The strings 2013 conference

The slides of the talks are found here. Have a look. I did nor spot many discussions on how string theory describes nature. I did not spot many discussions on where the field is going.

The apostles of string theory are very depressed and subdued: Witten, Seiberg, Sen, Vafa etc.

Many have switched to exploring emergence: Maldacena, Arkani-Hamed, Myers etc. In his last slide, Arkani-Hamed concludes that both space-time and quantum theory must emerge together.

The summary talk is also worth it: a superb summary of how detached from reality the speakers are. Like the summary of a conference of the communist party...

Schellekens - how deep can a string theorist fall?

Men are funny. Just read this text by a well-known string theorist. I quote:

My point of view was then, and still is now, that a huge number of gauge theory vacua is a requirement for a fundamental theory in order to understand anthropic coincidences. 

Yes, this man thinks that a purely religious requirement is necessary in science.

Yes, this man thinks that a false requirement helps finding the fundamental theory.

His "point if view" contains a record amount of nonsense.