177 - Juan Maldacena: Quantum Gravity, String Theory, and the AdS/CFT Correspondence

Juan Maldacena is Carl P. Feinberg Professor in the School of Natural Sciences at the Institute for Advanced Study, where his work focuses on quantum gravity, string theory, and quantum field theories. In this episode, Robinson and Juan discuss the relationship between string theory and black holes, the holographic principle, and Juan’s groundbreaking paper on the AdS/CFT Correspondence.

OUTLINE
00:00 In This Episode…
00:48 Introduction
04:04 What Is the Purpose of String Theory?
16:35 Working at the IAS
17:55 String Theory and The Black Hole Information Paradox
41:19 Is Space Curved?
47:00 What is Conformal Field Theory?
50:24 String Theory and the AdS/CFT Correspondence
01:27:00 Quantizing Gravity
01:40:20 De Sitter Space Correspondences
01:56:36 Fine-Tuning and String Theory

Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com

Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University. Join him in conversations with philosophers, scientists, weightlifters, artists, and everyone in-between.

---

Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/robinson-erhardt/support