Author Archives: woit

(Blinkered) Visions in Quantum Gravity

Posted on December 13, 2024 by woit

This past summer Nordita ran a program on quantum gravity, featuring lectures and panel discussions on various approaches to the subject. Lecture notes from the six mini-courses are now available here. There’s also a long, 39 author document called Visions … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Wick Rotating Weyl Spinor Fields

Posted on December 7, 2024 by woit

It’s been taking me forever to sort out and write down the details of implications of the proposal described here. While waiting for that to be done, I thought it might be a good idea to write up one piece … Continue reading →

Posted in Euclidean Twistor Unification | 14 Comments

This Week’s Hype

Posted on November 22, 2024 by woit

If a post-truth field of science is going to keep going, it needs to convince funders and the public that progress is being made, so there’s a continual need for people uninterested in truth and willing to produce appropriate propaganda. … Continue reading →

Posted in This Week's Hype | 7 Comments

The Impossible Man

Posted on November 15, 2024 by woit

There’s a new book out this week, a biography of Roger Penrose by Patchen Barss, with the title The Impossible Man: Roger Penrose and the cost of genius. Penrose is one of the greatest figures in physics and mathematical physics … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews | 32 Comments

Why Sabine Hossenfelder is Just Wrong

Posted on November 11, 2024 by woit

Sabine Hossenfelder’s latest video argues There’s no reason for nature to be pretty (5:00) Working on a theory of everything is a mistake because we don’t understand quantum mechanics (8:00). These are just wrong: nature is both pretty and described … Continue reading →

Posted in Quantum Mechanics | 20 Comments

Living in a Post-truth World

Posted on November 6, 2024 by woit

I grew up in the 1960s and 70s, at a time when fundamental physics was making huge dramatic progress and Western democracies were changing in equally dramatic ways, mostly for the better. It truly did seem that the Age of … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 58 Comments

The Crisis in String Theory is Worse Than You Think…

Posted on October 31, 2024 by woit

Curt Jaimungal has a piece out, an interview with Lenny Susskind, with the title The Crisis in String Theory is Worse Than You Think…. Some of what Susskind has to say is the same as in his recent podcast with … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 44 Comments

Various Items

Posted on October 24, 2024 by woit

A few items that may be of interest: Edward Frenkel has a new Youtube show/podcast, entitled AfterMath. I gather that part of the concept here is a follow-on to his book Love and Math, but in this different format. He’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 15 Comments

All Langlands, all the time

Posted on October 3, 2024 by woit

Trying to keep track of everything happening in the Langlands program area of mathematics is somewhat of a losing battle, as new ideas and results keep appearing faster than anyone could be expected to follow. Here are various items: Dennis … Continue reading →

Posted in Langlands | 7 Comments

Richard S. Hamilton 1943-2024

Posted on September 29, 2024 by woit

I heard this morning that Richard Hamilton passed away yesterday early this morning. He was a renowned figure in geometric analysis, and a faculty member here at Columbia since 1998. In terms of mortality, the last year or two at … Continue reading →

Posted in Obituaries | 6 Comments