Eric Weinstein facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eric Weinstein
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| 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 was born on October 26, 1965. He is an American investor and a leader in finance. He is known for managing a special type of investment fund called a venture capital firm. Eric Weinstein also hosted a podcast called The Portal. He is famous for creating the phrase "intellectual dark web". He also suggested a big idea about how the universe works, which he called "Geometric Unity."
Contents
Education and Early Work
Eric Weinstein studied mathematics at Harvard University. He earned his highest degree, a Ph.D., in 1992. His research looked at complex math equations and showed how they could apply in more ways than people first thought.
Career Highlights
Investing in New Ideas
Eric Weinstein works in finance, which is about managing money and investments. By 2021, he was a managing director at Thiel Capital. This is a venture capital firm. Venture capital firms invest money in new companies, especially those focused on technology and life sciences. They help these new businesses grow.
The "Geometric Unity" Theory
Even though he left university life many years ago, Eric Weinstein presented a big idea in 2013. He called it "Geometric Unity" (GU). This theory tries to explain everything in the universe.
He suggested that our familiar four-dimensional spacetime (which includes length, width, height, and time) is part of a much larger "observerse" that has 14 dimensions. In this idea, dark energy is a type of fundamental force. Its strength changes depending on where you are in this larger space.
The theory also tries to explain the dark matter problem. This is a mystery about why there seems to be missing matter in the universe. Weinstein's theory suggests it's because of a slight difference in how particles are "handed" or shaped. He also predicted that there could be more than 150 new tiny particles that we haven't found yet.
What Scientists Thought
Many scientists were unsure about Geometric Unity. They pointed out that Weinstein had not published the math equations for his theory. Publishing equations is a normal and important step in science. It allows other experts to check the ideas.
Some physicists said the theory was "incomplete" without these equations. They needed to see if the theory could make predictions that could be tested. Other scientists noted that some of the new particles Weinstein predicted should have already been found by machines like the Large Hadron Collider.
In 2021, Eric Weinstein shared a paper about Geometric Unity himself. He also talked about it on a popular podcast. In his paper, he mentioned that he was "not a physicist" and that the paper was "a work of entertainment." Scientists continued to discuss his ideas, with many still not convinced.
Other Projects
From 2019 to 2020, Eric Weinstein hosted his own podcast called The Portal.
More recently, he joined 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 created the phrase "intellectual dark web." This term became popular later. It describes a group of public figures who share similar ideas. They often disagree with certain political ideas, especially those related to identity politics and what they call "political correctness."
Eric Weinstein is Jewish.
See also
In Spanish: Eric Weinstein para niños
