From The Royal Institution.

Uncover the new physics which could tie together the common structure of the universe.

This lecture was recorded at the Ri on 3 May 2025.

Buy Chris’s book "The Square Root Of Einstein: The Mysterious Connections In Our Universe" here: https://geni.us/m11z

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Modern physics distils the vast richness and diversity of our universe into very few theories. Unfortunately, these theories can be staggeringly complicated, and can hold us back from answering the biggest questions facing our existence, including the origin of the universe itself.

Join theoretical physicist Chris White as he introduces the “double copy” – a remarkable new correspondence that tells us that these theories may be much more closely related than previously thought. The double copy theory marks a profound new relationship between particle physics theories and gravity, giving us new practical tools as well as tantalising hints of a vast common structure or language underlying everything we know. Discover the history of the double copy, what it could teach us, and what might come next.

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Chris White is Professor of Theoretical Physics at Queen Mary University of London. Originally from Cornwall, he studied at the University of Cambridge, before holding positions in Amsterdam, Durham and Glasgow. He has published over 80 papers on particle physics, relationships with gravity, and beyond. He has also won teaching awards recognising his efforts to make physics more inclusive.
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