String theory woven in twists and turns

By Hamish Johnston

Three weeks ago I was in London watching Edward Witten deliver the 2010 Newton Lecture at the Institute of Physics (IOP). Now thanks to the wonders of the Internet, you too can watch the lecture courtesy of the IOP.

Witten’s speech is split into two parts; the first is above and the second below. Both videos are about 30 minutes long.

Witten was in town to accept the 2010 Isaac Newton Medal from the IOP, which was presented by IOP president Jocelyn Bell Burnell.

I enjoyed Witten’s lecture, which was pitched at a general level and took a narrative approach to how the subject developed – and the unexpected twists and turns along the way. So grab some popcorn and enjoy!