Andrew Strominger (Department of Physics)
First-Year Seminar 21V | 4 Credits (Fall Term) | CANVAS SITE
Wednesday, 5:30 PM–8:00 PM
The quest to understand the fundamental laws of nature has been ongoing for centuries. This seminar will assess the current status of this quest. In the first five weeks we will cover the basic pillars of our understanding:Einsteins theory of general relativity, quantum mechanics and the StandardModel of particle physics. We will then examine the inadequacies and inconsistencies in our current picture, including for example the problem of quantum gravity, the lack of a unified theory of forces, Diracs large numbers problem, the cosmological constant problem, Hawkings black hole information paradox, and the absence of a theory for the origin of the universe. Attempts to address these issues and move beyond our current understanding involve a network of intertwined investigations in string theory, M theory, inflation and non-abelian gauge theories and have drawn inspiration from the study and observation of black holes, gravitational waves and developments in modern mathematics. These forays beyond the edge of our current knowledge will be reviewed and assessed.