Phymaths podcast

Hassaan Saleem

A podcast to discuss the ideas that are at the forefront of fundamental theoretical physics and mathematics.

  1. Phymaths podcast # 71 || Dr. Tejinder Pal Singh

    2D AGO

    Phymaths podcast # 71 || Dr. Tejinder Pal Singh

    Description Dr. Tejinder Pal Singh is a theoretical physicist at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Physics, working on the unification of interactions using trace dynamics and octonions. A list of his works is linked below. Some links 1) His works: https://inspirehep.net/authors/988555?ui-citation-summary=true 2) Link to the high-energy physics resources page on my website: https://hassaansaleem.com/graduate-level-theoretical-physics-resources-in-progress/ Contact Info My website: hassaansaleem.com Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hassaan.3142/ Join the WhatsApp channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va9DkjmAzNbs7IlGuv1 Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Hassaan_PHY Email Queries: greatestmight@gmail.com Time stamps (0:00) Intro of the guest (0:16) His current projects (3:37) Octonions (13:57) Spacetime being classical (17:38) Structure of the Lagrangian and Connes time (22:50) Calculating path integral (33:21) Why octonions? (35:43) Role of SU(2) (39:57) Electroweak scale as QG scale? (46:17) Top quark problem (50:18) Fine structure constant (1:00:11) RG flow of Fine structure constant (1:02:45) (People's question) Advice for students (1:10:22) Anthropic reasoning (1:14:21) (People's question) AI's impact (1:17:29) (People's question) TIFR theory group (1:33:42) (People's question) Relativistic collapse models (1:38:45) (People's question) Thanu Padmanabhan (1:40:43) (People's question) John Baez's work

    1h 44m
  2. Phymaths podcast # 70 || Dr. Aninda Sinha

    APR 28

    Phymaths podcast # 70 || Dr. Aninda Sinha

    DescriptionDr. Aninda Sinha is a theoretical physicist at the Indian Institute of Science, working on S matrix bootstrap, string amplitudes, and conformal field theories, among other things. A list of his works is linked below.Some links1) His works: https://inspirehep.net/authors/1019630?ui-citation-summary=true2) Link to the high-energy physics resources page on my website: https://hassaansaleem.com/graduate-level-theoretical-physics-resources-in-progress/Contact InfoMy website: hassaansaleem.comFollow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hassaan.3142/Join the WhatsApp channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va9DkjmAzNbs7IlGuv1XFollow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Hassaan_PHYEmail Queries: greatestmight@gmail.comTime stamps(0:00) Coming Up(0:21) Introduction of the guests(0:37) His current projects(3:13) His interest in Physics(4:28) c-theorem and a-theorem(11:54) g-theorem(12:54) Conformal bootstrap(17:46) Conformal bootstrap and holography(24:20) String amplitudes and π(33:12) Circuit complexity(41:52) Building collaborations(44:56) Choosing a research problem(46:24) Coursework to research transition(50:04) Taking a PhD student(51:24) (People's question) Thoughts on LLMs(54:25) (People's question) Bootstrap for extended operators(54:57) (People's question) Non-Physics courses at IISc(57:15) (People's question) Academic job market(1:04:30) (People's question) N-point scattering(1:06:20) (People's question) Bootstrap and positive geometry

    1h 9m
  3. Phymaths podcast # 68 || Dr. Keshav Dasgupta

    MAR 11

    Phymaths podcast # 68 || Dr. Keshav Dasgupta

    Description Keshav Dasgupta is a theoretical physicist at McGill University, working on string compactifications, especially on achieving deSitter spacetime from string theory (including the possibility of achieving deSitter as an excited state). The list of his works can be found below. Some links 1) His works: https://inspirehep.net/authors/1012406?ui-citation-summary=true 2) Link to the high-energy physics resources page on my website: https://hassaansaleem.com/graduate-level-theoretical-physics-resources-in-progress/ Contact Info My website: hassaansaleem.com Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hassaan.3142/ Join the WhatsApp channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va9DkjmAzNbs7IlGuv1X Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Hassaan_PHY Email Queries: greatestmight@gmail.com Time stamps (0:00) Coming Up (0:41) Introduction of the guest (0:59) His current projects (15:23) The deSitter problem in string theory (a summary) (26:42) deSitter as an excited state (35:09) Breaking supersymmetry (38:05) Norm of coherent states (39:08) Fluctuations as coherent states (41:28) Why did the 500-page paper become that long? (45:50) Duality sequences (55:16) Non-supersymmetric case? (1:02:30) What are you calculating? (1:07:39) Evading no-go theorems (1:14:09) Worldsheet description available? (1:17:10) Holographic dual of Glauber Sudharshan state (1:18:23) The issue of scale separation (1:21:00) Satisfying swampland constraints (1:24:34) Embedding standard model (1:27:51) Using localization techniques (1:31:22) Open problems (1:36:41) Choosing research problems (1:43:19) Handling multiple projects (1:44:50) (People's question) Comparison with KKLT (1:49:16) (People's question) Writing short papers (1:53:16) Interaction with Ed Witten (1:54:50) (People's question) Living in Montreal

    1h 58m
  4. Phymaths podcast # 67 || Dr. Alok Laddha

    MAR 3

    Phymaths podcast # 67 || Dr. Alok Laddha

    Description Alok Laddha is a theoretical physicist at the Chennai Mathematical Institute, who majorly works on soft theorems, S matrices, and the positive geometry program. The list of his works can be found at the link provided below. Some links 1) His works: https://inspirehep.net/authors/1036956 2) Link to the high-energy physics resources page on my website: https://hassaansaleem.com/graduate-level-theoretical-physics-resources-in-progress/ Contact Info My website: hassaansaleem.com Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hassaan.3142/ Join the WhatsApp channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va9DkjmAzNbs7IlGuv1X Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Hassaan_PHY Email Queries: greatestmight@gmail.com Time Stamps (0:00) Coming up (0:22) Intro of the guest (0:44) His current projects (01:59) Soft theorems (12:16) Soft theorems and symmetries (18:43) Soft theorems for scalars (21:50) Soft theorem for higher spin? (25:40) Positive Geometry program (36:50) Unitarity from positive geometry (48:08) Gentle Quivers (for positive geometry) (50:37) Positive Geometry and Holography (53:30) Positive Geometry and String Field Theory (55:44) Reading Literature (1:01:02) Choosing problems (1:02:30) (People's question) Important problems (1:05:13) (People's question) Advice for PhD/Postdocs (1:07:37) (People's question) Research outside academia (1:09:40) (People's question) PhD after a big gap (1:11:07) (People's question) Hep-th job market (1:13:53) (People's question) Gravitational wave memory (1:15:53) (People's question) Leaving LQG (1:19:22) (People's question) His hobbies

    1h 20m
  5. Phymaths podcast # 66 || Dr. Jonathan Heckman

    MAR 3

    Phymaths podcast # 66 || Dr. Jonathan Heckman

    Description Jonathan Heckman is a theoretical physicist at the University of Pennsylvania and works on generalized symmetries, the swampland program, holography, and F theory, among other related areas. The list of his works can be found at the link provided below. Some links 1) His works: https://inspirehep.net/authors/1045268 2) Link to the high-energy physics resources page on my website: https://hassaansaleem.com/graduate-level-theoretical-physics-resources-in-progress/ Contact Info My website: hassaansaleem.com Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hassaan.3142/ Join the WhatsApp channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va9DkjmAzNbs7IlGuv1X Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Hassaan_PHY Email Queries: greatestmight@gmail.com Time Stamps (0:00) Coming Up (0:24) Introduction of the guest (0:40) His current projects (4:54) Grand Unified Theories (GUTs) and F theory (17:19) Algebraic Geometry for F theory (22:40) Role of singularities in model building (24:53) GUT models in F theory (continued) (28:50) Engineering SCFTs from F theory (43:38) Engineering SCFTs in odd dimensions (48:58) Transitioning to generalized symmetries (52:54) Defining QFTs (55:44) Swampland and Cobordism conjecture (1:03:20) R7 branes (1:08:35) Falsifying string theory at colliders (1:18:33) Building collaborations (and fear of being wrong) (1:22:56) Choosing a problem to work on (1:27:53) Handling multiple projects (1:30:34) Selecting a Ph.D student (1:34:30) (People's question) Learning string theory (1:36:27) (People's question) Learning abstract topics (1:38:12) (People's question) Important problems (1:43:30) (People's question) UPenn funding (1:45:03) (People's question) Symmetries on T folds

    1h 47m
  6. Phymaths podcast # 65 || Dr. Jacob McNamara

    MAR 3

    Phymaths podcast # 65 || Dr. Jacob McNamara

    Description Jacob McNamara is a theoretical physicist at Simons Center for Geometry and Physics, who has worked on swampland (quite notably on the cobordism conjecture), holography, and non invertible symmetries. The list of his works can be found at the link provided below. Some links 1) His works: https://inspirehep.net/authors/1804692?ui-citation-summary=true 2) Link to the high energy physics resources page on my website: https://hassaansaleem.com/graduate-level-theoretical-physics-resources-in-progress/ Contact Info My website: hassaansaleem.com Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hassaan.3142/ Join the Whatsapp channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va9DkjmAzNbs7IlGuv1X Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Hassaan_PHY Email Queries: greatestmight@gmail.com Time Stamps (0:00) Coming Up (0:45) Introduction of the guest (1:01) His current projects (4:40) Swampland and no global symmetries (16:30) Cobordism conjecture (35:34) R7 branes (51:26) Stringy Non-Invertible Symmetries (59:39) What does gauging mean? (1:08:34) Weak Gravity Conjecture (1:13:36) Use of the word "conjecture" (1:17:42) Consciousness and Swampland (1:27:27) Weak Gravity Conjecture (contd.) (1:30:16) Distance conjecture(s) (1:35:45) Dark dimension (1:40:45) Emergent String & generalized distance conjectures (1:53:15) No scale separation conjecture (1:59:30) Gravity being classical (2:09:26) Why study JT gravity? (2:13:21) Baby universes (2:16:05) Cobordism conjecture and Wheeler Dewitt equation (2:21:40) Building collaborations and doing research (2:32:45) Imposter syndrome (2:38:16) Learning Geometry and Topology (2:38:55) Using different platforms (2:42:07) Pure Math rabbit hole (2:45:10) Physics vs. Math perspectives and attitudes (2:25:36) Book recommendations (2:54:40) Interpretational issues (3:03:58) What problems do you want to be solved

    3h 6m
  7. Phymaths podcast # 64 || Dr. Shiraz Minwalla

    12/30/2025

    Phymaths podcast # 64 || Dr. Shiraz Minwalla

    DescriptionDr. Shiraz Minwalla is a theoretical physicist at TIFR Mumbai, India. He has worked on the problem of classification and existence of conformal and superconformal field theories in various dimensions, black holes and superfluids. The list of his works can be found at the link provided below.Some links1) His works: https://inspirehep.net/authors/997328?ui-citation-summary=true2) Link to the high energy physics resources page on my website: https://hassaansaleem.com/graduate-level-theoretical-physics-resources-in-progress/Contact InfoMy website: hassaansaleem.comFollow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hassaan.3142/Join the Whatsapp channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va9DkjmAzNbs7IlGuv1XFollow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Hassaan_PHYEmail Queries: greatestmight@gmail.comTime stamps(0:00) Coming Up(0:48) Intro of the guest(1:07) His current projects(4:37) Grey Galaxies(10:48) Non-commutative field theories(16:51) Cosmological Constant problem(27:25) Non-commutative solitons(29:27) Existence of CFTs and SCFTs(41:41) Index of SCFTs(47:16) Gravity/Fluid correspondence(1:00:05) Turbulence(1:03:57) Millenium Prize problem (Navier Stokes)(1:10:30) His interest in Physics(1:12:33) How to choose a Ph.D. student?(1:14:14) How to choose a problem to work on?(1:21:44) Talent and environment for Physics(1:23:20) (People's question) Advice for Ph.Ds(1:25:51) (People's question) Fav. collaboration(1:26:12) (People's question) Fuzzball and Islands(1:30:42) (People's question) Becoming a Physicist(1:31:31) (People's question) Coming back to India(1:33:14) (People's question) Regrets about returning(1:33:54) (People's question) Research spending(1:35:38) (People's question) Learning a new topic(1:37:17) (People's question) CBS Mumbai(1:37:50) (People's question) His Infinite Energy

    1h 38m

About

A podcast to discuss the ideas that are at the forefront of fundamental theoretical physics and mathematics.