
Professor Fay Dowker: What is the problem of quantum gravity?
Einstein’s general relativity explains gravity, but it contradicts quantum theory – is there a solution to one of modern physics’ greatest problems?
This week, we’re going on a search for the theory of everything.
The two main theories of physics are at odds with one another. Einstein's general relativity explains gravity, but it contradicts quantum theory: how we understand matter, atoms and particles.
Theoretical physicist at Imperial College London Professor Fay Dowker has been working on a solution to this quantum gravity problem, and tells us why the theories are incompatible, and how she plans to bring them together.
If you have a burning science question you want an expert to answer, send them to us on twitter at @sciencefocus, and we may answer them in a future episode.
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Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:
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- Dr Becky Smethurst: How do you actually find a black hole?
- Kathryn D. Sullivan: What is it really like to walk in space?
- Hannah Fry: How much of our lives is secretly underpinned by maths?
- Robert Elliott Smith: Are algorithms inherently biased?
- Monica Grady: What is the future of space science?
Authors

Amy is the Editorial Assistant at BBC Science Focus. Her BA degree specialised in science publishing and she has been working as a journalist since graduating in 2018. In 2020, Amy was named Editorial Assistant of the Year by the British Society of Magazine Editors. She looks after all things books, culture and media. Her interests range from natural history and wildlife, to women in STEM and accessibility tech.
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