Edward Witten: On the Shoulders of Giants

Acknowledging the scientists who blazed intellectual trails before him, Isaac Newton wrote, “If I have seen a little further it was by standing on the shoulders of giants.” In this special annual series, we invite our audience to stand on the shoulders of a modern-day giant.
In 2015, we were honored to present an address by a titan of physics, Edward Witten. Professor Witten is a leading light of superstring theory and the only physicist to have won the vaunted Fields Medal, mathematics' highest honor. Known for advancing a number of novel approaches in mathematics and physics, Witten opened up new vistas in 1995 when he unified five seemingly competing superstring theories into M-theory, which seeks to unify Einstein’s general theory of relativity with quantum mechanics.
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PARTICIPANT: Edward Witten
PROGRAM DATE: Saturday, May 30, 2015
Nature Rhymes. 00:00
Waves. 1:00
Progress from the 17th century 6:55
Kinetic energy and the distance from the sun. 11:58
Lagrangian mechanics 16:09
Richard Feynman contributions to physics 22:45
The world line of a particle. 28:00
Newton and Einstein working together. 37:03
What if string theory is correct? 44:44

[@WorldScienceFestival]

Hello, KZbinrs. The World Science Festival is looking for enthusiastic translation ambassadors for its KZbin translation project. To get started, all you need is a Google account. Check out Edward Witten: On the Shoulders of Giants to see how the process works: kzbin.info_video?ref=share&v=2UQ8teAebcg To create your translation, just type along with the video and save when done. Check out the full list of programs that you can contribute to here: kzbin.info_cs_panel?c=UCShHFwKyhcDo3g7hr4f1R8A&tab=2 The World Science Festival strives to cultivate a general public that's informed and awed by science. Thanks to your contributions, we can continue to share the wonder of scientific discoveries with the world.

[@kyeterrance6288]

i guess it is quite off topic but do anyone know a good site to stream newly released tv shows online ?

[@estebanterrance5023]

@Kye Terrance Flixportal =)

[@kyeterrance6288]

@Esteban Terrance thank you, I went there and it seems like they got a lot of movies there :) I really appreciate it !

[@estebanterrance5023]

@Kye Terrance glad I could help =)

[@edsonpledger2861]

Me

[@tonyfoxxbuilds1920]

Who else is here from a Joe Rogan podcast? I'd love to hear more lectures from this man. The way he describes physics with ease is kind of relaxing.

[@rodnee2340]

You got me. I just had to see for myself. I hope my brain doesn't explode.🤣

[@csr5139]

Same here 😂

[@76dozier]

Yep, just saw a Joe Rohan short saying this guy is the Michael Jordan of Physics!!!

[@xaviermateman4585]

I am a member brother

[@agist007]

Yep

[@kennethstrand7577]

Its incredible how precise he is in his words and phrasings, its like he says all and only the exactly correct thing.

[@sibbyeskie]

Always pictured Witten as a sort of Ivory Tower figure, solemnly churning out technical papers. Turns out he is actually a terrific engaging communicator.

[@mojowolf5597]

Hahahahaaha...sure, he is a regular smooth talker!

[@A_Frog_from_mars12]

His public speaking skills are made even more impressive because hes most likely autistic. You can see it in his mannerisms in the 1 on 1 interviews. His body language is very stiff, he always Is looking down at the floor avoiding eye contact.

[@feynmanschwingere_mc2270]

He's an incredible mind. The closest thing we have to Einstein (albeit not quite at that level) imo. True genius. He studied history and journalism too; i think he may have dabbled in linguistics as well. He seems very well read.

[@stianaslaksen5799]

Edward Witten is a master speaker. In his entire talk there is not a single "eeh" or "umm", or any other disturbances that creep into normal peoples speech. A pleasure to listen to.

[@executivesteps]

Seriously? Yes he replaced them all with “so”.

[@BoRisMc]

you wanna check Robert Sapolsky to see what a master speaker is man.

[@SFTbeats]

He does say umm and even an uhh in the first minute.

[@zackwentworth2653]

He stumbled over his words more than a 13 year old boy talking to his biggest crush 😂

[@Its0kToBeWhite]

5:26

[@astraldreamhead193]

im mesmerized by this gentleman, the way he talks is so intelligent, and the tone and meter is so lovely

[@WARDISWARD]

he could work a bit on his intonation

[@TwelfthRoot2]

If he changed his intonation then it would be just like everyone else, boring. Once you accept his intonation and try to see where it comes from then things become a little more interesting. Hell do you think Christopher Walken would have been famous if it wasn’t for his strange intonation?

[@elidrissii]

Unarguably the greatest living physicist. And great lecturer and expositor too it seems.

[@elidrissii]

@@someone1059 No.

[@michaelscott5653]

I would say he's the greatest _mathematical_ physicist today.

[@macysondheim]

Un-arguably*

[@macysondheim]

@@elidrissii No

[@27dforce]

Nope, anyone that still believes in string theory or Ed's theory, M theory, isn't the greatest!!!

[@DrDave21]

The look on his face at 29:36: "Shit, how can I explain this to a room full of apes..."

[@Dr.scottcase88]

It is so refreshing to listen to professor Witten, speak in terminology that is clear and understandable to delay person. So often in his mathematical lectures, he can speak for over an hour long, and I am unable to understand a single sentence in the lecture.

[@BadAss_691]

Most physics students are also lay to his work, this is reality…

[@____uncompetative]

"to the layperson"

[@deeliciousplum]

Professor Edward Witten is a living pioneer. Always a joy to explore this gentleman's thoughts and inquiries.

[@thlee3]

anyone else looking for videos of this man making an academic opponent weep and cry

[@tombeatty4792]

I read an article about Witten in the 1980's, I think. It may have been in Discover magazine. The writer said that when very prominent physicists met him for the first time, some of whom thought they might win a Nobel eventually, they just gave up on the dream on the spot. They realized that Witten was so far ahead of them that they didn't stand a chance. This would happen at dinner parties!

[@ypey1]

He is capable i just know it😅

[@neilmcintosh5150]

Probably the smartest guy in the world alive today

[@billy-joes6851]

Nope, Chomsky is.

[@neilmcintosh5150]

Bill Hampton No you're mistaken. Witten is.

[@masterchef1837]

+Neil McIntosh Even though it looks like supersymmetry is dead, something he was a big supporter of?

[@PaulDiracTWR]

+Bill Hampton hahaha good joke man, made my day.

[@neuralvibes]

Not so sure about that. Many modern-day physicists are surprisingly ignorant about basic philosophical issues and you cannot really be considered smart, let aalone the smartest, if you lack a solid philosophical foundation upon which you base your reasoning. On the other hand, if you only have in mind formulaic and mathematical smarts then a large number of mathematicians would have to be in contention for the title.

[@max123559]

THIS man should be a celebrity

[@marksw5499]

Absolutely he should. But don't bet on it. People are WAY too damn stupid to fully appreciate people like him. Instead, they'd rather look up to the Kardashians.

[@jamesodin1990]

Mark SW same as china

[@bhavikyadav7495]

@@marksw5499 I think people love Niel Tyson much more than Edward witten and Brian Greene

[@frankienorthtroptriton4771]

@Harsh Raval and he’d interrupt Ed the entire time

[@AWAB55]

@Divyanshu Pandey well explain why do you think he’s an idiot?

[@miscibi]

Again, perfect timing! Just when I needed to see some more from Ed Witten! :) Thank you for making these sorts of presentations available!

[@ro4eva]

Maybe it's just me, but his voice and articulation are almost soothing when wearing noise-cancelling headphones. I could comfortably fall asleep listening to him speak - that's meant to be complimentary (for the record).

[@tombeatty4792]

Yes. ASMR physics.

[@kuribojim3916]

I am in awe of this remarkable man. His obvious intellect, clarity, and gentle tone of voice are a pleasure to behold.

[@scriabiniste]

Wow: this is really brilliant, even to a layman like me. And how smart was Feynman? Unbelievable.

[@paulmichaelfreedman8334]

Ed Witten has a more or less confirmed IQ of > 200. What's in a name, eh?

[@ryanrj7500]

This guy takes raw intelligence to the next level. Wish I could borrow his brain just to see the world from his perspective.

[@balf8215]

And then get back to "average". No thanks :)

[@thepowerman8952]

@@balf8215 Narcissist.

[@aristotle4048]

Witten has always been a role model of mine, and a true giant in his own right.

[@tattoomas]

he s so hypnotic 🤩 could listen to him talk al day "using the human language" perfectly effortless

[@charleshultquist9233]

One of the best descriptions I've seen.

[@ggrthemostgodless8713]

I am compatible with this guy's sense of humor... he is so subtle.

[@anubha1981]

His interpretation and birds eye view is exhilarating

[@garymastin5581]

Fortunately Ed has been a star almost since post grad and because so I have watched probably 20 talks by him. ❤

[@bryan3dguitar]

The audio levels change when he approaches the "live" microphone at the podium - while still using his wireless, lapel microphone. Does anyone notice this in the auditorium?

[@forsak3nkill3r]

Wish they gave him another hour or two so he could fully explain everything without feeling short on time. Great video though.

[@sparhopper]

Shame on the videographer(s) and/or the editors that _failed_ in keeping up with properly showing his slides!

[@FernandoDeLeon]

He is in the league of Newton and Einstein

[@surfermx]

in math he could be even better than Newton and Einstein 😆

[@gru8212]

+Fernando De Leon he is probably challenger

[@junior3082]

Maybe intellectually, but until his theories are proven like their theories were, he can't be viewed in the same light.

[@MARKCREEKWATER1]

I agree: I have much more respect for Dr. Witten after viewing some of his videos, mainly due to his clear and logical descriptions of the history of physics, but I still believe that "string theory" is bunk .....

[@spencerallbritton9459]

Newton is in a class all by himself. There can only be one first. He was the primary builder of modern physics. He also did practically all of his work by himself, and the bulk of his work in a two year span. To top it off, he spent most of his time with alchemy and looking for secret messages and codes in the Bible. Who knows how much more he would have discovered had he devoted his entire life to science.

[@markkennedy9767]

What I find is he is so easy to follow. I don't know if this is because of his unusual delivery which I first found slightly jarring but now is actually just really nice to listen to. Even compelling. Really interesting and brilliant guy.

[@stevemenegaz9824]

Incredibly insightful.

[@ashishkiift]

Privileged to live during the time of Ed Witten ! Wish the cameraman was zooming in on the screen as Ed spoke. Such a shoddy job !

[@jacknicklin953]

Wonderful, thank you.

[@twistedmezelf]

This was the 4th time i watched this talk from start to finish and still i have a hard time wraping my mind around the ideas proposed

[@onebraid]

I would suggest watching the excellent NOVA series called "The Elegant Universe". It's a big time commitment, but it will prim you for Witten-level talks.

[@twistedmezelf]

John Mitchell Do you have an idea what will prepare me? cause i want to be prepared to understand the near future if only to join the existential crisis that follows :P

[@xkCD_cmpnt]

twistedmezelf Sorry late for the reply but you'll need a lot of maths mainly in the fields of Algebra which includes Abstract, Linear and Lie Algebras lots of Algebraic Topology and Algebraic Geometry and sound understanding of Manifold Theory and Lie Groups and that just the Math part. For the Physics prerequisite you'll need sound understanding of Graduate level Physics which involves lots of GR and QFT , after that you can sufficiently ( although with a bit of hassle here and there) understand Wittens work on M Theory and follow papers from other great string theorist like Nimbu, Sen and Randall.

[@jondury9450]

Wow, Steve Weinberg and Ed Witten in a same room.

[@michaelcrawford310]

Watched a lot of these lectures. About time to fire the entire sound team.

[@1966Cliffy]

Yes, many comments on the brilliance of the man, and they the Festival gets a couple of media undergrads on comms. - pathetic!

[@Lord_Vadr]

Would love to sit down and have his ear for a conversation. A lot of ideas to discover as well as scrutinize.

[@TomHamilton221155]

excellent communicator of the complex.

[@DanHowardMtl]

Show the slides maybe?

[@psybin]

+Dan Howard The ones that have pictures are shown, the rest are just text of what he's saying.

[@DanHowardMtl]

Psybin Okee Dokee.

[@scepticalchymist]

@@psybin Maybe, but in science it is common to show the science and not the presenter, since the facts are important and not the guy. The guy is anyhow well known from one picture at the start, but the formulas etc. are important.

[@goldenphoenixpublish]

Some 20 minutes in, Ed begins to describe how every path a particle can take is possible -- if not necessarily probable. Perhaps one way of explaining this is to say that "Everything in the Universe connects to everything else." Essentially in each and every "instant" of time (understood as a "moment of change") all universal influences converge on the particle -- a particle which itself is in unity with all other particles. The law of efficiency simply summarizes all such influences and 'determines' the particle's path through the greater unity of all things. Of course, this explains why the double-slit experiment gives such surprising results. The investigator's presence is also a factor. (A presence that itself does not exist in isolation from all things either...)

[@adrianwright8685]

Sydney Coleman: "The career of a young theoretical physicist consists of treating the harmonic oscillator in ever-increasing levels of abstraction."

[@shengxianzhao272]

A brilliant man,maybe one of the greatest mathematical physicists in history.

[@jame2182]

Fascinating

[@KatrinaDancer]

I take exception to him saying there will only be a few equations. I'm here 4 the math! More math please 😁

[@nictrent3790]

The movie Everything, Everywhere, All at Once makes total sense now :D

[@anunusualnick8340]

I have a question. If this string theory is supposed to be the ultimate theory of the universe. Then what are these strings made of?

[@bspain1637]

Dehydrated spittle of the vanquished...

[@orkhanhuseynli7668]

They are pure energy with geometric shapes

[@SenorAhole]

Amazing man, M theory is brilliant theory!

[@paulmichaelfreedman8334]

Yes brilliant math work. But string theory has a lot of problems. There's still no way of testing the theory, and the Standard model is basically complete - including all evidence of existence being of > 5 Sigma significance. The untestability says something about a theory. The math, as said is brilliant and Witten just saw the common components of 5 different string theories and combined them into one (Due to the complexity it required a mathematician with extreme intelligence to solve). That is pure math magic and has nothing to do with presenting any evidence or proof that string theory is correct. Bottom line: Witten made string theory "Elegant" with M theory, but that does in no way prove it - it is still likely it is completely wrong with respect to what it represents.

[@steamerwon]

Very interesting BUT... I wish people who make these videos show the SLIDES that the commentator is continually referring to.. WE all know what the speaker looks like but the information on the slides is often not displayed either at all or only for a brief time... Sooooo pleeeez let us see more of the slides......................

[@priyabratadash4542]

thank u so much WSF .. i was wandering why he has not been invited yet.. it was a great talk

[@lawrencewamithi4430]

During a physics conference many of the physicist ranked witter to newton and Einstein

[@andrewcoursaris5063]

Hes very eccentric likeable and very smart

[@tofu8688]

Damn you might as well blow him while you’re at it

[@srikanthtupurani6316]

The greatest mathematical physicist of all time. No doubt about this. He is frightening like hell. The way he writes equations it appears as if it is some joke for him. The kind of math he knows there are very few people who can come close to witten.

[@allgoodwithme3290]

This comment is so stupid! Largely because it idolises and isolates what is significant from the rest making the assumption that the rest lacks the required knowledge or propensity for that knowledge.

[@user-qu8tq6nt8g]

Terence Tao is better.

[@nicholasdamjanovich4686]

Perhaps we will never be able to comprehend how to unify big and small because our perspective of big is limited by how small we are relative to the true size of the Universe/the bit we can see. The earth appears flat until you comprehend that the size difference between us and the earth helps us to have that disillusionment. Perhaps, we are atoms relative to the grand perspective of all that truly exists in the Universe and not just the observable universe. We cannot possibly comprehend the scale of perspective necessary to unify all Physics into one seamless thing. We can only touch on the parts that we are able to see. Three blind men and an elephant.

People like him make me proud as a human. Thanks, Edward witten for your hard work.

[@kavalkid1]

Wonderful! Oh, my _____ The observation of quantum entanglement may be our hint into the 4 dimensional geometry we seek. The geometric structures we do perceive are viewed from a higher dimensional vantage point. We are viewing entanglement from a dimension below the state this phenomenon exists in. Perhaps it is more a palindrome than a rhyme that can be used to see the commonalities from the inside out. Any entangled pair may be the pushpin or anchor. Any entangled pair exist at the same "place" in 4 dimensional geometry. The Delayed Choice experiment may be our access point.

[@ravishingrickyrude303]

How much information does it take to be above probability ?

[@Herbert2892]

I wish SO MUCH that this video had "non generated" english subs! I know how to read but my english hearing is not so good...

[@luiz5411]

Hey camera man we can hear the speaker but rarely see the slides. keep up the good work.

[@daleminkel2816]

We are all here because of the funnel theory. We started at Joe Rogan interviewing Eric Weinstein and were immediately funneled through KZbin where we each clung to a Witten video probably predetermined initially by the KZbin algorithm and finally our personal preference for the length of the video.

[@superscienceshow]

the slides they don't show are text of what he is saying. that is how he rolls

[@JamesEIvoryIII]

“History doesn't repeat itself, but it sure does rhyme”. -Mark Twain 😉

[@Wasteomindy]

Where are slides? :\

[@johnfarris6152]

He almost broke the CC. So far Feynman has been spelled, Fineman and Phiman along with Feynman.

[@PistonDriven]

When every sentence is a world, undiscovered..

[@anaccount8474]

I do appreciate what an intellectual supergiant he is but it's telling that he's won the Fields Medal but never been awared a Nobel Prize. He's more of a mathematician than a physicist.

[@tarekazzam389]

Thomas Young visited Goettingen (in the 1600 or 1700s?) and stayed in the former Egyptology- and Orientalism-House at Prinznstr. in Downtown Goettingen.

[@someluke005]

Why so few slides shown??

[@milkymodi6264]

Doesn’t a string need tension in order to vibrate ?

[@mitchellhayman381]

Amazing man. Imagine a world where everyone was as highly evolved as this.

[@hshdhdbnd]

I wonder if we could have a three-dimensional random quantum geometry to get closer to a four-dimensional random quantum geometry (involving space and time). Wouldn't that 3 dimensional theory be an upgrade from String Theory which is a two-dimensional random geometry?

[@suesimmons926]

I was wondering the same thing ... two dimensions of space and one of time.

[@2000coco]

This brilliant man👏👏😍😍

[@NothingMaster]

Witten was a history buff, long before he was a physicist.

[@deeplearningpartnership]

He's brilliant.

[@odnewdylee]

2:42: wouldn't that establish light moves as a wave, as water does. Water moves as a wave, electromagnetism moves as a wave right?

[@mikelis106]

this man´s voice is a mixture on the voice of an angel mixed with that of a computer.

[@ExMachina70]

Oh great! They're grading on a curve! Oh crap! Did Edward Witten sign up for this class too?

[@ilanpi]

“If I have not seen as far as others, it is because giants were standing on my shoulders.” -Hal Abelson

[@funmeister]

To lecture/presentation video uploaders: Please stop showing only the presenter and failing to show the slides!

[@TutorSAT]

YEAH I agree with Bill Watson below.

[@advaitrahasya]

A century of these mathematical models. Chronocentric Atomism is exactly analogous to Geocentricism in pre-Copernican astronomy. Manage that, take an overview on the currently popular models as each being a "blind man's report of the elephant" … and understanding most of the puzzles, problems and anomalies becomes trivial. Just as escaping geocentricism made understanding the epicyclic motions relative to a view from planet Earth… quite trivial.

[@travisfitzwater8093]

I think the Quantum Field Elemental Point (FEPs or Feptons) -whose size cannot be measured directly but only ever by inference with regard to its behaviors when interacting with other Feptons) always prefers interaction when possible. Like in the crudely analogous situation of a child's carnival bounce house or a large trampoline with 4 iron weights placed equidistantly on the surface and 300 magnets from 1/2 centimeters to 4 centimeters in size randomly and carefully scattered across the surface. Some will initially fall towards a weight others will land in the interstitial space. When the surface is carefully agitated, say by the introduction of three chipmunks to it: the agitation by their scurrying will cause the magnets to migrate -variously, but not precisely predictably- towards one or another of the weights where they will bind and remain stationary until three Golden Retrievers are permitted to trapse about the surface in which case the iron weights may clump variously together or into a singularity of them all.

[@Leopar525]

What?

[@travisfitzwater8093]

@@Leopar525 Yo, I was trippin'. I was dreaming when I wrote that and I think that it went astray. But when I woke up this mornin' Could've sworn it was judgment day The sky was all purple There were people runnin' everywhere Tryin' to run from the destruction You know I didn't even care 'Cause they say two thousand zero zero Party over, oops out of time So tonight I'm gonna party like it's 1999 I was dreamin' when I wrote this So sue me if I go too fast But life is just a party And parties weren't meant to last War is all around us My mind says prepare to fight So if I gotta die I'm gonna listen to my body tonight Yeah, they say two thousand zero zero Party over, oops out of time So tonight I'm gonna party like it's 1999 Yeah, yeah Lemme tell ya somethin' If you didn't come to party Don't bother knockin' on my door I got a lion in my pocket And baby he's ready to roar, yeah yeah Everybody's got a bomb We could all die here today, uhh But before I'll let that happen I'll dance my life away, oh They say two thousand zero zero Party over, oops out of time We're runnin' outta time So tonight we gonna, we gonna (tonight I'm gonna party like it's 1999) Say it one more time Two thousand zero zero Yeah, yeah Party over, oops out of time So tonight we gonna, we gonna (tonight I'm gonna party like it's 1999) 1999 (1999) Don't ya want to go (1999) Don't ya want to go (1999) We could all die here today (1999) I don't want to die I'd rather dance my life away by

[@ulriklm1]

A great mathmatichian

[@paulgets2737]

' On the Shoulders of Giants' ? Edward Witten is undoubtley the greatest living theoretical physicist of the World. But it is overstatement to compare him to Isaac Newton. At least until his M-Theory will be proved a true physical theory. If ever...

[@whocares1409]

This guy should have his own TV Series. Probably the greatest physicist alive today.

[@thecollageman3290]

Checking all things at all times without time to get the best result.

[@Evan2718281828]

Didn't know Riemann tried to describe gravity in terms of curvature but only of space and not time.

[@peterkovacs8876]

there are a lot of popular media physicist (Brian Green, Max Tegmark, Tyson, etc) but the most most most most biggest MIND is WITTEN

[@shuddles08]

Everyone commenting is very very smart

[@callmedeno]

So far is string theory still likely to be correct or has it ran into trouble?

[@edwardjones2202]

Not just an ivory tower guy He wrote a bunch of public letters protesting the Israeli imprisonment of a Palestinian physicist

[@romyou3788]

This man is easily the most brilliant physicist in the world

[@Tuntum1804]

With Brian Greene

[@aidanhall6679]

@@Tuntum1804 Brian Greene would find your comment hilarious

[@christianforts458]

With NDT too

[@unsub8924]

Edward Witten's cadence feels as if my dad was speaking to me.

[@jackhammer6963]

Is there am age where you are to old for this to have an effect or does your age not matter?? Also how do you find out where the moon was when you were born? How do you determine when you should be saving your self and how long does this period last??

[@twoscoops1509]

I've always wanted to give him a hug. Edward witton is my hero from since i was a small child. I love how he explains the most complex concepts. His books are even better.

[@fahimullah8490]

He never wrote books for laymen. Lol

[@abdusabdud8218]

which planet are you from?

[@Texastomfoolery]

I sure wish he'd talk about the advanced stuff

[@1artillery1]

I think space is never totally empty.

[@JyoPari]

Wow...

[@Dexduzdiz]

What's his instagram?

[@vigo47]

This is how a physicist explains physics for laymen not like Eric Weinstein.

[@gordonwilson2430]

Or as physicist Sidney Coleman once said, "If I have seen farther than others, it is because I stood between the shoulders of dwarves."

[@jefferylubinski528]

Who remembers Charles proteus steinmetz?