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'''String theory''', (or super-string theory when coupled with [[Supersymmetry]]), is a class of models in [[theoretical physics]] which replace zero-dimensional points (particles) in four-dimensional spacetime with one-dimensional strings in an eleven-dimensional spacetime as the fundamental building block of the universe.  The elusive goal is to develop a set of equations that unify all known natural forces (gravitational, electromagnetic, weak, and strong), according to some preconceived philosophical beliefs about how they ought to be unified.  Leading proponents of string theory have been  [[Institute for Advanced Study]]'s Edward Witten, who was a history major in college but went on to win the [[Fields Medal]] in 1990, and [[Brian Greene]], the author of book for popular consumption called ''The Elegant Universe''.  String theory has never successfully been used to generate a model of the universe resembling our own, with previously observed particles and forces in place.

'''String theory''', (or super-string theory when coupled with [[Supersymmetry]]), is a class of models in [[theoretical physics]] which replace zero-dimensional points (particles) in four-dimensional spacetime with one-dimensional strings in an eleven-dimensional spacetime as the fundamental building block of the universe.  The elusive goal is to develop a set of equations that unify all known natural forces (gravitational, electromagnetic, weak, and strong), according to some preconceived philosophical beliefs about how they ought to be unified.  Leading proponents of string theory have been  [[Institute for Advanced Study]]'s Edward Witten, who was a history major in college and received the [[Fields Medal]] for mathematicians (not physicists) in 1990, and [[Brian Greene]], the author of book for popular consumption called ''The Elegant Universe''.  String theory has never successfully been used to generate a model of the universe resembling our own, with previously observed particles and forces in place.

Some physicists argue that string theory (and its alter ego M-theory) is currently the most viable candidate for a unified theory of physics which describes all forces of nature, encompassing the physics of gravity as well as quantum field theory. Major research centers include, for example, MIT, with five faculty members and numerous postdocs and graduate students working in this area.<ref> see [http://ctp.lns.mit.edu/research-strings.html MIT Center for Theoretical Physics]</ref> At present, however, the potential status of string theory as a genuine "theory of everything" remains uncertain.

Some physicists argue that string theory (and its alter ego M-theory) is currently the most viable candidate for a unified theory of physics which describes all forces of nature, encompassing the physics of gravity as well as quantum field theory. Major research centers include, for example, MIT, with five faculty members and numerous postdocs and graduate students working in this area.<ref> see [http://ctp.lns.mit.edu/research-strings.html MIT Center for Theoretical Physics]</ref> At present, however, the potential status of string theory as a genuine "theory of everything" remains uncertain.