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While I was thinking about my BIG toe (Theory of Everything) I came across some interesting transcripts. Three of them in fact and they belong to a three hour presentation that can be watched on the internet called the “The Elegant Universe”.
If you’re into big grand theories, but don’t want to worry too much about the actual mathematics involved, then I can only highly recommend it. Below are the three links to the entire three hour transcript of the presentation.
Hour 1: Einstein's Dream
Hour 2: String's The Thing
Hour 3: Welcome to the 11th DimensionIt’s Magnificent… Miraculous… Massive… Mysterious… Mother of all theories… My World Wonderfully turned upside… Whacky… Wicked… Wittenly Written… just like Wowwwwwwwww! Einstein once said that he only came to realizing his theory of relativity when he was playing the violin. String theory was first conceived about a decade after Einstein’s death.
To think that the five strings of the violin are like the five string theories makes musical harmony of the entire universe.
Here is a small extract from the final part of the program.
BRIAN GREENE: In 1995, string theorists from all over the world gathered at the University of Southern California for their annual conference. Ed Witten showed up at Strings 95 and rocked their world.
EDWARD WITTEN (Institute for Advanced Study): I was really trying to think of something that would be significant for the occasion. And actually, since five string theories was too many, I thought I would try to get rid of some of them.
BRIAN GREENE: To solve the problem, Witten constructed a spectacular new way of looking at string theory.
JOSEPH POLCHINSKI: Ed announced that he had thought about it, and moreover, he had solved it. He was going to tell us the solution to every string theory in every dimension, which was an enormous claim, but coming from Ed it was not so surprising.
BRIAN GREENE: The atmosphere was electric because, all of a sudden, string theory, which had been going through a kind of doldrums, was given an incredible boost, a shot in the arm.
LEONARD SUSSKIND (Stanford University): Ed Witten gave his famous lecture. And he said a couple of words that got me interested...and for the rest of the lecture...I got hooked up on the first few words that he said, and completely missed the point of his lecture.
NATHAN SEIBERG (Institute for Advanced Study): I remember I had to give the talk after him, and I was kind of embarrassed to.
JOSEPH LYKKEN: Ed Witten just blew everybody away.
BRIAN GREENE: Ed Witten blew everybody away because he provided a completely new perspective on string theory. From this point of view, we could see that there weren't really five different theories. Like reflections in a wall of mirrors, what we thought were five theories turned out to be just five different ways of looking at the same thing. String theory was unified at last.
Witten's work sparked a breakthrough so revolutionary that it was given it's own name, "M-theory," although no one really knows what the M stands for.
S. JAMES GATES, JR.: Aah, what is the M for?
BURT OVRUT: M-theory.
STEVEN WEINBERG (University of Texas at Austin): M-theory.
DAVID GROSS: M-theory.
JOSEPH LYKKEN: M-theory.
GARY HOROWITZ (Institute for Advanced Study): The M-theory.
STEVEN WEINBERG: M-theory is a theory...
BURT OVRUT: I don't actually know what the M stands for.
STEVEN WEINBERG: Well, the M has...
BURT OVRUT: I've heard many descriptions.
STEVEN WEINBERG: Mystery theory, magic theory...
JOSEPH LYKKEN: It's the Mother theory.
STEVEN WEINBERG: Matrix theory.
LEONARD SUSSKIND: Monstrous theory? I don't know what it...I don't know what Ed meant.
EDWARD WITTEN: M stands for magic, mystery or matrix, according to taste.
SHELDON LEE GLASHOW: I suspect that the "M" is an upside down "W" for "Witten."
Thanks Kim. When the violin is played well it produces some of the most amazing sounds. It's a fascinating instrument and I do wished I had been born with a musical talent. Still, nevermind, maybe next time in another life or another dimension I can play with the strings of life.
i have not listened yet, I promise... I will..
but right now i am thinking that strings R not the issue...
missing the guided light of your moon
has you grasping for Straws!!!!
