‘The Universe Speaks in Numbers’ – Interview 5

EDWARD WITTEN

Edward Witten is widely regarded as the pre-eminent theoretical physicist of the past four decades. Based at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, he has made dozens of path-breaking contributions to both physics and mathematics. In this interview with Graham, recorded last summer, Witten chatted about his singular career path, how he became interested in advanced mathematics only when he was in his 20s, his thinking about the state fundamental physics and its foreseeable future.

This is the fifth of twenty interviews given by world-class experts to Graham on some of the themes he explores in The Universe Speaks in Numbers. A new interview will be posted weekly.

Among the interviewees are Nima Arkani-Hamed, Michael Atiyah, Ruth Britto, Simon Donaldson, Freeman Dyson, Michael Green, Juan Maldacena, Michaela Massimi, Martin Rees, Simon Schaffer and Lenny Susskind.