Cumrun Vafa: Is String Theory Actually Science? (#368)

Many argue that string theory cannot be proven and should therefore
be abandoned. For them, string theory is not science at all. But
are they right? Here to discuss these claims with me is none other
than Cumrun Vafa! Cumrun is the Hollis Professor of Mathematics and
Natural Philosophy in the Department of Physics at Harvard
University, where he has been researching and teaching theoretical
physics since 1985. His primary area of research is string
theory.  In our interview, we discussed why we should trust
String Theory, Fine Tuning, and the message he'd put into a
billion-year time capsule. We also talked about his recently
released book Puzzles to Unravel the Universe.  Tune in! 
Key Takeaways:  Intro (00:00) Judging a book by its
cover (01:04) What is a puzzle versus a mystery? (03:37) Is
string theory actually science? (10:37) Dimensional analysis
(17:02) Singularities (19:41) ADS and 5 dimensions (27:04)
Abandoning string theory (34:12) Supersymmetry (35:12) On religion
(39:50) A scorecard for physics (52:18) What would your "ethical
will" be? (56:51) What have you accomplished that once seemed
impossible? (1:02:22) — Additional resources:  Thanks,
HelloFresh! Go to HelloFresh.com/50impossible and use code
50impossible for 50% off plus 15% off the next 2 months. With a
MasterClass annual membership, you can take one-on-one classes from
the world’s best for $10 a month with your annual membership, get
unlimited access to every class — and even better, right now, as an
Into The Impossible listener, you can get 15% off when you go to
MASTERCLASS.com/impossible. ‍ Visit LinkedIn.com/IMPOSSIBLE to post
your job for free! Puzzles to Unravel the Universe by Cumrun Vafa:
https://a.co/d/iWnNDup  Cumrun’s website:
https://www.cumrunvafa.org/  ️ Follow me on your fav
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