Monthly Archives: October 2013

It’s too soon to declare supersymmetry a tragedy

Posted on October 22, 2013 by woit

Well, maybe one more before I leave… Tom Siegfried, last heard from telling us that Belief in multiverse requires exceptional vision, now has two new pieces at Science News (here and here) arguing that the failure of the LHC to … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 12 Comments

Last Links For a While

Posted on October 20, 2013 by woit

In a few days I’m heading to East Africa for a couple-week long trip, planning to be in Uganda on November 3 for the (short) total solar eclipse that day. This will be followed by a few days in London, … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 32 Comments

Latest From Langlands

Posted on October 11, 2013 by woit

Robert Langlands will be speaking at Yale in a couple weeks at a day-long Mostowfest of lectures in honor of Dan Mostow. His title is “The search for a mathematically satisfying geometric theory of automorphic forms” and he has already … Continue reading →

Posted in Langlands | 2 Comments

Nobel for Englert and Higgs

Posted on October 8, 2013 by woit

Congratulations to Francois Englert and Peter Higgs, awarded the 2013 physics Nobel prize this morning. Evidently the prize announcement was delayed because they were unable to reach Higgs by phone. Surely he wasn’t unaware that today was a day he … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 74 Comments

Various News

Posted on October 7, 2013 by woit

First a sad piece of news, via commenter Bob Jones. It seems that David Kazhdan, a well-known representation theorist, was hit by a truck Saturday morning while bicycling in Jerusalem. He’s in the hospital, with his condition described as “very … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 16 Comments

Beyond the God Particle

Posted on October 6, 2013 by woit

There’s a new popular book about high energy physics coming out this week, Beyond the God Particle, by Leon Lederman and Christopher Hill. The authors are unapologetic about the “God Particle” terminology, coined by Lederman back in 1993 for marketing … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews | 42 Comments

Why Are There Still So Few Women in Science?

Posted on October 3, 2013 by woit

Normally I avoid writing about the topic headlined here, not because it’s not of interest or not important, but because the usual discussions it attracts seem to me ideologically-driven, containing far more heat than light. The New York Times Magazine … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 46 Comments

Particle Fever

Posted on October 1, 2013 by woit

Yesterday I got a chance to see Particle Fever, the long-awaited film about particle physics. It’s at the New York Film Festival, where there will be another showing on Wednesday, although tickets are already sold out. Oliver Peters was also … Continue reading →

Posted in Favorite Old Posts, Film Reviews, Multiverse Mania | 20 Comments