Sylvester James Gates
Encyclopedia
Sylvester James Gates, Jr. (born December 15, 1950) is a noted American
theoretical physicist
. He received BS
and PhD
degrees from Massachusetts Institute of Technology
, the latter in 1977. His doctoral thesis was the first thesis at MIT to deal with supersymmetry
. Gates is currently the John S. Toll
Professor of Physics at the University of Maryland, College Park
and serves on President Barack Obama
's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. He is known for his work on supersymmetry
, supergravity
, and superstring theory
. In 1984, working with M. T. Grisaru, M. Rocek
, W. Siegel, Gates co-authored Superspace, the first comprehensive book on the topic of supersymmetry.
Gates has been featured extensively on many NOVA
PBS programs on physics, most notably "The Elegant Universe
" in 2003. In 2006, he completed a DVD series titled Superstring Theory: The DNA of Reality for The Teaching Company
composed of 24 half-hour lectures to make the complexities of unification theory comprehensible to laypeople. During the 2008 World Science Festival
, Prof. Gates narrated
a ballet "The Elegant Universe", where he gave a public presentation of the artistic forms connected to his scientific research.
Dr. Gates has been nominated by the Department of Energy
to be one of the USA Science and Engineering Festival
's Nifty Fifty Speakers who will speak about his work and career to middle and high school students in October 2010. He is currently a Martin Luther King Jr. Visiting Scholar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for the 2010-2011 School Year, and is a Residential Scholar at MIT's Simmons Hall. He is also currently continuing his research in String Theory, Supersymmetry, and Supergravity at the MIT Center of Theoretical Physics. He is a member of the board of trustees of Society for Science & the Public
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
theoretical physicist
Theoretical physics
Theoretical physics is a branch of physics which employs mathematical models and abstractions of physics to rationalize, explain and predict natural phenomena...
. He received BS
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...
and PhD
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...
degrees from Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
, the latter in 1977. His doctoral thesis was the first thesis at MIT to deal with supersymmetry
Supersymmetry
In particle physics, supersymmetry is a symmetry that relates elementary particles of one spin to other particles that differ by half a unit of spin and are known as superpartners...
. Gates is currently the John S. Toll
John S. Toll
John Sampson Toll was an American physicist and educational administrator.Toll received his bachelor's degree in physics from Yale in 1944, after which he served in the Navy in World War II. He finished his Ph.D...
Professor of Physics at the University of Maryland, College Park
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
and serves on President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. He is known for his work on supersymmetry
Supersymmetry
In particle physics, supersymmetry is a symmetry that relates elementary particles of one spin to other particles that differ by half a unit of spin and are known as superpartners...
, supergravity
Supergravity
In theoretical physics, supergravity is a field theory that combines the principles of supersymmetry and general relativity. Together, these imply that, in supergravity, the supersymmetry is a local symmetry...
, and superstring theory
Superstring theory
Superstring theory is an attempt to explain all of the particles and fundamental forces of nature in one theory by modelling them as vibrations of tiny supersymmetric strings...
. In 1984, working with M. T. Grisaru, M. Rocek
Martin Rocek
Martin Rocek is a professor of theoretical physics at the State University of New York at Stony Brook and a member of the C. N. Yang Institute for Theoretical Physics. He received A.B. and Ph.D. degrees from Harvard University in 1975 and 1979...
, W. Siegel, Gates co-authored Superspace, the first comprehensive book on the topic of supersymmetry.
Gates has been featured extensively on many NOVA
NOVA (TV series)
Nova is a popular science television series from the U.S. produced by WGBH Boston. It can be seen on the Public Broadcasting Service in the United States, and in more than 100 other countries...
PBS programs on physics, most notably "The Elegant Universe
The Elegant Universe
The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory is a book by Brian Greene published in 1999, which introduces string and superstring theory, and provides a comprehensive though non-technical assessment of the theory and some of its shortcomings...
" in 2003. In 2006, he completed a DVD series titled Superstring Theory: The DNA of Reality for The Teaching Company
The Teaching Company
The Teaching Company is a Chantilly, Virginia company that produces recordings of lectures by university professors and high-school teachers. It sells the courses in CD, DVD, MPEG-4, and MP3 formats.- Background :...
composed of 24 half-hour lectures to make the complexities of unification theory comprehensible to laypeople. During the 2008 World Science Festival
World Science Festival
The World Science Festival is a science festival held in New York City that is held annually in the summer. The 2008 inaugural festival was held May 28 – June 1 and consisted mainly of panel discussions and on-stage conversations, accompanied by multimedia presentations.The festival was the...
, Prof. Gates narrated
a ballet "The Elegant Universe", where he gave a public presentation of the artistic forms connected to his scientific research.
Dr. Gates has been nominated by the Department of Energy
United States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
to be one of the USA Science and Engineering Festival
USA Science and Engineering Festival
USA Science and Engineering Festival was a science festival in Washington, D.C. that founder Larry Book deemed the country’s first national science festival. The inaugural event was held from October 10, 2010 through October 24, 2010 and was planned to be a yearly event. The two week festival...
's Nifty Fifty Speakers who will speak about his work and career to middle and high school students in October 2010. He is currently a Martin Luther King Jr. Visiting Scholar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for the 2010-2011 School Year, and is a Residential Scholar at MIT's Simmons Hall. He is also currently continuing his research in String Theory, Supersymmetry, and Supergravity at the MIT Center of Theoretical Physics. He is a member of the board of trustees of Society for Science & the Public
Society for Science & the Public
Society for Science & the Public , formerly known as Science Service, is a 5013 non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of science, through its science education programs and publications, including the weekly Science News magazine.Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the organization...
.
Book
- L'arte della fisica - Stringhe, superstringhe, teoria unificata dei campi, 2006, Di Renzo Editore, ISBN 8883231554.