• Cumrun Vafa: Puzzles to Unravel the Universe (2020)

  • Oct 1 2024
  • Length: 1 hr and 10 mins
  • Podcast

Cumrun Vafa: Puzzles to Unravel the Universe (2020)

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  • Summary

  • Is string theory actually science? 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? I had the pleasure of discussing this with none other than Cumrun Vafa! Cumrun is a 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 whether we should trust string theory, fine-tuning, and the message he'd put into a billion-year time capsule. We also talked about his book Puzzles to Unravel the Universe. Tune in to learn about string theory! Key Takeaways: 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:20 Judging a book by its cover 00:03:35 What is a puzzle versus a mystery? 00:06:06 Black hole entropy 00:08:12 Godel's Theorem: Are some puzzles not solvable? 00:12:04 Is string theory actually science? 00:17:15 Dimensional analysis 00:21:15 Singularities 00:28:31 ADS and 5 dimensions 00:30:48 String theory 00:34:49 Supersymmetry 00:40:22 On religion 00:52:45 A scorecard for physics 00:55:21 What would your "ethical will" be? 01:02:50 What have you accomplished that once seemed impossible? 01:06:30 Outro Additional resources: ➡️ Learn more about Cumrun Vafa: 📚 Puzzles to Unravel the Universe: https://a.co/d/iWnNDup 💻 Cumrun’s website: https://www.cumrunvafa.org/ ➡️ Follow me on your fav platforms: ✖️ Twitter: https://x.com/DrBrianKeating 🔔 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DrBrianKeating?sub_confirmation=1 📝 Join my mailing list: https://briankeating.com/list ✍️ Check out my blog: https://briankeating.com/cosmic-musings/ 🎙️ Follow my podcast: https://briankeating.com/podcast ✨ Member's only playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=UUMOmXH_moPhfkqCk6S3b9RWuw Into the Impossible with Brian Keating is a podcast dedicated to all those who want to explore the universe within and beyond the known. Make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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