Where should I go to study theoretical cosmology such as Superstring
Theory (now known as M Theory)?

I currently have a computer business that is going quite well, and
I'll be finished with my undergraduate degree in December.  It seems a
logical next step to pick up the pace with my business, make some
money, and forget about school.

But I feel unfulfilled with my college education.  I will have a minor
in Math and a minor in Computer Science.  My major is in Elective
Studies since I spent the last four years of my life trying vastly
different subject areas in the hopes of finding something that fueled
my passion for science and technology, as well as creative new ideas. 
I have found Math too straightforward to be creative, and Philosophy
too fuzzy to be shared usefully with others.

The only time I've really experienced that passion was when reading
about theoretical cosmology when I was in high school.  Now I realize
that I probably should have started college by chasing that dream of
cosmology, rather than beating around the bush for four years.

So I ask myself:  Should I stay in school and study Cosmology and
Superstring Theory, or should I quit school and work full time? 
That's something I have to figure out on my own.  But before I can
even begin to consider that question, I need some help from you!

So here's my question for you:  

Where are some of the best schools to study Cosmology and Superstring
Theory (M Theory)?

Where do students go to study and get involved in this kind of
bleeding edge theoretical thinking?  I'm from Minnesota, and I don't
really know of any major universities here that even have a Cosmology
program, much less a "Superstring Theory program!"  Do such programs
even exist?  (Anywhere in the U.S., not necessarily just MN.)  Where
is all this happening?  Where is the center(s) of activity?

I should add that I am NOT asking where I should go to study
ASTRONOMY.  Astronomy is boring.  Astronomers spend all their time
crunching numbers, and they end up with a very precise result that is
nothing more than a single piece of a very large unassembled puzzle
with an unknown number of pieces.  Cosmologists are the ones who look
at the bigger picture and try to put all the pieces together.  That's
what I love, and that's what I'm interested in.  Cosmology. 
Superstring Theory.  M Theory.  That's the stuff!

If I put off full-time work for a few more years, would I just be
chasing a pie in the sky--or do there exist places where I can really
go to study this stuff?

Thanks for your help in making this life-decision!

Ryan

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Request for Question Clarification by siliconsamurai-ga on 04 Mar 2005 02:53 PST

What constitutes a minor in math can vary quite a bit between schools.
Can you let us know what your last math class was or otherwise
describe your highest level of math knowledge? This might help to
narrow the field a bit. Without at least a masters in physics you may
not be able to enter some of the top programs and similarly for a
certain level of theoretical math knowledge.

---

Clarification of Question by ryan256-ga on 04 Mar 2005 12:12 PST

In terms of math required for string theory, I have already found a
fair amount of information at:

http://superstringtheory.com/math/

My minor will cover the undergraduate suggestions listed at this site.
 Even so, I realize that if I were to really get serious about this, I
would probably need to study math at the graduate level.

However, for the sake of question clarification, let's assume that
I've got a good portion of the graduate math requirements taken care
of as well.  In that case, where should I go to study theoretical
Cosmology like Stuperstring Theory (M Theory)?

My main question is:  Does there exist such a thing as a "Cosmology
program" or "String theory program" (along the lines of a "Business
program" or "Art department")?  If so, where are the best places in
the nation, and how do their programs differ?

My secondary question is:  At what point does one start connecting the
pure math to the actual theory?  Is it really impossible to talk about
string theory without a graduate degree in math and physics?

Well, Cambridge, Harvard, and Cal Tech spring to mind but you should
probably check out http://arxiv.org/pdf/hep-th/9608117 especially for
the references - knowing where the top researchers are is a good guide
to which schools are most involved. I presume you realize there is a
considerable amount of math involved in 11-dimmentional string theory.
In fact, it is thought that some of the math tools required to deal
with M Theory haven't even been developed yet.

You need to study the most recent papers to see which researchers are
working on the aspects of M Theory which you find most interesting.

>Astronomy is boring.  Astronomers spend all their time
crunching numbers, and they end up with a very precise result that is
nothing more than a single piece of a very large unassembled puzzle
with an unknown number of pieces.

I doubt if you'll find many astronomers agreeing with that :-).  As a
discipline, cosmology is highly mathematical, and M Theory is
notorious for its abstruse maths.

Ian G.

Ian,

Good point.  What I should have said is that I am personally more
interested in the bigger picture than the meticulous details of
carrying out a very specific experiment.

Cosmology is interesting only because of the wealth of experimental
results provided by countless Astronomers through their hard work and
diligence.

It would be impossible to do any serious work in M theory without at
least a Ph.D. in physics or math, or both.

What you are talking about is doing a doctoral thesis on M Theory and
you can do that several places.

The Princeton Inst. of Advanced Studies springs to mind - I believe
that's where M theory was invented and was where Einstein worked.

Harvard used to be a good place for quantum and magnetic theory, at
least a friend of mine was awarded the Nobel Prize there, but that was
a few years back. I knew a few people at the Smithsonian Astrophysical
Observatory there later and that would be another possibility.

Just FYI for anyone interested in this thread, I see PBS Nova is
running their big show about string theory next week in a lot of
areas.

Disclaimer - Although I used to work for WGBH, I have no ongoing
connection so this isn't an ad for PBS. (GRIN)

Dear Ryan, 

If you're still interested, I;ve got the list for you. However, since
the questin had expired, you'll have to repost it.

When I re-post the question, will the above comments also be
re-posted, or should I paste them into the body of my question? 
Thanks, --Ryan