Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas Holiday Message 2020 | The Screwy Universe
Dec 21, 2020
This installment delves into the captivating phenomenon of cosmic birefringence, where photon polarization may change as it travels through space, challenging traditional physics. Personal anecdotes illustrate the host's journey through significant breakthroughs in physics and cosmology, highlighting the role of mentorship and discovery. The discussion touches on the implications of potential evidence in the cosmic microwave background that could reshape our understanding of dark energy. It also emphasizes growth, gratitude, and the importance of community in scientific inquiry.
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Unconventional Path to Harvard
- Sean Carroll's path to Harvard's Astronomy Ph.D. program was unconventional.
- It involved a last-minute acceptance due to funding and a connection with George Field.
From Astrophysics to Particle Physics
- George Field, Sean Carroll's advisor, transitioned from astrophysics to particle physics and cosmology.
- Inspired by Roman Jackiw's lectures on Chern-Simons theory, they explored Lorentz invariance violation.
Chern-Simons Term and Lorentz Invariance
- The Chern-Simons term, usually confined to 2+1 dimensions, could exist in 3+1 dimensions by violating Lorentz invariance.
- This sparked the idea to explore its implications, even though it challenges a fundamental principle of physics.