Emerging Directions in String Theory (08w5059)

Of all scientific endeavors, string theory has perhaps the grandest ambitions: to explain all known matter and forces in the universe in a single unified framework. In the most optimistic scenario, string theory would explain all properties of the elementary particles and the forces between them, the physics of the big bang which led to the universe we observe, the nature of the mysterious dark matter and dark energy required to explain the observed large-scale properties of our universe, and the detailed physics of black holes, perhaps the most mysterious objects in our present universe. Remarkably, it is already clear that string theory provides a rich enough framework to accomplish all of these objectives. The workshop to take place at the Banff International Research Station on June 22 - 27, 2008 will bring together experts from all areas in the field of string theory in order to stimulate new directions for research.

The Banff International Research Station for Mathematical Innovation and Discovery (BIRS) is a collaborative Canada-US-Mexico venture that provides an environment for creative interaction as well as the exchange of ideas, knowledge, and methods within the Mathematical Sciences, with related disciplines and with industry. The research station is located at The Banff Centre in Alberta and is supported by Canada's Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the US National Science Foundation (NSF), Alberta's Advanced Education and Technology, and Mexico's Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologí­a (CONACYT).