An Indian Interview Alongside Nathan Seiberg

While the U.S.-based Quanta Magazine dedicated its pages to a crackpot's diatribe well-nigh a fictitious inquiry on a non-existent option theory of quantum gravity (another crackpot, Pentcho Valev, contributed the solely comment too thence far), the media inward Republic of Republic of India nevertheless proceed around character too attractiveness for intelligent readers.

The Wire Republic of Republic of India has interviewed Princeton's string theorist Nati Seiberg who is only visiting India:

Interview: ‘There’s No Conflict Between Lack of Evidence of String Theory too Work Being Done on It’

They encompass lots of questions too the interview is rather interesting.




Spoilers: beware.

The interview took house at Bengaluru. They explicate Seiberg is an of import theoretical physicist – e.g. a 2016 Dirac medal laureate. Sandhya Ramesh asks him to define string theory – Seiberg says it's a theory meant to hold upwardly a TOE that keeps on transforming, it volition in all probability hold upwardly transforming, too the progress is real exciting.




Seiberg is asked the enquiry from the title: How should you lot reconcile the absence of an experimental proof amongst the reach off string theory? There is aught to reconcile, the latter doesn't demand the former. There are numerous reasons why people proceed on researching string theory, e.g. its consequences for side yesteryear side fields.

He is also asked how he imagines higher-dimensional objects. It's difficult for him, too. When answering a enquiry well-nigh the purpose of interdisciplinary research, Seiberg importantly says that in that place is no "string theory approach to climate science" but sometimes the collaboration on the borders of disciplines is fruitful. SUSY could bring been found, it wasn't found, too it may hold upwardly useful to laid upwardly bigger colliders. Seiberg knows aught well-nigh politics of begging for the large funds.

Seiberg is asked well-nigh option contenders running against string/M-theory too his reply is that he doesn't know of any.

Suddenly the journalist asks well-nigh the recent results on jurist theories too global symmetries too their implications on the paradigms inward condensed thing physics. So unsurprisingly, Seiberg is surprised because the enquiry betrays someone's IQ that is around forty IQ points inward a higher house the average journalist. The roles larn reversed, Seiberg asks: Where did you lot larn this question? The reply is that the journalist got it from his editor. Seiberg is impressed, too and thence am I. Maybe the editor only read lately to meliorate the questions his colleagues ask. ;-)

Yesterday, Seiberg gave a verbalize inward Republic of Republic of India that was well-nigh related questions but he didn't recommend the "public" to attend the verbalize because it would hold upwardly a somewhat technical, although non also technical, talk. OK, he said around basic things well-nigh symmetries of faces, supersymmetry, too supersymmetry's various implications aside from the uncovering of superpartner particles (that hasn't materialized yet).

He praises Indian string theorists – I handgrip amongst those sentiments. Seiberg rejects recommendations to give advises what people should reach off too to bargain amongst the populace to a greater extent than oftentimes – because "he's non proficient at it". He addresses around other cracking question, i well-nigh naturalness, too says that the strongest "around the corner" edition of naturalness has been disproved yesteryear the LHC zero results too the assumptions that went into it bring to hold upwardly reassessed.

Also, Seiberg doesn't know where the move volition hold upwardly done. LIGO is interesting. When asked well-nigh the pose out of string theorists, he says that it's modest plenty for everyone to know everybody else too it's wonderful. He was offered the meme that Republic of Republic of India has a proficient atmospheric condition too it's a argue to see the province but he visits Republic of Republic of India because of the colleagues.