physics geeks

[gusl]

is this worth my time?:


INVITATION

The Institute for Theoretical Physics cordially invites you to attend the
lecture 'The Elegant Universe' by Dr. Brian Greene (Columbia University).
The lecture is about the String Theory and the search for the ultimate
theory. Dr. Greene is the author of a book with the title 'The Elegant
Universe' and he is frequently invited to give lectures.

Date: Friday 19 March 2004
Time: 8 pm (doors open at 7.30 pm), drinks will be served afterwards
Location: Aula, Singel 411
Registration: Please contact congres@uva.nl before 16 March next. Please
state your name and adress and the free entrance ticket will be send to you.
More information: http://www.science.uva.nl/research/itf/strings/green.html

By the way, a popular, but philosophically inclined 3-hour series is online http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/elegant/ . I'm definitely enjoying from it... it's like a popular version of the Feynman lectures.

Comments

[jcreed.livejournal.com]

I thought the PBS special went on a little too long. I suppose if you liked it, the lecture would probably be fun. Hell, if it were my choice, I would just go, because I like seeing famous people talk just in case they're interesting. Bill Gates was a big snooze, though.

sure, go!

[jozefpronek.livejournal.com]

I didn't see the PBS special, but I read the book in question. Greene is also the author of various real research papers in that field, and for a 1-hour lecture must for sure be very good. As far as judging from Gates... well, Gates is a (very good) salesman, essentially, whereas Greene has been doing science for quite a while.

[easwaran.livejournal.com]

I think he gave a similar talk at Berkeley last year, and one at Stanford a couple years before. I didn't actually end up going to either though. I heard good things from my friends who were physics majors who went, but it sounded like they were fairly generally accessible as well. I don't know if this talk is "the same talk" as those ones, or if it's on a different subject. But it's all been billed as coming from the author of The Elegant Universe, so it's probably relatively similar.

[spoonless.livejournal.com]

I'd definitely go if I had the opportunity. He might not go over anything beyond what's in his book or the PBS special, but to me... it's often more enjoyable to see people speak in person. For the same reason you'd go listen to a band play live even though you already have the album. Anyway, it's your call. But I'm jealous.