#stephon alexander

Note added: I'll find time to read this book. :-)

“One of my things is African-American rhythm,” Gibbs explains of Magnum’s beat-driven vision. “That’s where this book comes in. There’s this geometric idea called ‘translation,’ which is when you take a shape and just twist it—it’s the same shape but it looks different because you twisted the direction. That’s what happens with African-American rhythms: They’re all the same, rhythms that came from Africa, but they’ve all been twisted slightly. What we’re gonna do is take this really basic rhythm and we’re gonna twist it. I’m exploring an intergenerational idea—I almost want to make a jazz version of Jay-Z’s 4:44. When he made that record, I was going, ‘Ah! This is the same idea!’” [Read More]

We interview Stephon Alexander, physicist, jazz saxophonist, professor at Brown University, and author of the book The Jazz of Physics. Stephon explains why quantum physics is a lot like jazz improvisation and how working on physics in a jazz club led to his most famous string theory calculations. He also tells us how to face down the “please disease” and why synthesizing seemingly disparate fields is the way of the future. Plus, we share an original track from Stephon’s album with the musician Rioux. That’s right—it’s Jazz Hour on TLDNE!

Dr Stephon Alexander PhD00: Stephon Alexander research in theoretical physics has made a lasting impact on cosmology and gravitational theory. In 2001, while a graduate student at Brown University, he co-developed the D-Brane inflation model, proposing that cosmic inflation could result from the interaction and annihilation of higher-dimensional membranes.

Dr. Stephon Alexander is a distinguished musician and professor of physics and astronomy at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Renowned for his groundbreaking work, Alexander bridges the realms of theoretical physics and jazz music, uncovering profound connections between these seemingly disparate fields.

Dr Stephon Alexander PhD00: Stephon Alexander research in theoretical physics has made a lasting impact on cosmology and gravitational theory. In 2001, while a graduate student at Brown University, he co-developed the D-Brane inflation model, proposing that cosmic inflation could result from the interaction and annihilation of higher-dimensional membranes.

Stephon Alexander is a theoretical physicist, cosmologist, professional jazz musician, and author. Alexander was born in Trinidad and moved to the United States when he was eight. He grew up in the Bronx, New York City and attended DeWitt Clinton High School where his physics teacher Daniel Kaplan inspired him to study physics.

Dr. Stephon Alexander is the president of the National Society of Black Physicists and a professor of physics at Brown University. He co-invented the D-Branes inflation model in 2001, which is based on higher-dimensional string theory hypersurfaces. In these scenarios, the ‘cosmic inflation’ or rapid expansion of space that led to the early universe’s formation was caused by the destruction of a higher-dimensional D-brane.