Math meets music: the surprising symmetry of string theory and Schoenberg

What do the works of an early 20^th century composer have in common with the theoretical physics concept of supersymmetry?

Let Dr. S. James Gates Jr., string theorist and science advisor to President Barack Obama, fill you in.

On Wednesday June 4, 2014, as part of Perimeter Institute’s Public Lecture Series presented by Sun Life Financial, Gates will take live and online audiences on a journey “From the Mathematics of Supersymmetry to the Music of Arnold Schoenberg.” The talk will help demystify supersymmetry – a core theory of fundamental physics – by drawing an unexpected analogy to the dodecaphony technique invented by Austrian composer Arnold Schoenberg.

Gates is the John S. Toll Professor of Physics at the University of Maryland, the Director of the String and Particle Theory Center, and a Distinguished Visiting Research Chair at Perimeter Institute (PI). He is known for his work on supersymmetry, supergravity, and superstring theory, as well as his numerous appearances on NOVA PBS programs, including “The Elegant Universe” and “The Fabric of the Cosmos.”

In addition to his research, Gates serves on the US President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, and previously served on the Maryland State Board of Education, Society for Science & the Public’s board of trustees, and as president of the National Society of Black Physicists.

In 2013, he was elected to the National Academy of Sciences, becoming the first African-American physicist so recognized in its 150-year history. Also in 2013, President Obama awarded Gates the National Medal of Science, the highest award given to American scientists.

Gates’ PI Public Lecture will be webcast live on Wednesday June 4, 2014 at 7:00 PM ET. Online viewers can pose questions to Gates by tweeting @Perimeter using the hashtag #piLIVE. Click here to sign up to receive an email reminder about the live webcast.

You can view past PI Public Lectures and events online, and find further details about PI’s research, training, and outreach activities at http://www.perimeterinstitute.ca.

LIVE WEBCAST DETAILS

What: S. James Gates Jr., From the Mathematics of Supersymmetry to the Music of Arnold Schoenberg
When: Wednesday, June 4, 7:00 PM ET
Where: Live at Perimeter Institute, webcast online at http://www.perimeterinstitute.ca
Click here to sign up to receive an email reminder about the live webcast
Pose questions for Gates by tweeting @Perimeter using the hashtag #piLIVE
More info: http://www.perimeterinstitute.ca/outreach/general-public/public-lecture-series

À propos de l’IP

L'Institut Périmètre est le plus grand centre de recherche en physique théorique au monde. Fondé en 1999, cet institut indépendant vise à favoriser les percées dans la compréhension fondamentale de notre univers, des plus infimes particules au cosmos tout entier. Les recherches effectuées à l’Institut Périmètre reposent sur l'idée que la science fondamentale fait progresser le savoir humain et catalyse l'innovation, et que la physique théorique d'aujourd'hui est la technologie de demain. Situé dans la région de Waterloo, cet établissement sans but lucratif met de l'avant un partenariat public-privé unique en son genre avec entre autres les gouvernements de l'Ontario et du Canada. Il facilite la recherche de pointe, forme la prochaine génération de pionniers de la science et communique le pouvoir de la physique grâce à des programmes primés d'éducation et de vulgarisation.