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Surfer stuns physicists with theory of everything and gets grant
Garrett Lisi epitomizes every suburban mom/high school teacher’s worst nightmare: a surfer living on the beach, doctorate in theoretical physics sitting on the shelf while he guides hikes and builds bridges, the possibility of being homeless next month pretty good. Well, think again! Lisi’s online article, “An Exceptionally Simple Theory of Everything,” has struck the scientific world like a lightening bolt, outlining a new theory of the universe based on the mathematical pattern E8. While former theories linked three of the four fundamental forces in the universe, Lisi’s model also incorporates the elusive force of gravity as well. “My brain exploded with the implications and the beauty of the thing…I thought: ‘Holy crap, that’s it!’” Duu-ude.
Last week, the Foundational Questions Institute (FQXi) announced it has awarded $2.7 million in grants to 33 researchers to study basic questions in physics and cosmology.
Among the grant winners was surfer/theoretical physicist A. Garrett Lisi (pictured), who made the news last year with an unpublished paper entitled 'An Exceptionally Simple Theory of Everything.' Lisi will get $77,222 to work on his theory, which involves using a recently mapped 248-dimension mathematical structure called E8 to unify all the fundamental particles and forces, including gravity. In the last round of awards in 2006, FQXi gave Lisi $77,280 over two years.
E8 encapsulates the symmetries of a geometric object that is 57-dimensional and is itself is 248-dimensional. Lisi says "I think our universe is this beautiful shape."
What makes E8 so exciting is that Nature also seems to have embedded it at the heart of many bits of physics. One interpretation of why we have such a quirky list of fundamental particles is because they all result from different facets of the strange symmetries of E8.
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Lisi's breakthrough came when he noticed that some of the equations describing E8's structure matched his own. "My brain exploded with the implications and the beauty of the thing," he tells New Scientist. "I thought: 'Holy crap, that's it!'"
What Lisi had realised was that he could find a way to place the various elementary particles and forces on E8's 248 points. What remained was 20 gaps which he filled with notional particles, for example those that some physicists predict to be associated with gravity.
Physicists have long puzzled over why elementary particles appear to belong to families, but this arises naturally from the geometry of E8, he says. So far, all the interactions predicted by the complex geometrical relationships inside E8 match with observations in the real world. "How cool is that?" he says. Garrett Lisi epitomizes every suburban mom/high school teacher’s worst nightmare: a surfer living on the beach, doctorate in theoretic... more -
Woman Love Surfers...or do they just love Chris Lowell :-)
I like this scene from "Private Practice". I changed the music because it 'fits the surfer' better.
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Shark Surfing... this is crazy!
don't catch a wave. catch a shark!
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Wipeout!
Surfing is a dangerous sport and as these photos show, there can be some pretty spectacular wipeouts!
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Activist filmmakers and surfers bring issue to forefront!
This is a clip from a HD shoot I was on last November. The feature length project will be released sometime this fall. You can visit http://www.opsociety.org for more info on the project. This is a clip from a HD shoot I was on last November. The feature length project will be released sometime this fall. You can visit ... more
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Sharks, Surfers & Surf Photographers
The debate is all about how surfers, and in particular, surf photographers feel about sharks... After all, they do work and play in their domain! Sightings and even encounters are not unheard of, as many surf photographers can testify to! Thought it would be an interesting topic with all the hype there is in the news recently about shark attacks... So I asked a few surf photographers (and surfers/artists) how they felt about swimming/surfing in the sea, knowing it is possible to encounter a shark, and if it preys on their mind? If they fear them? If they've had a close encounter, witnessed one, had a scare (real or paranoia)...? The debate is all about how surfers, and in particular, surf photographers feel about sharks... After all, they do work and play in th... more
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The Other Long Beach
Laid back, care free there lives revolve around the ocean. On the outskirts of a city filled with steamy and stressful streets lies an out of place surf community. This is the story of two long beach surfers and the adventures they run into. Laid back, care free there lives revolve around the ocean. On the outskirts of a city filled with steamy and stressful streets lies an... more
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241 Foothill South Toll Road (revised)
The TCA (Transportation Corridor Agencies) plan to build the last leg of the toll road system (241 Foothill South) but are constantly challenged by numerous foundations including the Surfrider Foundation in belief that the road could have significant effects on the natrual enviroment and the world class wave at Trestles Beach. (For more info on the subject go to http://www.ftcsouth.com/home/index.asp for the TCA's info and http://www.surfrider.org/savetrestles/ for the Surfriders info, READ BOTH and decide for your self.) The TCA (Transportation Corridor Agencies) plan to build the last leg of the toll road system (241 Foothill South) but are constantly ... more
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Surfer Divas
Networking site for women who like to surf.
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Surfer dies at famed Ghost Trees
It's life or death out there. Really.
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Surfer-Scientist Draws Up New Theory Of Universe, Dude
An impoverished surfer has drawn up a new theory of the universe, seen by some as the Holy Grail of physics, which as received rave reviews from scientists. An impoverished surfer has drawn up a new theory of the universe, seen by some as the Holy Grail of physics, which as received rave re... more
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'Heroes' Actress Hayden Panettiere In Dolphin Cull Clash
TV star Hayden Panettiere has been involved in a violent confrontation with Japanese fishermen as she tried to disrupt their annual dolphin slaughter.
The 18-year-old actress, who stars in TV blockbuster Heroes, paddled out on a surfboard in an attempt to reach a pod of dolphins to stop them being driven into a nearby cove and killed.
But the six surfers, from Australia and the United States, were intercepted by a fishing boat before they could reach the dolphins.
The fishermen used the boat's propellers to block their way and at one point struck out with a boathook.
It was an ugly and potentially life-threatening confrontation that lasted more than 10 minutes before the surfers were forced to return to the beach. TV star Hayden Panettiere has been involved in a violent confrontation with Japanese fishermen as she tried to disrupt their annual do... more -
Australia targets jobless surfers
"A chronic skills shortage has left some industries awash with jobs.
The government is recruiting thousands more skilled workers from overseas to plug gaps in the labour market.
Without this army of foreign accountants, health professionals and hairdressers, there are fears that Australia's booming economy could begin to stumble after years of strong growth."
I want to go to the land downunder. "A chronic skills shortage has left some industries awash with jobs. ... more -
One Wave, 84 Surfers
A global event, "Earthwave" is aimed at making history for the largest number of people surfing a wave at one time. Brazil set the record with 84 people, all while raising awareness about global warming. A global event, "Earthwave" is aimed at making history for the largest number of people surfing a wave at one time. Brazil ... more
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