The unfinished revolution: space, time and the quantum
- Date: 10/10/2007
Lee Smolin (Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics)
University of British Columbia
Between 1905 and 1926 Einstein, Bohr and others initiated a
scientific revolution by the introduction of quantum mechanics and
relativity theory. The revolution is unfortunately still incomplete,
because there are major unresolved issues. These include the question
of how to combine general relativity and quantum theory into a single
theory of nature as well as unresolved questions about the meaning of
quantum mechanics and how it can be extended to cosmology. In this talk
I describe the present status of research aimed at these questions. We
will begin with the most basic questions as to the nature of space and
time, and end with some predictions for results of ongoing experiments
that some approaches to quantum gravity imply.
For further details go to the website: http://pitp.physics.ubc.ca/quant_lect/index.html
PITP-St.-Johns Public Lectures 2007