Sociology of Physics: comment and indices

marcus

Except for the kindle electronic version of Elegant Universe, the leading stringy books continue to be those featuring multiverse speculation---only marginally about string/M-theory proper. However the sales of popular stringy multiverse books remain strong. For comparison here are midmonth figures for the past several months:
At noon pacific time on 14 Jan the five most popular stringy books (grand, e-elegant, e-grand, fabric, e-hidden) ranked 1536, 2271, 3719, 4211, 4569 for an average of 3261. At noon on 15th the stringy topfive were grand, e-elegant, e-grand, hidden, e-hidden and the average was 2516.

12 Jan 2811
13 Jan 3499
14 Jan 3261
15 Jan 2516
16 Jan ...
17 Jan ...
18 Jan ...


LOOP RESEARCH BY YEAR (loop quantum gravity, loop quantum cosmology, spin foam)

2006 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=25&sc=0&of=hb (77 found)
2007 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=25&sc=0&of=hb (120 found)
2008 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=25&sc=0&of=hb (142 found)
2009 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=25&sc=0&of=hb (145 found)
2010 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=25&sc=0&of=hb (152 found)
2011 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=25&sc=0&of=hb (203 found)
2012 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=25&sc=0&of=hb

STRING,MEMBRANE,AdS/CFT RESEARCH BY YEAR
(search terms "string model", "membrane model" and "AdS/CFT correspondence")

2006 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=10&sc=0&of=hb (1029 found)
2007 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=10&sc=0&of=hb (1050 found)
2008 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=10&sc=0&of=hb (1128 found)
2009 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=10&sc=0&of=hb (1133 found)
2010 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=10&sc=0&of=hb (1044 found)
2011 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=10&sc=0&of=hb (927 found)
2012 http://inspirehep.net/search?ln=en&a...=10&sc=0&of=hb

marcus

Bringing forward several of the indices we are tracking. The following gauges the quality/significance of current string research by how much it gets cited by other researchers. Here a paper is counted as recent if it appeared in the previous five years. Current string research is less cited than has been the case in the past, and first-time faculty hiring of string researchers has declined.

Number of recent string papers making the top fifty in the annual Spires HEP topcite list
Sources:
2001 http://www.slac.stanford.edu/spires/...1/annual.shtml (twelve)
2003 http://www.slac.stanford.edu/spires/...3/annual.shtml (six)
2005 http://www.slac.stanford.edu/spires/...5/annual.shtml (two)
2007 http://www.slac.stanford.edu/spires/...7/annual.shtml (one)
2009 http://www.slac.stanford.edu/spires/...9/annual.shtml (one)
2010 http://www.slac.stanford.edu/spires/...0/annual.shtml (zero)

Annual first-time faculty hires (US and Canada) in HEP theory overall, and string in particular, averaged over 3 year periods
Sources:
http://www.physics.utoronto.ca/~poppitz/Jobs94-08
http://particle.physics.ucdavis.edu/...d=archive:2011
http://particle.physics.ucdavis.edu/rumor/doku.php

Pop-string book sales have declined somewhat recently as indicated by their increased average salesrankings.
To provide a bit of detail, at noon pacific time on 16 Jan the five most popular stringy books (grand, e-elegant, e-hidden, hidden, fabric) ranked 1674, 1821, 2471, 2947, 3727 for an average of 2528. At noon on 17th the stringy topfive were e-elegant, hidden, grand, e-hidden, elegant and the average was 2664. Again at noon pacific time on 18 Jan the five most popular stringy books (grand, e-elegant, elegant, e-hidden, e-grand) ranked 2485+3361+4626+5365+7782 for an average of 4724 The January midmonth figure of 3143 was obtained as a average of the following:

12 Jan 2811
13 Jan 3499
14 Jan 3261
15 Jan 2516
16 Jan 2528
17 Jan 2664
18 Jan 4724

marcus

Overall reserach trends as of 26 January---year getting off to a good start.

LOOP RESEARCH BY YEAR (loop quantum gravity, loop quantum cosmology, spin foam)

2006 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=25&sc=0&of=hb (77 found)
2007 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=25&sc=0&of=hb (120 found)
2008 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=25&sc=0&of=hb (142 found)
2009 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=25&sc=0&of=hb (145 found)
2010 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=25&sc=0&of=hb (152 found)
2011 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=25&sc=0&of=hb (203 found)
2012 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=25&sc=0&of=hb (168 annualized from 12 found)

STRING,MEMBRANE,AdS/CFT RESEARCH BY YEAR
(search terms "string model", "membrane model" and "AdS/CFT correspondence")

2006 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=10&sc=0&of=hb (1029 found)
2007 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=10&sc=0&of=hb (1050 found)
2008 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=10&sc=0&of=hb (1128 found)
2009 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=10&sc=0&of=hb (1133 found)
2010 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=10&sc=0&of=hb (1044 found)
2011 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=10&sc=0&of=hb (927 found)
2012 http://inspirehep.net/search?ln=en&a...=10&sc=0&of=hb (562 annualized from 40 found)

http://howlonguntil.net/

On the HEP-theory job scene http://particle.physics.ucdavis.edu/rumor/doku.php shows the first-time faculty positions which Theoretical Particle Physics Jobs Rumor Mill (JRM) says are open in Usa and Canada.
It shows that 19 institutions have posted theory job openings, and over half of these already show "short lists" of people they are considering. These tend to overlap so that although the total length of all the short lists shown so far is 37, the lists contain only 22 distinct names. (Some names are repeated in two or more lists.)

Last year, according to JRM, out of 11 reported hires, one was a string theorist (hired by Baylor U in Texas). Other types of HEP theory that seem to be doing better include cosmology, lattice gauge theory. You can look for yourself.

marcus

Last week I checked the Strings 2012 website and read the preliminary (incomplete) list of speakers. Didn't notice any who would be giving "string multiverse" talks. If it plays out that way this will simply carry on the practice since 2008 of excluding "anthropic string landscape" from the annual conference. Widely considered to be pseudoscience, though the subject of several very popular books and television programs for wide audience.

i just now tried to bring up the Strings 2012 pages and found they had moved or for some other reason I couldn't get them. Here are two url that are (temporarily?) not working:
http://wwwth.mppmu.mpg.de/members/st...2/strings.html
http://wwwth.mpp.mpg.de/members/stri...2/strings.html
The conference will be in Munich July 23-28.

AFAICS the major conference of this year as regards relativity and cosmology (including string cosmology, quantum gravity, quantum cosmology...) will be the 13th Marcel Grossmann in Stockholm
July 1-7:
Here is the lineup of invited plenary speakers.
http://www.icra.it/MG/mg13/invited_speakers.htm
It is a huge conference with many parallel sessions on many topics.
http://www.icra.it/MG/mg13/parallel_sessions.htm
For instance in the Cosmological Models bunch there is this.
CM4 Quantum Cosmology and Quantum Effects in the Early Universe (chaired by Paulo Moniz)

Here is the entire Quantum Gravity bunch (session chair shown in parens).

QG1 Loop Quantum Gravity, Quantum Geometry, Spin Foams (Jerzy Lewandowski)
QG2 Quantum Gravity Phenomenology (Giovanni Amelino-Camelia)
QG3 Asymptotic Safeness and Symmetry Breaking in Quantum Gravity (Eckehard W. Mielke)
QG4 Loop quantum gravity: cosmology and black holes (Jorge Pullin, Parampreet Singh)
(There was also that workshop in Portugal to keep track of
http://www.fctec.ualg.pt/qisg/speakers.html )

Updating overall research trends as of 3 February (34/366 year)

LOOP RESEARCH BY YEAR (loop quantum gravity, loop quantum cosmology, spin foam)

2006 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=25&sc=0&of=hb (77 found)
2007 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=25&sc=0&of=hb (120 found)
2008 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=25&sc=0&of=hb (142 found)
2009 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=25&sc=0&of=hb (145 found)
2010 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=25&sc=0&of=hb (152 found)
2011 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=25&sc=0&of=hb (203 found)
2012 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=25&sc=0&of=hb (172 annualized from 16 found)

STRING,MEMBRANE,AdS/CFT RESEARCH BY YEAR
(search terms "string model", "membrane model" and "AdS/CFT correspondence")

2006 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=10&sc=0&of=hb (1029 found)
2007 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=10&sc=0&of=hb (1050 found)
2008 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=10&sc=0&of=hb (1128 found)
2009 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=10&sc=0&of=hb (1133 found)
2010 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=10&sc=0&of=hb (1044 found)
2011 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=10&sc=0&of=hb (927 found)
2012 http://inspirehep.net/search?ln=en&a...=10&sc=0&of=hb (678 annualized from 63 found)

http://howlonguntil.net/

The HEP-theory job scene shows little change. http://particle.physics.ucdavis.edu/rumor/doku.php lists the first-time faculty positions which Theoretical Particle Physics Jobs Rumor Mill (JRM) says are open in Usa and Canada. It shows that 19 institutions have posted theory job openings, and over half of these already show "short lists" of people they are considering. These tend to overlap so that although the total length of all the short lists shown so far is 38, the lists contain only 22 distinct names. (Some names are repeated in two or more lists.)

marcus

Since I checked http://particle.physics.ucdavis.edu/rumor/doku.php last, nearly all the 19 institutions with HEP Theory job postings are showing short lists of those they're considering (this is for first time faculty hires). The short lists total 51, a large increase from last time. Fewer than that if you count distinct names, because of overlap.

With the aim of getting a midmonth fix on the popular string book market, I'll record some readings at noon Pacific on a few days around the 15th.

Feb 13 3237
Feb 14 ...
Feb 15 ...
Feb 16 ...
Feb 17 ...

The picture there has changed little. At noon 13 Feb the 5 most popular stringy books ( hidden, e-elegant, fabric, grand, e-grand) ranked 2747, 2896, 3418, 3492, 3633 for an average of 3237.

marcus

A spot check of the HEP theory job situation according to http://particle.physics.ucdavis.edu/rumor/doku.php shows 3 offers have been made (first time faculty, Usa and Canada). The three with offers are not string theorists as it happens. It seems that the hiring season is under way.

It looks like 19 institutions have first time faculty openings posted. That number has not changed for several weeks (my guess is that's it for 2012) and those 19 have short lists totaling 51--that number is bound to increase but not by a lot. It now contains 27 distinct names (after eliminating overlap.)Most of the 19 have their short lists on the board.

String book salesrank averages, some readings at noon Pacific on a few days around the 15th.

Feb 13 3237
Feb 14 2866
Feb 15 3553
Feb 16 ...
Feb 17 ...

At noon 15 Feb the 5 most popular stringy books ( hidden, e-elegant, fabric, e-grand, e-hidden) ranked 2643+2742+3721+3999+4662 for an average of 3553

marcus

Update HEP theory job situation according to http://particle.physics.ucdavis.edu/rumor/doku.php (first time faculty positions, Usa and Canada), which reports that 19 institutions have posted openings. Of those, 13 show short lists of people they're considering, totaling 55. The aggregate of short lists now contains 29 distinct names.

Two institutions have already made a total of 3 offers.
=================
Just for comparison, last year 25 institutions had openings posted, and eventually 12 hires were recorded (HEP theory as a whole) of which one was a string theorist.
Some of the 25 institutions withdrew their searches, or else they made offers but their offers were not accepted (the person preferred to go somewhere else).

Roughly speaking, 19 this year is about the same order of magnitude as 25 last year, so as a very crude guess one might expect it to result in about the same number of hires, namely about a dozen. It will be interesting to see what subfields are represented (e.g. cosmology, astroparticle, LHC phenomenology, extensions of standard model, lattice gauge theory, string...)

String book salesrank averages at noon Pacific on a few days around the 15th.

Feb 13 3237
Feb 14 2866
Feb 15 3553
Feb 16 4248
Feb 17 3355

To illustrate, at noon 16 Feb the 5 most popular stringy books (e-elegant, hidden, grand, fabric, e-grand) ranked 3626+3671+4391+4745+4802 for an average of 4248

The February midmonth average is (3237+2866+3553+4248+3355)/5=3452

marcus

To update on the HEP theory job situation as reported by http://particle.physics.ucdavis.edu/rumor/doku.php (first time faculty positions, Usa and Canada): 19 institutions have posted openings. Of those, 14 show "short lists" of people they're considering, the average list being 63/14 between 4 and 5 in length. In aggregate, the short lists now contain 32 distinct names.
Two institutions have already made a total of 3 offers.

For comparison, last year 25 institutions had openings posted, and eventually 11 hires were reported (HEP theory as a whole) of which one was a string theorist. Some of the 25 institutions withdrew their searches, or else they made offers but their offers were not accepted (the person preferred to go somewhere else).
A physicist at the U Toronto (Erich Poppitz) charts first time faculty hires in High Energy Physics Theory by year and keeps track of what fraction of these are in string, which fraction are in lattice field theory, and so on.
http://www.physics.utoronto.ca/~poppitz/Jobs94-08
His chart shows 11 HEP theory hires in 2011 with one being string.
2011 was the first year (since the record started in 1994) when "lattice" hires exceeded "string".Here I have taken 3 years averages to smooth out Poppitz data and get an idea of the trend in annual rate of hiring. This shows the annual rate of overall HEP theory hires (for firsttime faculty positions) and the part of that going to string theorists. It seems remarkable that a mere 10-12 years ago HALF the hep-theory jobs were going to string theorists. Not so today.

A new webpage has been started that reports on postdoc fellowships in a broader category (gen. rel. and quantum cosmology) which includes quantum gravity. So, something to keep an eye on:
http://sites.google.com/site/grqcrumourmill/

As a spot check on the pop-string book market, at Pacific noon today the top string titles (e-elegant, grand, e-grand, e-hidden, fabric) ranked 568, 2824, 3298, 4078, 5207 for an average of 3195. The price of the electronic version of Brian Greene's Elegant has been cut to $3.99 which partly accounts for its sudden jump in sales.

marcus

An interesting shift in the conference lineup can be seen in the organization of "Group 29". International Colloquium on Group Theoretical Methods in Physics
This biannual conference has never included Loop QG or its related group field theory (GFT applied to QG) as topics. For instance here's the 2008 Group 27 webpage:
http://theor.jinr.ru/~group27/

This year, by contrast, Group 29 will feature both Loop and GFT.
http://www.nim.nankai.edu.cn/activit...nouncement.pdf
The conference will be held in August at the Chern Institute in Tianjin.
==list of parallel sessions==
Parallel Sessions
1) Nonlinear Sciences
2) Quantum Algebras
3) Superintegrable Hamiltonian
4) Applications in Biology
5) Quantum Information and Representation theory
6) Finite Quantum Systems, Combinatorics, Combinatorial Physics, and Symmetries of Quantum Systems
7) Symmetries in String Theory and Supergravity
8) Loop Quantum Gravity
9) Group Field Theory for Quantum Gravity
10) Conformal Field Theories
11) Supersymmetry and Quantum Groups
12) Group Theory in High Energy and Nuclear Physics
==endquote==
The week before the Group 29 conference there will be a QG school in Beijing for PhD students and postdocs interested in getting into LQG research.

This year the April meeting of the APS (American Physical Society) is featuring invited talks on Loop. There will also be contributed talks, but the noteworthy thing is there being two specially invited ones: Eugenio Bianchi will give an overview of the current canonical and spinfoam versions of the full theory and Ivan Agullo will report on joint work with Abhay Ashtekar and William Nelson, in Loop cosmology of the early universe.
The session (Q4) is called Advances in Quantum Gravity. They also include a stringy talk (applications holog. to cond. matter.)
Here are links to abstracts of the two invited Loop talks and the invited String talk:
http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/APR1...EventID=170158
Here are links for the contributed talks session Quantum Aspects of Gravity (L8):
http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/APR1...EventID=173091
Invited talks are assigned 35 minutes, the others (contributed) are given just 12 minutes. Crowded schedule.

Here are a couple of other 2012 conference websites to check for trends.
13th Marcel Grossmann (Stockholm July 1-7):
http://www.icra.it/MG/mg13/invited_speakers.htm
http://www.icra.it/MG/mg13/parallel_sessions.htm
List of scheduled sessions devoted to Quantum Gravity (chair in parens).
QG1 Loop Quantum Gravity, Quantum Geometry, Spin Foams (Jerzy Lewandowski)
QG2 Quantum Gravity Phenomenology (Giovanni Amelino-Camelia)
QG3 Asymptotic Safeness and Symmetry Breaking in Quantum Gravity (Eckehard W. Mielke)
QG4 Loop quantum gravity: cosmology and black holes (Jorge Pullin, Parampreet Singh)

Strings 2012 (Munich July 23-28):
http://wwwth.mpp.mpg.de/members/stri...2/strings.html
Beginning around 2008 Strings organizers have avoided inviting in-conference talks on the "multiverse" topic. Instead, there have been some popular evening talks about that given for the general pubic.

LOOP RESEARCH BY YEAR (loop quantum gravity, loop quantum cosmology, spin foam)

2006 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=25&sc=0&of=hb (77 found)
2007 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=25&sc=0&of=hb (120 found)
2008 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=25&sc=0&of=hb (142 found)
2009 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=25&sc=0&of=hb (145 found)
2010 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=25&sc=0&of=hb (152 found)
2011 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=25&sc=0&of=hb (203 found)
2012 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=25&sc=0&of=hb (110 annualized from 22 found)

STRING,MEMBRANE,AdS/CFT RESEARCH BY YEAR
(search terms "string model", "membrane model" and "AdS/CFT correspondence")

2006 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=10&sc=0&of=hb (1029 found)
2007 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=10&sc=0&of=hb (1050 found)
2008 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=10&sc=0&of=hb (1128 found)
2009 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=10&sc=0&of=hb (1133 found)
2010 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=10&sc=0&of=hb (1044 found)
2011 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=10&sc=0&of=hb (927 found)
2012 http://inspirehep.net/search?ln=en&a...=10&sc=0&of=hb (671 annualized from 134 found)

http://www.calendardate.com/todays.htm 13 March = 73/366

Checking the pop-string book market (gauge of wide-audience interest) for midmonth top-five average salesranks:

13 March 3083
14 March ...
15 March ...
16 March ...
17 March ...

At noon Pacific on 13 March the five most popular string books (e-elegant, grand, hidden, e-grand, e-hidden) ranked 1037, 1963, 3217, 3435, 5702, for an average of 3083.

marcus

A short list of conference websites to watch for changes in standing of various research lines--
American Physical Society (Atlanta April):
_Invited QG talks http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/APR1...EventID=170158
_Regular QG talks http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/APR1...EventID=173091
Relativity and Gravitation centennial (Prague June):
http://ae100prg.mff.cuni.cz/program
Marcel Grossmann (Stockholm July):
http://www.icra.it/MG/mg13/parallel_sessions.htm
Quantum Gravity School (Beijing, first week of August):
TBA
International Colloquium on Group Theoretical Methods in Physics (Tianjin August):
http://theor.jinr.ru/~group27/
Quantum Integrable Systems and Geometry (Portugal September)
http://www.fctec.ualg.pt/qisg/speakers.html


Checking the pop-string book market (gauge of wide-audience interest) for midmonth top-five noon salesrank averages:
13 March 3083
14 March 3165
15 March 3203
16 March ...
17 March ...
At noon Pacific on 15 March the five most popular string books (e-elegant, e-grand, grand, hidden, elegant) ranked 1327, 2361,3041, 4327, 4958, for an average of 3203.

http://particle.physics.ucdavis.edu/rumor/doku.php
http://sites.google.com/site/grqcrumourmill/

http://inspirehep.net/search?ln=en&a...=25&sc=0&of=hb
http://inspirehep.net/search?ln=en&a...=10&sc=0&of=hb
http://www.calendardate.com/todays.htm

marcus

Corrections to above list of conference websites to watch for changes in standing of various research lines--
American Physical Society (Atlanta April):
~Invited QG talks http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/APR1...EventID=170158
~Regular QG talks http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/APR1...EventID=173091
Relativity and Gravitation centennial (Prague June):
http://ae100prg.mff.cuni.cz/program
Marcel Grossmann (Stockholm July):
http://www.icra.it/MG/mg13/parallel_sessions.htm
Quantum Gravity School (Beijing, 12-18 August):
TBA
International Colloquium on Group Theoretical Methods in Physics (Tianjin 20-26 August):
http://www.nim.nankai.edu.cn/activit...nouncement.pdf
Quantum Integrable Systems and Geometry (Portugal September)
http://www.fctec.ualg.pt/qisg/speakers.html

Additional links to check for current activity:
http://relativity.phys.lsu.edu/ilqgs/
http://www.perimeterinstitute.ca/en/...antum_Gravity/
http://pirsa.org/S005
http://particle.physics.ucdavis.edu/rumor/doku.php
http://sites.google.com/site/grqcrumourmill/

http://inspirehep.net/search?ln=en&a...=25&sc=0&of=hb
http://inspirehep.net/search?ln=en&a...=10&sc=0&of=hb
http://www.calendardate.com/todays.htm


At noon Pacific on 16 March the five most popular string books (e-elegant, e-grand, grand, hidden, elegant) ranked 1607, 3439, 3731, 5877, 6542, for an average of 4239.

marcus

Midmonth top-five string salesrank averages
13 March 3083
14 March 3165
15 March 3203
16 March 4239
17 March 2485
This makes the March figure 3235.


The electronic version of Kaku's 1994 "parallel universe" book Hyperspace is on sale cut-rate for $2.99.
That was the number one string book in today's top five.
Handy link that lists upcoming conferences:
http://www.anu.edu.au/physics/ACIGA/Conferences.html
This confirms what was said earlier about the next triennial GRG conference being held in Warsaw:
20th International Conference on General Relativity and Gravitation (GR20)
(Warsaw, Poland, July 8 - 13, 2013)
Here is Lewandowski's BID to have the conference in Warsaw:
http://www.fuw.edu.pl/~lewand/Bid-GR20.pdf
The photos of the Warsaw venue are beautiful, it looks like a lovely venue for the next main international GR conference.

marcus

The MG13 website has begun to post titles of the invited talks. Thirteen of the titles have been posted so far (in some cases with a bit more description).
http://www.icra.it/mg/mg13/invited_speakers_details.htm

marcus

The Strings 2012 conference website has begun posting the titles of the invited plenary talks (all the talks are normally in this category). Something to keep an eye on and check now and then. It's a clue to what the organizers know that active and prominent string researchers are interested in hearing about. The conference will be held in Munich, in late July.
http://wwwth.mpp.mpg.de/members/stri...ram/talks.html

39 invited plenary speakers are listed, not counting usual welcoming talk(s) that open the conference. These 39 include 7 OVERVIEW talks, and also two talks at the end of the conference intended to give a SUMMARY of what was presented and an OUTLOOK on string future by David Gross.
If a talk is not listed as one of these, then it's one of the 30 on some particular topic.

Opening:
J. Schwarz (Caltech)
G. Veneziano (CERN)

Overview talks:
J. Carrasco (Stanford University)
S. Dimopoulos (Stanford University)
A. Karch (University of Washington)
H. Nicolai (MPI Gravitationsphysik, Potsdam)
A. Uranga (Universidad de Madrid)
C. Vafa (Harvard University)
X. Yin (Harvard University)

Conference summary:
H. Ooguri (Caltech/IPMU, Tokyo)

Outlook/Vision:
D. Gross (KITP/UC, Santa Barbara)
========================

One indication of change is that the String community has begun to show more interest in hearing about NON-STRING QUANTUM GEOMETRY as witnessed by the fact that one of the OVERVIEW talks (by Hermann Nicolai) is scheduled to be "Alternative approaches to quantum gravity: a brief survey"

At this point it is the only overview talk whose title is listed. Indeed it is the only Strings 2012 talk of any sort whose title is listed.
Last September at CERN, Nicolai gave a not-very-satisfactory overview of the alternative QG approaches
http://indico.cern.ch/conferenceDisp...?confId=152112
Regarding Loop, it was an honest try I think, but reflecting pre-2007 papers on the whole, or what is worse some more recent critiques which themselves cite mostly out of date stuff.
Well-intentioned but based on an artificially out-dated and biased picture. My expectation is that his overview will have evolved somewhat since then, and if it has, it will be interesting to see in what ways.

What I find hopeful is not that the conference-goers are guaranteed an accurate picture (I don't think they necessarily are) but that they are evidently interested in hearing about current approaches to non-string quantum gravity--interested enough to have the Munich organizers feature an "overview" talk on that subject.

marcus

The Marcel Grossmann meeting in Stockholm now has 14 talk titles posted (out of 28 total invited speakers) of which around 6 have ABSTRACTS posted already.
http://www.icra.it/mg/mg13/invited_speakers_details.htm
Jan AMBJORN Lattice gravity: overview and recent progress
Charles BENNETT WMAP

ABSTRACT: The Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) produced the first full sky maps of cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature and polarization fluctuations extending from full sky to sub-horizon scales. The measurements significantly constrain the physics of the very early universe and directly support the inflation prediction that primordial fluctuations were primarily adiabatic and nearly scale-invariant. The measurements also constitute core support for the standard model of cosmology, with accurate and precise cosmological parameters. WMAP data have reduced the cosmological parameter uncertainty volume by a factor of more than 30,000 compared with pre-WMAP CMB results. The standard model specifies the age of the universe and the curvature of the universe to high accuracy. It also specifies the composition of the universe, including the overall matter density, the baryon density, and the cold dark matter density. When combined with other astronomical measurements, the WMAP measurements constrain the properties of the dark energy and the mass of the neutrino. Future CMB observations (from Planck, balloon-borne, and ground-based experiments) and a host of other cosmological observations should be able to further test, constrain, and extend the standard cosmological model.

Frederik DENEF Gravity and Glass
Petr HORAVA Quantum Gravity with Anisotropic Scaling and the Multicritical Universe
Mario LIVIO The Greatest Scientific Achievements of the Hubble Space Telescope

ABSTRACT: I will review the most important scientific achievements of the Hubble Space Telescope. In this review, I will cover topics ranging from Dark Energy to Extrasolar Planets, and from the age of the universe to Supermassive Black Holes. I will also present results of some of the most recent observations, following the last shuttle servicing mission to Hubble, and I will briefly discuss open questions in astrophysics for the next decade.

Piero MADAU Exploring Dark Matter with Milky Way Substructure
Nazzareno MANDOLESI Planck [Mission] and fundamental physics
Jean-Loup PUGET High Energy Planck Mission

ABSTRACT: The achieved Planck High Frequency Instrument survey performances will be described. The very high sensitivity provided by the 100mK bolometers will allow to test early universe cosmology models (especially inflationary models).Other expected results directly related to fundamental physics questions will also be described. Astrophysical cosmology results from the early Planck Collaboration papers will also be presented.

Harvey REALL Black holes in higher dimensions

ABSTRACT: I shall review what is known about black holes in higher dimensions. I shall discuss the known explicit solutions, results concerning the classification of stationary black holes, and instabilities of rotating black holes in higher dimensions.

Martin REUTER QEG: Towards an Asymptotically Safe Quantum Theory of Gravity
Luciano REZZOLLA Using numerical relativity to explore fundamental physics and astrophysics

ABSTRACT: Recent years have seen a major progress in numerical relativity and the solution of the simplest and yet among the most challenging problems in classical general relativity: that of the evolution of two objects interacting only gravitationally. I will review the results obtained so far when modelling binaries of black holes or of neutron stars and also discuss the impact these studies have in detection of gravitational-waves, in astrophysics, and in our understanding of general relativity.

David SPERGEL The Cosmic Microwave Background and the Hidden Universe

ABSTRACT: Large-scale CMB observations have played an important role in measuring the physical conditions at z=1100 and in establishing a standard cosmological model. In the coming decade, small-scale CMB observations will help us explore the "hidden universe": the dark matter, the dark energy and the "missing" baryons in the intergalactic medium through observations of the thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect, the kinematic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (kSZ) effect and through gravitational lensing of the CMB. I will describe results from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope including the first detections of the kSZ effect and the first measurement of CMB lensing. I will also look forward to upcoming data from ACTPOL, which should begin observing in summer 2012, and from a large survey that will be conducted with HyperSuprime Camera, a 1.5 x 1.5 degree camera on the Subaru telescope that will map the same region of the sky.

Claes UGGLA Spacetime singularities: Recent developments
Bing ZHANG Open Questions in GRB Physics

====
Both Loop and String programs seem to have slacked off during the first quarter of 2012. Maybe researchers are taking stock, or casting about for new directions. For whatever reason, String has slumped more than one would have expected, using an annualized rate, and Loop has reversed the sharply upward trend we saw through 2011. Of course it's too early to guess what levels of research activity we'll see in the remaining three quarters of the year. Obviously three months is a small sample.

LOOP RESEARCH BY YEAR (loop quantum gravity, loop quantum cosmology, spin foam)

2006 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=25&sc=0&of=hb (77 found)
2007 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=25&sc=0&of=hb (120 found)
2008 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=25&sc=0&of=hb (142 found)
2009 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=25&sc=0&of=hb (145 found)
2010 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=25&sc=0&of=hb (152 found)
2011 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=25&sc=0&of=hb (203 found)
2012 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=25&sc=0&of=hb (114 annualized from 29 found)

STRING,MEMBRANE,AdS/CFT RESEARCH BY YEAR
(search terms "string model", "membrane model" and "AdS/CFT correspondence")

2006 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=10&sc=0&of=hb (1029 found)
2007 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=10&sc=0&of=hb (1050 found)
2008 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=10&sc=0&of=hb (1128 found)
2009 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=10&sc=0&of=hb (1133 found)
2010 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=10&sc=0&of=hb (1044 found)
2011 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=10&sc=0&of=hb (927 found)
2012 http://inspirehep.net/search?ln=en&a...=10&sc=0&of=hb (681 annualized from 173 found)

http://www.calendardate.com/todays.htm as of 13 March = 93/366

marcus

The Marcel Grossmann meeting in Stockholm now has ABSTRACTS posted for 14 out of its 28 invited talks
http://www.icra.it/mg/mg13/invited_speakers_details.htm
These give an idea of what leading experts in relativity, gravitation, and cosmology are interested hearing about and discussing this year. It's a way to gauge where research is going at present. Another window on the research scene is provided by the statements by the chairs of the special sessions
http://www.icra.it/MG/mg13/par_sessi...rs_details.htm
For example the chairman of one of the two special sessions on Loop quantum gravity posted this about recent progress, status and what he wants the reports in his session to cover:
http://www.icra.it/MG/mg13/par_sessi...tm#lewandowski
The other Loop session focuses on Loop quantum cosmology. The chairman's statement is here:
http://www.icra.it/MG/mg13/par_sessi...ils.htm#pullin

====
I made an error in the date at one point in the previous post: by mistake I wrote 13 March instead of 3 April. To correct for that I'll do current Loop and String research rate indices over again of today, 5 April.
Both Loop and String programs seem to have gotten off to a slow start in the first quarter of 2012 but now to be picking up. Obviously three months is a small sample.

LOOP RESEARCH BY YEAR (loop quantum gravity, loop quantum cosmology, spin foam)

2006 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=25&sc=0&of=hb (77 found)
2007 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=25&sc=0&of=hb (120 found)
2008 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=25&sc=0&of=hb (142 found)
2009 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=25&sc=0&of=hb (145 found)
2010 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=25&sc=0&of=hb (152 found)
2011 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=25&sc=0&of=hb (203 found)
2012 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=25&sc=0&of=hb (126 annualized from 33 found)

STRING,MEMBRANE,AdS/CFT RESEARCH BY YEAR
(search terms "string model", "membrane model" and "AdS/CFT correspondence")

2006 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=10&sc=0&of=hb (1029 found)
2007 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=10&sc=0&of=hb (1050 found)
2008 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=10&sc=0&of=hb (1128 found)
2009 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=10&sc=0&of=hb (1133 found)
2010 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=10&sc=0&of=hb (1044 found)
2011 http://inspirebeta.net/search?ln=en&...=10&sc=0&of=hb (927 found)
2012 http://inspirehep.net/search?ln=en&a...=10&sc=0&of=hb (694 annualized from 182 found)

http://www.calendardate.com/todays.htm as of 5 April = 96/366
Links to check from time to time:
eye on Strings 2012 conf http://wwwth.mpp.mpg.de/members/stri...ram/talks.html
relativist postdoc jobs
http://sites.google.com/site/grqcrumourmill/
particle theorist faculty jobs
http://particle.physics.ucdavis.edu/rumor/doku.php
http://www.perimeterinstitute.ca/en/...antum_Gravity/
http://www.perimeterinstitute.ca/en/...rs/Colloquium/

marcus

Time to get some midmonth noon readings on the pop-string book market

12 April 2663
13 April
14 April
15 April
16 April
17 April
18 April

At noon 12 April the five most popular stringy books (grand, e-grand, e-elegant, e-hidden, hardcover-grand) ranked 1680, 1782, 2775, 2844, 4233 for an average of 2663.