Eric Weinstein facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eric Weinstein
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Eric Ross Weinstein
October 26, 1965 |
| Education | University of Pennsylvania (BA) Harvard University (MA, PhD) |
| Occupation | Venture capital fund manager, podcast host |
| Known for | Intellectual dark web |
| Spouse(s) | Pia Malaney |
| Relatives | Bret Weinstein (brother) |
Eric Ross Weinstein (born October 26, 1965) is an American investor and business leader. As of 2021, he was a managing director at Thiel Capital, a company that invests in new technology and science businesses. Weinstein hosts a podcast called The Portal. He also created the phrase "intellectual dark web" and has suggested a new idea about how the universe works, called "Geometric Unity."
Contents
Education and Early Career
Eric Weinstein studied mathematical physics at Harvard University. He earned his Ph.D. in 1992. His main research looked at how certain math equations, usually used for four dimensions, could also work in higher dimensions.
Career Highlights
Working in Finance
In 2013, Weinstein worked as an economist for a company called Natron Group. This company manages large amounts of money. Later, in 2021, he became a managing director at Thiel Capital. This is a venture capital firm started by Peter Thiel. Thiel Capital invests in exciting new companies, especially those in technology and life sciences.
His "Geometric Unity" Theory
Even though he left university research many years ago, Eric Weinstein was invited to give a talk at Oxford University in 2013. There, he shared his big idea called "Geometric Unity" (GU). This theory tries to explain how everything in the universe works, like a "theory of everything".
Weinstein suggests that our normal four-dimensional spacetime (the three dimensions of space plus time) is actually part of a much larger 14-dimensional "observerse." He believes that dark energy, a mysterious force making the universe expand faster, might be a type of fundamental force that changes its strength in different places.
His theory also suggests that the problem of dark matter (missing matter in the universe) might be due to a special kind of imbalance in tiny particles. It even predicts that there are more than 150 types of tiny subatomic particles we haven't found yet!
What Scientists Thought
Many physicists were unsure about Geometric Unity. They pointed out that Weinstein had not published the math equations for his theory. In science, sharing equations is important so other experts can check the ideas.
- Physicist David Kaplan said Weinstein's ideas were interesting but "incomplete" without equations that could be tested.
- Mathematician Edward Frenkel thought the theory might lead to "new answers" if the necessary work was done.
- However, physicist Jim al-Khalili felt Weinstein's claims were "too sweeping" because the theory couldn't be tested with experiments.
- Another physicist, Joseph Conlon, said that some of the new particles Weinstein predicted should have already been found in powerful machines like the Large Hadron Collider.
In 2021, Weinstein finally shared a paper about Geometric Unity online. He also talked about it on a popular podcast. In his paper, he mentioned he was "not a physicist" and that the paper was "a work of entertainment." Scientists continued to have many questions and criticisms about the theory.
Other Projects
Since 2021, Eric Weinstein has hosted his own podcast called The Portal. On this show, he talks with many different thinkers and experts.
As of 2024, he is also part of a research team called The Galileo Project. This project, started by astrophysicist Avi Loeb, looks for possible signs of technology from outside Earth.
Personal Life
Eric Weinstein is known for coining the phrase "intellectual dark web." This term describes a group of public figures who often disagree with certain modern political ideas.
Weinstein is Jewish.
