Peter Woit Λ Joseph Conlon: The String Theory Debate

Curt Jaimungal sits down with Peter Woit and Joseph Conlon to debate the merits and criticisms of string theory. They examine its potential as a unified framework, discuss experimental prospects, and consider the sociological forces shaping modern theoretical physics.- 00:00 - Introduction- 03:10 - What Wrong with the Standard Model?- 10:27 - The Axion and Experimental Hope- 15:01 - Critiques of String Theory- 17:25 - Evaluating String Theory's Validity- 20:44 - The Sociological Landscape of Physics- 25:20 - Holography and Its Implications- 29:03 - The Complexities of ADS-CFT- 32:59 - Witten's Influence and Controversies- 36:32 - The Balance of Arrogance and Humility- 40:37 - Structural Issues in Theoretical Physics- 44:20 - The Diminishing Returns of Mathematical Physics- 48:55 - Young Researchers and Career Concerns- 52:42 - The Disconnect from Experimental Data- 56:24 - The Evolution of Theoretical Physics- 59:48 - Challenges Facing the Field Today- 01:02:28 - Future Directions- 01:35:36 - The State of Fundamental Physics- 01:47:07 - Exploring Time Dimensions- 02:07:40 - AI Recap- 02:20:50 - OutroSPONSORS:- The Economist: 20% off discount https://www.economist.com/toeRESOURCES:- Why String Theory? (Joseph's book): https://amzn.to/4gSJr42- Origins: The Cosmos in Verse (Joseph's book): https://amzn.to/3Dz887b- Not Even Wrong (Peter's book): https://amzn.to/49T1mFn- Quantum Theory (Peter's book): https://amzn.to/408Jp2h- Peter Woit's blog: https://www.math.columbia.edu/~woit/wordpress/- Edward Witten's recent paper: https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.15549- Strings Conference (2024): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiSDiHgXimR9pHoFPhCDPfDOhreEg8vSp- Istanbul Stringy Meeting (2024): https://istringy.org/ism24/- Physics Today: Edward Witten's 2015 post: https://pubs.aip.org/physicstoday/article/68/11/38/414984/What-every-physicist-should-know-about-string- Peter Woit's previous appearance on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTSeqsCgxj8- Moduli Redefinitions and Moduli Stabilisation (Conlon's paper): https://arxiv.org/pdf/1003.0388- Scott Aaronson on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZpGCQoL2Rk- Brian Greene on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2EtTE9Czzo- TOE's String Theory Iceberg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4PdPnQuwjY&t=1749s- Enjoy TOE on Spotify! https://tinyurl.com/SpotifyTOE- Become a YouTube Member Here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdWIQh9DGG6uhJk8eyIFl1w/join- Support TOE on Patreon: https://patreon.com/curtjaimungal (early access to ad-free audio episodes!)- Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOEwithCurt- Discord Invite: https://discord.com/invite/kBcnfNVwqs- Subreddit r/TheoriesOfEverything: https://reddit.com/r/theoriesofeverything Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices