Speaker
Prof.
John Schwarz
(Caltech)
Description
String theory connects the microscopic quantum world of elementary particles to the large-scale world of gravity and geometry. Physicists believe it may have the potential to achieve two very ambitious goals: (1) to provide a complete mathematical description of the physical laws that determine the properties of elementary particles and the forces that act on them and (2) to describe the origin and evolution of the universe. Much has been achieved, but string theory is still a work in progress. This talk will give a historical overview of the subject and discuss (without technical details) some of the problems that remain to be overcome.
Author
Prof.
John Schwarz
(Caltech)
