What is the difference in Chaos theory and String theory?

Answer 1

Chaos theory basically says that there are situations where you can't predict what's going to happen next. Like duh. Scientists and engineers have known all along that there are plenty of equations that have poles and zeroes-- places where the equation blows up or divides by zero, making the results unpredictable. There are also equations with positive feedback, where things are okay for a while but there are points, like balancing a ball at the top of a hill, where the slightest influence can drive it downhill in any direction.

Not a terribly useful theory IMHO-- but an useful reminder that equations have their limitations.

String theory I don't understand at all, but I'm not alone. Apparently the math is quite beautiful and somehow explains other things, somehow. But they've been working on it for like 20 years now, with no great advances, so maybe it's just a tantalyzing dead-end. Ideally you'd get some useful predictions or numbers out of string theory, but no soap so far it seems. Ideally someone will notice that the 23rd dimension of one string crossed with the 19th of another gives a number that's exactly equal to the mass of the electron, now THAT would be a useful prediction.