Andrew Strominger is Gwill E. York Professor of Physics and Director of the Center for the Fundamental Laws of Nature at Harvard University, where he works on some of the deepest questions in physics, including black holes and the unification of quantum field theory and general relativity in the form of string theory. In this episode, Robinson and Andy discuss the basics of string theory, including its unifying role in physics, its application to outstanding and once-intractable problems of black holes, and the conceptual difficulties of thinking about higher-dimensional spaces.

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode…

00:32 Introduction

05:03 Andy’s Entry into String Theory

20:49 The Irreconcilable Clash between General Relativity and Quantum Field Theory

47:02 String Theory, Fine-Tuning, and the Anthropic Principle

59:20 The Basics of String Theory

01:12:50 String Theory and the Reductionist Program of Physics

01:27:25 When Will We Observe the Strings of String Theory?

01:43:45 How Many Dimensions are There in String Theory?

02:12:50 Aesthetics in String Theory

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, weightlifters, artists, and everyone in-between.