The Quantum Structure of Space and Time (293 pages)

xvi The Quantum Structure of Space and Time

Opening Address by David Gross

Your Royal Highness,
Mrs. and Mr. Solvay,
Dear Friends and Colleagues,

For me it is a great pleasure and a great honor to chair this 23rd Solvay Con-
ference in Physics. For all of us who have grown up in the 20th century, these
conferences have played such an important role in our collective memory of physics
that we hope that the revived and re-invigorated Solvay Institutes will continue this
tradition of Solvay Conferences in the same spirit. Perhaps they will play a role as
important in the 21st century.
As Marc has indicated, we have tried to preserve those traditions of the Solvay
Conferences that are worth preserving, in particular, the concentration during these
few days on the most deep and central questions that face us in fundamental physics.
The first conference held in 1911 was devoted to theories of radiation and quanta.
The famous meeting in 1927 was entitled “Electrons and Photons”. We decided to
title this one and to concentrate on “The Quantum Structure of Space and Time”,
which, in its broadest sense encompasses many of the deep questions we face today
in dealing with the stormy marriage of quantum mechanics and relativity. With
the new ideas in string theory and in cosmology, we are faced, as we all know, with

questions as perplexing and as deep as those that were faced almost a century ago.

In the tradition of the Solvay Conferences, we have tried to organize this con-

ference in a similar fashion, with rapporteur talks whose purpose it is to survey a

given area and to lay the stage for subsequent discussion. There will be in addi-

tion, as you know, short presentations, prepared presentations, and hopefully much

spontaneous discussion.

Hopefully, if everyone sticks as instructed to the time allotted, we will have

much time for discussion and, in a way, that is the heart of the meeting. Solvay

Conferences are famous for what went on in these spontaneous discussions, either

in the hall or outside the hall. It is our hope that this will be as exciting a meeting

as any in the past and that it will perhaps help us understanding the quantum

structure of space and time.

At this point, on schedule, I turn over the chair of the first half of the first

session to Marc.