Peter Woit
Mathematical Physicist, Columbia University
Peter Woit is a mathematical physicist at Columbia University. He graduated in 1979 from Harvard University with bachelor's and master's degrees in physics and obtained his PhD in particle theory from Princeton University in 1985. A prominent critic of string theory, he published a book on the subject, Not Even Wrong, in 2006, and maintains a blog of the same title.
The discovery of the so-called “God Particle” won’t have any practical implications in your life—at least not anytime soon—says one physicist.
Though they may not admit it explicitly, most string theorists have given up on the idea of a Unified Theory of Everything.
From hostile physicists to commenters who think they know more about string theory than Nobel laureates, Peter Woit describes the weird world of science blogging.
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8 min
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Physics is as vulnerable to fads and politics as other disciplines. Math avoids the same fate by being content to stay “completely useless.”
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7 min
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Peter Woit believes that mathematicians and scientists are led astray by seeking “elegant” solutions. But there is one theorem that makes him wax poetic.
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3 min
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Peter Woit explains the “deep relation” between the two disciplines and the most mind-bending new ways in which that relation is being explored.
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5 min
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What is the elusive particle that scientists hope the Large Hadron Collider will shed light on? Why does it matter? And what about those black hole rumors?
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10 min
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The “Not Even Wrong” author explains one of physics’ most famous theories—and why it may have led thousands of scientists down a cold trail.
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12 min
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A conversation with the mathematical physicist at Columbia University.
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44 min
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