Lecture 4 | String Theory and M-Theory

(October 11, 2010) Leonard Susskind gives a lecture on the string theory and particle physics. During this lecture he focuses on closed string theory as opposed to open string theory.
String theory (with its close relative, M-theory) is the basis for the most ambitious theories of the physical world. It has profoundly influenced our understanding of gravity, cosmology, and particle physics. In this course we will develop the basic theoretical and mathematical ideas, including the string-theoretic origin of gravity, the theory of extra dimensions of space, the connection between strings and black holes, the "landscape" of string theory, and the holographic principle.

This course was originally presented in Stanford's Continuing Studies program.

Stanford University:
http://www.stanford.edu/

Stanford Continuing Studies Program:
http://csp.stanford.edu/

Stanford University Channel on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/stanford

Category:

Education

Tags:

• physics
• science
• mathematics
• atoms
• energy
• string theory
• einstein
• electrons
• protons
• neutrons
• graphs
• closed string theory
• particle physics
• theoretical
• black hole
• spin
• scattering
• sigma
• directionality
• string

[TomFynn]

@MAUERBAU1 As you can see from the commentary this is from "Stanford's Continuing Studies". Meant for the public, not for specialists. First read, then rant.

[xsmopsis]

@MAUERBAU1 mathematics is a tool if you use it correctley you don't have to reat it well.

[MAUERBAU1]

is this science or kindergarden?

i cant imagine, that this guy wants to be taken serious.his treating of mathematics is a

slash in the face for every serious mathematician.

this of course is speculative so called science at its best.

[jafe2002]

Great lectures! Thank you! That's it 49:12 :)

[GBart]

I need practice problems to do for homework.

Also when's the exam?

[Dilaton100]

LOL, Lenny Susskind explains where my nickname comes from ...

I just love him for giving such nice lectures :-)

[grunder20]

stanford is the best!

[Reuel0312]

I think i can answer my own question, but just see if I'm right on this. At this point the Higgs mechanism hasn't been established - and by that i mean the interactions with its own field and so at this moment can be considered massless 

[Reuel0312]

When considering the operation where you generate the spin 2 states (from the ground state) and then also spin 0 states you also say the that the spin 0 is also massless, however I was under the impression this was a candidate for the higgs, which has mass. So i guess my question is, is this where the higgs idea is generated, if this is so where does the mass come from, or this just a coincidence and I've just been fooled?

[agapitoflores001]

Two thumbs yup! They have great lectures at Stanford.