Quantum Gravity in Everyday Life: General Relativity as an Effective Field Theory

TL;DR

This paper introduces the application of effective field theory to gravitational systems, explaining how general relativity can be viewed as an effective theory at low energies and summarizing recent quantum gravity calculations.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of effective field theory methods applied to gravity, highlighting their role in understanding quantum aspects of general relativity.

Findings

Effective field theory offers a systematic way to study quantum gravity.

Explicit calculations demonstrate low-energy quantum effects in gravity.

General relativity can be interpreted as an effective field theory at accessible energy scales.

Abstract

This article is meant as a summary and introduction to the ideas of effective field theory as applied to gravitational systems. Contents: 1. Introduction 2. Effective Field Theories 3. Low-Energy Quantum Gravity 4. Explicit Quantum Calculations 5. Conclusions