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Hello, The following event may be of interest to you: String Theory:The Only Game In Town? Friday, December 1, 2017 String theory's roots date back to the 1960's in attempts to determine the nature of the strong interaction using S-matrix techniques. The goal was to "bootstrap" to a nearly unique theory using a small, simple set of physical principles, and avoiding the use of quantum fields entirely. Many beautiful results emerged, but the program ultimately fizzled with the success of quantum chromodynamics (QCD). String theory however, has always remained deeply connected to the S-matrix approach and recent developments have inspired a renewed interest in the S-matrix, particularly as a tool for constraining the possible quantum field theories that might be consistently completed into a theory of quantum gravity at high enough energies. In this talk, I will provide an overview of key developments early in the formulation of string theory and describe some exciting new no-go results that have emerged hinting that string theory may indeed be "the only game in town" (modulo important assumptions!). Time: 12:00 pm EST/GMT-5 Location: Hegeman 107 Sponsor: Physics Program Contact: Paul Cadden-Zimansky. E-mail: [email protected] Phone: 845-758-7584 If you would like to see more events please visit the following URL: http://www.bard.edu/academics/programs/physics/events/