Drive

At its basics, string theory is about the substance of the entire universe itself. The term entered the public sphere in 1988 on a BBC broadcast. Since then, many science documentaries have covered it, and even Sheldon and Amy from the Big Bang Theory won a fictional Nobel Prize in the TV show which heavily references string theory. Despite this, it’s a point of contention among scientists, as no experimental evidence has been proven to support this concept. What is it exactly and why is it embroiled in so much controversy? Professor Dean Rickles, Professor of History and Philosophy of Modern Physics at the University of Sydney, helps us unravel the strings behind string theory.