Physics Research Conference Dr. David Kaplan -- Talk Abstract

Effective field theory is a tool that allows one to systematically exploit knowledge of physics on large scales in spite of ignorance about dynamics at short distances. The techniques are central to practically every branch of physics, and I illustrate them with several examples, such as explaining the scattering of light by atoms, why Landau liquid theory is so successful, and the prospects for new particle physics beyond the standard model. I then discuss a topic of considerable current interest: how to use effective field theory to develop a model independent description of nuclear physics.