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SUMMARY:Fashion\, Faith and Fantasy in the New Physics of the Universe - P
 rof. Roger Penrose\, Mathematical Institute\, Oxford University
DTSTART:20170308T180000Z
DTEND:20170308T193000Z
UID:TALK71500@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:45008
DESCRIPTION:Can the following of fashion\, blind faith\, or flights of fan
 tasy have anything seriously to do with the scientific quest to understand
  the universe? Surely not\, but I shall argue that researchers working at 
 the extreme frontiers of physics are as susceptible to these forces as any
 one else\, and that fashion\, faith\, and fantasy\, while sometimes highly
  productive in physics\, may be leading today's researchers astray in thre
 e of that field's most important areas—string theory\, quantum mechanics
 \, and cosmology.\n \nI argue a strong case that string theory veered awa
 y from physical reality when it found the need to posit six extra spatial 
 dimensions\, the fashionable nature of the theory clouding our judgments o
 f its plausibility. With quantum mechanics\, its stunning successes in exp
 laining the atomic universe has led to an unquestioning faith that it must
  also apply to sizably massive objects. Yet\, I argue that changes in the 
 theory are needed. In cosmology\, I claim that most of the current fantast
 ical ideas about the origin of the universe fail to address certain centra
 l issues. Elements of fashion\, faith\, and fantasy have nevertheless also
  influenced my own work\, as I shall briefly indicate.\n
LOCATION:Downing College\, Music Room\, E staircase
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