Author Archives: woit

F-theory Phenomenology

Posted on March 23, 2012 by woit

In the years before the LHC start-up, one heavily promoted claim that “yes, string theory can too make predictions, and here’s what it predicts the LHC will see” was based on a class of models known as “F-theory”. Detailed superpartner … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 41 Comments

2012 Abel Prize

Posted on March 21, 2012 by woit

The 2012 Abel Prize was awarded this morning to Endre Szemerédi. I know nothing about him or his work, but there’s a webcast going on right now with Tim Gowers providing explanation. Update: The written version of the Gowers talk … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Particle Theorist in Argentine Jail

Posted on March 21, 2012 by woit

Particle theorist Paul Frampton of the University of North Carolina was arrested in Buenos Aires January 23rd on charges of attempting to smuggle two kilos of cocaine out of the country. He denies the charges, but is in jail in … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 58 Comments

Dyson on Fringe Physics, String Cosmology and Hermann Weyl

Posted on March 19, 2012 by woit

The latest New York Review of Books has a review by Freeman Dyson of Margaret Wertheim’s recent book Physics on the Fringe (which I wrote about here). Dyson is much more sympathetic than most physicists to “fringe physicists” like Jim … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 17 Comments

Templeton Millions

Posted on March 16, 2012 by woit

I’m still on vacation for a few days, but will take a quick break from sitting in a hot tub watching the Northern Lights here in Iceland for a short blog entry. The Templeton Foundation has just announced a plan … Continue reading →

Posted in Multiverse Mania | 52 Comments

Tevatron Higgs Results

Posted on March 5, 2012 by woit

The combined D0 + CDF Tevatron results on the Higgs are scheduled to be announced Wednesday, but it looks like this web-page may have jumped the gun a bit, listing the new results (based on “up to 10 inverse fb”) … Continue reading →

Posted in Experimental HEP News | 15 Comments

Moriond 2012

Posted on March 4, 2012 by woit

The LHC will next week enter a Machine Checkout phase for the 2012 run at 4 TeV/beam, with beam commissioning scheduled to start March 14, the physics run April 7. Meanwhile, the LHC experiments have been for months targeting the … Continue reading →

Posted in Experimental HEP News | 11 Comments

Various and Sundry

Posted on February 27, 2012 by woit

Lots of people seem to be unhappy with my characterization of Lawrence Krauss’s question “why is there something rather than nothing?” as meaningless. I’m well aware that one can give this question a non-trivial meaning, I just don’t think Krauss … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 28 Comments

String Theory Skeptics and Multiverse Mania

Posted on February 21, 2012 by woit

My endless rants here about the hot field of multiverse studies are mainly motivated by concern about the effect this is having on particle theory. Multiverse scenarios all too often function as an excuse for not admitting that string theory/extra-dimensional … Continue reading →

Posted in Multiverse Mania | 41 Comments

SUSY Still in Hiding

Posted on February 14, 2012 by woit

Recent rumors supposedly coming from theorists at Harvard indicating that today would be the day that an announcement would be made of first evidence for a superpartner of a top quark have just been shot down. The talk at CERN … Continue reading →

Posted in Experimental HEP News | 57 Comments