Y!A: String and Quantum Theory

This is a question i answered for someone who seemed to be having some problem conceptualizing both String Theory and Quantum Mechanics in the same context. i can't say that i completely understood what he was asking, but i hope i gave him a good idea that these two concepts are very well related.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100824133230AAGX5rj&r=w#OpBoM23EKWK18mDD9Dq0

Q:
Simultaniously Conceptualizing String & Quantum Theory?
String theory says there are strings that are 1-dimensional slices of a 2-dimensional membrane vibrating in 11-dimensional space with variations in their vibrations resulting in the creation of all light, matter, gravity etc... in the universe. Quantum Mechanics says particles can exist in a super position until the wave function is collapsed, part of the particle wave duality. How can one stitch these two theories together conceptually? Are all strings in some type of super position as well until collapsed? Or another way of asking; If a particle is in super position, is the string also in a kind of superposition? 


Maybe the question is illogical. Like asking what's the marital status of the number nine. 


Help with conceptualizing this would be much appreciated!

A:
first of all, i think you know very well what strings and string theory are, and i compliment you on that knowledge!
one thing i want to clarify is how these strings create, as you say, "all light, matter, gravity etc... in the universe." the only thing that a variation in a string vibration produces is a different fundamental particle. that is, one specific vibration of a string is an up quark, while another is the gluon. then the interactions between these particles create light, gravity, etc... (and even mass, itself!)
but this i'm sure you know, and i just wanted to clarify.

these two ideas can be easily conceptualized as follows:
quantum theory does state that particles exist in a state of uncertainty until they are 'observed'. so, in short, yes, you can think of the strings being in a sort of quantum state as well. but remember that this quantum state applies only to properties of the particle like position, speed, etc... so it is essentially no different than thinking of the particles in this superposition. since these basic particles are, more fundamentally strings, it is just fine to thing of the strings adhering to the same rules as the particles! although i don't necessarily know what great insight this approach would yield.

one thing which would be wrong to say is that the vibration of the string is also in superposition. that is, the string can be vibrating in many different ways - and thus be many different particles - at the same time. although this may seem theoretically possible, remember that a particle remains in superposition only as long as it is not observed or measured. i would think that the universe is constantly checking on which particle a certain string is behaving as. i may be wrong however, but i have never heard of quarks suddenly turning into leptons and then turning into photons.