Who are the Top Ten Living String Theorists?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around identifying the top ten living string theorists, exploring criteria for determining who might be considered the "best" in the field. Participants engage in a debate about the subjective nature of ranking theorists, the contributions of various individuals, and the challenges inherent in evaluating their work.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that Edward Witten is among the top string theorists, but the criteria for "best" remain unclear.
  • There is a discussion about the difficulty of measuring contributions in string theory, with various metrics proposed such as publication count, public recognition, and accuracy of predictions.
  • One participant compares the ranking of theorists to judging the best dog, emphasizing the subjective nature of such evaluations.
  • Some contributions are noted to be more significant in specific areas, such as mathematical interests versus landscape problems.
  • Participants mention lesser-known theorists like Sergei Gukov and Anton Kapustin, questioning their status in the community.
  • Lisa Randall is also suggested as a notable figure in string theory.
  • There is acknowledgment that string theory is a small field, with only a few hundred full-time researchers, implying that those who secure funding are likely among the best in their sub-fields.
  • Leonard Susskind is mentioned as one of the founders of string theory, adding to the list of prominent names.
  • A participant humorously suggests classical musicians as top theorists, indicating a playful tone in parts of the discussion.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on who the top ten living string theorists are, with multiple competing views and criteria for evaluation remaining unresolved.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights the limitations in defining "best" within the context of string theory, including the subjective nature of contributions and the small size of the field.

narniaoff
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Hi all pf members can someone tell me please the top ten of bests living string theorists I am waiting for please
 
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How do you decide who is better than who? More papers published? Better known to the public? More accurate predictions? Better salary? It's kind of hard to say when you are dealing with string theory as to who is the best since so little has been proven thus far. And even then, they're all smart people, so who are we to judge?

It's like asking whose dog is the best dog in the world. There's no single way to measure it, and everybody has a completely different opinion on it.
 
narniaoff said:
tell me please the top ten of bests living string theorists
Yehudi Menuhin has to be one of the best, in the classical sense. For something more upbeat, I'd go with Carlos Santana.
 
Danger said:
Yehudi Menuhin has to be one of the best, in the classical sense. For something more upbeat, I'd go with Carlos Santana.

I am pretty sure one should consider them to be experimentalists...
:biggrin:
 
f95toli said:
I am pretty sure one should consider them to be experimentalists...
:biggrin:

Nah, that's Mark Wood. Monkeybats rules... :biggrin:
 
for example there are some string theorists who contribute more than other in one way but for contributions who are at the top are they among string theorists interested in mathematics or among string theorists interested in for example landscape problem in brief twho are thinking on the mosts difficults conjectures
 
for example i don't know who is sergei gukov and anton kaputsin but lubos motl talk about them they are great string theorists and is it possible that theyre some biggests string theorists whom arent public known
 
Narniaoff, my apologies if I appeared to be flippant in my response... but that is, after all, my primary purpose here.
By the way, if you look very closely at your keyboard, you will notice that there are punctuation marks and a shift key included.
 
  • #10
no problem Danger i want to know is Sergei gukov and aanton kaputsin among bests string livin theorists
 
  • #11
One of the problems here is that string theory is a tiny field, there can't be more than perhaps a few hundred people in the whole world who actually work on string theory full time (not counting PhD students). Hence, anyone who is good enough to actually get funding for research in string theory could probably claim to be one of the best in the world in his/her particular sub-field of string theory.
 
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  • #12
I don't know how to quantify "best," but as long as we're throwing out names, there's always Lisa Randall.
 
  • #13
very very
thanks a lot lot f95toli
 
  • #14
Lets see here.. over 10^500 possible string 'theories' out there and you go with Witten? I'm sorry, not actual 'theories' but rather models, or perceptions, or opinions, or philosophies.. yea that's the word
 
  • #15
Hi thank's a lot for the clear answers if it is possible what is the position of sergei gukov and kaputsin in string theory community
 
  • #16
Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking. I guess Isaac Newton may be considered a theorist in some cases.
 
  • #17
I can't give ten, but I can name one: Brian Greene
 
  • #18
f95toli said:
One of the problems here is that string theory is a tiny field, there can't be more than perhaps a few hundred people in the whole world who actually work on string theory full time (not counting PhD students). Hence, anyone who is good enough to actually get funding for research in string theory could probably claim to be one of the best in the world in his/her particular sub-field of string theory.

Well that's understandable, 'coz it's so hard to test.
 
  • #19
What about Leonard Susskind? He is one of the founders.
 
  • #20
Here's a list of the top ten in experimental string theory:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
 

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