Oswaldo Zapata (CPNSS): “Is there still any hope for string theory?”

Abstract: In the first part of the talk we will cover how string theory is related to supersymmetry; and what we can learn from the experiments at the LHC. We will also touch upon how supersymmetry extends our notion of the standard relativistic four-dimensional space-time. A short discussion of supergravity; that is; local supersymmetry; follows. We will see that supergravity is in fact a special limit of superstring theory. Next; we will explore the string theory proposal stating that the universe is a sort of hologram. According to this idea; the universe we live win is in one to one correspondence with a lower dimensional world where all the information of our higher dimensional universe is stored. Some phenomenological consequences of this correspondence; such as the understanding and conception of new materials with technological applications; will be discussed at the end.