Dr. Sera Cremonini
Cambridge University/Texas A & M
Why is gravity special? What holds the key to unifying the four fundamental interactions in nature? As the leading candidate for a theory of quantum gravity, string theory offers some answers to these questions. In this talk we will explore one of the most exciting recent developments in the field, a remarkable "holographic" connection between Einstein's theory of gravity and the realm of quantum mechanics. As we will see, this new connection has lead to deep insight into the structure of spacetime and the nature of black holes. Even more recently, it has proven to be a powerful tool for probing real-world systems, such as the quark-gluon plasma and the physics of superconductors.