A hike through the Swamp

          @misc{ scivideos_PIRSA:23100002,
            doi = {10.48660/23100002},
            url = {https://pirsa.org/23100002},
            author = {Mlontero, Miguel},
            keywords = {Quantum Gravity},
            language = {en},
            title = {A hike through the Swamp},
            publisher = {Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics},
            year = {2023},
            month = {oct},
            note = {PIRSA:23100002 see, \url{https://scivideos.org/index.php/pirsa/23100002}}
          }
          

Abstract

At first sight, it seems that almost any QFT, seen as a low-energy effective field theory (EFT), can be coupled to gravity -- simply add an Einstein-Hilbert term, change all derivatives by covariant ones, and you're done. However, a growing body of evidence coming from String Theory compactifications, general properties of black hole evaporation, and rigorous results in holography, suggests that the opposite is true. We can work out the hidden constraints that quantum gravity consistency imposes in the matter sector systematically, an approach that receives the colourful name of "The Swampland Program". I will briefly review the program, its motivation, current results, and long-term goals.