Colloquia

Quantum field theory is a universal language in theoretical physics, which provides the foundation for the Standard Model of elementary particles, underlies the physics of the early universe, and describes a wealth of interesting phenomena in condensed matter. But despite its great successes, fully understanding this important framework is still very much a work in progress. Many insights, especially into theories with strong interactions, have been obtained using mathematical tools from string theory, and this has reshaped our understanding of what quantum field theory is. In this talk I will discuss new connections between quantum field theory and string theory that provide access to a remarkable class of theories that would not have been believed to exist based on conventional lore.