AaS! 169: What Is Loop Quantum Gravity?

Ask a Spaceman!

Paul M. Sutter

Astrophysics, Science, Cosmos, Holes, Black, Astronomy, Natural Sciences, Universe, Cosmology, Space, Physics

4.8 • 853 Ratings

🗓️ 1 February 2022

⏱️ 40 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Why do we care about loop quantum gravity? Is it a viable path to uniting quantum mechanics and general relativity? What does it mean for spacetime to be discrete? I discuss these questions and more in today’s Ask a Spaceman!

Support the show: http://www.patreon.com/pmsutter
All episodes: http://www.AskASpaceman.com

Follow on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/PaulMattSutter
Like on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PaulMattSutter
Watch on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/PaulMSutter

Read a book: http://www.pmsutter/book

Keep those questions about space, science, astronomy, astrophysics, physics, and cosmology coming to #AskASpaceman for COMPLETE KNOWLEDGE OF TIME AND SPACE!

Big thanks to my top Patreon supporters this month: Justin G, Chris L, Barbara K, Duncan M, Corey D, Justin Z, Nate H, Andrew F, Naila, Aaron S, Scott M, Rob H, Lowell T, Justin, Louis M, Paul G, John W, Alexis, Erin J, Jennifer M, Gilbert M, Tom B, Joshua, Curt M, David B, Frank T, Tim R, Tom Van S, Mark R, Alan B, Craig B, Richard K, Steve P, Dave L, Chuck C, Stephen M, Maureen R, Stace J, Neil P, lothian53, COTFM, Stephen S, Ken L, Debra S, Alberto M, Matt C, Ron S, Joe R, Jeremy K, David P, Ulfert B, Robert B, Fr. Bruce W, Nicolai B, Sean M, Edward K, Darren W, Tracy F, Sarah K, Bill H, Steven S, Ryan L, Ella F, Richard S, Sam R, Thomas K, James C, Jorg D, R Larche, Syamkumar M, John S, Fred S, Homer V, Mark D, Brianna V, Colin B, Bruce A, Steven M, Brent B, Bill E, Tim Z, Thomas W, Linda C, David W, Aissa F, Marc H, Avery P, Scott M, Katelyn, Thomas H, Farshad A, Matthias S, Kenneth D, Maureen R, Michael W, Scott W, David W, Neuterdude, Cha0sKami, Brett, Robert C, Matthew K, Robert B, Gary K, Stephen J, dhr18, Anna V, Johanna M, Matthew G, Paul & Giulia S, Dr. D, Ron D, Steven M, Louis M, and Michael C!

Thanks to Cathy Rinella for editing.

Hosted by Paul M. Sutter, astrophysicist and the one and only Agent to the Stars (http://www.pmsutter.com).

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Imagine you're watching a play or, or better yet, a musical.
0:13.7	Yeah, yeah, yeah, musical.
0:15.0	Let's call it Hamiltonian.
0:19.2	Yes, that is a terrible physics pun because Hamiltonian is a way to account for
0:25.2	the total energy of a system, especially used in quantum, you know, never mind. It's just,
0:31.1	if I have to explain the joke, it's a terrible joke, but it's my joke nonetheless. So Hamiltonian,
0:37.0	you're going to watch a musical called Hamiltonian.
0:39.5	And there's a bunch of actors.
0:41.4	And these are all quantum actors in this play.
0:44.9	You got your photons.
0:46.5	You've got your top quarks.
0:48.0	You've got your electrons.
0:49.3	You're pretty sure neutrinos are somewhere, but you can't really see them.
0:52.6	Just all the particles and the forces
0:56.1	that then make up existence are actors in this play and they've got a great musical number
1:02.5	that opens the second act is just amazing and where are they they're on a stage right and it's a
1:10.2	fixed immovable stage.
1:12.2	They walk and run and dance and sing and do all the other musical stuff on a stage.
1:18.2	This part is pretty obvious, but it's going to become less obvious as we go on.
1:22.6	Now, all the actors have their marks where important things happen.
1:26.1	These important things are events,
1:28.4	and there are special locations in time and space where important things happen.
	...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in -1113 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Paul M. Sutter, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Paul M. Sutter and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.