Event Description:
Einstein believed that the supreme task of the physicist is to understand the 'miraculous' underlying order of the universe, in terms of the most basic laws of nature, written in mathematical language. Most physicists believe that it's best to seek these laws by trying to understand surprising new experimental findings. Einstein and his peer Paul Dirac disagreed and controversially argued that new laws are best sought by developing the underlying mathematics.
Graham Farmelo will describe how this mathematical approach has led to insights into both fundamental physics and advanced mathematics, which appear to be inextricably intertwined. Some physicists and mathematicians believe they are working towards a giant mathematical structure that encompasses all the fundamental laws of nature. But might this be an illusion? Might mathematics be leading physics astray? This talk will be based on Graham's recent book The Universe Speaks in Numbers.
Event Speaker:
Graham Farmelo, Fellow at Churchill College, University of Cambridge
Event Information:
Event is free and open to the public. Please visit the event webpage for additional information. Hosted by the NYU Department of Physics.
