#204 – Cumrun Vafa: String Theory
Lex Fridman Podcast
Lex Fridman
4.7 • 13.6K Ratings
🗓️ 26 July 2021
⏱️ 139 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Cumrun Vafa is a theoretical physicist at Harvard. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:
– Headspace: https://headspace.com/lex to get free 1 month trial
– The Jordan Harbinger Show: https://www.youtube.com/thejordanharbingershow
– Squarespace: https://lexfridman.com/squarespace and use code LEX to get 10% off
– Allform: https://allform.com/lex to get 20% off
EPISODE LINKS:
Cumrun’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/cumrunv
Cumrun’s Website: https://www.cumrunvafa.org
Puzzles to Unravel the Universe (book): https://amzn.to/3BFk5ms
PODCAST INFO:
Podcast website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8
RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/
YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/lexfridman
YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/lexclips
SUPPORT & CONNECT:
– Check out the sponsors above, it’s the best way to support this podcast
– Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/lexfridman
– Twitter: https://twitter.com/lexfridman
– Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexfridman
– LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexfridman
– Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lexfridman
– Medium: https://medium.com/@lexfridman
OUTLINE:
Here’s the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.
(00:00) – Introduction
(07:08) – Difference between math and physics
(09:51) – Evolution of quantum mechanics
(13:09) – Can mathematics lead humanity off track
(14:07) – Beauty in mathematics
(19:27) – Philosophers using symmetry
(25:20) – How can ancient geometry be used to understand reality
(28:32) – Key ideas in the history of physics
(31:26) – Einstein’s special relativity
(35:03) – Physicists building intuition
(43:01) – Best work by Einstein
(44:45) – Quantum mechanics
(54:47) – Quantum gravity
(57:02) – String theory
(1:13:11) – 10th Dimension
(1:19:48) – Skepticism regarding string theory
(1:30:53) – Key figures in string theory
(1:35:13) – String Theory’s Nobel Prize
(1:38:18) – Edward Witten
(1:46:56) – String Theory Landscape & Swamplands
(1:55:46) – Theories of everything
(2:10:12) – Advice for young people
(2:13:14) – Death
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | The following is a conversation with Kamarand Vafa, a theoretical physicist that Harvard |
| 0:04.7 | specializing in strength theory. |
| 0:07.3 | He is the winner of the 2017 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics, which is the |
| 0:12.6 | most lucrative academic prize in the world. |
| 0:15.9 | Quick mention of our sponsors, Headspace, Jordan Harmer to Show, Squarespace, and Allform. |
| 0:22.9 | Check them out in the description to support this podcast. |
| 0:26.0 | As a side note, let me say that strength theory is a theory of quantum gravity that unifies |
| 0:30.5 | quantum mechanics and general relativity. |
| 0:33.4 | It says that quirks, electrons, and all other particles are made up of much tinier strings |
| 0:38.7 | of vibrating energy. |
| 0:40.4 | They vibrate in ten or more dimensions, depending on the flavor of the theory. |
| 0:45.4 | Different vibrating patterns result in different particles. |
| 0:48.3 | From its origins, for a long time, strength theory was seen as too good not to be true, |
| 0:54.4 | but has recently fallen out of favor in the physics community, partly because over the |
| 0:58.4 | past forty years it has not been able to make any novel predictions that could then be |
| 1:03.4 | validated through experiment. |
| 1:05.4 | Nevertheless, to this day, it remains one of our best candidates for a theory of everything, |
| 1:11.9 | or a theory that unifies the laws of physics. |
| 1:15.2 | Let me mention that a similar story happened with neural networks in the field of artificial |
| 1:19.6 | intelligence, where it fell out of favor after decades of promise and research, but found |
| 1:24.8 | success again in the past decade as part of the deep learning revolution. |
| 1:30.0 | So I think it pays to keep an open mind, since we don't know which of the ideas in physics |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Lex Fridman, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Lex Fridman and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.