String Theory, Unification and Supersymmetry

Abstract

One cannot yet point to any firm string prediction. While many approximate string ground states are known with interesting properties, we do not have any argument that one or another describes what we observe around us, and for reasons which appear fundamental we do not know how to systematically determine even any rough quantitative properties. I argue here that we should examine large classes of string ground states, trying to determine whether features such as low energy supersymmetry, the pattern of supersymmetry breaking, the presence of axions, large dimensions, or others might be generic.

Comments: Talk at the First International Conference on String Phenomenology, Oxford. 19 pages