What Are the Key Physics Concepts Discussed on Sciam.com and Physicsforums.com?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around various advanced physics concepts and theories, including Riemannian geometry, Grand Unified Theory, string theory, M-theory, and the contributions of prominent physicists like Michio Kaku and Brian Greene. Participants explore these topics in the context of their relevance to modern physics and personal understanding, with a focus on both theoretical and conceptual aspects.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses interest in Riemannian geometry and its relation to relativity, questioning what portion is devoted to this topic.
  • Questions are raised about the Grand Unified Theory and string theory, including the nature of superstrings and the concept of hidden dimensions.
  • There is a discussion about the validity and quality of Brian Greene's work, with some participants suggesting there are better references available.
  • Another participant critiques Michio Kaku's approach to science communication, arguing that it may lead to public misconceptions.
  • Some participants emphasize the importance of providing context when asking questions about complex topics like M-theory, suggesting that understanding the questioner's background could enhance the discussion.
  • There is a mix of opinions on the effectiveness of popular science books, with one participant finding Greene's work beneficial while others criticize it for being superficial.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the quality of Brian Greene's and Michio Kaku's works, with some praising them while others express dissatisfaction. Additionally, there is no agreement on how to best approach discussions about complex physics topics, indicating a variety of perspectives on the matter.

Contextual Notes

Participants express varying levels of familiarity with the discussed topics, which may affect the depth of the conversation. There are also references to specific metrics of academic productivity, such as h-index, which may not be universally understood.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to high school students exploring advanced physics concepts, educators looking for insights into popular science communication, and anyone interested in the intersection of theoretical physics and public understanding.

Englishman
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I have read on sciam.com that physicsforums.com has real scientists online, and I wanted to read their responses. I was reading a fiction book called Blink by Ted Dekker, and there was this extreme genius, with an Intelligence Quotient of 190, and he was in a quantum physics (or so I think) class at Berkeley. He attempted to correct one of his professors, by using Feynman equations or something like that, and the book mentioned Lagrangian something; I don't remember, but the specific thing they were talking about was the future, and probability, and God. I'm interested in that, so that's why I was asking. I am a Freshman in high school.

What is Riemannian Geometry? And what portion of it is devoted to relativity, when Einstein needed a different type of geometry that he needed to get used to, other than Euclidean, for it is incompatible.

What is the Grand Unified Theory?

What is string theory, and what are superstrings?

What is M-theory?

I have read that there are 11 dimensions; is this true?

What are the hidden dimensions?

Has anyone here heard of The Elegant Universe, or perhaps, Brian Greene?

I have heard that Michio Kaku is one of the foremost physicists in the world. Is this true?
 
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Englishman said:
Has anyone here heard of The Elegant Universe, or perhaps, Brian Greene?
There are many better references than this.
 


Englishman said:
I'm not saying it's a good reference; I'm just asking if anybody has heard of it.
Well obviously, if I'm telling you this not a good reference, that implies I have read it and read others as well. I actually happen to have seen also other media-related material produced by Greene, and I simply do not think he provides a fair introduction to it. IMHO.
 
Michio Kaku

Depends on how you define "foremost". He is a full professor at a major research university, which puts him in a select group of perhaps a few hundred. His h-index, which is one flawed measure of productivity (other metrics are differently flawed), is 23. This is not enormous: it would put him in the middle of our theory group here.
 


Englishman said:
Introduction to what, and if you don't like Greene, do you like Michio Kaku?
Introduction to string theory in general. And no, it so happens that I have several books from Kaku and I do not like them, but for different reasons. Kaku provides a superficial overview which did not allow me to go into actual detailed calculations. Maybe I am not clever enough. But his style bothers me, because mixing SF and science can, IMHO again, cause confusion in the public mind.
 


He fixed radios by thinking, and he was a safecracker. That's pretty much it, I think. :rolleyes:
 


Englishman said:
Oh, so are you are conveying then, that you do not prefer the traditional style of physicists writing for the masses?
Certainly not. Have you read Feynman's "The Strange Theory of Light and Matter" ? It clearly shows that it is possible, despite reasonable expectations, to provide a fair introduction to what QED really is about, without actually indulging in any calculation at all. This is remarquable. Greene not only propagates many misconceptions, he does it in such a low level that it looses its scientific content.

There are many other references. Look up wikipedia (string theory) for instance. Witten, Green, Penrose, Davies, Neveu or Randall, the list of better contributions than Greene is just too long for me to pick one.
 


A discussion does not solely starts from a question. You must provide a context to which people can relate so that you raise their interest. At least, show that you can think to a superior level than emacs automaton "psychologist". When asking a question such as "what is M-theory", it would help if you would tell us what you understand of it (so that we can more or less guess the level of the conversation) and what seems difficult to you (so that it hints us towards what you expect).
 
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  • #10


humanino said:
I have no authority to decide about that, but my guess is that, if there is a wrong track towards being promoted mentor, you just illustrated the worse possible.

A discussion does not solely starts from a question. You must provide a context to which people can relate so that you raise their interest. At least, show that you can think to a superior level than emacs automaton "psychologist". When asking a question such as "what is M-theory", it would help if you would tell us what you understand of it (so that we can more or less guess the level of the conversation) and what seems difficult to you (so that it hints us towards what you expect).
But that's the whole point. I do not know what it is. That's why I'm asking it.
 
  • #11


Englishman said:
But that's the whole point. I do not know what it is. That's why I'm asking it.
Tell us what you think it is. Like many have asked, did you attempt to search on the name if that was the only thing that you had heard?

And where are you hearing names with no context?

What is your level in school? How are people supposed to answer you if we don't know what grade you are in or specifically what about the subject you wish to discuss.
 
  • #12


Englishman said:
Why?

Wow, you ask so many questions .. :smile:
 
  • #13


Evo said:
Tell us what you think it is. Like many have asked, did you attempt to search on the name if that was the only thing that you had heard?

And where are you hearing names with no context?

What is your level in school? How are people supposed to answer you if we don't know what grade you are in or specifically what about the subject you wish to discuss.

I did, but the only reason I'm asking here is that I have read on sciam.com that physicsforums.com has real scientists online, and I wanted to read their responses. I was reading a fiction book called Blink by Ted Dekker, and there was this extreme genius, with an Intelligence Quotient of 190, and he was in a quantum physics (or so I think) class at Berkeley. He attempted to correct one of his professors, by using Feynman equations or something like that, and the book mentioned Lagrangian something; I don't remember, but the specific thing they were talking about was the future, and probability, and God. I'm interested in that, so that's why I was asking. I am a Freshman in high school.
 
  • #14


Englishman said:
I did, but the only reason I'm asking here is that I have read on sciam.com that physicsforums.com has real scientists online, and I wanted to read their responses. I was reading a fiction book called Blink by Ted Dekker, and there was this extreme genius, with an Intelligence Quotient of 190, and he was in a quantum physics (or so I think) class at Berkeley. He attempted to correct one of his professors, by using Feynman equations or something like that, and the book mentioned Lagrangian something; I don't remember, but the specific thing they were talking about was the future, and probability, and God. I'm interested in that, so that's why I was asking. I am a Freshman in high school.
Much better!

Let me see if I can doctor this up in a new thread for you and you will get some serious answers.
 
  • #15


Evo said:
Much better!

Let me see if I can doctor this up in a new thread for you and you will get some serious answers.

How come it shows that you are offline?
 
  • #16


Englishman said:
How come it shows that you are offline?
I have super powers.
 
  • #17


"Who is Feynman"? you ask? Surely you must be joking...
 
  • #18


Englishman said:
Has anyone here heard of The Elegant Universe, or perhaps, Brian Greene?
I have read his books and found them excellent. The usefulness of a book is highly dependent on the reader, IMO. Greene's grasp of concepts and ability to communicate them hit me at the perfect place where it built my brain-muscle without injuring it. Despite others casting aspersions upon his books, if they'd been any more advanced, I surely would have lost the plot.
 
  • #19
Englishman, I believe you will find more helpful responses here if you do some basic research before posting. Questions such as, "What is string theory, and what are superstrings?" should be first http://www.google.com/search?q=string+theory" (or your favorite search engine). After obtaining some basic knowledge of the subject, if you have more specific questions, the people here will gladly help you.

To get you started...
http://www.google.com/search?q=string+theory"
http://www.google.com/search?q=M-theory+physics"
http://www.google.com/search?q=Grand+Unified+Theory"
 
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  • #20


DaveC426913 said:
I have read his books and found them excellent. The usefulness of a book is highly dependent on the reader, IMO. Greene's grasp of concepts and ability to communicate them hit me at the perfect place where it built my brain-muscle without injuring it. Despite others casting aspersions upon his books, if they'd been any more advanced, I surely would have lost the plot.

That is good. I am going to get his other book, The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality.
 

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