Category Archives: Favorite Old Posts

Hard Evidence for the Multiverse Found, but String Theory Limits the Space Brain Threat

Posted on May 22, 2013 by woit

In recent years there have been many claims made for “evidence” of a multiverse, supposedly found in the CMB data (see for example here). Such claims often came with the remark that the Planck CMB data would convincingly decide the … Continue reading →

Posted in Favorite Old Posts, Multiverse Mania, This Week's Hype | 34 Comments

Arkani-Hamed Colloquium

Posted on April 30, 2013 by woit

Nima Arkani-Hamed was here at Columbia yesterday to give the physics colloquium, which clocked in at a bit over 1 hour and 45 minutes. He did reveal the secret of why his talks are this long: when invited to give … Continue reading →

Posted in Favorite Old Posts, Uncategorized | 45 Comments

SUSY and Quantum Mechanics

Posted on February 19, 2013 by woit

You may have read somewhere today that Columbia professor strips down to underwear in bizarre lesson to help baffled students learn quantum mechanics (first-hand sources here and here). That wasn’t me, but I have been talking to my class for … Continue reading →

Posted in Favorite Old Posts, Uncategorized | 18 Comments

Fundamental Physics Prize

Posted on July 31, 2012 by woit

String theory may not be doing so well in the popular press or among physicists, but at least a fabulously wealthy Russian investor is a fan. Yuri Milner recently deposited \$3 million each in the bank accounts of 5 string … Continue reading →

Posted in Favorite Old Posts, Uncategorized | 149 Comments

The Higgs Discovery

Posted on June 17, 2012 by woit

Just got out of 8 days in the Grand Canyon which was spectacular, Reliable rumors couldn’t wait, and they indicate that the experiments are seeing much the same thing as last year in this year’s new data: strong hints of … Continue reading →

Posted in Experimental HEP News, Favorite Old Posts | 88 Comments

25 Years of Topological Quantum Field Theory

Posted on May 31, 2012 by woit

It occurred to me today that right about now is the time someone should have chosen as the date for a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the birth of the idea of “Topological Quantum Field Theory”, as well as … Continue reading →

Posted in Favorite Old Posts, Uncategorized | 14 Comments

Much Ado About Nothing

Posted on April 27, 2012 by woit

I suppose I’m posting too much about this, but the ongoing fight over nothing between prominent physicists and philosophers strikes me as perhaps marking some kind of end-point in the multiverse-mania-driven decline of part of theoretical physics from a difficult, … Continue reading →

Posted in Favorite Old Posts, Multiverse Mania | 60 Comments

A 125-126 GeV Higgs?

Posted on December 2, 2011 by woit

Some more detail on Higgs rumors I’ve been hearing recently. Evidently the latest ATLAS data shows an excess in the gamma-gamma channel around 126 GeV, of the size expected if the Higgs is there, and CMS is also seeing an … Continue reading →

Posted in Experimental HEP News, Favorite Old Posts | 77 Comments

Imagine There’s No God Particle

Posted on September 5, 2011 by woit

It’s easy if you try (as John Lennon would say). The LHC is back in business after a technical stop, getting ready to collide protons for the next couple months, perhaps reaching an integrated luminosity of about 5 inverse femtobarns. … Continue reading →

Posted in Favorite Old Posts, Uncategorized | 89 Comments

String Theorists Throw SUSY Under the Bus

Posted on July 25, 2011 by woit

Over the past few days the results of the 2011 LHC run have been revealed at the EPS-HEP 2011 conference in Grenoble, where a press conference today marked the beginning of the next part of the conference, featuring summary talks. … Continue reading →

Posted in Favorite Old Posts, Uncategorized | 75 Comments