Who is the Mysterious Man on Elegant Universe?

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In summary, Edward Witten is a famous string theorist who won a Fields medal, and is known for his contributions to string theory, field theory, and gravity. He has been cited as the most influential physicist in the world and is the creator of the "M-theory." He is also known for having a high-pitched voice, which has caused some confusion and debate.
  • #1
PrudensOptimus
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Who is he?

I saw him on Elegant Universe show,... he talked like a girl, but seems like he have a lot of knowledge.
 
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He's arguably the most famous string theorist. He won a Fields medal, which is like the mathematical equivalent of a Nobel Prize. Beyond his numerous original contributions to string theory, field theory, and gravity, he more recently started the so-called "second superstring revolution" leading to M-theory.

In fact, based on a study of papers published between 1981 and 1997, he was the most-cited physicist in the world: in that period, he published 138 papers, with 23,235 citations: each paper he published was cited an average of 168 times. (The next closest to Witten was the semiconductor physicist Gossard, with 16,994 citations of 419 papers.) Most physicists would be overjoyed to publish one paper cited over 100 times.

See:

http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Witten.html

You can also read about him in the book, Who Got Einstein's Office?.
 
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  • #3
Originally posted by PrudensOptimus
Who is he?

I saw him on Elegant Universe show,... he talked like a girl, but seems like he have a lot of knowledge.

He is the one person who combined the 'Five seperate' String theories that were causing problems around the mid-nineties, and came up with the 'M' in M-Theory. I happen to be around during the re-arranged meeting for Post-Grads in the Talks given by Witten, Silk etc..etc in the United Kingdom 95/96.

A lot of post grads from around the world were starting to become confused with string-theory, I was there at his talks, I was a Porter at Clyne Halls SWANSEA uk, Most of the Grads were in the process of leaving the string-theory field, the after-talk drinking sessions were conducted in the 'snooker-hall', this is where the 'M' in the coined M-Theory became apparent. The M actually stands for MAYBE-MIGHTBE!

This was the first time that a Varying-speed-of light was contemplated by some of the worlds formost Post-Grads, I know cause 'I was There', and infact took part in the heated debates, and suggested that VSL was instrumental for the early Universe.
 
  • #4
ok back to the question, why does he talk like a girl?
 
  • #5
Originally posted by PrudensOptimus
ok back to the question, why does he talk like a girl?

This question can be countered and I ask you;Why are your ears calibrated to imagine that a voice is assigned to a specific gender, are you only interested in GIRLTALK?

This can only be answered by yourself, I suggest you do a survey of general chit-chat of a number of females, maybe a hundered will suffice, then insert a audio splice of Ed Witten talking, then play the whole survey to a number of test subjects, and see if they can pick out Ed Witten.

If the results come up as you state why quote:Ed Witten has a female pitch in his conversation, then the subjects should not be able to distinguish Edward from Edwina?

Or failing this easy task, why don't you go and dig out a new ego.
 

1. Who is the mysterious man on Elegant Universe?

The mysterious man on Elegant Universe is Dr. Edward Witten, a renowned theoretical physicist and mathematician. He is famous for his work on string theory and has made significant contributions to the fields of quantum gravity and particle physics.

2. Why is he considered mysterious?

Dr. Witten is often referred to as mysterious because he rarely gives interviews or public appearances. He prefers to let his work speak for itself and is known for his deep and complex thinking.

3. How did Dr. Witten become involved with Elegant Universe?

Dr. Witten became involved with Elegant Universe when he was invited by physicist Brian Greene to participate in the PBS documentary series. He was chosen for his expertise in string theory, which is a central topic in the series.

4. What is Dr. Witten's contribution to Elegant Universe?

Dr. Witten's contribution to Elegant Universe is his expertise and insights on string theory. He explains the complex concepts and ideas in a way that is accessible to the general public, making the documentary series both educational and entertaining.

5. Has Dr. Witten received any recognition for his work on Elegant Universe?

Yes, Dr. Witten has received numerous awards and honors for his work, including the Fields Medal, the National Medal of Science, and the Albert Einstein Medal. He is also a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

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