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Lee Smolin
Sign in to saveAmerican theoretical physicist (born 1955)
Person · Open Library
- Born
- 1955
- Works
- 13
Top works
- What Are You Optimistic About?
- Wu li xue de kun huo
- Trzy drogi do kwantowej grawitacji
- La revolución inacabada de Einstein
- The trouble with physics
via Open Library + Wikidata
Listeners · Last.fm
- Listeners
- 462
- Total plays
- 852
<a href="https://www.last.fm/music/Lee+Smolin">Read more on Last.fm</a>
Recent publications · Crossref
5 total works indexed
- Development of the Colle-Salvetti correlation-energy formula into a functional of the electron density
· 1988 · cited 94,865x
- Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies.
· 2003 · cited 64,890x
- SciPy 1.0: fundamental algorithms for scientific computing in Python
· 2020 · cited 34,528x
- Coefficient Alpha and the Internal Structure of Tests
· 1951 · cited 29,375x
- Particle mesh Ewald: An <i>N</i>⋅log(<i>N</i>) method for Ewald sums in large systems
· 1993 · cited 29,220x
via Crossref · CC0
Quotes
- “Is the flow of time something real, or might our sense of time passing be just an illusion that hides the fact that what is real is only a vast collection of memories?”
- “The five big questions in physics1. How to unify quantum theory and gravity?2. Does quantum mechanics really make sense?3. Unify the different forces and particles4. What sets the masses of the particles?5. What are the dark matter and energy?”
- “Rule I: Except during a measurement, the wave evolves smoothly and deterministically, like a wave on water. ...Rule II: During a measurement of position, the wave collapses around the position where it is seen, with a probability proportional to the square of the height of the wave, before the collapse. ...In fact the two rules seem to contradict each other.”
- “The first principle of cosmology must be 'There is nothing outside the universe'. This is not to exclude religion or mysticism... But if it is knowledge that we desire... we need to seek answers to questions about the things we can see... only things that exist in the universe.”
- “There is no meaning to space that is independent of the relationships among real things of the world. ...Space is nothing apart from the things that exist. ...If we take out all the words we are not left with an empty sentence, we are left with nothing.”
- “The geometry of space changes when things in the universe change their relationships to one another.”
via Wikiquote · CC BY-SA
Key facts
- Born
- ( 1955-06-06 ) June 6, 1955 (age 71) , New York City, US
- Education
- Hampshire College (B.A.) , Harvard University (A.M., Ph.D)
- Known for
- Cosmological natural selection , Loop quantum gravity , Criticism of string theory
- Relatives
- David M. Smolin (brother)
- Awards
- Majorana Prize (2007), Klopsteg Memorial Award (2009), Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2013)
- Fields
- Physics , Cosmology
- Institutions
- Perimeter Institute , University of Waterloo
- Doctoral advisor
- Sidney Coleman , Stanley Deser
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Official website
- leesmolin.com
- Image
- LeeSmolinAtHarvard.JPG
Show 3 more facts
- Commons category
- Lee Smolin
- date of birth
- 1955-06-06
- name in native language
- Lee Smolin
Sources (2)
via Wikidata · CC0
~17 min read
Article
Lee Smolin (/ˈsmoʊlɪn/; born June 6, 1955) is an American theoretical physicist, a founding member of the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, an adjunct professor of physics at the University of Waterloo, and a member of the graduate faculty of the philosophy department at the University of Toronto. Smolin's 2006 book The Trouble with Physics criticized string theory's viability. He has made contributions to quantum gravity theory, in particular the approach known as loop quantum gravity. He advocates that the two primary approaches to quantum gravity, loop quantum gravity and string theory, can be reconciled as different aspects of the same underlying theory. He also advocates an alternative view on space and time that he calls temporal naturalism. His research interests also include cosmology, elementary particle theory, the foundations of quantum mechanics, and theoretical biology.
Early life and education