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224 - Peter Woit: String Theory and the Crisis in Physics

224 - Peter Woit: String Theory and the Crisis in Physics

Robinson's Podcast vor 1 Jahr

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2:03:29

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7

Peter Woit is a senior lecturer in the Department of Mathematics
at Columbia University, where he researches quantum field theory
and quantum gravity. Peter is one of the most well-known critics
of string theory, and in this episode he and Robinson discuss his
work and research in the area, which is encapsulated in his book
Not Even Wrong: The Failure of String Theory and the Search for
Unity in Physical Law (Basic Books, 2007), as well as his website
by the same name. More particularly, they talk about the standard
model of particle physics, the problem of quantum gravity, the
main figures in string theory, the arguments for and against this
approach to physics, its many alleged failures, and the future of
research in the area.

Not Even Wrong (Book): https://a.co/d/iVnPEi1

Not Even Wrong (Website):
https://www.math.columbia.edu/~woit/wordpress/

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

02:29 Peter’s Training in Physics

06:21 What Is the Standard Model of Physics?

10:42 What Is Symmetry?

21:37 Experiment and the Standard Model of Particle Physics

26:15 What’s Wrong with the Standard Model of Particle
Physics?

29:36 What Are Grand Unified Theories in Physics?

34:47 What Is Supersymmetry?

40:15 On Ed Witten and the Genius Mind Behind M-Theory

49:08 What Is String Theory?

1:04:56 What Is M-Theory?

1:07:59 On AdS/CFT

1:16:03 On Holography and Quantum Gravity

1:20:27 String Theory and the Sokal Hoax

1:24:09 Peter’s Love of Physics

1:32:13 On the String-Theoretic Landscape and the
Multiverse

1:41:51 What’s the Path Forward for Physics?

1:47:52 Is String Theory the Only Game in Time?

1:53:17 How Did String Theory Become Dominant?

1:56:45 String Theory: Not Even Wrong?

Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com

Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of
mathematics at Stanford University. Join him in conversations
with philosophers, scientists, historians, economists, and
everyone in-between.