InfoCoBuild

Spacetime versus the Quantum

Joseph Polchinski explores the battle in physics: either quantum mechanics must break down, or our understanding of spacetime must be wrong. The latest is the 'firewall' paradox: if quantum mechanics is to be saved, then an astronaut falling into a black hole will have an experience very different from what Einstein's theory predicts. This has led to many new ideas that may lead to the unification of these two great theories.

Spacetime versus the Quantum


Related Links
The Fabric of the Cosmos
This is a PBS documentary series presented by Brian Greene, exploring cutting-edge scientific concepts about the nature of time and space, the weird realm of quantum physics, and multiverse.
Searching for the Quantum Origins of Space and Time
Renate Loll will share her insights into how much we know and how much we can still hope to learn about quantum gravity - the elusive quantum theory of space and time.
Spacetime Atoms and the Unity of Physics
Professor Fay Dowker describes black hole thermodynamics and argue that it is telling us that spacetime itself is granular or "atomic" at very tiny scales.
Quantum Mechanics and Spacetime in the 21st Century
This lecture explores the exciting concepts of quantum mechanics and spacetime, and how our evolving understanding of their importance in fundamental physics will shape the field in the 21st Century.
String Theory and M-Theory
Professor Leonard Susskind explains the basic theoretical and mathematical ideas, including the string-theoretic origin of gravity, the theory of extra dimensions of space, ...