Mindscape 321 | David Tong on Open Questions in Quantum Field Theory

In this episode of the Mindscape Podcast, Sean Carroll interviews David Tong, a theoretical physicist at Cambridge University, about his ambitious project to write a series of textbooks covering all of theoretical physics, from classical mechanics to quantum field theory. They discuss the motivations behind this project, the challenges of writing textbooks, and the unique approach Tong takes in presenting the material. The conversation then shifts to quantum field theory, where they explore topics such as gauge invariance, new symmetries, the limitations of current mathematical understanding, and the challenges of discretizing space-time. Tong shares his insights on the weak nuclear force, parity violation, and the role of solitons and magnetic monopoles in theoretical physics, providing a glimpse into the ongoing research and unresolved questions in the field.