Stuart Kauffman: There Is No Theory of Everything

This is an interview with Stuart Kauffman, one of the founders of complexity theory. He invented random Boolean networks at only 23 years old and helped establish the Santa Fe Institute. Now 86, he makes a striking claim: there is no theory of everything. Kauffman argues that biological evolution creates genuinely new possibilities that cannot be deduced from prior states—paralleling the ancient Chinese Tao more than Plato's Logos. He also believes he's found something new in quantum gravity (and, in his words, "genuinely huge"). He unveils it here for the first time. As a listener of TOE you can get a special 20% off discount to The Economist and all it has to offer! Visit https://www.economist.com/toe SUPPORT: - Support me on Substack: https://curtjaimungal.substack.com/subscribe - Support me on Crypto: https://commerce.coinbase.com/checkout/de803625-87d3-4300-ab6d-85d4258834a9 - Support me on PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=XUBHNMFXUX5S4 JOIN MY SUBSTACK (Personal Writings): https://curtjaimungal.substack.com LISTEN ON SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gL14b92xAErofYQA7bU4e LINKS MENTIONED: - Investigations [Book]: https://amazon.com/dp/B00W0DHAH6?tag=toe08-20 - Stuart Kauffman's Books [Amazon]: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B000APT8XK - A Third Transition In Science? [Article]: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/rsfs/article/13/3/20220063/89381/A-third-transition-in-science-A-third-transition - Genetic Regulatory Mechanisms In Protein Synthesis [Paper]: https://www.gs.washington.edu/academics/courses/braun/55106/readings/jacob_and_monod.pdf - Is Mind In Spacetime? [Paper]: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38969235/ - The World Is Not A Theorem [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2101.00284 - Origins Of Order [Book]: https://amazon.com/dp/0195079515?tag=toe08-20 - The Universal Constructor [Article]: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.157.3785.180.a - Metabolic Stability And Epigenesis In Random Genetic Nets [Paper]: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0022519369900150 - Antichaos And Adaptation [Article]: https://www.jstor.org/stable/24938683 - The Selfish Gene [Book]: https://amazon.com/dp/0199291152?tag=toe08-20 - Biological Organization As Closure Of Constraints [Paper]: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022519315001009 - Physics And Philosophy [Book]: https://amazon.com/dp/0061209198?tag=toe08-20 - Combinatorial Chemistry: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/nursing-and-health-professions/combinatorial-chemistry - Connections [Series]: https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.484e32c5-60bd-4493-a800-e44fd0940312 - Gonen Ashkenasy's Papers: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=7kP7Fi4AAAAJ - Michael Levin [TOE]: https://youtu.be/c8iFtaltX-s - Anna Ciaunica & Michael Levin [TOE]: https://youtu.be/2aLhkm6QUgA - Plato's Cave [TOE]: https://youtu.be/PurNlwnxwfY - "Is God A Taoist?" [TOE]: https://youtu.be/P-jh6tRh3Jw - Chiara Marletto [TOE]: https://youtu.be/40CB12cj_aM - John Donoghue [TOE]: https://youtu.be/dG_uKJx6Lpg - Yang-Hui He [TOE]: https://youtu.be/wbP0KjWm0pw - Tim Palmer [TOE]: https://youtu.be/vlklA6jsS8A - Tim Maudlin [TOE]: https://youtu.be/fU1bs5o3nss - Lee Smolin [TOE]: https://youtu.be/uOKOodQXjhc - Carlo Rovelli [TOE]: https://youtu.be/hF4SAketEHY - Geoffrey Hinton [TOE]: https://youtu.be/b_DUft-BdIE - Richard Dawkins's Lecture: https://youtu.be/nfZMyJq6BBM Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Free ZWILLING Four Star Chef's Knife on your 3rd box ($144.99 value) + 10 Free Meals and your first box ship free with code CURTJHFZWL at https://hellofresh.yt.link/4u4Vh7m! This is an interview with Oxford’s Timothy Williamson. He’s one of the most cited living philosophers, and simultaneously one of the most controversial (yet respected). He dismantles physicalism, solipsism, and reductionism––explaining why consciousness is philosophically overrated and why AI in its current form likely lacks genuine mental states. This will be a tour‐de‐force episode into all things related to looking deeply and fundamentally. If you’re interested in consciousness, free will, art, language, and meaning, I believe you’ll love this episode. As a listener of TOE you can get a special 20% off discount to The Economist and all it has to offer! Visit https://www.economist.com/toe SUPPORT: - Support me on Substack: https://curtjaimungal.substack.com/subscribe - Support me on Crypto: https://commerce.coinbase.com/checkout/de803625-87d3-4300-ab6d-85d4258834a9 - Support me on PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=XUBHNMFXUX5S4 JOIN MY SUBSTACK (Personal Writings): https://curtjaimungal.substack.com LISTEN ON SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gL14b92xAErofYQA7bU4e TIMESTAMPS: - 00:00:00 - Vagueness & Sorites Paradox - 00:07:12 - Identity, Physicalism, Non-Physicals - 00:22:30 - Realism vs. Anti-Realism - 00:29:50 - The Problem of Skepticism - 00:35:40 - Cognitive Heuristics & Doubt - 00:43:00 - Solipsism's Appeal & Pitfalls - 00:50:00 - Solipsism: A Critique - 00:57:30 - Pluralism & Consciousness - 01:06:00 - AI, Mental States, Ontology - 01:15:50 - Mind, Knowledge, Meaning - 01:26:00 - Philosophical Heuristics - 01:32:00 - Counterfactuals & Logic - 01:38:00 - Personal Philosophy LINKS MENTIONED: - Overfitting and Heuristics in Philosophy [Book]: https://www.amazon.com/Overfitting-Heuristics-Philosophy-Rutgers-Lectures/dp/0197779212 - Timothy Williamson's Published Papers: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=IH-44VwAAAAJ&hl=en - Sorites Paradox: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/sorites-paradox/ - Philosophical Investigations [Book]: https://www.amazon.com/Philosophical-Investigations-Ludwig-Wittgenstein/dp/0631205691 - I Do Not Exist [Paper]: https://academic.oup.com/book/53296/chapter-abstract/422023005 - O'Shaughnessy Ventures: https://www.osv.llc/ - Barry Loewer & Eddy Chen [TOE]: https://youtu.be/xZnafO__IZ0 - Bas Van Fraassen [TOE]: https://youtu.be/lhpRAWxvY5s - Matthew Segall [TOE]: https://youtu.be/DeTm4fSXpbM - Jennifer Nagel [TOE]: https://youtu.be/CWZVMZ9Tm7Q - Leo Gura [TOE]: https://youtu.be/YspFR9JAq3w - Iain McGilchrist [TOE]: https://youtu.be/M-SgOwc6Pe4 - The Consciousness Iceberg [TOE]: https://youtu.be/65yjqIDghEk - Karl Friston [TOE]: https://youtu.be/uk4NZorRjCo - Geoffrey Hinton [TOE]: https://youtu.be/b_DUft-BdIE - Elan Barenholtz [TOE]: https://youtu.be/A36OumnSrWY - Ben Goertzel & Joscha Bach [TOE]: https://youtu.be/xw7omaQ8SgA - Claudia de Rham [TOE]: https://youtu.be/Ve_Mpd6dGv8 - Stephen Wolfram [TOE]: https://youtu.be/0YRlQQw0d-4 - Elan Barenholtz & Will Hahn [TOE]: https://youtu.be/Ca_RbPXraDE - Greg Kondrak [TOE]: https://youtu.be/FFW14zSYiFY - Robert Sapolsky [TOE]: https://youtu.be/z0IqA1hYKY8 SOCIALS: - Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOEwithCurt - Discord Invite: https://discord.com/invite/kBcnfNVwqs Guests do not pay to appear. Theories of Everything receives revenue solely from viewer donations, platform ads, and clearly labelled sponsors; no guest or associated entity has ever given compensation, directly or through intermediaries. #science Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Curt Jaimungal launches #CORE1, a competition seeking high-level video explainers for physics, AI, and philosophy. If you're a researcher or student, you'll have a chance to win part of the $5,000 prize pool by sharing your technical expertise with the world. For inquiries, email: [email protected] TIMESTAMPS: - 00:00 - Incentivizing Advanced Research Exposition - 05:05 - Formalizing Pedagogical Evaluation Standards LINKS: - CORE1 FAQ: https://curtjaimungal.substack.com/p/core - CORE1 Submission Form: https://tally.so/r/xXrk1o - CORE1 Discord Link: https://discord.com/invite/VdGFUYtPDS - For Inquiries, email: [email protected] - Constructive QFT: https://ncatlab.org/nlab/show/constructive+quantum+field+theory - Coleman-Mandula Theorem: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coleman%E2%80%93Mandula_theorem - Eva Miranda [TOE]: https://youtu.be/6XyMepn-AZo - Emily Riehl [TOE]: https://youtu.be/mTwvecBthpQ - Summer of Math Exposition: https://some.3b1b.co/ - Scaling Laws for Neural Language Models [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2001.08361 - Elan Barenholtz [TOE]: https://youtu.be/A36OumnSrWY - Elan Barenholtz & William Hahn [TOE]: https://youtu.be/Ca_RbPXraDE - Joscha Bach & Karl Friston [TOE]: https://youtu.be/CcQMYNi9a2w - Double Descent Demystified [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2303.14151 - Ted Jacobson on Diffeomorphism Invariance: https://youtu.be/r6kdHge-NNY - Jacob Barandes [TOE]: https://youtu.be/7oWip00iXbo - Barry Loewer & Eddy Chen [TOE]: https://youtu.be/xZnafO__IZ0 - 3Blue1Brown's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/3blue1brown - Bas van Fraassen [TOE]: https://youtu.be/lhpRAWxvY5s - Can Physics Explain Its Own Laws? [TOE]: https://youtu.be/0_Px5gbs9i0 - Max Tegmark [TOE]: https://youtu.be/-gekVfUAS7c - Geoffrey Hinton [TOE]: https://youtu.be/b_DUft-BdIE - Sir Roger Penrose [TOE]: https://youtu.be/iO03t21xhdk - Why I Don't Buy the Simulation Hypothesis [TOE]: https://youtu.be/3_lBPMc6JRY - String Theory Iceberg [TOE]: https://youtu.be/X4PdPnQuwjY SUPPORT: - Support me on Substack: https://curtjaimungal.substack.com/subscribe - Support me on Crypto: https://commerce.coinbase.com/checkout/de803625-87d3-4300-ab6d-85d4258834a9 - Support me on PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=XUBHNMFXUX5S4 JOIN MY SUBSTACK (Personal Writings): https://curtjaimungal.substack.com LISTEN ON SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gL14b92xAErofYQA7bU4e SOCIALS: - Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOEwithCurt - Discord Invite: https://discord.com/invite/kBcnfNVwqs Guests do not pay to appear. Theories of Everything receives revenue solely from viewer donations, platform ads, and clearly labelled sponsors; no guest or associated entity has ever given compensation, directly or through intermediaries. #science Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Professor Bas van Fraassen argues science doesn't deliver literal truth about reality, meaning unobservable physics is merely a model. He also contends the self isn't a thing and that logic permits free will, ultimately sharing how he maintains faith in God without relying on metaphysics. As a listener of TOE you can get a special 20% off discount to The Economist and all it has to offer! Visit https://www.economist.com/toe TIMESTAMPS: - 00:00 - Reality vs. Appearance - 08:40 - Scientific Realism vs. Anti-Realism - 16:30 - The "No Miracles" Argument - 22:26 - Common Sense Realism - 27:54 - Trusting Instruments vs. Theories - 34:22 - Kierkegaard's Call to Decision - 41:50 - Determinism is a Model - 48:50 - Sartre on Free Will - 56:47 - Causation Doesn't Exist in Physics - 01:05:47 - Language of Human Action - 01:15:54 - Tarski's Limitative Theorems - 01:23:50 - "I Am Not a Thing" - 01:34:20 - Rejecting Analytic Metaphysics - 01:40:17 - Does God Exist? - 01:50:50 - Disagreement on Monty Hall - 01:56:15 - Conversion to Catholicism LINKS MENTIONED: - The Scientific Image [Book]: https://amzn.to/499SA72 - Bas's Blog: https://basvanfraassensblog.home.blog/about-me-2/ - The Empirical Stance [Book]: https://amzn.to/3MWbKEK - Bas's Published Papers: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=EBj6wCAAAAAJ&hl=en - Bas's Published Books: https://amzn.to/3L0njdw - Reality Is Not What It Seems [Book]: https://amzn.to/3YseMDe - Matthew Segall [TOE]: https://youtu.be/DeTm4fSXpbM - The "No Miracles" Argument: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/scientific-realism/#MiraArgu - Bas On Closer To Truth: https://youtu.be/nQnQ9ndlYi4 - The Most Terrifying Philosopher I've Encountered [TOE]: https://youtu.be/BWYxRM__TBU - Curt Reads Plato's Cave [TOE]: https://youtu.be/PurNlwnxwfY - Avshalom Elitzur [TOE]: https://youtu.be/pWRAaimQT1E - Formal Philosophy [Paper]: https://archive.org/details/formalphilosophy00mont/page/n5/mode/2up - Robert Sapolsky [TOE]: https://youtu.be/z0IqA1hYKY8 - Time And Chance [Book]: https://amzn.to/4qb6tru - Aaron Schurger [TOE]: https://youtu.be/yDDgDSmfS6Q - Nancy Cartwright's Published Work: https://www.profnancycartwright.com/publications/books/ - Tim Maudlin [TOE]: https://youtu.be/fU1bs5o3nss - Elan Barenholtz & Will Hahn [TOE]: https://youtu.be/Ca_RbPXraDE - On The Electrodynamics Of Moving Bodies [Paper]: https://sites.pitt.edu/~jdnorton/teaching/Einstein_graduate/pdfs/Einstein_STR_1905_English.pdf - The 'Twin Earth' Thought Experiment: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hilary-Putnam#ref1204773 - Yang-Hui He [TOE]: https://youtu.be/spIquD_mBFk - The Nonexistent Knight [Book]: https://amzn.to/3XWxfrs - Wolfgang Smith [TOE]: https://youtu.be/vp18_L_y_30 - Neil deGrasse Tyson Doesn't Understand What "Belief" Means [Article]: https://curtjaimungal.substack.com/p/i-dont-use-the-word-belief-and-scientific - The Monty Hall Problem: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monty_Hall_problem - Daniel Dennett [TOE]: https://youtu.be/bH553zzjQlI - Michael Dummett: https://iep.utm.edu/michael-dummett/ - How To Define Theoretical Terms [Paper]: https://www.princeton.edu/~hhalvors/teaching/phi520_f2012/lewis-theoretical-terms.pdf - The Model-Theoretic Argument: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/realism-sem-challenge/model-theory-completeness.html - Remembering Hilary Putnam [Article]: https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/remembering-hilary-putnam-harvard-philosopher-and-religious-jew - Hilary Lawson: https://www.hilarylawson.com/biography/ - Language Isn't Just Low Resolution Communication: https://curtjaimungal.substack.com/p/language-isnt-just-low-resolution Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sir Roger Penrose and Professor Ivette Fuentes analyze the Ron Folman T-cubed experiment and whether the equivalence principle holds in quantum mechanics. They also detail gravity's role in wave function collapse, the existence of gravitons, and cyclic cosmology. SPONSORS: - Thank you Nolah for sponsoring! Click here https://nolahmattress.com/toe and use CODE: TOE to get an extra $50 off your mattress. - As a listener of TOE you can get a special 20% off discount to The Economist and all it has to offer! Visit https://www.economist.com/toe SUPPORT: - Support me on Substack: https://curtjaimungal.substack.com/subscribe - Support me on Crypto: https://commerce.coinbase.com/checkout/de803625-87d3-4300-ab6d-85d4258834a9 - Support me on PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=XUBHNMFXUX5S4 JOIN MY SUBSTACK (Personal Writings): https://curtjaimungal.substack.com LISTEN ON SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gL14b92xAErofYQA7bU4e TIMESTAMPS: - 00:00:00 - The Ron Folman Experiment - 00:08:12 - Quantum Equivalence Principle - 00:15:00 - Gravitational Wavefunction Collapse - 00:25:14 - Active vs. Passive Gravity - 00:33:40 - Bose-Einstein Condensate Tests - 00:44:30 - Do Gravitons Exist? - 00:56:02 - Evidence Before the Big Bang - 01:04:11 - Testing Collapse Models LINKS MENTIONED: - Ivette’s Website: https://ivettefuentes.weebly.com/ - Ivette’s Published Papers: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=W7-xksIAAAAJ&hl=en - Roger’s Published Papers: https://inspirehep.net/authors/993859 - Human Test: How Predictability, Creativity, And The Quantum Mind Will Redefine Life In The Age Of AI [Book]: https://www.amazon.com/-/he/Human-Test-Predictability-Creativity-Redefine/dp/149308920X - The Equivalence Principle: https://www.britannica.com/science/equivalence-principle - Nikita Nekrasov [TOE]: https://youtu.be/PH0CzN5qspI - Exploring The Unification Of Quantum Theory And General Relativity With A Bose-Einstein Condensate [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/pdf/1812.04630 - Jacob Barandes & Manolis Kellis [TOE]: https://youtu.be/MTD8xkbiGis - Observation Of The Quantum Equivalence Principle For Matter-Waves [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2502.14535 - Claudia de Rham [TOE]: https://youtu.be/Ve_Mpd6dGv8 - Markus Aspelmeyer’s Published Papers: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=DH7xfEgAAAAJ&hl=en - Hendrik Ulbricht Published Papers: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=6d15M50AAAAJ&hl=en - Ron Folman’s Lecture: https://youtu.be/uVN7zapPtvw - Ivette’s Solo Interview [TOE]: https://youtu.be/YWbjI-QsH2E - Roger’s Solo Interview [TOE]: https://youtu.be/iO03t21xhdk - Cumrun Vafa [TOE]: https://youtu.be/kUHOoMX4Bqw - Ted Jacobson [TOE]: https://youtu.be/3mhctWlXyV8 - Jonathan Oppenheim [TOE]: https://youtu.be/6Z_p3viqW1g - Alexia Lopez’s Published Papers: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=PaPfR4sAAAAJ&hl=en - Neil Turok [TOE]: https://youtu.be/ZUp9x44N3uE - Alexia Lopez’s Lecture: https://youtu.be/-zkGk6EPMC8 - A Big Ring On The Sky [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2402.07591 - The DP Model: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/The-Diosi-Penrose-DP-model-of-gravity-related-wave-function-collapse-a-According-to_fig1_344161033 - Underground Test Of Gravity-Related Wave Function Collapse [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2111.13490 - Curt’s Talk With Roger On IAI: https://youtu.be/VQM0OtxvZ-Y - Ron Folman’s T Cube Experiment: https://arxiv.org/pdf/1908.03879 - Carlo Rovelli [TOE]: https://youtu.be/hF4SAketEHY - Fay Dowker [TOE]: https://youtu.be/PgYHEPCLVas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Curt Jaimungal dives into Kierkegaard’s three stages of life—aesthetic, ethical, and religious — showing how each promises freedom yet traps us in its own way. Through the lens of modern anxiety and constant choice, he explores why the “leap of faith” isn’t blind irrationality but a way of living with authenticity when reason hits its limits. Sponsors: - As a listener of TOE you can get a special 20% off discount to The Economist and all it has to offer! Visit https://www.economist.com/toe Join My New Substack (Personal Writings): https://curtjaimungal.substack.com Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gL14b92xAErofYQA7bU4e Timestamps: - 00:00 - Kierkegaard and Faith - 03:16 - The Three Stages - 05:10 - Anti-Helegianism - 10:52 - Self-Examination and "Knowing Thyself" Links mentioned: - The Most Terrifying Philosopher I’ve Encountered: https://curtjaimungal.substack.com/p/the-most-terrifying-philosopher-ive - Soren Kierkegaard: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/kierkegaard/ - Either/Or [Book]: https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.504967/page/n125/mode/2up - Michael Sugrue On Kierkegaard: https://youtu.be/SMJc9UMzFSE - Hegelianism: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hegelianism - Max Tegmark [TOE]: https://youtu.be/-gekVfUAS7c - Sir Roger Penrose [TOE]: https://youtu.be/iO03t21xhdk - Curt’s Presentation: https://youtu.be/3_lBPMc6JRY SUPPORT: - Become a YouTube Member (Early Access Videos): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdWIQh9DGG6uhJk8eyIFl1w/join - Support me on Patreon: https://patreon.com/curtjaimungal - Support me on Crypto: https://commerce.coinbase.com/checkout/de803625-87d3-4300-ab6d-85d4258834a9 - Support me on PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=XUBHNMFXUX5S4 SOCIALS: - Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOEwithCurt - Discord Invite: https://discord.com/invite/kBcnfNVwqs Guests do not pay to appear. Theories of Everything receives revenue solely from viewer donations, platform ads, and clearly labelled sponsors; no guest or associated entity has ever given compensation, directly or through intermediaries. #science Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Professor Ivette Fuentes makes impossible physics testable, with verified predictions on the Casimir effect and quantum vacuum. Now she's building a "third way" to quantum gravity, a surprisingly simple model that changes both quantum mechanics and relativity instead of forcing one to dominate the other. SPONSORS: - As a listener of TOE you can get a special 20% off discount to The Economist and all it has to offer! Visit https://www.economist.com/toe SUPPORT: - Support me on Substack: https://curtjaimungal.substack.com/subscribe - Support me on Crypto: https://commerce.coinbase.com/checkout/de803625-87d3-4300-ab6d-85d4258834a9 - Support me on PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=XUBHNMFXUX5S4 JOIN MY SUBSTACK (Personal Writings): https://curtjaimungal.substack.com LISTEN ON SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gL14b92xAErofYQA7bU4e TIMESTAMPS: - 00:00 - A Third Way to Quantum Gravity - 07:35 - Vacuum-Induced Berry Phase - 12:30 - Dynamical Casimir Effect - 19:02 - Stagnation in Physics? - 29:25 - A Third Way to Unification - 38:20 - What is Physics? - 43:43 - What is Entanglement? - 56:11 - Observer-Dependent Entanglement - 1:03:20 - Advice for Students LINKS MENTIONED: - Ivette’s First Appearance [TOE]: https://youtu.be/cUj2TcZSlZc - Ivette’s Published Papers: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=W7-xksIAAAAJ&hl=en - Ivette’s Website: https://ivettefuentes.weebly.com/ - Berry Phase: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/mathematics/berry-phase - Maria Violaris [TOE]: https://youtu.be/Iya6tYN37ow - Casimir Effect: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casimir_effect - Towards Universal Quantum Computation Through Relativistic Motion [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/pdf/1311.5619 - SQUID: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SQUID - Observation Of The Dynamical Casimir Effect In A Superconducting Circuit [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/pdf/1105.4714 - Generating Multimode Entangled Microwaves With A Superconducting Parametric Cavity [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/pdf/1709.00083 - Sir Roger Penrose [TOE]: https://youtu.be/iO03t21xhdk - String Theory Iceberg [TOE]: https://youtu.be/X4PdPnQuwjY - Felix Finster [TOE]: https://youtu.be/fXzO_KAqrh0 - Jonathan Oppenheim [TOE]: https://youtu.be/6Z_p3viqW1g - Ted Jacobson [TOE]: https://youtu.be/3mhctWlXyV8 - Jacob Barandes [TOE]: https://youtu.be/wrUvtqr4wOs - Tim Maudlin [TOE]: https://youtu.be/fU1bs5o3nss - Bertlemann’s Socks And The Nature Of Reality [Paper]: https://cds.cern.ch/record/142461/files/198009299.pdf - Perimeter Institute: https://perimeterinstitute.ca/ - Alice Falls Into A Black Hole [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/pdf/quant-ph/0410172 - Observer Dependent Entanglement [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/pdf/1210.2223 - Frederic Schuller [TOE]: https://youtu.be/Bnh-UNrxYZg - Vacuum Induced Spin-1/2 Berry Phase [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/pdf/quant-ph/0202128 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why do physical laws have their specific form? Host Curt Jaimungal shows this question is a philosophical knot, because any "explanation" must itself stand on a law. Sponsors: - As a listener of TOE you can get a special 20% off discount to The Economist and all it has to offer! Visit https://www.economist.com/toe Join My New Substack (Personal Writings): https://curtjaimungal.substack.com Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gL14b92xAErofYQA7bU4e Timestamps: - 00:00 - Why Physical Laws? - 05:04 - The Justification Problem - 12:14 - The Limits of Explanation Links mentioned: - Wigner’s Classification: https://ncatlab.org/nlab/show/Wigner+classification - Noether’s Theorem: https://ncatlab.org/nlab/show/Noether%27s+theorem - This Is What Energy Actually Is [TOE]: https://youtu.be/hQk9GLZ0Fms - Do Symmetries “Explain” Conservation Laws? [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2010.10909 - Max Tegmark [TOE]: https://youtu.be/-gekVfUAS7c - Lee Smolin [TOE]: https://youtu.be/uOKOodQXjhc - Amanda Gefter [TOE]: https://youtu.be/yABPvDJ6Zgs - John Norton [TOE]: https://youtu.be/Tghl6aS5A3M - Laws of Physics [Eddy Keming Chen]: https://arxiv.org/abs/2309.03484 - What’s Actually Possible: https://curtjaimungal.substack.com/p/the-unexamined-in-principle - Eddy Chen & Barry Loewer [TOE]: https://youtu.be/xZnafO__IZ0 - The Package Deal Accounts of Laws and Properties [Paper]: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11229-020-02765-2 - David Deutsch [TOE]: https://youtu.be/vKeWv-cdWkM - Elan Barenholtz & Will Hahn [TOE]: https://youtu.be/Ca_RbPXraDE - Münchhausen Trilemma [Wikipedia]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%BCnchhausen_trilemma - Jennifer Nagel [TOE]: https://youtu.be/CWZVMZ9Tm7Q - Law Without Law [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/pdf/1712.01826 - Schrodinger Equation: https://ncatlab.org/nlab/show/Schr%C3%B6dinger+equation - Born Rule: https://ncatlab.org/nlab/show/Born+rule - Enaction of Qbists [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2411.04230 - Constructor Theory [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/pdf/1210.7439 - The Package Deal Account of Laws and Properties [Paper]: https://sites.rutgers.edu/barry-loewer/wp-content/uploads/sites/195/2020/05/Loewer-2020-The-Package-Deal-Account.pdf - Jonathan Pageau [TOE]: https://youtu.be/X3co_AA6yec - The Most Abused Theorem in Math (Godel’s Incompleteness) [TOE]: https://youtu.be/OH-ybecvuEo SUPPORT: - Become a YouTube Member (Early Access Videos): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdWIQh9DGG6uhJk8eyIFl1w/join - Support me on Patreon: https://patreon.com/curtjaimungal - Support me on Crypto: https://commerce.coinbase.com/checkout/de803625-87d3-4300-ab6d-85d4258834a9 - Support me on PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=XUBHNMFXUX5S4 SOCIALS: - Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOEwithCurt - Discord Invite: https://discord.com/invite/kBcnfNVwqs Guests do not pay to appear. Theories of Everything receives revenue solely from viewer donations, platform ads, and clearly labelled sponsors; no guest or associated entity has ever given compensation, directly or through intermediaries. #science Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nobel laureate Sir Roger Penrose dismantles standard cosmology, arguing the Big Bang wasn't the beginning and quantum mechanics is fundamentally wrong. He then connects a real, gravitational wave function collapse to the non-computational nature of consciousness and why today's AI can't truly understand. Sponsors: - Get 50% off Claude Pro, including access to Claude Code, at https://claude.ai/theoriesofeverything - As a listener of TOE you can get a special 20% off discount to The Economist and all it has to offer! Visit https://www.economist.com/toe Join My New Substack (Personal Writings): https://curtjaimungal.substack.com Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gL14b92xAErofYQA7bU4e Timestamps: - 00:00 - The Big Bang Wasn't The Beginning - 02:14 - Conformal Cyclic Cosmology (CCC) - 09:12 - The Collapse Problem - 14:31 - A Feeling of Elation - 24:32 - Gödel and Understanding - 37:32 - Gravitational Collapse - 50:05 - Critique of Modern AI - 57:12 - Black Hole Information "Paradox" - 1:04:15 - Wheeler, Wigner, & Witten - 1:15:04 - Richard Feynman in Poland - 1:20:25 - Libet's Timing of Consciousness - 1:32:49 - Three Worlds, Three Mysteries - 1:44:14 - Why Quantum Mechanics Is Wrong Links mentioned: - Stuart Hameroff [TOE]: https://youtu.be/0_bQwdJir1o - Classical Theory [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/pdf/hep-th/9409195 - Rebecca Goldstein [TOE]: https://youtu.be/VkL3BcKEB6Y - The Emperor’s New Mind [Book]: https://www.amazon.ca/Emperors-New-Mind-Concerning-Computers/dp/0192861980 - Fashion, Faith, and Fantasy in the New Physics of the Universe [Book]: https://www.amazon.ca/Fashion-Faith-Fantasy-Physics-Universe/dp/0691178534 - Perturbative Gauge Theory as a String Theory in Twistor Space [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/pdf/hep-th/0312171 - What Is Life? [Book]: https://www.amazon.ca/What-Life-Matter-Autobiographical-Sketches/dp/1107604664 - Michael Levin [TOE]: https://youtu.be/Exdz2HKP7u0 - Why I Don’t Buy the Simulation Hypothesis (Nor Materialism) [TOE]: https://youtu.be/3_lBPMc6JRY - Consciousness and Quantum Mechanics [Book]: https://www.amazon.ca/Consciousness-Quantum-Mechanics-Shan-Gao/dp/0197501664 - Ivette Fuentes [TOE]: https://youtu.be/cUj2TcZSlZc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Libet experiment didn't kill free will, says professor of neuroscience Aaron Schurger; the brain's "readiness potential" is simply stochastic neural noise. We then tackle consciousness's role in initiating action, the hard problem, and what it'd take for neuroscience to truly disprove our choices. If you’re interested in the topics above, I think you’ll love this podcast. Sponsors: - Get 50% off Claude Pro, including access to Claude Code, at https://claude.ai/theoriesofeverything - Get your copy of Richard Fain’s Delivering the Wow—available today on Amazon, or wherever you buy your books. - As a listener of TOE you can get a special 20% off discount to The Economist and all it has to offer! Visit https://www.economist.com/toe Join My New Substack (Personal Writings): https://curtjaimungal.substack.com Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gL14b92xAErofYQA7bU4e Timestamps: - 00:00 - The Readiness Potential - 07:14 - Reinterpreting Libet's Results - 24:18 - Autocorrelated Neural Noise - 36:06 - Noise vs. Conscious Imperative - 43:46 - Resolving Libet's Paradox - 50:55 - The Point of No Return - 56:11 - Attention Schema Theory - 01:03:47 - Explaining "What It's Like" - 01:17:00 - Consciousness & Action Initiation - 01:24:54 - Testing Consciousness Thresholds Links mentioned: - Aaron Schurger’s Papers: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=lBSjfagAAAAJ&hl=en - Daniel Dennett [TOE]: https://youtu.be/bH553zzjQlI - Determined: A Science Of Life Without Free Will [Book]: https://www.amazon.com/Determined-Science-Life-without-Free/dp/B0BVNSX4CQ/ref=sr_1_1 - Robert Sapolsky [TOE]: https://youtu.be/z0IqA1hYKY8 - An Accumulator Model For Spontaneous Neuralactivity Prior To Self-Initiated Movement [Paper]: https://www.pnas.org/doi/epdf/10.1073/pnas.1210467109 - Consciousness Iceberg [TOE]: https://youtu.be/65yjqIDghEk - Stephen Wolfram [TOE]: https://youtu.be/0YRlQQw0d-4 - Awareness As A Perceptual Model Of Attention [Paper]: https://grazianolab.princeton.edu/sites/g/files/toruqf3411/files/graziano/files/cog_neurosci_2011b.pdf - Cortical Activity Is More Stable When Sensory Stimuliare Consciously Perceived [Paper]: https://www.pnas.org/doi/epdf/10.1073/pnas.1418730112 - Propofol Anesthesia Destabilizes Neural Dynamics Across Cortex [Paper]: https://www.cell.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0896-6273%2824%2900446-X - Jenann Ismael [TOE]: https://youtu.be/7kvXihDAOi0 SUPPORT: - Become a YouTube Member (Early Access Videos): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdWIQh9DGG6uhJk8eyIFl1w/join - Support me on Patreon: https://patreon.com/curtjaimungal - Support me on Crypto: https://commerce.coinbase.com/checkout/de803625-87d3-4300-ab6d-85d4258834a9 - Support me on PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=XUBHNMFXUX5S4 SOCIALS: - Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOEwithCurt - Discord Invite: https://discord.com/invite/kBcnfNVwqs Guests do not pay to appear. Theories of Everything receives revenue solely from viewer donations, platform ads, and clearly labelled sponsors; no guest or associated entity has ever given compensation, directly or through intermediaries. #science Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices