Fay Dowker Public Lecture - Spacetime Atoms and the Unity of Physics (Perimeter Public Lecture)

Fay Dowker speaks at a Perimeter Institute Public Lecture on November 2, 2011.

Black holes are hot! This discovery made by Stephen Hawking ties together gravity, spacetime, quantum matter, and thermal systems into the beautiful and exciting science of "Black Hole Thermodynamics". Its beauty lies in the powerful way it speaks of the unity of physics. The excitement arises because it tells us that there is something lacking in our understanding of spacetime and, at the same time, gives us a major clue as to what the missing ingredient should be. Theoretical physicists at Perimeter Institute and elsewhere are pioneering a proposal, known as Causal Set Theory, for the structure held by these most fundamental atoms of spacetime. In this talk, Professor Dowker describes black hole thermodynamics and argue that it is telling us that spacetime itself is granular or "atomic" at very tiny scales.

Perimeter Institute (charitable registration number 88981 4323 RR0001) is the world's largest independent research hub devoted to theoretical physics, created to foster breakthroughs in the fundamental understanding of our universe, from the smallest particles to the entire cosmos. The Perimeter Institute Public Lecture Series is made possible in part by the support of donors like you. Be part of the equation: https://perimeterinstitute.ca/inspiri...

Subscribe for updates on future live webcasts, events, free posters, and more: https://insidetheperimeter.ca/newslet...

facebook.com/pioutreach
twitter.com/perimeter
instagram.com/perimeterinstitute
Donate: https://perimeterinstitute.ca/give-today