Will a unified theory in physics ever be found?
98337
advancement in science can never stop(till the earth survives).we can only get closer never reach a perfect theory.
978255
In theory, yes.  We already have a theory of and some say fact in a parallel universe and that is the concept of heaven and hell.  Both parallel universes, or perhaps one in the same.  Parallel existence in spiritual form.  Physicists are theorizing now that there may be far more than just two dimensions.  Prof. Stephen Hawking theorizes that here could be as many as 64.  M theory pertains to the basis of every particle is a little string of energy.  It is this little string of energy  and its behaviour in relation to gravity that have physicists intrigued.  \nIt is believed that gravity is an incomplete energy.  Being incomplete,  some of it spills out and is lost somewhere.   This relationship is established by magnetic energy being able to overcome gravity so easily.  It is where this lost gravity goes that has scientists so intrigued in parallel dimensions. \nFor instance,  Black Holes have such intense gravitational fields that they can bend and absorb light, yet magnetic fields can overcome gravity quite easily.  Where does the gravity or gravitons go?  The same goes for quantum physics,  where does the light go?  It isn't absorbed or cancelled out.  It is believed it may spill over into other dimensions.
724425
General relativity is not the final answer, since Einstein was never able to come up with the "Theory of Everything," i.e., the Grand Unified Theory.
958229
This is what everybody in science thinks is their ultimate goal.\n\nIt would be a theory of how the entire universe works where all the other ideas and theories about everythign all agree with each other and all fit together perfectly. This would range from the creation of the universe, how stars are formed, all the way down to sub-atomic physics. And chemistry, biology etc. \n\nSurely everythign in the whole universe is working according to the same rules?
1128517
The dynamic theory of gravity was an alleged unified field theory which, late in life, the distinguished inventor Nikola Tesla claimed to have constructed. According to a 1937 press statement by Tesla, he had succeeded in unifying gravity and electromagnetism.\n\nSince Tesla never published his own theory, and since no notes describing it in detail seem to be extant, it is impossible to say much with certainty about it. Even the claims allegedly made by Tesla himself before his death, as described below, appear difficult to verify. Tesla's apparently unverifiable claims concerning his own work cannot be said to constitute a contribution to theoretical physics, but they nonetheless remain of absorbing interest to a minority.
1147506
As long as it was theory and not fact- there would be someone to dispute it.  So, no. Unfortunately.  \n\nBut it would be worth trying for, anyways.
566127
There are many branches of physics.  It depends on exactly what branch you are interested in.  For a very comprehensive guide, check out Wikipedia:\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics#Major_fields_of_physics\n\nI am personally interested in theoretical astrophysics and particle physics.  These two are extremely hot right now in the physics world, with enourmous academic resources being devoted to the study of String Theory.  This is because String Theory purports to unify two branches of physics that are widely accepted as true, and yet conflict with each other.  These conflicting branches of physics are:\n\n1.  Quantum Physics\nThis is the study of the very small (molecules / atoms / quarks etc.), and it has been experimentally verified and widely accepted.  But it only accurately describes things on very small scales.\n\n2.  General Relativity\nThis is the study of the very large (planets, stars, galaxies), and it too has been repeatedly verified.  But it only describes things on non-microscopic scales.\n\nWhy should nature be divided between two totally different theories of matter?  This seems to indicate a problem, that our knowledge of the world is still far from complete.  A single "unified" theory should be found which unites the two, and this Unified Field Theory has been the "holy grail" of physicists ever since Einstein began the search years ago.  One leading theory is widely believed to meet this challenge:  String Theory.  It unifies the theories of the very large and the very small, mathematically anyway.  Its only weakness is that it lacks direct experimental confirmation.  But there are indirect observations, such as the distribution of stars throughout space being an interpretation of quantum processes (the theory being that all matter everywhere was once compacted into a microscopic region and then expanded during the Big Bang, retaining in some way at least some of the properties it had when it was extremely small).\n\nThe most influential physicists can be found here:\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H-index\n\n..."influential" meaning that their research is extensively cited in academic papers and journals.\n\nIf you want to get a head start, you should start reading books targeted for common people (as opposed to mathematical professionals).  There are many, many books like this.  But I would point you to the following ones to get you started:\n\n1.  The Fabric of the Cosmos (by Brian Greene)\n2.  The Elegant Universe (by Brian Greene)\n3.  A Brief History of Time (by Stephen Hawking)\n4.  Six Easy Pieces (by Richard Feynman)\n5.  Parallel Worlds (by Michio Kaku)\n\nI recommend that you start with #1 above, if theoretical particle and astro physics are your thing.  Greene has a keen ability to explain complex subjects to non-physics majors in a way that most people can understand.\n\nA search on Amazon.com for any of the above titles will allow you to buy the book (new or used); also, you will likely find Hawking's and Feynman's books in any library, where you can read it for free.\n\nOne thing to remember is that the above books do not need to be read or understood in their entirety.  If you feel like you do not understand something, skip past it until you get to something you do understand.  There is a wealth of fascinating information that will blow your mind if you just invest the time, so don't get intimidated from reading if you run into a road block.\n\nGood luck!  And don't give up until your mind is dizzy with amazement about the nature of the universe around you -- it must have that effect, or you haven't gotten it yet.
571268
Unified field theory is an attempt to unify all the fundamental forces and the interactions between elementary particles into a single theoretical framework. The term was coined by Einstein who attempted to reconcile the general theory of relativity with electromagnetism in a single field theory. \n\nIn physics, M-theory (sometimes also called U-theory) is put forward as the master theory that unites the five superstring theories. Edward Witten of Princeton University proposed the existence of this physical model at a conference at USC in 1995, explaining a number of previously observed dualities and sparking a flurry of new research in string theory, called the second superstring revolution.\n\nIn the early 1990s, it was shown that the various superstring theories were related by dualities, which allowed physicists to relate the description of an object in one string theory to the description of a different object in another theory. These relationships imply that each of the string theories is a different aspect of a single underlying theory, proposed by Witten, and named "M-theory".\n\nM-theory is not complete as yet [Greene-TFOTC-chapter 13]. It can be applied in many situations (usually by exploiting string theoretic dualities). The theory of electromagnetism was also in such a state in the mid-19th century; there were separate theories for electricity and magnetism and, although they were known to be related, the exact relationship was not clear until James Clerk Maxwell published his equations. Witten has suggested that a general formulation of M-theory will probably require the development of new mathematical language.
668487
Ok, the parallel universe theory is a theory that some quantum physicists believe. The reason we have no detected them as of yet is because we can only detect forces and our forces would probably not be able to travel between the dimensions. In one version of string theory gravity is able to travel between the universes. If this is true we should be able to measure small fluctuations from the predicted value of gravity. So far they have tested this ont he scale of tenths of centimeters. There has been no evidence yet that there are parallel universes. If we get better equipment and we can measure that gravity does not follow newtons equation that may prove the existence of a parallel universe. I hope that helped
711828
Solve the grand theory of everything
694010
If the laws of physics have the same forms in all frames of reference than the cause of interaction is confirmed.\nIn the case of this question there must have  been someone who caused  this fine question.\nOther wise it would have never existed.
561193
You do have a point. Of course Schrodinger's equation was a brilliant breakthrough but these theories necessarily have a mathematical foundation and sometimes that foundation is not as secure as generally perceived. Mathematics is evolving and some of the stuff coming out is very weird, paradoxes and all, and this ends up affecting the way scientists formulate their theories. Put it this way: most physcists are not expert mathematicians and they are often a step behind with respect to rigor. As far as quantum mechanics is concerned, one has to consider its real and significant successes as a useful theory but with the realization that any developing theory  will necessarily have growing pains and it will need to be adjusted, finetuned and sometimes overhauled in the light of new info. in order to be incorporated in a more general theory of which it is a special case much like classical mechanics had to adjust to both quantum mechanics and the special and general theories of relativity. I think the greatest revision to quantum mechanics and General relativity will occur when the large and the small, and the uncertain and the deterministic, are finally 'married' in a breakthrough theory of quantum gravity. The problem with general relativity is that it is deterministic field theory and it is based on the concept of a space-time 'continuum'. I think the concept of continuum upon which the formalism of general relativity is based, is counter-productive and it needsto be replaced with a quantized 'granular' space-time structure that would allow things to get unified. On a philosophical note, you are right, in a sense, concerning questionable foundational definitions since if you keep asking the question: and what precisely do you mean by that? It doesn't take that many questions before you are reduced to axioms which are based on presumptuous perceptions of the human mind: In otherwords we could be missing a lot.
41518
Yes. All theories exist. When a theory is proven, it becomes a law or a fact.
363951
theorically yes.   The problem is discovering and proving the right theory.   It maybe 500 years but we will eventually solve the cold fusion problem.
42478
I think you have the wrong idea.  The reconciliation between the theory of relativity and Newtonian physics is intrinsic to relativity itself.  When you consider the theory of relativity in the limit of small magnitude velocities, you recover classical mechanics.\n\nI think you mean to ask whether there has been a theory combining the standard model of particle physics with the general theory of relativity in a manner that predicts both, and the answer is no.
193032
The above answers are interesting but, modern physicists speak extensively about 'multiverses'.  So, does one universe end at the edge of another? or, do they 'co-exist' in space and time? OR??????
1158544
This "nothing" is what we perceive without the laws of physics. Our universe is limited by the knowledge we have about it. Recent theories (the "M" theory) suggest that endless universes exist, and sometimes they even collide one into other. Probably, out there, beyond the boundaries of 12 billions light years, others dimensions, other plan of existence exist.