Date: June 3, 2007

Prof. Jacob Bekenstein, Hebrew U.

Title: The Holographic Universe

Abstract: 
The holographic way of thinking is having great influence on
gravitation theory and high energy physics.  But it is not an easy
subject to grasp.  So I will approach it from its roots in black hole
physics.  Now black holes earned early the status of exotic objects, a
status more recently buttressed by their role in higher dimensional
physics and string theory.  But in fact one can appreciate much about
black holes by analogy with various aspects of everyday physics.
Accordingly, I will first discuss the black hole area increase theorem
making the everyday connection via the superradiance phenomenon.  Then
in discussing black hole thermodynamics I will focus on the why of the
area law of black hole entropy, while avoiding speculations and
arguments far from everyday physics.  Finally, I will try to explain
how the holographic way of doing things works.  My example will be the
Kovtun-Son-Starinets lower bound on viscosity.  Although widely
discussed as a reflection of physics in ten spacetime dimensions, this
bound can also be looked at from the point of view of black holes in
the everyday world.