Our present understanding of space, time, and the gravitational force is grounded in Einstein’s general theory of relativity, the apotheosis of classical physics. In contrast, matter and the other three known forces are best understood via the strikingly nonclassical and highly counterintuitive framework of quantum theory. Recent years have seen much work devoted to reconciling the two frameworks, and real progress has been made, notably in superstring theory and in nonperturbative quantum gravity. However, deep conceptual issues remain, and new issues have arisen. This workshop brings together physicists, philosophers, and mathematicians to grapple with these fundamental questions and develop a new theoretical framework which reconciles our understanding of space, time and gravity with our understanding of matter.
The first day of the workshop, Wednesday, June 16, will consist of four talks which are open to the general public. The following three days, Thursday, June 17 through Saturday, June 19, will consist of workshop discussions on various topics. Members of the UBC community and others wishing to attend some or all of these discussions should contact one of the organizers in advance, as space is limited.
June 17-19 workshop schedule and list of registered participants.
Directions to workshop.
The workshop is sponsored by the Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies at the University of British Columbia, in conjunction with the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research.
| Dr. Steven Weinstein | Prof. Steven Savitt | Prof. William Unruh |
| Depts. of Philosophy and Physics | Dept. of Philosophy | Dept. of Physics |
| Email: sw@interchange.ubc.ca | Email: savitt@interchange.ubc.ca | Email:  |
| Phone: 604.822.4939 |