The Universe of Leonard Susskind

To hear Leonard Susskind tell it, we are living in a golden age of

quantum physics.

And he should know.

Susskind is a grandee of theoretical physics. In the 1960s, he was one of the discoverers of String Theory. His friends and collaborators over the years include the likes of Nobel Prize winners Gerard ‘t Hooft and Richard Feynman.

And, for more than a decade, Susskind engaged in an intellectual clash of the Titans with Stephen Hawking — and came out on top.

On this episode of Orbital Path, Dr. Michelle Thaller talks with Susskind about his extraordinary life in physics. And Susskind offers a tantalizing glimpse into his recent work on the holographic principle, which suggests our universe may be a far, far stranger place than humans have yet imagined.

Orbital Path is produced by David Schulman.

Our editor is Andrea Mustain. Production oversight by John Barth and Genevieve Sponsler.

Support for Orbital Path is provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, enhancing public understanding of science, technology, and economic performance.

Image credit: Linda Cicero / Stanford News Service