Glossary of Terms
String Theory A quantum theory which successfully incorporates the quantum
field theories which describe particle interactions and gravity. It is so far
the only known consistent candidate for a quantum theory of gravity.
Black Holes Objects which are so massive their gravitational pull will not
even allow light to escape.
Quantum Mechanics A theory developed by Bohr, Schroedinger and Heisenberg in the
early 1900’s to describe the light emitted by atoms. An important consequence is
that many characteristics of an object cannot take any value, but must be an
integer multiple of some smallest value.
Quantum Field Theory Combining quantum mechanics and special relativity leads one to
discover quantum field theory, which is the underlying formalism used to
describe particle physics today. This was developed in the 1920’s and 30’s by
Dirac, Feynman, Schwinger, and others.
Einstein’s Gravity / Theory of Relativity Einstein introduced the idea that gravity comes from the
warping of space-time, and that matter and energy both change this warping and
are affected by it.
Special Relativity Einstein’s fundamental insight was that the laws of physics
should appear the same to all observers. This leads to the idea of the
space-time continuum, which changed the way physicists thought about the world
in a fundamental way.
Galileo’s Laws of Motion Before Einstein, the laws of physics came from Galileo and
Newton. In their view, the laws of physics looked different to different
observers. However, no contradiction with nature was observed since the
differences remain very small until velocities close to that of light are
involved.
Electromagnetism Electromagnetism is the study of the interaction of electric and
magnetic fields.
Thermodynamics Thermodynamics is the study of the inter-relations of energy, heat or
work, and its effect on a physical system.
Newton’s Force of Gravity Newton's force of gravity is the attraction of two objects, or
masses, toward each other. The greater the mass the larger the force of attraction.
Branes String theory includes an array of higher dimensional objects
which are generally referred to as branes. This is a catchall phrase which stems
from “membrane”.
Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle One of the consequences of quantum mechanics is that one can
never simultaneously measure both the precise location and velocity of a
particle.
Quarks Sub-atomic particles which make up protons and neutrons.
Physicists discovered string theory in an attempt to describe the quantum field
theory of quarks.
Space-Time Continuum In the context of relativity the notions of space and time are
the same. For example, rulers and clocks are
interchangeable.
Photon A massless particle which transmits the electromagnetic force,
including the radiation responsible for visible light.
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