Leading Candidates
Physicists have proposed several approaches:
String Theory: Suggests that fundamental particles aren’t points but tiny, vibrating one-dimensional "strings." Different vibrations correspond to different particles. It naturally includes gravity (via the graviton) and requires extra dimensions (typically 10 or 11), which are "compactified" at scales we can’t see. It’s elegant but lacks experimental evidence so far.
Loop Quantum Gravity: Focuses on quantizing spacetime itself, treating it as discrete rather than continuous. It avoids singularities but hasn’t fully integrated the Standard Model particles.
M-Theory: An extension of string theory that unifies its five versions, proposing 11 dimensions and introducing "branes" (higher-dimensional objects). It’s a leading contender but, again, untested.
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