of/) [Lee Smolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-smolin/) [Explore all 114 Lee Smolin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-smolin/) ## More Quantum theory quotes > [“Just as with sound waves, light waves emitted by a moving source show the Doppler effect. What we observe instead of the sound pitch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henning-genz/just-as-with-sound-waves-light-waves-emitted-by-a-moving-source-show/) [Henning Genz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henning-genz/) > [It would take a civilization far more advanced than ours, unbelievably advanced, to begin to manipulate negative energy to create gateways to the past.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/it-would-take-a-civilization-far-more-advanced-than-ours-unbelievably/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [The girl I find who wants to talk about quantum theory in a bar is the one I want to marry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-boyd/the-girl-i-find-who-wants-to-talk-about-quantum-theory-in-a-bar-is/) [Brandon Boyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-boyd/) > [“Indoctrination,” Michael Simpson replied. “We still base our science on the Theory of Relativity. Not because it is one hundred percent correct, but because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-hamre/indoctrination-michael-simpson-replied-we-still-base-our-science-on/) [Erik Hamre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-hamre/) > [“If the deep logic of what determines the value of the fine-structure constant also played a significant role in our understanding of all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-barrow/if-the-deep-logic-of-what-determines-the-value-of-the-fine-structure/) [John D. Barrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-barrow/) > [No theory of reality compatible with quantum theory can require spatially separate events to be independent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stewart-bell/no-theory-of-reality-compatible-with-quantum-theory-can-require/) [John Stewart Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stewart-bell/) > [“The only ‘failure’ of quantum theory is its inability to provide a natural framework for our prejudices.”1”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthieu-ricard/the-only-failure-of-quantum-theory-is-its-inability-to-provide-a/) [Matthieu Ricard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthieu-ricard/) > [If all this damned quantum jumping were really here to stay, I should be sorry, I should be sorry I ever got involved with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-schrodinger/if-all-this-damned-quantum-jumping-were-really-here-to-stay-i-should/) [Erwin Schrodinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-schrodinger/) > [“It would probably be wiser to nail up over the door of the new quantum theory a notice, 'Structural alterations in progress - No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-stanley-eddington/it-would-probably-be-wiser-to-nail-up-over-the-door-of-the-new/) [Arthur Stanley Eddington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-stanley-eddington/) > [The words are strung together, with their own special grammar-the laws of quantum theory-to form sentences, which are molecules. Soon we have books, entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinz-pagels/the-words-are-strung-together-with-their-own-special-grammar-the-laws/) [Heinz Pagels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinz-pagels/) > [The Theory of Relativity confers an absolute meaning on a magnitude which in classical theory has only a relative significance: the velocity of light.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-planck/the-theory-of-relativity-confers-an-absolute-meaning-on-a-magnitude/) [Max Planck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-planck/) > [“So the challenge for any quantum theory of gravity is to give us a deeper understanding of Bekenstein's entropy and Hawking's temperature.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-smolin/so-the-challenge-for-any-quantum-theory-of-gravity-is-to-give-us-a/) [Lee Smolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-smolin/) > [“All integral laws of spectral lines and of atomic theory spring originally from the quantum theory. It is the mysterious organon on which Nature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-sommerfeld/all-integral-laws-of-spectral-lines-and-of-atomic-theory-spring/) [Arnold Sommerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-sommerfeld/) > [If we do get a quantum theory of spacetime, it should answer some of the deepest philosophical questions that we have, like what happened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/if-we-do-get-a-quantum-theory-of-spacetime-it-should-answer-some-of/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [“Peace begins when expectations end.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-chinmoy/peace-begins-when-expectations-end/) [Sri Chinmoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-chinmoy/) [Browse all 140 Quantum theory quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quantum-theory/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“In string theory, the situation is very different. The law of motion dictates the laws of the forces. This is because all forces in string theory have the same simple origin-they come from the breaking and joining of strings. Once you describe how strings move freely, all you have to do to add forces is add the possibility that a string can break into two strings. By reversing the process in time, you can rejoin two strings into a single string (see Fig. 5). The law for breaking and joining turns out to be strongly prescribed, to be consistent with special relativity and quantum theory. Force and motion are unified in a way that would have been impossible in a theory of particles as points.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lee Smolin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-smolin/in-string-theory-the-situation-is-very-different-the-law-of-motion/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Quantum theory" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-smolin/in-string-theory-the-situation-is-very-different-the-law-of-motion/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bed/lee-smolin-4171_quantum-theory_in-string-theory-the-situation-is-very-d_1269835.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bed/lee-smolin-4171_quantum-theory_in-string-theory-the-situation-is-very-d_1269835.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bed/lee-smolin-4171_quantum-theory_in-string-theory-the-situation-is-very-d_1269835.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In string theory, the situation is very different. The law of motion dictates the laws of the forces. This…” — Lee Smolin", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Lee Smolin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-smolin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“In string theory, the situation is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-smolin/in-string-theory-the-situation-is-very-different-the-law-of-motion/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-smolin/in-string-theory-the-situation-is-very-different-the-law-of-motion/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```