Why Quantum Gravity Is Different

All of the fundamental forces of nature follow the laws of quantum mechanics, except one: gravity. Incorporating gravity with the electromagnetic, weak and strong forces into a single model is one of the greatest challenges facing modern physics.

In this lecture, Jared Kaplan will explain why unifying quantum mechanics with gravity requires a radically new perspective on nature. He’ll outline how physicists have successfully followed a reductionist program to build the Standard Model, which describes all of the other known forces of nature. He’ll then explain why black hole thermodynamics and other considerations have led to the idea of “holography,” which suggests that some of the universe’s dimensions may be, on a fundamental level, an approximation and an illusion.