Phymaths podcast

By Hassaan SaleemScience Physics

Phymaths podcast episodes

August 06, 2025 Phymaths podcast # 56 || Dr. Daniel Grimmer
DescriptionDr. Daniel Grimmer is a philosopher of Physics at the University of Bonn, working on the intersection of Physics & Philosophy, and the metaphysics of space and time. A list of his works can be found below.Some links1) Dr. Grimmer's works: https://inspirehep.net/authors/1896269?ui-citation-summary=true2) Link to the high energy physics resources page on my website: https://hassaansaleem.com/graduate-level-theoretical-physics-resources-in-progress/Contact InfoMy website: hassaansaleem.comFollow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hassaan.3142/Join the Whatsapp channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va9DkjmAzNbs7IlGuv1XFollow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Hassaan_PHYEmail Queries: [email protected]Time stamps(0:00) Coming Up(0:54) Intro of the guest(1:07) His current projects(2:11) His Physics Ph.D. work(5:01) Local measurements and machine learning(7:50) Spacetime as a lattice(15:02) Deflaing spacetime (Dynamics vs. Geometry)(22:02) Topological redescription(24:58) Studying spacetime dualities(27:46) ISE method(36:44) Sine Gordon/Thirring example(41:30) Non-geometric backgrounds(46:22) Neo-Kantian spacetime(51:00) Spacetime fundamental?(54:54) Nature of time(57:50) Mach's principle(59:30) David Lewis and laws of nature(1:10:44) Causation(1:15:00) Physics to philosophy transition(1:24:40) (People's question) Universe and maths(1:26:51) (People's question) Why is there something?(1:29:06) (People's question) Spacetime & entanglement
1 hr 35 min
June 20, 2025 Phymaths podcast # 55 || Dr. Pedro Vieira
Description
Dr. Pedro Vieira is a theoretical physicist, working on integrability, holography and matrix models (worked on bootstrap techniques in the past). A list of his works can be found below.Some links
1) Dr. Vieira's works: https://inspirehep.net/authors/1027784?ui-citation-summary=true2) Link to the high energy physics resources page on my website: https://hassaansaleem.com/graduate-level-theoretical-physics-resources-in-progress/Contact Info
My website: hassaansaleem.comFollow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hassaan.3142/Join the Whatsapp channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va9DkjmAzNbs7IlGuv1XFollow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Hassaan_PHYEmail Queries: [email protected]Time stamps
(0:00) Coming up(1:09) Intro of the guest(1:24) His current projects(12:58) His interest in Physics(14:54) Classical Integrability(23:37) Quantum Integrability(29:40) Finding charges(31:17) Integrability in holography(41:48) Bethe ansatz(47:48) Story of the plot in his 2009 work(53:08) Quantum spectral curve(58:57) Matrix models(1:11:42) Matrix models and hydrodynamics(1:18:50) Bootstrap and its aims(1:23:00) Coordinates on the space of QFTs(1:26:50) Metric on the space of CFTs(1:31:46) Space of QFTs connected?(1:34:00) Metric on QFT space is unique?(1:36:48) Taking a Ph.D. student(1:39:13) (People's question) Bootstrap(1:43:28) (People's question) Research atmosphere(1:46:08) (People's question) Non-integer colors(1:53:00) (People's question) Planar diagram(1:56:50) (People's question) Building collaborations
2 hr 3 min
May 30, 2025 Phymaths podcast # 54 || Guest: Dr. Miguel Montero
DescriptionDr. Miguel Montero is a theoretical physicist at IFT Madrid, working on string compactifications and the swampland program. The list of his works can be found below.Some links1) Dr. Montero's list of works: https://inspirehep.net/authors/1272182?ui-citation-summary=true2) Link to the high energy physics resources page on my website: https://hassaansaleem.com/graduate-level-theoretical-physics-resources-in-progress/Contact InfoYouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@phymaths
My website: hassaansaleem.comJoin the Whatsapp channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va9DkjmAzNbs7IlGuv1XFollow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Hassaan_PHYEmail Queries: [email protected]Time stamps(0:00) Coming Up(1:10) Intro of the guest(1:22) His current projects(4:28) What is the Swampland program?(11:24) Swampland conjectures vs string constructions(12:45) DGKT vs Weak Gravity Conjecture (WGC)(23:20) Discovering R7 branes(30:02) Relationships between swampland conjectures(33:30) Emergent string conjecture(34:35) Distance conjecture and EFT breakdown(37:39) Metric used for distance conjecture(39:11) Swampland prediction for N=4 SU(N) SYM(42:46) Tom Banks' paper on string parameters(46:15) What is the dark dimension?(51:02) Similarity with Nima et al's idea?(55:03) Why achieving SUSY scale separation is hard?(59:22) Non SUSY scale separation(1:03:52) Scale separated CFTs(1:08:15) His interest in Physics(1:10:44) The book that got him interested(1:11:24) Importance of hardwork(1:20:05) How to choose problems to work on?(1:29:09) Good PhD advisor(1:31:00) Which PhD students to take?(1:35:22) Setting deadlines(1:38:02) (People's question) Surprising swampland conjecture?(1:40:40) (People's question) Favorite restaurant in Madrid
1 hr 44 min
May 10, 2025 Phymaths podcast # 53 || Guest: Dr. Ivano Basile
Description
Dr. Ivano Basile is a theoretical physicist at the Max Planck institute for Physics at Garching, working on Non-supersymmetric string theories, supersymmetry breaking and recently, breaking of global symmetries. The list of his works can be found below.

Some links
1) Dr. Basile's list of works: https://inspirehep.net/authors/1677616?ui-citation-summary=true
2) Link to the high energy physics resources page on my website: https://hassaansaleem.com/graduate-level-theoretical-physics-resources-in-progress/

Contact Info
My website: hassaansaleem.com
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hassaan.3142/
Join the Whatsapp channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va9DkjmAzNbs7IlGuv1X
Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Hassaan_PHY
Email Queries: [email protected]

Time stamps
(00:00) Coming up
(00:24) Intro of the guest
(00:42) His current projects
(02:49) His interest and journey in Physics
(10:51) What is String Theory?
(18:05) Recent Tom Banks paper
(21:24) Important questions in string phenomenology
(26:37) Scale separation in string theory
(33:16) Non-supersymmetric strings
(45:04) Intrinsically quantum vacuua
(48:35) Dualities for non SUSY strings
(53:42) D-Branes in non SUSY string theories
(1:01:46) deSitter spacetime and higher corrections
(1:07:07) Using functional RG flows
(1:10:54) Quintessence in non SUSY strings
(1:14:20) Brane world scenario for non SUSY strings
(1:28:28) String Field Theories for non SUSY strings
(1:30:06) Dealing with research metrics
(1:39:30) No. of papers (some interesting examples)
(1:40:49) Dealing with research metrics (continued)
(1:42:50) Qualities of a good research advisor
(1:48:16) Birds vs Frogs (Freeman Dyson)
(1:50:36) Transitioning froma student to a researcher
(1:56:54) (People's questions) Back up plan
(1:59:14) (People's questions) More non SUSY strings?
(2:00:29) (People's questions) Asymptotic safety
(2:04:20) Vafa Strominger scenario for non SUSY strings
(2:05:40) (People's questions) -1 form symmetries

#physics #theoreticalphysics #stringtheory #symmetryreflection #scicomm #podcast
2 hr 8 min
February 06, 2025 Phymaths podcast # 52 || Guest: Dr. Rajesh Gopakumar
Description
Dr. Rajesh Gopakumar is a theoretical physicist, who has majorly worked on holographic duality in his career. He got his Ph.D. from Princeton University under the supervision of David Gross and right now, he is the director of ICTS Bangalore in India. The list of his works is available below.
Some links
1) Dr. Gopakumar's list of works: https://inspirehep.net/authors/1007959
2) Link to the high energy physics resources page on my website: https://hassaansaleem.com/graduate-level-theoretical-physics-resources-in-progress/
Contact Info
My website: hassaansaleem.com
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hassaan.3142/
Join the Whatsapp channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va9DkjmAzNbs7IlGuv1X
Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Hassaan_PHY
Email Queries: [email protected]
Time stamps
(0:00) Coming Up
(0:31) Intro of the guest
(0:48) His recent projects
(8:53) Multiple open string descriptions
(11:21) His interest in Physics
(15:10) Pressure to go to engineering
(16:12) IIT Kanpur
(20:11) His skepticism for string theory
(25:08) What is string theory?
(31:01) Is spacetime fundamental?
(34:28) Overview of holography
(36:38) Maldacena's example
(37:26) Using holography for QCD
(43:10) His work on holography
(50:51) Higher spins and Weinberg Witten theorem
(57:40) His work on Chern Simons theory
(1:01:35) Being the director of ICTS
(1:10:30) Choosing a Ph.D. student
(1:13:14) Publishing trends
(1:15:40) (People's question) Physics and AI
(1:19:45) (People's question) Phenomenology
(1:21:26) (People's question) deSitter spaces
(1:22:43) (People's question) Masters in ICTS
(1:25:12) (People's question) Ashoke Sen
(1:27:12) (People's question) Research Transition
(1:29:42) (People's question) Comparisons
(1:32:02) (People's question) Failure
1 hr 37 min
February 06, 2025 Phymaths podcast # 51 || Guest: Dr. Daniel Whiteson
Description
Dr. Daniel Whiteson is an experimental high-energy physicist at UC Irvine and works in the ATLAS collaboration. He is also a science communicator, who made the Daytime Emmy nominated series Elinor Wonders Why, and he also hosts a podcast named Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe. The link of this podcast and his works are given below.
Some links
1) His podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/daniel-and-kellys-extraordinary-universe/id1436616330
2) His works: https://inspirehep.net/authors/1020448
3) Link to the high energy physics resources page on my website: https://hassaansaleem.com/graduate-level-theoretical-physics-resources-in-progress/
Contact Info
My website: hassaansaleem.com
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hassaan.3142/
Join the Whatsapp channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va9DkjmAzNbs7IlGuv1X
Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Hassaan_PHY
Email Queries: [email protected]
Time stamps
(0:00) Coming Up
(0:33) Intro of guest
(0:58) His interest in Physics
(5:24) His active projects
(7:46) Single event discoveries
(12:04) Hiding the data from other collaborations
(14:26) Credit sharing in big collaborations
(20:34) Being an independent researcher
(27:26) Media coverage of LHC and Higgs discovery
(32:46) The 5σ benchmark for discovery
(41:23) Machine Learning for Particle Physics
(45:58) Working with Phenomenologists
(47:44) Theorists/Experimentalists' relation
(53:27) Phenomenological models
(56:14) His preference for phenomenology research
(58:37) The politics of getting funding
(1:05:44) Challenges of making a children's TV series
(1:16:29) Science communication through podcasts
(1:18:36) Effects of having a podcast on me
(1:21:37) PhD comics
(1:22:02) His most favourite guests
(1:25:33) If he could invite Issac Asimov
(1:27:56) Using humor in science communication
(1:30:30) How to engage science skeptics
(1:34:45) The APS story and crackpots
(1:38:40) Balancing time (research & scicomm)
(1:42:11) Selecting a Ph.D student
(1:43:47) Dealing with failure & rejection
(1:49:01) (People's question) LHC upgrades
(1:50:30) (People's question) Collider on the Moon
(1:52:38) (People's question) "We have no idea" title
(1:53:53) (People's question) Investing in research
1 hr 57 min
February 02, 2025 Phymaths podcast # 50 || Guest: Dr. Nabil Iqbal
Description
Dr. Nabil Iqbal is a theoretical physicist at Durham University. He works on holography, generalized symmetries, and condensed matter physics among other things. A list of his works can be found in the link below.
Some links
1) Dr. Iqbal's works: https://inspirehep.net/authors/1051240
2) Link to the high energy physics resources page on my website: https://hassaansaleem.com/graduate-level-theoretical-physics-resources-in-progress/
Contact Info
My website: hassaansaleem.com
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hassaan.3142/
Join the Whatsapp channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va9DkjmAzNbs7IlGuv1X
Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Hassaan_PHY
Email Queries: [email protected]
Time stamps
(0:00) Coming Up
(0:37) Guest's intro
(0:59) Inspiration for Physics
(5:00) Holography overview
(9:02) Maldacena's example of holography
(15:13) Using holography for QCD
(20:15) Truncating AdS spacetime
(23:38) Chiral symmetry breaking
(25:00) Non-Fermi liquids
(30:54) Strange metals
(33:16) Holography and Non-Fermi liquids
(35:43) Holography and higher spin gravity
(40:00) Evading Weinberg-Witten theorem
(42:58) Generalized symmetries (Overview)
(49:28) Applications of generalized symmetries
(52:56) Kramers-Wannier duality
(57:44) Symmetries as topological operators
(1:00:47) Machine learning rediscovers duality
(1:07:11) Sine Gordon/ Thirring duality
(1:11:24) Which architecture to use?
(1:16:21) How to see AI physics discoveries?
(1:20:38) Tackling physics misinformation
(1:26:40) The "Lying for Grants" lie
(1:31:25) How to take Ph.D. students?
(1:33:21) Lack of motivation
(1:35:00) Getting back from failed projects
(1:38:07) (People's question) Strings & 3D Ising model
(1:40:58) People's questions (Rapid fire)
(1:47:32) US vs UK Ph.D. system
(1:49:11) Advice for undergrad, master & Ph.D students
(1:51:23) Dealing with Imposter syndrome
1 hr 56 min
January 06, 2025 Phymaths podcast # 49 || Guest: Dr. Zohar Komargodski
Description
Dr. Zohar Komargodski is a theoretical physicist at the Simon Center for Geometry and Physics and he works on RG flows, generalized symmetries, and condensed matter physics among other things. A list of his works can be found in the link below.
Some links
1) Dr. Komargodski's works: https://inspirehep.net/authors/1021214
2) Link to the high energy physics resources page on my website: https://hassaansaleem.com/graduate-level-theoretical-physics-resources-in-progress/
Contact Info
My website: hassaansaleem.com
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hassaan.3142/
Join the Whatsapp channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va9DkjmAzNbs7IlGuv1X
Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Hassaan_PHY
Email Queries: [email protected]
Time stamps
(0:00) Coming Up
(0:43) Guest's intro
(1:08) His interest in physics
(2:52) His interest in high-energy physics
(4:17) Overview of RG flows
(8:03) Relation with effective field theories
(13:36) Extra terms in Maxwell equations
(15:00) What does a theory 'flowing' mean?
(18:22) Fixed points in RG flows (CFTs)
(20:48) What a CFT can flow to?
(21:12) c-theorem
(28:55) a-theorem
(30:58) Similar theorems in higher dimensions
(32:25) Symmetries preserved under RG flows
(36:21) How to define an anomaly?
(38:52) What is a 'thooft anomaly?
(44:47) Is ABJ anomaly an anomaly?
(47:28) Unsolved problems regarding RG flows
(49:52) Holographic methods for RG flows
(51:22) Overview of generalized symmetries
(58:04) Applications (His paper on monopoles)
(1:04:50) Applications (Pion decay and Yang-Mills)
(1:08:16) Prospects of generalized symmetries
(1:10:06) Which ideas to take seriously?
(1:13:22) Phrase "Theory of Everything" is misleading?
(1:19:00) Comments on LQG and quantizing gravity
(1:35:17) MOND (Philosophy and comments)
(1:46:28) Geometric Unity (Philosophy and comments)
(1:53:58) SU(5) theory
(1:55:57) Tackling science misinformation
(2:00:01) The "Lying for grants" lie
(2:05:10) Mistakes in papers
(2:07:57) Tackling misinformation (continued)
(2:10:57) Misinformation, funding and progress
(2:15:38) Mathematical consistency
(2:21:21) Size of string theory community
(2:25:09) High energy Physics job market
(2:29:18) Misconceptions about the number of papers
(2:34:51) How to interpret letters from unknown academics?
(2:38:48) How to take Ph.D. students?
(2:42:39) Advice for younger researchers?
(2:43:37) How to be motivated with slow progress?
(2:46:47) (People's question) Symmetry breaking
(2:48:42) (People's question) Cosmology
(2:50:11) (People's question) Recommendation letter
(2:51:16) (People's question) Food places in NYC
(2:52:48) Ending
Corrections:
(1:44:21) NGC 1277 appears to have a "deficit of dark matter" but the acceleration that was probed in the 2023 study was not sufficiently small to probe the MOND regime. So, this study doesn't rule MOND out right away.
(2:43:51) He is actually talking about the book "What I Talk About When I Talk About Running" by H. Murakami
2 hr 54 min
January 05, 2025 Phymaths podcast # 48 || Guest: Dr. Raghu Mahajan
Description
Dr. Raghu Mahajan is a theoretical physicist at ICTS Bangalore, working on the problems regarding instantons. He has previously worked on the Island's approach to Black Holes. A list of his works can be found in the link below.
Some links
1) Dr. Mahajan's works: https://inspirehep.net/authors/1229066
2) Link to the high energy physics resources page on my website: https://hassaansaleem.com/graduate-level-theoretical-physics-resources-in-progress/
Contact Info
My website: hassaansaleem.com
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hassaan.3142/
Join the Whatsapp channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va9DkjmAzNbs7IlGuv1X
Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Hassaan_PHY
Email Queries: [email protected]
Time stamps
(0:00:00) Coming Up
(0:00:26) Intro of guest
(0:00:54) Time at IIT and interest in Physics
(0:04:30) His interest in String Theory
(0:08:20) Interest in the Islands approach
(0:10:09) Massive Gravitons in Islands?
(0:15:43) His opinion on the Fuzzball program
(0:18:44) State of string theory
(0:21:46) Important Areas in String Theory
(0:24:30) Pure Spinor Formalism
(0:25:18) String Field Theory's community
(0:29:04) deSitter spacetime in String Theory
(0:33:24) Third superstring revolution?
(0:35:30) Spacetime isn't fundamental
(0:38:25) Nonsupersymmetric situations
(0:40:47) Swampland program
(0:43:54) His work on Instantons in 2D
(0:55:00) Job Market in String Theory
(1:06:02) (People's question) Intuition vs Calculations
(1:08:03) (People's question) AI and Theoretical Physics
(1:11:49) (People's question) Computers in research
(1:13:04) (People's question) Physics pathway in India
(1:14:48) (People's question) String Theory Criticism
(1:18:47) (People's question) String Theory is the end?
(1:19:31) (People's question) Taking Ph.D. students
(1:20:01) (People's question) Advice for young scientists
1 hr 25 min
October 16, 2024 Phymaths podcast # 47 || Guest: Dr. Harold Erbin
Dr. Harold Erbin is a theoretical physicist who works on string field theory and string compactifications. He uses AI to solve problems in theoretical physics and is the author of the most recent book on string field theory. A list of his works can be found below.
Some links
1) Dr. Erbin's works: https://inspirehep.net/authors/1273902?ui-citation-summary=true
2) Support this channel: https://www.patreon.com/phymaths
3) Become a YouTube member: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3nAENP4F5GKrGk9BLNFLvw/join
4) Link to the high energy physics resources page on my website: https://hassaansaleem.com/graduate-level-theoretical-physics-resources-in-progress/
Contact Info
My website: hassaansaleem.com
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hassaan.3142/
Join the Whatsapp channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va9DkjmAzNbs7IlGuv1X
Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Hassaan_PHY
Email Queries: [email protected]
Time stamps
(0:00) Coming Up
(0:25) Introduction of the guest
(0:46) What is String Field Theory (SFT)? Why use it?
(4:05) Functional fields in SFT
(6:24) Mathematical Techniques for SFT
(9:27) BRST and BV action
(13:12) Background independence of string theory
(29:39) Using pure spinor formalism
(36:10) Using machine learning for SFT
(50:38) Geometric BV algebras
(57:03) Training the neural network
(1:14:31) Constraints on closed SFT vertices
(1:18:43) QFT - Neural Network correspondence
(1:28:22) UV limit for Neural Network?
(1:31:37) Experience with Ashoke Sen
(1:44:40) His book on SFT
(1:58:22) (People's question) Is string theory the end of Physics?
(2:01:14) (People's question) Learning complex manifolds
(2:03:31) (People's question) Learning machine learning early
2 hr 12 min

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A podcast to discuss the ideas that are at the forefront of fundamental theoretical physics and mathematics.

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Phymaths podcast episodes

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