The Importance of Super-String Theory in Physics

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In 1984, it was clear that what we now call the standard model of particle physics was on the right track. Michael Green and John Schwartz showed that in string theory, all the anomalies cancel. There are no anomalies in super-string theory. It turns out supersymmetries can be helpful in making string theory well-defined.

Physics is in crisis, what else is new? That's what we hear in certain corners, anyway, usually pointed at "fundamental" physics of particles and fields. (Condensed matter and biophysics etc. are just fine.) In this solo podcast I ruminate on the unusual situation fundamental physics finds itself in, where we have a theoretical understanding that fits almost all the data, but which nobody believes to be the final answer. I talk about how we got here, and argue that it's not really a "crisis" in any real sense. But there are ways I think the academic community could handle the problem better, especially by making more space for respectable but minority approaches to deep puzzles.

Blog post with transcript: https://www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2023/07/31/245-solo-the-crisis-in-physics/

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