IP 1.2: GR and LQG

Some different material this week, a bit more formal but very enjoyable! This isn't as accessible for anyone below undergrad level physics and I think you might struggle to contextualise some of these materials if you haven't studied  some GR and have some conceptual understanding of QFT (like in a particle physics course). But for those of you seeking to extend yourselves go for it! I also watched a more accessible (kind of popular science) lecture which might appeal to anyone who enjoys science.

General Relativity Lectures by Leonard Susskind - Stanford Series

Plenty of you will be familiar with the Stanford Lecture series' on YouTube, a huge number of courses are there fully recorded. I've been refreshing my GR knowledge (slowly but surely), the course starts off with some SR and slowly gets into metrics and such. Susskind is very eloquent and provides a good level of detail without losing the big picture. It will be interesting to see where this series leads, I'm not that far through the series yet.

Introduction to Loop Quantum Gravity by Carlo Rovelli - Quantum Gravity at CPT Marseille

Quantum gravity is my passion and this lecture series by Rovelli is a real treat. The first few lectures are high conceptual, this is a bonus for me because quantum gravity is such a broad problem that getting into the nitty gritty too early can narrow your view. Rovelli is a first grade speaker and doesn't pull punches. He's quite happy to say that a claim within the community is "bullshit", a level of confidence I appreciate in a lecturer. If you want some lectures on LQG, this is the place to go.

Covariant Loop Quantum Gravity - Carlo Rovelli and Francesca Vidotto

This LQG textbook is (I believe) the second from Rovelli, the first one was published nearly 15 years ago and is a very very high level book that I found pretty inaccessible at the time I looked at it (the best part of 3 years ago). This second text is far more introductory and like the lecture series above starts from a very wide view point. This is incredibly useful in educating people on what quantum gravity is and what it isn't, as well as approaching the topic at an accessible angle and pace. I've been slowly digesting the pages and whilst I'm not far through I'm already happy to recommend this text (and highly as well).

"The Usefulness of Useless Knowledge" (Dr Robbert Dijkgraaf) - Talks at Google

I've mentioned Dr Dijkgraaf before and this lecture is just a strong as his others. A really good talk that looks conceptually at the place of academic research from a historical context and makes a strong case for supporting physics research. This was an easy but pleasant and inspiring watch, worth a view if you've got an hour to spare.


And that's my coverage for this week! If you're looking to learn more (or start learning) about GR or LQG these are a few places to look and a more conceptual lecture definitely worth a watch.