Friday Random Ten: Future of String Theory Part II

Well, after last week's fumble, resulting in still-unsolved clues as to the future of string theory, I've decided to have another go. I'm going to ask the ipod again for clues about the future of strings, since it still is on everyone's mind. So here goes: 1. The Covering:Succotash, Herbie Hancock, Inventions and Dimensions. 2. The Crossing:Oblivion, Bud Powell, The Genius of Bud Powell 3. The Crown:Once Forgotten, Roy Hargrove, With the Tenors of Our Time 4. The Root:I Left My Baby, Kansas City Jazz Band, Kansas City 5. The Past:Assunta, Freddie Hubbard, Here to Stay 6. The Future:Scene by the Brook- Andante molto mosso, Herbert von Karajan/Berlin Philharmonic, Beethoven's 6th Symphony, Op 68 7. The Questioner:Where are You?, Dexter Gordon, Go 8. The House:Synchronicity I, The Police, Synchronicity 9. The Inside:Wild Flower, Wayne Shorter, Speak No Evil 10. The Outcome:Homeless (Song No. 43), Rena Kyriakou, Mendelssohn, Songs Without Words (I must admit that I ignored a podcast episode of a spoken word programme, KPCC's "Talk of the City", which came up as number 3. In case it is important, it was the episode where they broadcast live from MOCA in downtown LA. ) So, what do we learn from this? Remember that the key is here. Well, for those working on string theory and worried about its future, there are really nice and encouraging signs, troops! Let's have a look: (1) Concerns and Influences of the current situation? Succotash is from the album Inventions and Dimensions, and so there might be some accuracy there (you know, dimensions and so on). (2) Current Obstacle seems to be Oblivion. Bit scary, but it is just an obstacle. Perhaps it's telling us about some unbounded potential we need to be careful with. (3) The best that can be achieved with current situation: Once Forgotten. Hmmm. (4) The Root (important key events from past): Bit of a worry here. I Left My Baby might be telling us that in the past, we threw out some important thing which is key (as in "baby with bathwater")? (Someone is bound to say Loop Quantum Gravity at this point, so let me nip that in the bud.) (5) The Past (key recent past events), I don't get, but I certainly like (6), the Future. Perhaps my long-held hope that RHIC might see a stringy phase of QCD is going to come true. (Brookhaven, you see.) (7) It is apppropriate and a good sign that the Questioner is indeed a question. Signifying the basic question I have in mind? I could use some help interpreting (8), the House. (9) (My hopes fears and expectations) Well, Wild Flower might have something to do with all the time I spend gardening...but not Landscaping, I must add. So, the outcome. (10) Homeless? I'm sure there is a positive spin on that somewhere.... Maybe strings have no natural home, for they are of great facility and application in many fields. Yes, yes....that's it. -cvj