Ask a String Theorist: Update

Thanx to everyone for all the interesting questions in the previous thread. I apologize for not being able to answer every one of them. I just arrived at a workshop on Long Island, and I’m also feeling a bit under the weather. From what I’ve seen so far, I think I will do a post on what is perturbative string theory and what does it have to do with spacetime and gravity (maybe it will even lead into a post on what is background independence). Feel free to use this thread for more questions if you like.