Antony Garrett Lisi
Encyclopedia
Antony Garrett Lisi who uses the name Garrett by preference, is an American theoretical physicist
and adventure sports
enthusiast. Lisi works as an independent researcher without an academic
position. He is a strong proponent of balance
in life, in his case between scientific research and enjoyment of the outdoors.
Lisi is known for "An Exceptionally Simple Theory of Everything
," a paper proposing a unified field theory
based on the E8 Lie group
, combining particle physics
with Einstein's
theory of gravitation
.
and raised in San Diego, California
, Lisi graduated the Cate School
(south of Santa Barbara, California
) in 1986. He learned to surf in San Diego, where he traveled between surf breaks in an old VW Bus
. Lisi went on to receive two B.S.
degrees with highest honors in physics
and mathematics
from the University of California, Los Angeles
in 1991. Lisi received a Ph.D.
in physics from the University of California, San Diego
in 1999.
— expressing his dissatisfaction with the state of theoretical physics:
On Maui, Lisi volunteered as a staff member at a local Sudbury school
, and split his time between working on his own physics research and surfing.
While living in a customized van with his girlfriend, Crystal Baranyk, Lisi taught physics classes at University of Hawaii – Maui College
. After two years on Maui, Lisi says he was offered a tenure track teaching position at the local college, but turned it down (even though he was nearly broke) because it wouldn't have given him enough time for his physics research. At the same time, he submitted a grant application to the newly formed Foundational Questions Institute
(FQXi). Lisi says the decision to turn down the job offer and hope for FQXi funding was "a hell of a gamble."
of particle physics with general relativity
perfectly matched the algebraic structure of the E8
Lie group
.
On July 21, 2007, Lisi traveled to the inaugural FQXi conference in Reykjavik
, Iceland
. He was invited to give several academic talks. On invitation from Lee Smolin
, Lisi visited the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
in October, and posted his paper, "An Exceptionally Simple Theory of Everything," to the arXiv
on November 6, 2007. Discussions of Lisi's theory developed rapidly over most major physics blogs, and the story of Lisi's theory and personal history was reported by many online and traditional media sources around the world.
Lisi presented at the TED Conference
on February 28, 2008, and has since presented several academic talks and colloquia.
On July 8, 2009, at a FQXi conference in the Azores, Lisi made a public bet with Frank Wilczek
that superparticles
would not be detected by July 8, 2015.
In July, 2010, mathematicians and physicists met with Lisi at the Banff International Research Station in Alberta, Canada, for a week to discuss his theory.
of quantum mechanics
can be derived from information theory
and the existence of a universal action reservoir.
. Lisi created his "personal wiki notebook in theoretical physics" — the Deferential Geometry website — by using TiddlyWiki
and jsMath
. Lisi uses this wiki
to organize his research notes in theoretical physics, referring to this as "open source physics."
, which proposes a unified field theory
combining a grand unification theory
of particle physics
with Albert Einstein
's general relativistic
description of gravitation
, using the largest simple
exceptional Lie algebra, E8
. In a paper posted to the physics arXiv
on November 6, 2007, and in a popular article published in Scientific American in December, 2010, Lisi describes how gravity
, the standard model
bosons and fermions can be unified as parts of an E8
superconnection. This unified field theory
attempts to describe all fundamental interaction
s observed in nature, and stands as a possible theory of everything
, unifying Albert Einstein
's general relativity
with the standard model
of particle physics
. The theory, called E8 Theory, also predicts the existence of many new particles.
Lisi designed a web application, the Elementary Particle Explorer, for visualizing the charge structure of the elementary particles in the standard model, in grand unified theories, and in E8 Theory.
Lisi's theory has been applauded but also criticized in the scientific community. He has addressed the criticism, while acknowledging that the theory is incomplete. In a Scientific American
post, Garrett himself states:
, snowboarding
, and kitesurfing
at the expert level as well as participating in many other adventure sports. In an interview for Wired News
, Lisi says:
Lisi brings some of his physics to his sports activities. During graduate school and years in Maui, most of Lisi's surfboards were adorned with the wave equation
as decorative art. And when riding an extra-long carving board, for alpine snowboarding
, in Colorado and Tahoe, Lisi always wears a long white lab coat. He has also become a sponsored team rider for an Oregon
surfboard manufacturer, 42 Surfboards.
Although concentrating on surfing, kitesurfing and snowboarding, Lisi participates in a wide variety of adventure sports. On his online journal, Lisi describes his experiences surfing
, snowboarding
, windsurfing
, sailing
, kitesurfing
, mountain biking
, skateboarding
, motorcycling
, cliff diving, rock climbing
, hang gliding
, paragliding
, backpacking
, water skiing
, wakeboarding
, flying
, sky diving, and scuba diving
. Lisi is working on a film about young scientists who combine cutting-edge research with adventure sports.
Theoretical physics
Theoretical physics is a branch of physics which employs mathematical models and abstractions of physics to rationalize, explain and predict natural phenomena...
and adventure sports
Extreme sport
An extreme sport is a popular term for certain activities perceived as having a high level of inherent danger...
enthusiast. Lisi works as an independent researcher without an academic
Academia
Academia is the community of students and scholars engaged in higher education and research.-Etymology:The word comes from the akademeia in ancient Greece. Outside the city walls of Athens, the gymnasium was made famous by Plato as a center of learning...
position. He is a strong proponent of balance
Balance (metaphysics)
In the metaphysical or conceptual sense, balance is used to mean a point between two opposite forces that is desirable over purely one state or the other, such as a balance between the metaphysical Law and Chaos — law by itself being overly controlling, chaos being overly unmanageable,...
in life, in his case between scientific research and enjoyment of the outdoors.
Lisi is known for "An Exceptionally Simple Theory of Everything
An Exceptionally Simple Theory of Everything
"An Exceptionally Simple Theory of Everything" is a preprint proposing a basis for a unified field theory, very often referred to as "E8 Theory," which attempts to describe all known fundamental interactions in physics and to stand as a possible theory of everything...
," a paper proposing a unified field theory
Unified field theory
In physics, a unified field theory, occasionally referred to as a uniform field theory, is a type of field theory that allows all that is usually thought of as fundamental forces and elementary particles to be written in terms of a single field. There is no accepted unified field theory, and thus...
based on the E8 Lie group
E8 (mathematics)
In mathematics, E8 is any of several closely related exceptional simple Lie groups, linear algebraic groups or Lie algebras of dimension 248; the same notation is used for the corresponding root lattice, which has rank 8...
, combining particle physics
Particle physics
Particle physics is a branch of physics that studies the existence and interactions of particles that are the constituents of what is usually referred to as matter or radiation. In current understanding, particles are excitations of quantum fields and interact following their dynamics...
with Einstein's
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
theory of gravitation
Gravitation
Gravitation, or gravity, is a natural phenomenon by which physical bodies attract with a force proportional to their mass. Gravitation is most familiar as the agent that gives weight to objects with mass and causes them to fall to the ground when dropped...
.
Early life
Born in Los AngelesLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
and raised in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, Lisi graduated the Cate School
Cate School
The Cate School, established in 1910 by Curtis Wolsey Cate, is a four-year, coeducational, college-preparatory boarding school in Carpinteria, California, United States....
(south of Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
) in 1986. He learned to surf in San Diego, where he traveled between surf breaks in an old VW Bus
Volkswagen Bus
-Light commercial vehicles:One of five generations of Volkswagen vans:*Volkswagen Type 2 , generation T1 *Volkswagen Type 2 , generation T2 *Volkswagen Type 2 , generation T3...
. Lisi went on to receive two B.S.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degrees with highest honors in physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
and mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
from the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
in 1991. Lisi received a Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in physics from the University of California, San Diego
University of California, San Diego
The University of California, San Diego, commonly known as UCSD or UC San Diego, is a public research university located in the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego, California, United States...
in 1999.
After the Ph.D.
After getting his Ph.D., Lisi left academia and moved to MauiMaui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
— expressing his dissatisfaction with the state of theoretical physics:
On Maui, Lisi volunteered as a staff member at a local Sudbury school
Sudbury school
A Sudbury school is a school that practices a form of democratic education in which students individually decide what to do with their time, and learn as a by-product of ordinary experience rather than adopting a descriptive educational syllabus or standardized instruction by classes following a...
, and split his time between working on his own physics research and surfing.
While living in a customized van with his girlfriend, Crystal Baranyk, Lisi taught physics classes at University of Hawaii – Maui College
Maui Community College
The University of Hawai'i Maui College is a public, co-educational commuter college in Kahului, Hawaii on the island of Maui...
. After two years on Maui, Lisi says he was offered a tenure track teaching position at the local college, but turned it down (even though he was nearly broke) because it wouldn't have given him enough time for his physics research. At the same time, he submitted a grant application to the newly formed Foundational Questions Institute
Foundational Questions Institute
The Foundational Questions Institute, styled FQXi, is an organization which provides grants to “catalyze, support, and disseminate research on questions at the foundations of physics and cosmology.” It has run two worldwide grant competitions....
(FQXi). Lisi says the decision to turn down the job offer and hope for FQXi funding was "a hell of a gamble."
Academic reentry
On July 31, 2006, Lisi was awarded an FQXi grant to develop his research in quantum mechanics and unification. The grant allowed Lisi to devote his full attention to physics and create his personal research wiki, Deferential Geometry. On June 9, 2007, Lisi realized that the algebraic structure he had constructed to unify the standard modelStandard Model
The Standard Model of particle physics is a theory concerning the electromagnetic, weak, and strong nuclear interactions, which mediate the dynamics of the known subatomic particles. Developed throughout the mid to late 20th century, the current formulation was finalized in the mid 1970s upon...
of particle physics with general relativity
General relativity
General relativity or the general theory of relativity is the geometric theory of gravitation published by Albert Einstein in 1916. It is the current description of gravitation in modern physics...
perfectly matched the algebraic structure of the E8
E8 (mathematics)
In mathematics, E8 is any of several closely related exceptional simple Lie groups, linear algebraic groups or Lie algebras of dimension 248; the same notation is used for the corresponding root lattice, which has rank 8...
Lie group
Lie group
In mathematics, a Lie group is a group which is also a differentiable manifold, with the property that the group operations are compatible with the smooth structure...
.
On July 21, 2007, Lisi traveled to the inaugural FQXi conference in Reykjavik
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
. He was invited to give several academic talks. On invitation from Lee Smolin
Lee Smolin
Lee Smolin is an American theoretical physicist, a researcher at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, and an adjunct professor of physics at the University of Waterloo. He is married to Dina Graser, a communications lawyer in Toronto. His brother is David M...
, Lisi visited the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics is an independent, resident-based research institute devoted to foundational issues in theoretical physics located in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Perimeter Institute was founded in 1999 by Mike Lazaridis...
in October, and posted his paper, "An Exceptionally Simple Theory of Everything," to the arXiv
ArXiv
The arXiv |Chi]], χ) is an archive for electronic preprints of scientific papers in the fields of mathematics, physics, astronomy, computer science, quantitative biology, statistics, and quantitative finance which can be accessed online. In many fields of mathematics and physics, almost all...
on November 6, 2007. Discussions of Lisi's theory developed rapidly over most major physics blogs, and the story of Lisi's theory and personal history was reported by many online and traditional media sources around the world.
Lisi presented at the TED Conference
TED (conference)
TED is a global set of conferences owned by the private non-profit Sapling Foundation, formed to disseminate "ideas worth spreading"....
on February 28, 2008, and has since presented several academic talks and colloquia.
On July 8, 2009, at a FQXi conference in the Azores, Lisi made a public bet with Frank Wilczek
Frank Wilczek
Frank Anthony Wilczek is a theoretical physicist from the United States and a Nobel laureate. He is currently the Herman Feshbach Professor of Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology ....
that superparticles
Superpartner
In particle physics, a superpartner is a hypothetical elementary particle. Supersymmetry is one of the synergistic theories in current high-energy physics which predicts the existence of these "shadow" particles....
would not be detected by July 8, 2015.
In July, 2010, mathematicians and physicists met with Lisi at the Banff International Research Station in Alberta, Canada, for a week to discuss his theory.
Work on quantum mechanics
On May 8, 2006, in an arXiv preprint, "Quantum mechanics from a universal action reservoir," Lisi described how the path integral formulationPath integral formulation
The path integral formulation of quantum mechanics is a description of quantum theory which generalizes the action principle of classical mechanics...
of quantum mechanics
Quantum mechanics
Quantum mechanics, also known as quantum physics or quantum theory, is a branch of physics providing a mathematical description of much of the dual particle-like and wave-like behavior and interactions of energy and matter. It departs from classical mechanics primarily at the atomic and subatomic...
can be derived from information theory
Information theory
Information theory is a branch of applied mathematics and electrical engineering involving the quantification of information. Information theory was developed by Claude E. Shannon to find fundamental limits on signal processing operations such as compressing data and on reliably storing and...
and the existence of a universal action reservoir.
Deferential Geometry
Lisi is an early practitioner of open notebook scienceOpen Notebook Science
Open Notebook Science is the practice of making the entire primary record of a research project publicly available online as it is recorded. This involves placing the personal, or laboratory, notebook of the researcher online along with all raw and processed data, and any associated material, as...
. Lisi created his "personal wiki notebook in theoretical physics" — the Deferential Geometry website — by using TiddlyWiki
TiddlyWiki
TiddlyWiki is an open source single page application wiki. A single HTML file contains CSS, JavaScript, and the content. The content is divided into a series of sections, or Tiddlers. A user is encouraged to read a TiddlyWiki by following links rather than sequentially scrolling down the...
and jsMath
Jsmath
jsMath is a JavaScript library for displaying mathematics in browsers in a cross-platform way. jsMath is free software released under the Apache License...
. Lisi uses this wiki
Wiki
A wiki is a website that allows the creation and editing of any number of interlinked web pages via a web browser using a simplified markup language or a WYSIWYG text editor. Wikis are typically powered by wiki software and are often used collaboratively by multiple users. Examples include...
to organize his research notes in theoretical physics, referring to this as "open source physics."
An Exceptionally Simple Theory of Everything
Lisi's main work in theoretical physics is his Exceptionally Simple Theory of EverythingAn Exceptionally Simple Theory of Everything
"An Exceptionally Simple Theory of Everything" is a preprint proposing a basis for a unified field theory, very often referred to as "E8 Theory," which attempts to describe all known fundamental interactions in physics and to stand as a possible theory of everything...
, which proposes a unified field theory
Unified field theory
In physics, a unified field theory, occasionally referred to as a uniform field theory, is a type of field theory that allows all that is usually thought of as fundamental forces and elementary particles to be written in terms of a single field. There is no accepted unified field theory, and thus...
combining a grand unification theory
Grand unification theory
The term Grand Unified Theory, often abbreviated as GUT, refers to any of several similar candidate models in particle physics in which at high-energy, the three gauge interactions of the Standard Model which define the electromagnetic, weak, and strong interactions, are merged into one single...
of particle physics
Particle physics
Particle physics is a branch of physics that studies the existence and interactions of particles that are the constituents of what is usually referred to as matter or radiation. In current understanding, particles are excitations of quantum fields and interact following their dynamics...
with Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
's general relativistic
General relativity
General relativity or the general theory of relativity is the geometric theory of gravitation published by Albert Einstein in 1916. It is the current description of gravitation in modern physics...
description of gravitation
Gravitation
Gravitation, or gravity, is a natural phenomenon by which physical bodies attract with a force proportional to their mass. Gravitation is most familiar as the agent that gives weight to objects with mass and causes them to fall to the ground when dropped...
, using the largest simple
Simple group
In mathematics, a simple group is a nontrivial group whose only normal subgroups are the trivial group and the group itself. A group that is not simple can be broken into two smaller groups, a normal subgroup and the quotient group, and the process can be repeated...
exceptional Lie algebra, E8
E8 (mathematics)
In mathematics, E8 is any of several closely related exceptional simple Lie groups, linear algebraic groups or Lie algebras of dimension 248; the same notation is used for the corresponding root lattice, which has rank 8...
. In a paper posted to the physics arXiv
ArXiv
The arXiv |Chi]], χ) is an archive for electronic preprints of scientific papers in the fields of mathematics, physics, astronomy, computer science, quantitative biology, statistics, and quantitative finance which can be accessed online. In many fields of mathematics and physics, almost all...
on November 6, 2007, and in a popular article published in Scientific American in December, 2010, Lisi describes how gravity
Gravitation
Gravitation, or gravity, is a natural phenomenon by which physical bodies attract with a force proportional to their mass. Gravitation is most familiar as the agent that gives weight to objects with mass and causes them to fall to the ground when dropped...
, the standard model
Standard Model
The Standard Model of particle physics is a theory concerning the electromagnetic, weak, and strong nuclear interactions, which mediate the dynamics of the known subatomic particles. Developed throughout the mid to late 20th century, the current formulation was finalized in the mid 1970s upon...
bosons and fermions can be unified as parts of an E8
E8 (mathematics)
In mathematics, E8 is any of several closely related exceptional simple Lie groups, linear algebraic groups or Lie algebras of dimension 248; the same notation is used for the corresponding root lattice, which has rank 8...
superconnection. This unified field theory
Unified field theory
In physics, a unified field theory, occasionally referred to as a uniform field theory, is a type of field theory that allows all that is usually thought of as fundamental forces and elementary particles to be written in terms of a single field. There is no accepted unified field theory, and thus...
attempts to describe all fundamental interaction
Fundamental interaction
In particle physics, fundamental interactions are the ways that elementary particles interact with one another...
s observed in nature, and stands as a possible theory of everything
Theory of everything
A theory of everything is a putative theory of theoretical physics that fully explains and links together all known physical phenomena, and predicts the outcome of any experiment that could be carried out in principle....
, unifying Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
's general relativity
General relativity
General relativity or the general theory of relativity is the geometric theory of gravitation published by Albert Einstein in 1916. It is the current description of gravitation in modern physics...
with the standard model
Standard Model
The Standard Model of particle physics is a theory concerning the electromagnetic, weak, and strong nuclear interactions, which mediate the dynamics of the known subatomic particles. Developed throughout the mid to late 20th century, the current formulation was finalized in the mid 1970s upon...
of particle physics
Particle physics
Particle physics is a branch of physics that studies the existence and interactions of particles that are the constituents of what is usually referred to as matter or radiation. In current understanding, particles are excitations of quantum fields and interact following their dynamics...
. The theory, called E8 Theory, also predicts the existence of many new particles.
Lisi designed a web application, the Elementary Particle Explorer, for visualizing the charge structure of the elementary particles in the standard model, in grand unified theories, and in E8 Theory.
Lisi's theory has been applauded but also criticized in the scientific community. He has addressed the criticism, while acknowledging that the theory is incomplete. In a Scientific American
Scientific American
Scientific American is a popular science magazine. It is notable for its long history of presenting science monthly to an educated but not necessarily scientific public, through its careful attention to the clarity of its text as well as the quality of its specially commissioned color graphics...
post, Garrett himself states:
Adventure sports
Garrett Lisi is an adventure sports enthusiast — surfingSurfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
, snowboarding
Snowboarding
Snowboarding is a sport that involves descending a slope that is covered with snow on a snowboard attached to a rider's feet using a special boot set onto mounted binding. The development of snowboarding was inspired by skateboarding, sledding, surfing and skiing. It was developed in the U.S.A...
, and kitesurfing
Kitesurfing
Kitesurfing or Kiteboarding is an adventure surface water sport that has been described as combining wakeboarding, windsurfing, surfing, paragliding, and gymnastics into one extreme sport. Kitesurfing harnesses the power of the wind to propel a rider across the water on a small surfboard or a...
at the expert level as well as participating in many other adventure sports. In an interview for Wired News
Wired News
Wired News is an online technology news website, formerly known as HotWired, that split off from Wired magazine when the magazine was purchased by Condé Nast Publishing in the 1990s. Wired News was owned by Lycos not long after the split, until Condé Nast purchased Wired News on July 11, 2006...
, Lisi says:
Lisi brings some of his physics to his sports activities. During graduate school and years in Maui, most of Lisi's surfboards were adorned with the wave equation
Wave equation
The wave equation is an important second-order linear partial differential equation for the description of waves – as they occur in physics – such as sound waves, light waves and water waves. It arises in fields like acoustics, electromagnetics, and fluid dynamics...
as decorative art. And when riding an extra-long carving board, for alpine snowboarding
Alpine snowboarding
Alpine snowboarding is a small niche of the sport of snowboarding. It is typically practised with hard plastic shelled boots called "hardboots" and carving or race-oriented snowboards. Loosely, it is the pursuit of snowboarding mostly on the ground, in the forward direction, with the primary goal...
, in Colorado and Tahoe, Lisi always wears a long white lab coat. He has also become a sponsored team rider for an Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
surfboard manufacturer, 42 Surfboards.
Although concentrating on surfing, kitesurfing and snowboarding, Lisi participates in a wide variety of adventure sports. On his online journal, Lisi describes his experiences surfing
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
, snowboarding
Snowboarding
Snowboarding is a sport that involves descending a slope that is covered with snow on a snowboard attached to a rider's feet using a special boot set onto mounted binding. The development of snowboarding was inspired by skateboarding, sledding, surfing and skiing. It was developed in the U.S.A...
, windsurfing
Windsurfing
Windsurfing or sailboarding is a surface water sport that combines elements of surfing and sailing. It consists of a board usually two to four metres long, powered by the orthogonal effect of the wind on a sail. The rig is connected to the board by a free-rotating universal joint and comprises a...
, sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
, kitesurfing
Kitesurfing
Kitesurfing or Kiteboarding is an adventure surface water sport that has been described as combining wakeboarding, windsurfing, surfing, paragliding, and gymnastics into one extreme sport. Kitesurfing harnesses the power of the wind to propel a rider across the water on a small surfboard or a...
, mountain biking
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...
, skateboarding
Skateboarding
Skateboarding is an action sport which involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard.Skateboarding can be a recreational activity, an art form, a job, or a method of transportation. Skateboarding has been shaped and influenced by many skateboarders throughout the years. A 2002 report...
, motorcycling
Motorcycling
Motorcycling is the act of riding a motorcycle. A variety of subcultures and lifestyles have been built up around motorcycling.-Benefits:Robert M. Pirsig's book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was a paean celebrating motorcycling...
, cliff diving, rock climbing
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
, hang gliding
Hang gliding
Hang gliding is an air sport in which a pilot flies a light and unmotorized foot-launchable aircraft called a hang glider ....
, paragliding
Paragliding
Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure...
, backpacking
Backpacking (wilderness)
Backpacking combines the activities of hiking and camping for an overnight stay in backcountry wilderness...
, water skiing
Water skiing
thumb|right|A slalom skier making a turn on a slalom waterski.Waterskiing is a sport where an individual is pulled behind a boat or a cable ski installation on a body of water, skimming the surface.-History:...
, wakeboarding
Wakeboarding
Wakeboarding is a surface water sport which involves riding a wakeboard over the surface of a body of water. It was developed from a combination of water skiing, snow boarding and surfing techniques....
, flying
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
, sky diving, and scuba diving
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
. Lisi is working on a film about young scientists who combine cutting-edge research with adventure sports.
Science hostel
Lisi proposes the creation of a more casual kind of science institutea science hostel which he says "would essentially be large houses in beautiful locations where theorists could live and work." Citing his experience living in Maui and the mountains of Tahoe and Colorado, Lisi says that for theoretical research it is good to have opportunities for hiking and things to do outside in attractive environments. Describing the idea more formally, Lisi says:Personal articles and interviews
Garrett Lisi's story attracted a great deal of media attention. Numerous news sites from all over the world reported on his new theory, also noting his unorthodox personal background. Lisi has been the subject of many biographical articles and interviews:- August 6, 2007 – On her blog, "Backreaction," in "Garrett Lisi's Inspiration," Sabine Hossenfelder interviews Lisi about his views and theory.
- October 26, 2007 – In an article commissioned by FQXi, "Surfing the Folds of Spacetime," Scott Dodd reports on Lisi's history and theory.
- November 14, 2007 – In The Daily TelegraphThe Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
, Roger Highfield reports "Surfer dude stuns physicists with theory of everything." - November 15, 2007 – In New ScientistNew ScientistNew Scientist is a weekly non-peer-reviewed English-language international science magazine, which since 1996 has also run a website, covering recent developments in science and technology for a general audience. Founded in 1956, it is published by Reed Business Information Ltd, a subsidiary of...
, Zeeya Merali reports "Is mathematical pattern the theory of everything?" - November 15, 2007 – For Fox News, Jim Patton reports "'Physics is Beautiful' And a few other thoughts from Garrett Lisi."
- November 16, 2007 – CBC NewsCBC NewsCBC News is the department within the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the news gathering and production of news programs on CBC television, radio and online services...
reports "Surfer makes waves with scientific 'theory of everything'." - November 16, 2007 – The Daily Galaxy reports "How a Surfer Dude Stunned the World of Science With the 'Theory of Everything'."
- November 18, 2007 – User FriendlyUser FriendlyUser Friendly is a discontinued daily webcomic about the staff of a small, fictional Internet service provider, Columbia Internet. The strip's humor tends to be centered around technology jokes and geek humour....
features Garrett in its Sunday morning comic, as a "Wave Mechanic." - November 18, 2007 – In The Sunday TimesThe Sunday TimesThe Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
, Steve Farrar reports on "Einstein on a snowboard." - November 19, 2007 – In Surfer Magazine, Scott Bass interviews Lisi in "ONE BIG THEORY: A Q & A w/ Surfing Scientist Garrett Lisi."
- November 20, 2007 – On an FQXi forum, "An Exceptionally Simple Personal FAQ," Lisi provides his detailed responses to questions from the media.
- November 21, 2007 – In The Daily TelegraphThe Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
, Roger Highfield reports "Surfer Dude's Theory of Everything – The Movie." - November 22, 2007 – The EconomistThe EconomistThe Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
reports "Geometry is all." - December 1, 2007 – In Surfer Magazine, Scott Bass lists Lisi as #3 in "Most interesting surfers of 2007: The Top Ten."
- December 3, 2007 – In The San Diego Union Tribune, Brad Melekian reports "Physicist balances waves with world of science."
- January 4, 2008 – The Edge FoundationEdge Foundation, Inc.The Edge Foundation, Inc. is an organization of science and technology intellectuals created in 1988 as an outgrowth of The Reality Club. Its motto is 'To arrive at the edge of the world's knowledge, seek out the most complex and sophisticated minds, put them in a room together and have them ask...
includes Garrett's response to the question, "What Have You Changed Your Mind About?" - February 26, 2008 – Discover Magazine reports "Could the Next Einstein Be a Surfer Dude?"
- February 27, 2008 – In Wired Magazine, Kim Zetter reports "Surfer-Physicist's Unified Theory Leads to Fame, Backlash."
- March 1, 2008 – In Scientific AmericanScientific AmericanScientific American is a popular science magazine. It is notable for its long history of presenting science monthly to an educated but not necessarily scientific public, through its careful attention to the clarity of its text as well as the quality of its specially commissioned color graphics...
, Graham P. Collins reports "Wipeout?" In this article, Collins briefly describes Lisi's theory and the related discussion, referring to previous criticisms from Marcus Du Sautoy and Jacques Distler. - March 1, 2008 – The Science Channel interviews Garrett in "Ten Quick Questions With... Garrett Lisi."
- April 1, 2008 – In Symmetry Magazine, Amber Dance reports on "Outsider Science."
- May 1, 2008 – In Outside MagazineOutside (magazine)Outside is an American magazine focused on the outdoors. The first issue debuted in September 1977 with its mission statement declaring that the publication was "dedicated to covering the people, sports and activities, politics, art, literature, and hardware of the outdoors..."Its founders were...
, Evan Ratliff writes "Has A Surfer/Snowboarder Who Lives In A Van Rewritten Physics? Maybe" - June 1, 2008 – In Men's JournalMen's JournalMen's Journal is an American men's lifestyle magazine focused on outdoor recreation and comprising editorials on the outdoors, environmental issues, health and fitness, style and fashion, and "gear". It is owned by Jann Wenner of Wenner Media....
, James Owen Weatherall writes "No Strings Attached." - July 21, 2008 – In The New YorkerThe New YorkerThe New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
, Benjamin Wallace-Wells writes "Surfing the Universe." - September 20, 2008 – For The Center for Science WritingsStevens Institute of TechnologyStevens Institute of Technology is a technological university located on a campus in Hoboken, New Jersey, USA – founded in 1870 with an 1868 bequest from Edwin A. Stevens. It is known for its engineering, science, and technological management curricula.The institute has produced leading...
, John HorganJohn Horgan (American journalist)John Horgan is an American science journalist best known for his 1996 book The End of Science. He has written for many publications, including Scientific American, The New York Times, Time, Newsweek, and IEEE Spectrum...
writes "Surfing Einstein's Really Revolutionary Idea," discussing Lisi's idea for a Science Hostel. - September 25, 2008 – On O'Reilly CommunityO'Reilly MediaO'Reilly Media is an American media company established by Tim O'Reilly that publishes books and Web sites and produces conferences on computer technology topics...
, Timothy M. O'Brien writes "A. Garrett Lisi on Using Wikis to Support Open Source Science," discussing and presenting a video of Lisi describing his Deferential Geometry wiki. - November 17, 2008 – In SEED MagazineSeed (magazine)Seed is an online science magazine published by Seed Media Group. The magazine looks at big ideas in science, important issues at the intersection of science and society, and the people driving global science culture...
, Greg Boustead writes "Garrett Lisi's Exceptional Approach to Everything." - January 4, 2009 – The Edge FoundationEdge Foundation, Inc.The Edge Foundation, Inc. is an organization of science and technology intellectuals created in 1988 as an outgrowth of The Reality Club. Its motto is 'To arrive at the edge of the world's knowledge, seek out the most complex and sophisticated minds, put them in a room together and have them ask...
includes Garrett's response to the question, "What will change everything?" - April 10, 2009 – On surfing.about.comAbout.comAbout.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
, in "Garrett Lisi: Dropping in and Dropping Science," Jay DiMartino interviews Lisi. - April 25, 2009 – In the Financial TimesFinancial TimesThe Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
, John O'Connor writes "First Person: A. Garrett Lisi." - November 10, 2009 – In The Daily TelegraphThe Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
, Roger Highfield writes "Surfer dude's theory of everything: the magic of Garrett Lisi." - January 30, 2010 – In the Toronto StarToronto StarThe Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
, Mitch Porter writes "Surfer inspires comparisons to Albert Einstein." - June 9, 2010 – Lisi was profiled in Morgan FreemanMorgan FreemanMorgan Freeman is an American actor, film director, aviator and narrator. He is noted for his reserved demeanor and authoritative speaking voice. Freeman has received Academy Award nominations for his performances in Street Smart, Driving Miss Daisy, The Shawshank Redemption and Invictus and won...
's science show, Through the WormholeThrough the WormholeThrough the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman is an American science documentary television series narrated by American actor Morgan Freeman. It began airing on Science in the United States on June 9, 2010.- Development :...
. - December 1, 2010 – In Scientific AmericanScientific AmericanScientific American is a popular science magazine. It is notable for its long history of presenting science monthly to an educated but not necessarily scientific public, through its careful attention to the clarity of its text as well as the quality of its specially commissioned color graphics...
, Garrett Lisi and James Owen Weatherall write "A Geometric Theory of Everything." - February 2, 2011 – In Maui Time WeeklyMaui Time WeeklyMaui Time Weekly is a free alternative newspaper published weekly in the county of Maui, state of Hawaii. The paper is owned mostly by its publisher, Tommy Russo....
, Jacob Shafer writes on "Physicist Garrett Lisi And His Theory of Everything." - May 4, 2011 - In Scientific AmericanScientific AmericanScientific American is a popular science magazine. It is notable for its long history of presenting science monthly to an educated but not necessarily scientific public, through its careful attention to the clarity of its text as well as the quality of its specially commissioned color graphics...
, Garrett Lisi Responds to Criticism of his Proposed Unified Theory of Physics
External links
- Antony Garrett Lisi's home page
- @garrettlisi on Twitter
- TED Talks: Garrett Lisi on "The Beauty of Particle Physics" at TEDTED (conference)TED is a global set of conferences owned by the private non-profit Sapling Foundation, formed to disseminate "ideas worth spreading"....
in 2008 - Deferential Geometry – Lisi's personal research wiki
- Elementary Particle Explorer – a Flash application designed by Lisi
- Lisi's publications in high energy physics
- Scientific American: A Geometric Theory of Everything – an article co-authored by Lisi in 2010.