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August 08, 2005
On a sentimental string (riding the brane)
I plan to write a semi-serious post about one thing I semi-seriously love and that is String Theory. You don't have to know what it is. Besides, if you do know what it is you're a liar. Nobody knows exactly what String Theory is nor what exactly it is all about. Hundreds of thousands physicists and some of the best brains on earth have been working on it for the last 40 years and the theory is the first large theoretical framework to become mainstream while still being fairly incomplete, undemostrated and not unanimously accepted within the community (Some believe impossible to demonstrate in the classical sense but this is debatable. In fact while direct verification would require energy-scales fantastically far away from what we can reach in accelerators, several indirect methods are being investigated).
I will clear views up, is a promise, but for now I want to drop these three on you:
Cosmic Variance
Cosmic Variance is a group blog by five people who, coincidentally or not, all happen to be physicists and astrophysicists: Mark Trodden, Risa Wechsler, Sean Carroll, Clifford Johnson, and JoAnne Hewett. Their blog is about "whatever they find interesting" — science, to be sure, but also arts, politics, culture, technology, academia, and miscellaneous trivia. A blogroll and some physics-related links can be found on their links page. here or banner-click.
The Elegant Universe
A classic. The beautiful documentary you can watch on PBS for a mere 3-hours spare and the mandatory Quicktime 6, by the crackpot mind of the very Brian Greene (Author of the book) here. The Elegant Universe is very much entry-level and recommended to just anybody.
Two Cheers for String Theory
by Sean Carroll, assistant professor in the Physics Department, Enrico Fermi Institute and part of the Cosmic Variance group. This long post may be (unlike The Elegant Universe program) a bit more technical but sure to rip your heart apart. Sean really loves his baby. here
String Theory, the next 20 years are going to be a lot of fun! (Bring the Chocolate, Cheese, & Wine)
Posted by lck at August 8, 2005 12:37 AM
