Perimeter Institute Launches Modern Physics Resource

An anonymous reader writes "You can find six new online sources of info about hot topics in modern physics at the 'What We Research' outreach page of Perimeter Institute. The info includes text, graphics and online presentations dealing with Cosmology, Superstring Theory, Quantum Gravity, Quantum Foundations, Quantum Information and Particle Physics. The resource section at the bottom of each page recommends a wealth of interesting online lectures by some famous scientists. PI is an independent, nonprofit scientific research and outreach organization."

Comments

Wrong site?

[dotancohen]

Cosmology, Superstring Theory, Quantum Gravity,...

For a minute there my subconscious thought that I had browsed to a women's magazine by accident...

Re:Wrong site?

[Anonymous Coward]

You mean Quantum Gravity!

Web page is wrong

[mangu]

The Einstein portrait caption reads "1870-1955". Einstein was born in 1879, the same year when Maxwell died.

Let's hope their theoretical physicists are more careful than their webdesigners.

what's old is new again

[Potor]

From one of the resources on superstring theory

Why do we see only point-like entities? The answer is simple: elementary strings, if they exist, are far too tiny to see. It is unlikely that even the most sophisticated microscope or particle accelerator that could be constructed would ever have enough resolution to directly "see" the strings of string theory.

Sounds like Epicurus all over again - small, indivisible, and invisible particles whose motion explain everything. Only he called them atoms.

I know superstring theory has better explanatory power than Epicurus' atomism, but I am intrigued by the invisibility of the strings, which the resourse above seems to make elementary, just like Epicurus.

Re:what's old is new again

[dotancohen]

Technically you can "see" the strings, since in string theory every elementary particle is a string. In string theory, any time you detect an electron or a photon, you're looking at a string. It's just that they're so small, we may never be able to tell that they're actually strings and not point particles.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but as I understood it the particles are strings in x dimensions, and in the superplane of our 3d existence they appear as points. Just as a line passing through a plane appears as a point on the plane.

Re:what's old is new again

[Karma Bandit]

AFAIK that isn't a requirement, though it does lead to some neat things to think about.

For example, imagine one string with both of its ends stuck on our 3D "plane", but with the bulk of it floating "above" the plane. The point at one end is an electron and the other end a positron. When they meet, the loop closes, forming a photon, which is a closed loop type of string.

High in his Transylvanian castle

[David Gerard]

At this point, Lubos Motl, high in his Transylvanian crag-side castle, let out a shout of anger, causing even his henchmen to scatter. "SMOOOOO-LINNNNN!"

Re:They seem to be missing one important field of

[exp(pi*sqrt(163))]

It's no good just taking or leaving the meds whenever you feel like it. The whole point is to have a constant level in your brain, and that is only going to happen if you take them regularly, even on the days when you feel good. Otherwise, this is just the sort of comment you're going to keep writing.