What is the theory of everything?
1 Answer
That is a popular question in theoretical physics. See below.
Explanation:
In physics, fundamental forces are those that cannot be reduced into more basic interactions. There are four accepted fundamental forces:
- Gravitational (gravity)
- Electromagnetic (magnetism)
- Strong (binds quarks)
- Weak (radioactive decay)
Each of these forces can be mathematically described as a field.
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The gravitational force is attributed to the curvature of spacetime, described by Einstein's general theory of relativity.
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The electromagnetic, strong, and weak forces are discrete quantum fields.
It is believed that the four fundamental forces are related, and that they unite into a single force at high energies on a very small scale (called the Planck scale, think big bang conditions). However, we cannot explore this experimentally with the technology we currently possess.
- The weak and electromagnetic forces have already been unified with the electroweak theory. Now physicists are attempting to unite the electroweak and strong forces in a Grand Unified Theory.
A more challenging endeavor is to find a way to unite the gravitational force with the other three; the gravitational field is not quantized as the other three are. Attempts to quantize the gravitational field are made with the hope of developing a theory of quantum gravity.
Some theories (such as string theory) seek to unite quantum gravity and the grand unified theory in one framework, which would unify all four fundamental forces in a theory of everything.
Whether or not we will actually ever accomplish this is a topic of debate, but that is the goal of many theoretical physicists at this time.
