Comments on: SuperCosmologists Think Out of the Box http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/03/supercosmologists-think-out-of-the-box/ Random samplings from a universe of ideas. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:25:28 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Aspen Report: New Strides on the Road to a Quantum Computer | Cosmic Variance http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/03/supercosmologists-think-out-of-the-box/comment-page-1/#comment-1070 Aspen Report: New Strides on the Road to a Quantum Computer | Cosmic Variance Tue, 27 Jun 2006 23:01:08 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/03/supercosmologists-think-out-of-the-box/#comment-1070 [...] So I’m supposed to sit here and write a second installment about stringy cosmology, following on from the first installment I gave here. Since there did not seem to be that much in the way of interest in it, as far as I can tell, I’ll instead tell you about this great colloquium I went to. “Topological Quantum Computation”, by Chetan Nayak. [...] [...] So I’m supposed to sit here and write a second installment about stringy cosmology, following on from the first installment I gave here. Since there did not seem to be that much in the way of interest in it, as far as I can tell, I’ll instead tell you about this great colloquium I went to. “Topological Quantum Computation”, by Chetan Nayak. [...]

]]> By: News From The Front, III | Cosmic Variance http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/03/supercosmologists-think-out-of-the-box/comment-page-1/#comment-1069 News From The Front, III | Cosmic Variance Fri, 04 Nov 2005 20:44:46 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/03/supercosmologists-think-out-of-the-box/#comment-1069 [...] Notice that the innocent-looking parameter Gamma appears in a special way. Every time there is a boundary on the string world-sheet (so it is an “open string”), there is a factor of Gamma. This actually counts the number of a certain type of “D-brane” that is in the background the string is moving in. (I described a bit about D-branes here. They are places (dynamical objects) on which string endpoints live. See the picture on the right.) Background? Ah, so these simple string theories have a quite simple spacetime (when it can be identified), which is one reason they are called “minimal” strings. but on the other hand it is a complicated background. This is because there is only one continuous dimension in the target space, but the strength of the string coupling varies from point to point. In fact it grows arbitrarily strong as you move to one end. This is in fact the end that the background D-branes (called “ZZ” branes (link) in this context) are located. There is another type of D-brane in these models called “FZZT” branes (link, link) which stretch along the target space. I might talk about those some other time, since their story is a nice one too. [...] [...] Notice that the innocent-looking parameter Gamma appears in a special way. Every time there is a boundary on the string world-sheet (so it is an “open string”), there is a factor of Gamma. This actually counts the number of a certain type of “D-brane” that is in the background the string is moving in. (I described a bit about D-branes here. They are places (dynamical objects) on which string endpoints live. See the picture on the right.) Background? Ah, so these simple string theories have a quite simple spacetime (when it can be identified), which is one reason they are called “minimal” strings. but on the other hand it is a complicated background. This is because there is only one continuous dimension in the target space, but the strength of the string coupling varies from point to point. In fact it grows arbitrarily strong as you move to one end. This is in fact the end that the background D-branes (called “ZZ” branes (link) in this context) are located. There is another type of D-brane in these models called “FZZT” branes (link, link) which stretch along the target space. I might talk about those some other time, since their story is a nice one too. [...]

]]> By: News From The Front, II | Cosmic Variance http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/03/supercosmologists-think-out-of-the-box/comment-page-1/#comment-1068 News From The Front, II | Cosmic Variance Mon, 31 Oct 2005 23:56:00 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/03/supercosmologists-think-out-of-the-box/#comment-1068 [...] I spent time time describing D-branes here. The physics that we have so far learned from the theory has provided numerous promising and exciting phenomenological scenarios that form the basis for several research endeavours to understand and incorporate current experimental and observational data from Nature, and furnish testable predictions about new physics. These endeavours are still embryonic, and cannot fully mature without much more understanding of the underlying theory. [...] [...] I spent time time describing D-branes here. The physics that we have so far learned from the theory has provided numerous promising and exciting phenomenological scenarios that form the basis for several research endeavours to understand and incorporate current experimental and observational data from Nature, and furnish testable predictions about new physics. These endeavours are still embryonic, and cannot fully mature without much more understanding of the underlying theory. [...]

]]> By: The Making of a Black Hole | Cosmic Variance http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/03/supercosmologists-think-out-of-the-box/comment-page-1/#comment-1067 The Making of a Black Hole | Cosmic Variance Tue, 18 Oct 2005 01:06:15 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/03/supercosmologists-think-out-of-the-box/#comment-1067 [...] In my recent humourous post about black hole applications, I had a couples of serious links. I mentioned, for example, the fact that they (some large classes of them) can be described in string theory as being made of objects called D-branes, objects of which I’ve previously spoken on this blog. [...] [...] In my recent humourous post about black hole applications, I had a couples of serious links. I mentioned, for example, the fact that they (some large classes of them) can be described in string theory as being made of objects called D-branes, objects of which I’ve previously spoken on this blog. [...]

]]> By: Qubit http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/03/supercosmologists-think-out-of-the-box/comment-page-1/#comment-1066 Qubit Thu, 01 Sep 2005 22:32:29 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/03/supercosmologists-think-out-of-the-box/#comment-1066 "What is this?" thought Qubit, "I do not see anything at all. That is terrible! Am I stupid? Am I unfit to be a Qubit? That would indeed be the most dreadful thing that could happen to me." String theory... Brilliant I like it, "it's very beautiful". "Elephant" "What elephant?" “What is this?” thought Qubit, “I do not see anything at all. That is terrible! Am I stupid? Am I unfit to be a Qubit? That would indeed be the most dreadful thing that could happen to me.”

String theory… Brilliant I like it, “it’s very beautiful”.

“Elephant”

“What elephant?”

]]> By: The Landscape - For Real This Time | Cosmic Variance http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/03/supercosmologists-think-out-of-the-box/comment-page-1/#comment-1065 The Landscape - For Real This Time | Cosmic Variance Sun, 14 Aug 2005 06:59:24 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/03/supercosmologists-think-out-of-the-box/#comment-1065 [...] A couple of weeks ago I used the phrase “The Landscape” in the title of a post but I was really referring to my garden, and I went on to mention there that I had deliberately chosen a misleading title for fun. Several people would not have known why this was misleading. I’d like to explain what I had in mind. This is also a continuation of the story I began in another earlier post concerning approaches to cosmology in string theory, the subject of the workshop I’m attending at the Aspen Center for Physics. [...] [...] A couple of weeks ago I used the phrase “The Landscape” in the title of a post but I was really referring to my garden, and I went on to mention there that I had deliberately chosen a misleading title for fun. Several people would not have known why this was misleading. I’d like to explain what I had in mind. This is also a continuation of the story I began in another earlier post concerning approaches to cosmology in string theory, the subject of the workshop I’m attending at the Aspen Center for Physics. [...]

]]> By: Clifford http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/03/supercosmologists-think-out-of-the-box/comment-page-1/#comment-1064 Clifford Wed, 03 Aug 2005 17:58:24 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/03/supercosmologists-think-out-of-the-box/#comment-1064 Yes, Liam talked about some of that here yesterday. It's nice to see that our Jedi mind trick worked on you, as a cosmologist, making you think that *you're* absorbing *us*. Keep thinking that while we swallow you up. And do wriggle a bit while we chew. Makes it more fun. -cvj Yes, Liam talked about some of that here yesterday.

It’s nice to see that our Jedi mind trick worked on you, as a cosmologist, making you think that *you’re* absorbing *us*. Keep thinking that while we swallow you up. And do wriggle a bit while we chew. Makes it more fun. -cvj

]]> By: Sean http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/03/supercosmologists-think-out-of-the-box/comment-page-1/#comment-1063 Sean Wed, 03 Aug 2005 16:42:46 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/03/supercosmologists-think-out-of-the-box/#comment-1063 And as I type these words here at SLAC, I'm listening to Eva give a very nice talk on string cosmology, emphasizing the possibility of observable signatures like cosmic strings and non-Gaussian perturbations. All part of cosmology's master plan to absorb string theory whole. And as I type these words here at SLAC, I’m listening to Eva give a very nice talk on string cosmology, emphasizing the possibility of observable signatures like cosmic strings and non-Gaussian perturbations. All part of cosmology’s master plan to absorb string theory whole.

]]> By: TM http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/03/supercosmologists-think-out-of-the-box/comment-page-1/#comment-1062 TM Wed, 03 Aug 2005 16:19:10 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/03/supercosmologists-think-out-of-the-box/#comment-1062 Thanks to Clifford and bgs! Thanks to Clifford and bgs!

]]> By: Clifford http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/03/supercosmologists-think-out-of-the-box/comment-page-1/#comment-1061 Clifford Wed, 03 Aug 2005 13:22:24 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/03/supercosmologists-think-out-of-the-box/#comment-1061 Oh! More comments since I began writing my long reply. A good one too. Thanks bittergraduatestudent! -cvj Oh! More comments since I began writing my long reply. A good one too. Thanks bittergraduatestudent! -cvj

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