Skeptic Check: String Theory

Big Picture Science

Science, Technology

4.6 • 986 Ratings

🗓️ 17 November 2025

⏱️ 53 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The idea that the universe is made of tiny vibrating strings was once the science theory du jour. String theory promised to unite the disparate theories describing particles and gravity, and many people, not just scientists, were optimistic that a theory of everything might be within our grasp. But here we are, many years later, and string theory doesn’t seem to have delivered on its initial promise. What happened? We consider the science around string theory in this episode of Skeptic Check. Guest: Brian Greene – Physicist and mathematician at Columbia University, and author of The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory. Descripción en español Featuring music by Dewey Dellay and Jun Miyake Originally aired October 14, 2024 Big Picture Science is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Please contact [email protected] to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science. You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on Patreon. Thanks for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	You're listening to an Airwave Media podcast.
0:04.4	How's the business going?
0:05.7	We're busy than ever, but struggling to get the staff we need.
0:08.3	Recruiting can be such a distraction.
0:10.6	We gave Job Centre Plus a try, and they've really helped us out.
0:13.6	Really?
0:14.0	Yeah.
0:14.4	It was dead easy.
0:15.3	We got our own employer advisor, Julie, who helped advertise our jobs,
0:18.9	shortlisted candidates for us and let us interview at
0:21.5	the Job Centre. We've hired some great people, and Job Centre Plus really took the hassle out
0:26.0	of it, and there was no fee. Brilliant, that's straight on my to-do list. Find out more at
0:30.5	business.gov.com.uk slash recruit. Eligibility criteria apply. I'm Matt Kaplan, the host of
0:36.4	safeguarding sound science. Evolution Edition. Evolution is
0:40.5	the unifying principle of biology, yet it still breeds controversy a century and a half after Charles Darwin.
0:47.9	Join us as we meet the passionate researchers and communicators who are expanding our knowledge
0:53.2	and fighting to keep good science
0:55.3	in our schools and politics. Subscribe to Safeguarding Sound Science on Apple, Spotify, Amazon,
1:02.0	or wherever you like to listen. What makes up the universe?
1:16.6	Well, lots of tiny particles with strange names like quarks, bosons, and neutrinos, sure.
1:22.6	But physicists think there is more to be discovered in this particle zoo, or at least they once did.
1:28.1	String theory really burst on the stage of physics in the mid-80s. It was a real seismic
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Big Picture Science, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Big Picture Science and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.