String Theory Loses Steam

The rising tide of string theory research couldn’t last forever, and by the early 1990s some were giving up any hope of finding one single theory. Just as the earlier introduction of multiple dimensions had warded off new physicists, the rise of so many distinct yet consistent versions of string theory gave many physicists pause. Physicists who were motivated purely by the drive to find a quick and easy “theory of everything” began turning away from string theory when it became clear that there was nothing quick and easy about it. As the easier problems got solved and only the harder ones remained, the truly dedicated retained the motivation to work through the complications.
In 1995, a second string theory revolution would come along, with the rise of new insights that would help convince even many of the skeptics that work on string theory would ultimately bear significant fruit. That second revolution is the topic of topic 11.