5 Questions With S. James Gates Jr.
For most of us, “string theory” and “supersymmetry” are vague but evocative terms that seem to point to a mysterious sub-reality underlying the world we know. For theoretical physicist Sylvester James Gates Jr., director of the Center for String and Particle Theory at the University of Maryland, the fearsomely complex mathematics of string theory and supersymmetry are all in a day’s work. Gates is also a Distinguished University Professor, University System of Maryland Regents Professor and John S. Toll Professor of Physics, as well as a member of the National Academy of Sciences. He received the National Medal of Science from President Obama in 2013. (more…)