The Unification of Physics:
The Quest for a Theory of Everything

Moderated by Steve Paulson
Executive Producer, To the Best of Our Knowledge

Katherine Freese, PhD
Director, Nordita - Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics

Marcelo Gleiser, PhD
Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Dartmouth College

Max Tegmark, PhD
Professor of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The holy grail of physics has been to merge each of its fundamental branches into a unified “theory of everything” that would explain the functioning and existence of the universe. The last step toward this goal is to reconcile general relativity with the principles of quantum mechanics, a quest that has thus far eluded physicists. Will physics ever be able to develop an all-encompassing theory, or should we simply acknowledge that science will always have inherent limitations as to what can be known? Should new theories be validated solely on the basis of calculations that can never be empirically tested? Can we ever truly grasp the implications of modern physics when the basic laws of nature do not always operate according to our standard paradigms?

Webcast Podcast

Date:
Tuesday, December 10, 2014
Time:
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Reception to Follow
Location:
The New York Academy of Sciences
7 World Trade Center, 250 Greenwich Street, 40th Floor
Tickets:
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This event is part of the Beyond the Big Bang: Searching for Meaning in Contemporary Physics series, which brings together leading physicists, philosophers, historians, and writers to explore the multiple scientific and philosophical dimensions suggested by modern physics, including how recent discoveries are impacting our enduring search for meaning in the universe.
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Beyond the Big Bang: Searching for Meaning in Contemporary Physics

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