Peter Woit, senior lecturer at Columbia and author of *Not Even Wrong*, critiques the failures of grand unified and string theories and argues that they have stalled the search for a unified physical law. He introduces a new four‑dimensional geometric approach based on spinors and Wick rotation as a possible path forward.
- 00:00 - Introduction
- 01:31 - Overview of Unification in Physics and the Standard Model
- 05:11 - Historical Development of the Standard Model and its Success
- 07:00 - Introduction to General Relativity and its Challenges
- 09:32 - Unanswered Questions in the Standard Model (SU1, SU2, SU3)
- 13:12 - Technical Issues in Quantum Field Theory and General Relativity
- 17:24 - The Rise of Grand Unified Theories (GUTs)
- 21:07 - Challenges and Failures of GUTs (Proton Decay)
- 25:43 - Abandonment of GUTs and Introduction of Supersymmetry
- 26:45 - Basics of Supersymmetry and Its Predictions
- 31:28 - Failure of Supersymmetry (No Evidence for Superpartners)
- 32:08 - Supergravity, Kaluza-Klein Theories, and Extra Dimensions
- 35:52 - String Theory and the Unification Paradigm in the 1980s
- 39:00 - Experimental Failures and the Lack of Evidence for String Theory
- 41:00 - Ongoing Pursuit of Failed Theories and Resistance to New Ideas
- 47:09 - The Shift in Attitudes Towards Unification Efforts in Physics
- 48:13 - Introduction to Peter Woit's New Ideas on Unification
- 52:32 - The Role of Four-Dimensional Geometry and Spinors in Unification
- 58:11 - Wick Rotation and Differences Between Euclidean and Minkowski Space-Time
- 1:03:05 - Technical Challenges in Wick Rotation and Quantum Field Theory
- 1:09:01 - Unique Aspects of Spinors in Euclidean vs. Minkowski Space-Time
- 1:14:38 - The Dirac Operator and its Role in Space-Time Symmetry
- 1:18:02 - Relation to Supersymmetry and the Right-Handed Nature of Space-Time
- 1:22:04 - Connection to Gravity and Loop Quantum Gravity (Ashtakar Variables)
- 1:23:04 - Outro / Support TOE
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RESOURCES:
- Peter Woit’s first appearance on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9z3JYb_g2Qs
- Peter Woit’s book on Quantum Theory and Representations: https://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Theory-Groups-Representations-Introduction/dp/3319646109
- Peter Woit’s Papers - https://inspirehep.net/literature?sort=mostrecent&size=25&page=1&q=a%20P.Woit.1
- Peter Woit’s Blog - https://www.math.columbia.edu/~woit/wordpress/
- Peter Woit’s book “Not Even Wrong”: https://amzn.to/3X8c1pS
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