TOE: Four radical routes to a theory of everything

[marcus]

Main Question or Discussion Point

http://www.newscientist.com/channel/fundamentals/mg19826542.300-four-radical-routes-to-a-theory-of-everything.html

The New Scientist 3 May 2008 issue cover story
was about Four Radical Routes to a Theory of Everything,
by Amanda Gefter.

It would be interesting to know what the four routes are that she chose to describe, and whom she interviewed.

Does anyone have a subscription, and read the magazine?

 

[Hootenanny]

I've actually just finished reading the article, but I'm on my way out the door now. I'll post some more information when I get back in later.

 

[humanino]

It would be interesting to know what the four routes are that she chose to describe, and whom she interviewed.

Why would that be interesting ? A few years ago, we had the same kind of article in a french paper : you found of course string and LQG, together with Alain Connes' NCG and Laurent Nottale's fractal space-time. How can one compare Nottale to Connes, that will always baffle me. "Why they ignore other (more respectable ?) scientists ?" is a boring question to me. The answer is political, not physical...

 

[Hootenanny]

Without wanting to copy the article verbatim or infringe any copyright laws the theories discussed and their principle refeerees were as follows,

• Causal Dynamical Triangulations
  R. Loll (University of Utrecht) et al.
• Quantum Einstein Gravity
  M. Reuter (University of Mainz)
• Quantum Graphity
  F. Markopoulou (The Perimeter Institute) et al.
• Internal Relativity
  O. Dreya (MIT)

Reuter and Dreya are both quoted regarding their own and others work; L. Smolin (Perimeter) comments on CDT and Markopoulou comments on her own work.

 

[_Mayday_]

Are Quantum Theory and General Relativity not deterministic? How can you combine two things that are contradictary? I thought one of the big pieces of the puzzle would be to have a theory that unifies both forces and particles?

(Newbie here)

 

[BenTheMan]

Mayday---

This is an interesting question that warrants its' own thread.

 

[Evo]

Ben, read your private messages. Marcus isn't posting in BTSM, his posts were moved here by the mentors.

 

[marcus]

Glad to see the interest and participation in this thread. thanks y'all.
We got some help from Hootenanny, who read the article and gave a condensed TOC.
I checked some things on the web by Amanda Gefter and thought she was excellent. Talented science journalist----thoughtful and informed physics watcher. doesnt mean I would always agree with everything she writes about quantum gravity, but I think she is first rate.

Maybe I will quote some sample exerpts from her 3 May 2008 COVER STORY for NewSci about the "four radical routes to a TOE", but it might be sufficient just to give a link.

for educational purposes a slightly fuzzy optical scan of the fourpage article is available at Renate Loll's PRESS AND OUTREACH page. So if you look at sample exerpts or Hootenanny's TOC and are curious to read more you can go there
http://www.phys.uu.nl/~loll/Web/press/press.html
It's currently at the top of the press and outreach list.