The Theory of everything

Juan G Berrios Merced

The main thing about the field of Physics that captures my imagination is the search for a unified “General Theory of Everything”. The idea of a theory that held universally, that could be used to solve any problem in principle is fascinating, and makes one wonder if it is even possible.

There are the well-known and long established theories of general relativity and quantum mechanics, which despite very robustly explaining countless phenomena, cannot be said to hold universally, and are impossible to unify in order to shore up each other’s weak points, as it were. New theories have sprung up during the past decades which attempt to go beyond current paradigms framed around quantum mechanics and general relativity, such as string theory, and are having their tenets tested in the real world.

Indeed, in a large underground installation along the French-Swiss border, scientists are working with the largest particle accelerator man has ever made, the Large Hadron Collider, running experiments to finally settle whether there can truly exist a general theory of everything. One of the aims of these studies is to find the Higgs boson, an as of yet hypothetical particle that would go a long way in proving some of what String theory and particle physics as a whole espouse. I personally try to follow the results of their work as best I can, given my limited knowledge of particle physics.

The existence of a theory of everything has many detractors, who doubt the possibility of a theory that explains everything while maintaining full logical and mathematical consistency. Some claim that the very fact that nature is tied to infinity makes it impossible. Other claim than in attempting to explain absolutely everything, it would contradict itself (for instance, the same equation that proved something would also disprove it). However, there is no consensus in the scientific community that a theory of everything cannot exist, and that it should not be pursued. It is generally believed that further experimentation is the only way to know for certain, which is why experiments such as those done with the LHC are so essential.

These concepts are often too abstract for anyone without years upon years of formal training and study to even begin to comprehend, which is why most people simply assume it’s not important or interesting. I don’t claim to understand even a fraction of what it all means, but I am constantly compelled to try. The idea that one day we humans may have the ability to think about infinity without hitting an intellectual wall is quite fascinating to me, and the only way it will come about is through the eventual discovery of a unified General Theory of Everything.  I personally believe it is only a matter of time before that happens. Physics, after all, is the study of everything. It would therefore be fitting that it could offer us a theory of everything.