136 - Andrew Strominger: String Theory, Black Holes, and Extra Dimensions

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.