String Gas Cosmology: Challenging Inflation | Robert Brandenberger (#336)

Watch this episode on YouTube to see the slides:
https://youtu.be/G3xy-bEDJCY "I view string theory as the most
promising way to quantize matter and gravity in a unified way. We
need both quantum gravity and we need unification and a
quantization of gravity. One of the reasons why string theory is
promising is that there are no singularities associated with those
singularities are the same type that they offer point particles." —
Robert Brandenberger In this thought-provoking conversation, my
grad school mentor, Robert Brandenberger shares his unique
perspective on various cosmological concepts. He challenges the
notion of the fundamental nature of the Planck length, questioning
its significance and delving into intriguing debates surrounding
its importance in our understanding of the universe. He also
addresses some eyebrow-raising claims made by Elon Musk about the
limitations imposed by the Planck scale on the number of digits of
pi. Moving on to the topic of inflation and its potential
detectability, Robert sheds light on the elusive B mode
fluctuations and the role they play in understanding the flaws of
general relativity. He explains why detecting these perturbations
at the required scale may be beyond our current technological
capabilities. The discussion further explores the motivations
behind the search for cosmic strings in the microwave sky and the
implications they hold for particle physics models beyond the
standard model. With his expertise in gravity and the quantization
of mass, Robert Brandenberger emphasizes the need for a quantum
mechanical approach to gravity. He discusses the emergence of time,
space, and a metric from matrix models, offering new insights into
the foundations of our understanding of the universe. The speaker's
work challenges conventional notions of inflation and proposes
alternative models, such as string gas cosmology, as potential
solutions. Beyond the scientific aspects, Robert Brandenberger
reflects on his role as a scientist and educator. He expresses his
gratitude to a mentor and shares advice he received about
navigating the academic world. Additionally, he discusses the
evolution of being a professor over the past three decades and
shares his thoughts on the profession as a whole. Please join my
mailing list briankeating.com/list for your chance to win a real
meteorite ! Join me and ⁦Lawrence Krauss for an Onstage
Dialogue ⁦at the San Diego Air & Space Museum Tuesday, Oct 17,
2023 at 7:00
PM: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/live-onstage-dialogue-brian-keating-lawrence-m-krauss-tickets-699430514497
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