Columnist Natalie Wolchover examines the latest developments in the “forever war” over whether string theory can describe the ...

What if every person you meet, including those you've yet to cross paths with, is quietly tethered to you by a single thread you can't even see? That's the premise of the invisible string theory. The ...

Have you ever met someone and thought, “wait… why does this feel like destiny?” Like the universe was quietly working behind the scenes to make sure you crossed paths? That’s the heart of invisible ...

String theory has long been presented as physicists' best candidate for describing the fundamental nature of the Universe. Yet, at the beginning of the 21st century, it became apparent that most ...

Imagine a rom-com-worthy meet-cute: two strangers might hide from the rain in the same doorway or their dogs’ leashes might get tangled up in the park. Just like that, they fall in love. But a viral ...

String theory remains elusive as a 'provable' phenomenon. But a team of physicists has now taken a significant step forward in validating string theory by using an innovative mathematical method that ...

String theory, conceptualized more than 50 years ago as a framework to explain the formation of matter, remains elusive as a "provable" phenomenon. But a team of physicists has now taken a significant ...

The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine. String theory captured the hearts and minds of many physicists decades ago because of a beautiful simplicity. Zoom in far enough on a ...

In 1980, Stephen Hawking gave his first lecture as Lucasian Professor at the University of Cambridge. The lecture was called "Is the end in sight for theoretical physics?" Forty-five years later, ...

Scientists are on the trail of a mysterious five-particle structure that could challenge one of the biggest theories in physics: string theory. This rare particle—never seen before and predicted not ...