Prof.  Nissan Itzhaki
Tel Aviv University

Date: Dec. 14, 2008

Title: String Theory and Cosmology

Abstract:

String theory is believed to describe physics at the smallest possible
scale, while cosmology, by definition, describes physics at the
largest known scales. Thus, naively the last place to look for a
stringy signature is cosmology. In a fascinating fashion the period of
cosmic inflation in the very early universe suggests that in fact
cosmological data might be the place to look for stringy effects. We
speculate that giant structures in the universe (of the order of 220
Mpc) might be remnants of a pre-inflationary stringy effect.