Comments on: Talking Heads On Strings http://asymptotia.com/2006/08/15/talking-heads-on-strings/ Mon, 08 Sep 2008 13:25:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: All Done - Asymptotia http://asymptotia.com/2006/08/15/talking-heads-on-strings/#comment-418 All Done - Asymptotia Fri, 18 Aug 2006 15:24:08 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2006/08/15/talking-heads-on-strings/#comment-418 [...] There were several excellent questions, which included staying after the lecture answering several questions into the night. A worthwhile evening, it must be said. If interested, in addition to the TV interview already showing daily since Wednesday, there are several opportunities to see the entire talk on Grassroots TV starting this weekend (check their online schedule for times). You can even order DVD’s of either program from them and they will mail them out to you. ($20 each, apparently.) [...] [...] There were several excellent questions, which included staying after the lecture answering several questions into the night. A worthwhile evening, it must be said. If interested, in addition to the TV interview already showing daily since Wednesday, there are several opportunities to see the entire talk on Grassroots TV starting this weekend (check their online schedule for times). You can even order DVD’s of either program from them and they will mail them out to you. ($20 each, apparently.) [...]

]]> By: Clifford http://asymptotia.com/2006/08/15/talking-heads-on-strings/#comment-329 Clifford Wed, 16 Aug 2006 02:19:27 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2006/08/15/talking-heads-on-strings/#comment-329 Roughly: think of "vacuum" as "solution of the equations". Such a solution corresponds to a possible world, with particles at low energy, their masses, interactions, etc. The issue is to find one which corresponds to the world we live in. "Vacua" then refers to many such solutions. Please see the <a href="http://cosmicvariance.com/2005/08/14/the-landscape-for-real-this-time/" rel="nofollow">Landscape post</a> that I keep referring to, which I wrote last year, for more information. If I may be so bold (and annoying), "vacuum" meaning "suction device for cleaning up something" or for in fact the act of "cleaning up something" is in fact a common abuse of language common in the USA, the term "hoover" is used similarly in the UK. A bit better is "vacuum cleaner", .... since a more accurate term like "air pressure differential cleaner" would never catch on. :-) Cheers, -cvj Roughly: think of “vacuum” as “solution of the equations”. Such a solution corresponds to a possible world, with particles at low energy, their masses, interactions, etc. The issue is to find one which corresponds to the world we live in.

“Vacua” then refers to many such solutions. Please see the Landscape post that I keep referring to, which I wrote last year, for more information.

If I may be so bold (and annoying), “vacuum” meaning “suction device for cleaning up something” or for in fact the act of “cleaning up something” is in fact a common abuse of language common in the USA, the term “hoover” is used similarly in the UK. A bit better is “vacuum cleaner”, …. since a more accurate term like “air pressure differential cleaner” would never catch on. :-)

Cheers,

-cvj

]]> By: Pyracantha http://asymptotia.com/2006/08/15/talking-heads-on-strings/#comment-328 Pyracantha Wed, 16 Aug 2006 01:45:59 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2006/08/15/talking-heads-on-strings/#comment-328 Greetings Clifford: One term that keeps cropping up in discussions of string theory and the "landscape" is VACUA. What are they? The word is plural of "vacuum" but I suspect that it doesn't clean up anything. A related word is "vacation" which is what I'm doing right now, photographing and drawing landscapes in central Pennsylvania. But these landscapes are definitely terrestrial. Yours from ELECTRON BLUE, Pyracantha Greetings Clifford:

One term that keeps cropping up in discussions of string theory and the “landscape” is VACUA. What are they? The word is plural of “vacuum” but I suspect that it doesn’t clean up anything. A related word is “vacation” which is what I’m doing right now, photographing and drawing landscapes in central Pennsylvania. But these landscapes are definitely terrestrial.

Yours from ELECTRON BLUE,

Pyracantha

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