The Holy Grail of modern physics. A single framework that encompasses all. A cosmic code. The final result of theory shaved down by Occam’s Razor. A recipe for the universe. The mystery of creation solved by a single theory. One language for all of science. A base theory. Instructions for everything. A mathematical formula that links all the aspects of the universe. The idea behind a reproducible experiment successful at proving a Theory Of Everything. The bedrock of reality.
The thought that there is a fundamental explanation for everything has been around for thousands of years, the thought that it can be mathematically represented is a modern idea that has largely taken form in the 20th century and the expression Theory Of Everything, has only been popularized since the 1980’s. Bertrand Russell is credited with coining the phrase “Theory Of Everything”, in his book The Analysis of Matter, published in 1927.
For starters, a Theory Of Everything (TOE) will have to explain General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics. In other words it needs to include a theory of quantum gravity.
The phrase, Theory Of Everything, raises questions like, does the universe have a beginning or an end and if it does, what happens before or after? Is there more than one type of beginning or end? If there isn’t a beginning or an end, how does that work? If the universe comes from something else, what is it and where did that something come from and so on? Did the observable universe come from nothing and if so, how does that make sense? Are there parallel universes or a multiverse? Is there even an ultimate plan and if so can it be exhibited in a coherent blueprint? Can we know the mind of God?
Some modern candidates for a (TOE) are, M-Theory and Loop Quantum Gravity. At present the Standard Model is the closest thing to come to a (TOE) when satisfying the scientific method.
“How can we understand the universe, is it arbitrary or is there a grand design, do we still need a God?”
Steven Hawking (1942-2018)