Some of the content I covered this week focuses on string theory and not really in a popular science context. You would need a decent understanding of particle physics at the least to get something out of these lectures, some of them you'll need much more knowledge. Nevertheless here's what I've been absorbing (trying to) this week gone.
'The State of String Theory' - Brian Greene (2008?)
Greene is a well known proponent of string theory but this lecture is different from the theatrical pop. sci. he is often known for. A review of the field at the time is present, bare in mind the Higgs hadn't been found yet and low energy SUSY wasn't ruled out yet either.
Greene is confident but at the same time fairer than some string theorists are about the merits and current deficits of the theory. The content doesn't dive too deep, I understood pretty much everything without having formally studied the subject. He can come across as a bit cocky, but plenty of theorists do. His dismissal of LQG didn't exactly sit well with me, he basically said that he hadn't read much about it but didn't like it anyway. But I'm biased here so take that for what you will, I just think one should be open to approaches outside their own.
I found this a really good introduction to strings pre-LHC findings, its by no means an introduction to the mathematics and mechanics of the theory but gives you an idea of current research. Worth a watch for anyone wanting an idea of what's being going on in strings.
String Compactifications (Lecture 1) - Edward Witten (2008)
If the previous lecture was an introduction this is pretty much the exact opposite. I'd be lying if I said I understood more than 50% of this conceptually... probably a lot less, lets not even make an estimate for mathematical understanding. Witten strikes me as very humble and to the point, he gets straight to it and doesn't let up. In spite of the dense mathematics he regularly contextualises the working in particle physics with relation to the underlying group structure of the standard model and GUTs. With my conceptual understanding of differential geometry I was able to get through most of it without feeling completely lost.
I think more importantly for me it was an absolute blast to watch. When a physicist wins a Fields Medal (the only one ever to do so)... you should definitely watch them lecture at least once. Witten is also a really strong speaker, very clear and calm, which gives you the best opportunity to (try to) understand what he's talking about. If you love particle theory, just do it.
Newton Medal Winner (2010) - Edward Witten
This 30 minute interview is interesting, seeing a bit of the life and research history behind one of the biggest names in string theory. Witten (again) speaks very clearly and you can see that he carefully considers what he's saying. But more than anything his humility and causality comes through, he seems very human though un-relatable due to the lightness with which he speaks of his enormous achievements. If you want to see the more human side of particle theory I'd definitely suggest watching this.
'Why Meat is the Best Worst Thing in the World' - Kurzgesagt
Let's preface this with my own relevant opinions: I do eat meat, I don't eat a lot of it though and I am conscious of the impact eating meat has on the environment and animals. At the same time I am also sceptical of a lot of arguments for veganism, less so for vegetarianism.
This is a nice summary video that I feel is relevant for those on either side of the debate. But this isn't so much about whether eating meat is right or wrong and more about the impact of eating meat and what we might do about it. They make a statement I very much agree with, "Eating meat doesn't make you a bad person. Not eating meat doesn't make you a bad person."
They mention the fact that almost all male chicks are slaughtered very soon after birth, the energy efficiency of certain animals etc. The main issues and concepts they covered also feature in the documentary "Before the Flood". It would have been nice if the video also covered some more concrete reasons to carry on eating meat other than enjoyment and social reasons, nutritional value etc. I also thought they could have covered fish as well, though maybe that's enough of an issue itself to be featured in another video. If you're new to this subject I'd suggest reading more widely to supplement this video.
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