Explaining String Theory SIMPLY

Curt details the most comprehensive guide to the math of string theory that there exists, on YouTube. This is meant to be a video you can watch multiple times, through multiple sittings, across multiple years, and gain something new from it each time. Take it slow and steady.

2 months of writing. 4 months of editing. 4 editors. 4 rewrites. 14 shoots. 7 layers. The most effort of any single TOE video. Welcome to the rabbit hole.

TIMESTAMPS:
- 00:00:00 Introduction
- 00:02:01 Layer 1
- 00:13:22 Layer 2
- 00:28:49 Layer 3
- 00:58:53 Layer 4
- 01:32:50 Layer 5
- 01:58:54 Layer 6
- 02:28:47 Layer 7

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LINKS MENTIONED:

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TIMESTAMPS & LAYER TOPICS:
- 00:00:00 Introduction
- 00:02:01 Layer 1
Most important part of this entire video is the opening section here ⇒ - 00:13:22 Layer 2
- 00:28:49 Layer 3
- 00:58:53 Layer 4
- 01:32:50 Layer 5
- 01:58:54 Layer 6
- 02:28:47 Layer 7

LAYER 1
- Types of String Theory
- Open & Closed Strings
- M Theory
- Left & Right Moving Strings
- Gravitons
- Dualities in String Theory
- Heterotic Strings
- Regge Slope
- Worldsheet Symmetry
- Conformal Symmetry & Polyakov Action
- Ghost Strings & BRST Cohomology

LAYER 2
- Universe on a Brane Theory
- String Cosmology & Inflation
- Cosmic Strings
- String Gas
- Virasoro Algebra, Symmetry Algebras, & Infinite Generators
- Quantum Yang-Baxter Equation
- Stress-Energy Tensor & Conformal Weight
- The Green-Schwarz Mechanism
- First String Revolution
- Liouville Integrability
- The Veneziano Amplitude
- Background Fields
- Flux Compactifications

LAYER 3
- Scherk's Anti-Gravity
- The Swampland
- Trans-Planckian Censorship Conjecture
- Moonshine & String Theory
- Entropic Gravity
- Exotic Dualities
- Mirror Symmetry
- Extra Dimensions & Compactification
- Conifold Transitions
- Instantons & Donaldson Invariants
- Tachyon Condensation
- Supersymmetry
- Extended Supersymmetry
- Low Energy Effective Gravity
- N=2 Quantum Field Theories
- Multiverse of the String Landscape
- The Fermionic String
- Operator Product Expansion
- Holographic Theories
- Celestial Holography
- Supercurrents
- The Question of Mathematical Applicability

LAYER 4
- Defining String Theory
- The Second String Revolution
- Pre-Big Bang Scenario Cosmological Model
- Hagedorn's Universe
- Noncommutative Geometry
- (2, 0) Superconformal Field Theory
- F-Theory
- Quantum Hall Effect
- Knot Invariants & Chern-Simons Theory
- String Field Theory
- BPS States
- Sen's Conjecture
- Twistor String Theory & Cosmological Models
- Yangians
- BMN Matrix Model
- BFSS Matrix Model
- IKKT Matrix Model
- Khovonav Homology
- Black Holes & Higher Composition Laws
- Higher Dimensional Non-Geometric Backgrounds
- Algebraic K-theory
- W-Strings
- The Failure of String Theory

LAYER 5
- Non-BPS Branes
- Black Hole / Qudit Correspondence
- Dilaton & the Genus Expansion
- Geometric Quantization
- The Langlands Program
- Modular Forms & String Partition Functions
- String Sigma Models with WZW Terms
- Black Hole / String Transitions
- JT Gravity & Black Holes
- Machine Learning
- Chiral Factorization Algebras
- Geometric Unity
- Noncritical Strings
- Type 0A & 0B
- Fractional Strings & Non-Integer Conformal Weights
- Unconventional Twisted Heterotic String Theory
- Monstrous M-Theory in 26+1 Dimensions
- Double Field Theory
- Loop Quantum Gravity

LAYER 6
- Quantum Entanglement
- Moyal Stars & Noncommutative Geometry
- Quantum Groups
- Exceptional Field Theory
- Amplituhedron
- Double Copy Theory
- U-Plane Integral
- Multiple Dimensions of Time
- Wilson Surfaces & Loop-Space Connections
- Arithmetic Geometry
- Categorical Symmetries
- Higher Spin Gravity
- Atiyah-Singer Index Theorem
- Moduli Stabilization
- Dark Energy
- Ambitwistor String Theory
- Non-Archimedean Geometry
- Enumerative Geometry
- Symplectic Modular Symmetry in Heterotic String Vacua

LAYER 7
- Problems with AdS / CFT
- Fuzzballs & the Microstructure of Black Holes
- Background Independence & Challenges
- Pure Spinor Formalism
- Waterfall Fields & Hybrid Inflation
- String Net Condensation & Emergent Spacetime
- Eclectic Flavor Groups
- O-minimal Structures
- String Universality
- String Theory & the Search for Aliens
- String Consciousness
- The Search for a Final Theory

---

- 00:00:00 Introduction
- 00:02:05 Types of String Theory
- 00:03:41 M Theory & Gravitons
- 00:06:56 Dualities
- 00:13:24 Most Important Part of Iceberg
- 00:14:32 Universe on a Brane Theory
- 00:16:44 Cosmic Strings & String Gas
- 00:22:03 The Green-Schwarz Mechanism
- 00:23:12 First String Revolution
- 00:29:06 Scherk's Anti-Gravity
- 00:31:05 The Swampland
- 00:34:53 Moonshine & String Theory
- 00:36:15 Entropic Gravity
- 00:40:23 Extra Dimensions & Compactification
- 00:43:13 Instantons & Donaldson Invariants
- 00:44:21 Tachyon Condensation
- 00:45:21 Supersymmetry
- 00:48:07 Low Energy Effective Gravity
- 00:50:19 Multiverse of the String Landscape
- 00:52:55 Holographic Theories
- 00:55:11 Celestial Holography
- 00:58:06 The Question of Mathematical Applicability
- 00:59:01 Defining String Theory
- 01:01:13 Pre-Big Bang Scenario Cosmological Model
- 01:02:49 Hagedorn's Universe
- 01:04:42 (2, 0) Superconformal Field Theory
- 01:05:55 F-Theory
- 01:07:58 Knot Invariants & Chern-Simons Theory
- 01:13:52 Twistor String Theory & Cosmological Models
- 01:17:47 BMN Matrix Model
- 01:22:30 Khovonav Homology
- 01:23:25 Black Holes
- 01:27:40 Algebraic K-theory
- 01:30:17 The Failure of String Theory
- 01:34:46 Black Hole / Qudit Correspondence
- 01:38:21 The Langlands Program
- 01:43:23 JT Gravity & Black Holes
- 01:44:30 Machine Learning
- 01:47:10 Geometric Unity
- 01:54:19 Monstrous M-Theory
- 01:57:19 Loop Quantum Gravity
- 01:59:04 Quantum Entanglement
- 02:05:23 Amplituhedron
- 02:11:26 Multiple Dimensions of Time
- 02:16:47 Higher Spin Gravity
- 02:22:14 Dark Energy
- 02:23:36 Ambitwistor String Theory
- 02:27:42 Symplectic Modular Symmetry in Heterotic String Vacua
- 02:29:40 Problems with AdS / CFT
- 02:33:10 Fuzzballs & the Microstructure of Black Holes
- 02:34:54 Background Independence & Challenges
- 02:40:04 Eclectic Flavor Groups
- 02:42:34 String Universality
- 02:44:44 String Theory & the Search for Aliens
- 02:46:21 String Consciousness
- 02:48:59 The Search for a Final Theory

[lexfridman]

Very cool, thank you for doing this! Your hard work is deeply appreciated!

[TheMongolianMage]

Thanks Curt. I know you've been working on this one a lot longer than the description states. Well done mate. Maybe if I play it 100 times I'll start to comprehend it.

[sat]

My God, this is a masterpiece - how lucky we are to be alive and appreciate this depth of content.

[ekkolapto]

Well presented and valuable to those with or without expertise. We need one on consciousness and TOE’s next. Curt–your hard work inspires me to do better. Here’s to a wonderful 2024.

[Shnikey]

Thanks for your incredible dedication as a teacher and creative thinker, as well as your outstanding production as a filmmaker. I hope I inspire others to follow suit here. You deserve the financial freedom to do this and whatever else drives and motivates you.

[psienidek]

I'm only 10 minutes in and I already recognize this as the greatest low-key troll of string theorists ever.

[davidinspace]

This looks intellectually ferociously wild af & we know you're gonna bring it . . . cause you do it every time Curt!! 🙌

[gavin]

You seem to be having so much fun presenting this, it really comes through and makes watching and listening to a hard and difficult subject fun and repeatable, , probably going to be my new ohhhh I know what I'll watch again favourite

[zonerunner]

I just wanted to thank you for making this video. I've already watched it a couple of times and I'm sure I'll watch it again. It's really dense with information and that's great. Keep up the *great* work Curt. You're truly an awesome and inspiring person.

[mwinsatt]

Always a lurker, but had to comment on this. Thank you so much for all you do for your community and fellow TOE lovers.

[thekinghass]

Hey man just want to say thank you for the effort you put into this rather than the usual half hearted ‘attempt’ that is usual of this type of content

[JustinHedge]

Epic work, one of the best and only fairly exhaustive, technical but not overwhelming summarization of the state of the field. Well done and much appreciate your time and dedication to putting this together! 👏

[KineHjeldnes]

It's happening 😮Looking forward to non-commutative geometry, K-theory and modular forms! And all of it of course. Wow. I'm so excited!

[Rustinpeace]

I took a basic calculus class in college for electronics, this is so far over my head but its fun to try to absorb anyways!

[GreekLady]

Appreciate your hard work!
I saved the video to my playlist.
Easy to understand the basics due to your well thougt out lecture.
Anything that I need to understand better I can look up due to the layer notes.
Thank you!!
I'm an informational junky. I love to learn.

[richardhoy]

yes please do an iceberg on machine learning.
I love the intro as I was afraid of math until I saw a you tube video explaining that i should treat math as a language.
The visual representations from the math are so cool.

[eam]

“The short answer is, yes” had me rolling!

[ryanelam]

Cant wait to watch! Thank you for all your hard work Curt.

[Shnikey]

CHILLS CHILLS CHILLS THIS WEEKEND IS GOING TO BE AN INDULGENCE OF THE INTELLECT AND SPECIAL INTEREST