Untangling string theory

• 5.15pm – 6.30pm on 05 July 2011
• at The Royal Society, London

Part of the Cafe Scientifique programme at the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition

Have you ever wondered just what string theory is? String theory is often talked about as the 'theory of everything', unifying quantum mechanics and Einstein's theory of general relativity. But the theory has proven difficult to test and even the Large Hadron Collider is unlikely allow scientists to see strings or prove the existence of up to 11 dimensions that are hypothesised. Yet, while developing string theory, several interesting spin-offs have occurred and the mathematics developed may be useful in understanding other areas of physics, from plasmas to superconductors

Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock will lead the audience in posing questions to Dr David Tong, a theoretical physicists and string theory researcher, to try and untangle string theory.

This event is part of the Cafe Scientifique programme at the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition. Cafes will take place in the Terrace Cafe. They are free and open for all to attend, just grab a drink and get talking! Audience participation is strongly encouraged. The Terrace cafe is down 9 steps and is not wheelchair accessible.

Speaker Biographies

Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock is a Space Scientist currently working on the James Webb Space Telescope, the replacement for Hubble.  Maggie has appeared on Doctor Who Confidential and presented ‘Do We Really Need the Moon’ on BBC 2.  She was awarded an MBE in 2009 for her services to science and education. 

Dr David Tong is a theoretical physicist at the University of Cambridge, a fellow of Trinity College and a Royal Society research fellow. He has held positions at a number of universities around the world, from Mumbai to MIT. In 2008 he was awarded the Adams Prize in mathematics. 

An interview with Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock and Dr David Tong about their thoughts on string theory is now available.