Curt Jaimungal: What Is Infinity, Actually?

For much of history, many mathematicians—following thinkers like Aristotle—viewed infinity as a never-ending process rather than a completed object. In the late 19th century, Georg Cantor revolutionized this view by treating infinite sets as mathematical objects that could be compared and studied. His work showed that not all infinities are equal, and that there are infinitely many different sizes of infinity. While his ideas are foundational in modern mathematics, some philosophical schools, such as finitism and ultrafinitism, continue to question whether infinite objects meaningfully exist. I subscribe to The Economist for their science and tech coverage. As a TOE listener, get 35% off! No other podcast has this: https://economist.com/TOE FOLLOW: - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gL14b92xAErofYQA7bU4e - Substack: https://curtjaimungal.substack.com/subscribe - Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOEwithCurt - Discord Invite: https://discord.com/invite/kBcnfNVwqs - Crypto: https://commerce.coinbase.com/checkout/de803625-87d3-4300-ab6d-85d4258834a9 - PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=XUBHNMFXUX5S4 TIMESTAMPS: - 00:00 - Potential vs. Actual Infinity - 03:12 - Cardinality and Aleph-Null - 06:12 - Diagonalization and Uncountability - 09:21 - ZFC and Logical Independence - 12:23 - Finitism and Ultrafinitism - 15:26 - Continuum Hypothesis Paradoxes - 16:00 - Foundational Mathematical Crisis LINKS MENTIONED: - The Most Abused Theorem in Math [TOE]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OH-ybecvuEo - Dror Bar Natan [TOE]: https://youtu.be/rJz_Badd43c - Hilbert’s Problems: https://mathworld.wolfram.com/HilbertsProblems.html - The Independence of the Continuum Hypothesis [paper]: https://www.pnas.org/doi/pdf/10.1073/pnas.50.6.1143 - Piano arithmetic: https://ncatlab.org/nlab/show/Peano+arithmetic - Cantor’s Diagonal Argument: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335364685_A_Translation_of_G_Cantor's_Ueber_eine_elementare_Frage_der_Mannigfaltigkeitslehre - Hartog’s Construction: paultaylor.eu/trans/HartogsF-wellord.pdf - Cohen’s Forcing Method: https://timothychow.net/forcing.pdf - Norman Wildberger [TOE]: https://youtu.be/l7LvgvunVCM - Woodin’s lecture: https://youtu.be/nVF4N1Ix5WI In Search of Ultimate-L [paper]: https://www.jstor.org/stable/44164514 - Emily Riehl [TOE]: https://youtu.be/mTwvecBthpQ - Sir Roger Penrose [TOE]: https://youtu.be/sGm505TFMbU - Why Write? [article]: https://curtjaimungal.substack.com/p/why-write ASSETS USED: - Infinity display: https://youtu.be/osa4ptG5lMg - Number counter: https://youtu.be/HRL5uNGXh9U Guests do not pay to appear. #science Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emily Riehl, one of the world’s leading category theorists, shares her vision for making infinity category theory something undergrads can actually learn. In this talk, she breaks down how rethinking the foundations of math could change the way it’s taught and understood—and why it might redefine what math even is. I subscribe to The Economist for their science and tech coverage. As a TOE listener, get 35% off! No other podcast has this: https://economist.com/TOE Join My New Substack (Personal Writings): https://curtjaimungal.substack.com Listen on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/SpotifyTOE Become a YouTube Member (Early Access Videos): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdWIQh9DGG6uhJk8eyIFl1w/join Links: •⁠ ⁠Emily’s profile: https://emilyriehl.github.io/ •⁠ ⁠Emily’s presentation: https://emilyriehl.github.io/files/undergraduates-TOE.pdf •⁠ ⁠A Type Theory For Synthetic ∞-Categories (paper): https://arxiv.org/pdf/1705.07442 •⁠ ⁠Could ∞-Category Theory Be Taught To Undergraduates? (paper): https://arxiv.org/pdf/2302.07855 •⁠ ⁠RZK proof assistant: https://rzk-lang.github.io/rzk/en/latest/ •⁠ ⁠Lean Zulip chat: https://leanprover.zulipchat.com/#recentnews Timestamps: 00:00 A Dream for the Future 01:55 Exploring Infinity Categories 03:54 The Role of Category Theory 10:17 Key Concepts of Category Theory 12:01 The Curry-Howard Correspondence 15:37 Understanding Left Adjoint Functors 24:38 The Innate Lemma Explained 38:29 Proving the Isomorphism 41:50 The Importance of Abstraction 44:04 A Crash Course in Category Theory 44:17 Introduction to Infinity Category Theory 56:27 Fundamental Infinity Groupoids 1:03:34 What Are Infinity Categories? 1:09:12 The Case for Infinity Categories 1:18:12 Transitioning to Homotopy Type Theory 1:22:49 Crash Course in Homotopy Type Theory 1:30:56 Type Constructors Explained 1:34:19 Propositions as Types 1:42:50 Understanding Dependent Types 1:49:01 Identity Types and Their Importance 1:54:03 The Structure of Infinity Groupoids 1:59:33 Hierarchies of Types 2:06:19 The Univalence Axiom 2:08:36 Transitioning to Infinity Category Theory 2:10:04 Simplicial Type Theory Overview 2:14:56 Pre-Infinity Categories Defined 2:24:32 Isomorphisms in Infinity Categories 2:31:48 Computer Formalization in Mathematics 2:40:02 Conclusion and Future Directions Support TOE on Patreon: https://patreon.com/curtjaimungal Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOEwithCurt Discord Invite: https://discord.com/invite/kBcnfNVwqs #science Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Renato Renner (ETH Zurich) proves quantum mechanics contains logical contradictions that undermine its foundations.Quantum theory may be the most successful theory in history — and Renato Renner has proved it can't consistently describe itself. This is not a philosophical objection. It's a theorem. From there it spirals into black holes, reference frames, and why some of his students refused to continue working on the subject. This one is a quiet storm, blending the foundations of physics with something uncomfortably personal: the question of what you are. TIMESTAMPS: - 00:00:00 - Quantum Theory's Internal Contradiction - 00:05:51 - Recursive Consistency Checks - 00:11:00 - Wigner’s Friend Paradox - 00:18:11 - Global vs. Local Inconsistency - 00:25:04 - The Inhabitant’s Perspective - 00:31:12 - Modeling Multi-Agent Reasoning - 00:44:25 - Three Fundamental Assumptions - 00:56:36 - Quantum Reference Frames - 01:06:14 - Black Hole Information Paradox - 01:15:06 - Operationalizing Hawking Radiation - 01:24:48 - Realizability of Thought Experiments - 01:41:16 - Emotional Physics: Many Worlds - 01:50:03 - The Limits of Probability - 02:01:06 - Operationalizing the Measurement Problem - 02:15:41 - Generalized Probabilistic Theories - 02:29:16 - Quantum-Gravity Correspondence - 02:40:10 - The Source of Disagreement - 02:56:54 - Physics as Communication LINKS MENTIONED: - Renato's Papers: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=OEBtlWgAAAAJ - Renato's Lecture at Helgoland [Lecture]: https://youtu.be/NxIyldEZzZI - Against Probability [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.18872 - Testing Quantum Theory with Thought Experiments [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/abs/2106.05314 - Quantum Advantage in Cryptography [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/abs/2206.04078 - Quantum Theory Cannot Consistently Describe the Use of Itself [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/abs/1604.07422 - Security of Quantum Key Distribution [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0512258 - Thought Experiments in a Quantum Computer [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/abs/2209.06236 - The Black Hole Information Puzzle [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/abs/2110.14653 - Quanundrum Software: https://github.com/jangnur/Quanundrum - Wigner's Friend: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wigner's_friend - Reimagining of Schrödinger's Cat [Article]: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/reimagining-of-schroedingers-cat-breaks-quantum-mechanics-mdash-and-stumps-physicists1/ - Collapse Theory [Paper]: http://www.psiquadrat.de/downloads/grw86.pdf - Entropy of Hawking Radiation [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/abs/2006.06872 - QBism [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/abs/1003.5209 - Respecting One's Fellow [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/abs/2008.03572 - Why Do Humans Reason? [Paper]: https://www.dan.sperber.fr/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/MercierSperberWhydohumansreason.pdf - Quantum Mechanical Rules for Observed Observers [Paper]: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-47170-2 - Game Theory [Book]: https://amazon.com/dp/0262061414?tag=toe08-20 - Tim Maudlin [TOE]: https://youtu.be/fU1bs5o3nss - Jacob Barandes [TOE]: https://youtu.be/gEK4-XtMwro - Sean Carroll [TOE]: https://youtu.be/9AoRxtYZrZo - David Wallace [TOE]: https://youtu.be/4MjNuJK5RzM - David Bessis [TOE]: https://youtu.be/GHGi_XDqKNw More links at https://curtjaimungal.substack.com Guests do not pay to appear. #science Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal features long-form, technically detailed interviews with leading researchers in physics, mathematics, consciousness, and philosophy, exploring topics at the level of active research. For academics, graduate students, and anyone seeking depth beyond popular science. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jenny Wagner examines the inverse problem: how to map dark matter without assuming what it is.What if 85% of the universe's matter isn't missing — it's just that our models were never clean enough to know? Dr. Jenny Wagner proves mathematically that every dark matter map ever made is extrapolation. The data only tells you something local. Everything else is a model assumption wearing the costume of evidence. She then connects this to Einstein's own 1917 warning — that homogeneity and isotropy were always a placeholder, never a truth — and makes the case that cosmology is not in crisis. It's finally ready for the next level of detail. TIMESTAMPS: - 00:00 - Dark Matter Model Fallacy - 05:06 - Gravitational Lensing Mechanics - 12:14 - Local vs. Global Information - 21:58 - Statistical Mechanics vs. Gravity - 31:28 - Inverse Problem Methodology - 39:58 - MOND and Modified Gravity - 51:58 - CMB Data Processing Biases - 59:56 - Bullet Cluster Re-evaluation - 01:12:41 - Functional Analysis Breakthrough - 01:24:39 - Challenging the Cosmological Principle - 01:42:44 - Minimalist Neutrino Solutions - 01:51:02 - Naked Singularity Detection - 02:04:27 - AI Limits in Cosmology - 02:11:02 - Scientific Method Evolution LINKS MENTIONED: - Jenny's Site: https://thegravitygrinch.blogspot.com/ - Jenny's Papers: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=HBSfYZIAAAAJ - Millennium Sim.: https://wwwmpa.mpa-garching.mpg.de/galform/virgo/millennium/ - Cosmic Structures (Math): https://arxiv.org/abs/2002.00960 - MOND (Milgrom 1983): https://doi.org/10.1086/160167 - Bullet Cluster JWST: https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.21870 - Much Ado About No Offset: https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.11779 - Model-Indep. Gravitational Lenses: https://arxiv.org/abs/2207.01630 - Einstein's 1917 Cosmo. Paper: https://www.scribd.com/doc/211769217/Cosmological-Considerations-In-The-General-Theory-of-Relativity - Imre Lakatos: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/lakatos/ - Against Cosmological Principle: https://youtu.be/nASUsWQyemc - Obs. Universe & Cosmo. Principle: https://arxiv.org/abs/2207.05765 - Galaxy Cluster Scaling Anisotropy: https://arxiv.org/abs/2103.13904 - Giant Arc on the Sky: https://arxiv.org/abs/2201.06875 - Hassabis AI Lecture: https://www.nobelprize.org/uploads/2024/12/hassabis-lecture.pdf - Concentric Circles: https://arxiv.org/abs/1011.3706 - No Low-Variance Circles: https://arxiv.org/abs/1012.1305 - Cumrun Vafa: https://youtu.be/kUHOoMX4Bqw - Daniel Dennett: https://youtu.be/bH553zzjQlI - David Kaiser: https://youtu.be/_yebLXsIdwo - Roger Penrose: https://youtu.be/iO03t21xhdk - Barry Loewer & Eddy Chen: https://youtu.be/xZnafO__IZ0 - Subir Sarkar: https://youtu.be/epkuoytFJWA - Neil Turok: https://youtu.be/ZUp9x44N3uE - Carlo Rovelli: https://youtu.be/hF4SAketEHY - JB Manchak: https://youtu.be/iGOGxaZZHwE - Jacob Barandes: https://youtu.be/wrUvtqr4wOs - Tim Maudlin: https://youtu.be/fU1bs5o3nss - Michael Levin: https://youtu.be/c8iFtaltX-s - Karl Friston: https://youtu.be/uk4NZorRjCo - Yang-Hui He: https://youtu.be/spIquD_mBFk - Erik Verlinde: https://youtu.be/ilVImMHcr_g - Eva Miranda: https://youtu.be/6XyMepn-AZo - Curt on Determinism: https://youtu.be/tJsghrZQaYU More links at https://curtjaimungal.substack.com Guests do not pay to appear. #science Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal features long-form, technically detailed interviews with leading researchers in physics, mathematics, consciousness, and philosophy, exploring topics at the level of active research. For academics, graduate students, and anyone seeking depth beyond popular science. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Curt Jaimungal argues writing reveals something deeper than output—what LLMs expose about human purpose.Curt Jaimungal argues that in an age where LLMs can produce beautiful prose on demand, we've discovered that output was always just a proxy for something deeper — understanding you can't outsource, especially on the questions that actually matter: death, meaning, identity, morality. Shallowness now wears the robe of eloquence. FOLLOW: - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gL14b92xAErofYQA7bU4e - Substack: https://curtjaimungal.substack.com/subscribe - Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOEwithCurt - Discord Invite: https://discord.com/invite/kBcnfNVwqs - Crypto: https://commerce.coinbase.com/checkout/de803625-87d3-4300-ab6d-85d4258834a9 - PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=XUBHNMFXUX5S4 TIMESTAMPS: - 00:00 - You Can't Vibe Your Way to Understanding - 02:22 - Shallowness Now Wears the Robe of Eloquence - 04:09 - Why We Never Knew Output Was a Proxy LINKS MENTIONED: - Why Write [Article]: https://curtjaimungal.substack.com/p/why-write - 3 Rules of Writing [Article]: https://curtjaimungal.substack.com/p/my-3-rules-of-writing - One Push Up [Article]: https://curtjaimungal.substack.com/p/this-may-be-one-of-the-most-important - The Most Terrifying Philosopher Encounter I've Encountered [TOE]: https://youtu.be/BWYxRM__TBU - The Abused Theorem in Math [TOE]: https://youtu.be/OH-ybecvuEo Guests do not pay to appear. #science . Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal features long-form, technically detailed interviews with leading researchers in physics, mathematics, consciousness, and philosophy, exploring topics at the level of active research. For academics, graduate students, and anyone seeking depth beyond popular science. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Curt Jaimungal examines why physicists still can't resolve whether time travel is possible or forbidden.What if you gathered every possible piece of evidence about the universe — every observation, past, present, and future — and it still wasn't enough? That's not a philosophical parlor trick. It's a theorem. J.B. Manchak proves it using the very tools of general relativity, and then connects it to Zen Buddhism's teaching on the self. This one is a quiet storm. TIMESTAMPS: - 00:00:00 - Unknowability of the Universe - 00:05:14 - Space-Time Maximality Metaphysics - 00:11:02 - Time Travel in GR - 00:16:53 - Causal Structure and Topology - 00:24:01 - Cauchy Surfaces and Determinism - 00:32:13 - Solving the Halting Problem - 00:47:38 - Cosmic Censorship Hypothesis - 00:56:58 - The God Point Theorem - 01:02:16 - Global Structure Underdetermination - 01:11:21 - Heraclitus Space-Times Defined - 01:24:22 - Hierarchy of Classical Space-Times - 01:33:08 - The Universe Puzzle Analogy - 01:40:51 - Underdetermination of the Self - 01:51:39 - Zen Buddhism and Non-Self - 02:00:57 - Repeatability and Heraclitus - 02:06:41 - The Power of Slow Thinking Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal features long-form, technically detailed interviews with leading researchers in physics, mathematics, consciousness, and philosophy, exploring topics at the level of active research. For academics, graduate students, and anyone seeking depth beyond popular science. FOLLOW: Substack | Spotify | YouTube | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many people think physics / reality is either guided by a probabilistic distribution or is “determined.” Actually, there’s a third, far‐more unsettling option. Curt Jaimungal explains why Einstein’s general relativity isn't actually deterministic. He discusses how Cauchy horizons and closed time-like curves break predictability, showing that math and physics don't always guarantee a set future for our universe. This is a solo deep‑dive. One that he's been meaning to make for a while. 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 FOLLOW: - Substack: https://curtjaimungal.substack.com/subscribe - Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOEwithCurt - Discord Invite: https://discord.com/invite/kBcnfNVwqs - Crypto: https://commerce.coinbase.com/checkout/de803625-87d3-4300-ab6d-85d4258834a9 - PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=XUBHNMFXUX5S4 LINKS MENTIONED: - This Cosmologist Discovered Something Strange: https://youtu.be/73IdQGgfxas - The Most Abused Theorem in Math (Gödel's Incompleteness): https://youtu.be/OH-ybecvuEo - Harvard Scientist: "There Is No Quantum Multiverse" | Jacob Barandes [Part 3]: https://youtu.be/wrUvtqr4wOs - The Quantum Mechanics of Time Travel: https://youtu.be/yCQ_3qE6SmQ - The Dangerous Lie About Understanding: https://youtu.be/eASBzSNB8ts - Discovery That Changed Physics! Gravity Is Not a Force!: https://youtu.be/3pZNzF6LBII - Einstein's Amazing Theory of Gravity: Black Holes and Novel Ideas in Cosmology, Roger Penrose | LMS: https://youtu.be/xAcvNnSrkcM - The Geodesic Equation: Introduction and Derivation: https://youtu.be/5_79m-kHxts - Interpretation of the Wavefunction: https://youtu.be/R-5hjmV-bdY - Is the Future Already Set in Stone?: https://youtu.be/JBkB2D-_ZH0 - What Is Astrophysics Actually Explained: https://youtu.be/TCrRs_OBN0E - What Triggered the Big Bang? | How the Universe Works: https://youtu.be/gup4Cc0Ube0 - Visualization of the Gödel Universe: https://youtu.be/078jOiaevAQ - Iceberg of String Theory: https://youtu.be/X4PdPnQuwjY - The 300-Year-Old Physics Mistake No One Noticed: https://youtu.be/Tghl6aS5A3M - JB Manchak: Spacetime Asymmetry: https://youtu.be/lFbfhISreFY - Carlo Rovelli [TOE]: https://youtu.be/hF4SAketEHY - General Relativity Is Not (Technically) Deterministic: https://curtjaimungal.substack.com/p/general-relativity-is-not-deterministic - The Strong Cosmic Censorship Conjecture by Maxime Van de Moortel [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2501.13180 - Some Black Holes Erase Your Past: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180221091334.htm - Determinism and General Relativity [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2009.07555 - A Family of Local Deterministic Models for Singlet Quantum State Correlations [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/html/2408.09579v1 - Examples of Cosmological Spacetimes Without CMC Cauchy Surfaces: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11005-024-01843-7 - Asymptotic Dynamics on the Worldlines for Spinning Particles [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/abs/2009.07863 - World Line: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_line - Counterexamples in Topology [Book]: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-1-4612-6290-9 - Quantum Charged Black Holes [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2404.07192 - Charged Hayward Black Hole with a Cosmological Constant and Surrounded by Quintessence and a Cloud of Strings [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2511.02191 - Strong Cosmic Censorship in Charged Black-Hole Spacetimes: Still Subtle [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/pdf/1808.03631 - Chaos and Deterministic Versus Stochastic Non-Linear Modelling: https://academic.oup.com/jrsssb/article/54/2/303/7035838 - Reopening the Hole Argument by Klaas Landsman [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2206.04943 - Is Time Travel Too Strange to Be Possible? [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/pdf/1704.02295 - Counterexamples in Topology [Book]: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-1-4612-6290-9 Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal features long-form, technically detailed interviews with leading researchers in physics, mathematics, consciousness, and philosophy, exploring topics at the level of active research. For academics, graduate students, and anyone seeking depth beyond popular science. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Professor John Donoghue explains why quantum physics and gravity actually work perfectly together. He tackles quadratic gravity, effective field theory, and random dynamics, arguing that grand unification and naturalness aren't required for a theory of everything. 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 - Limits of Quantum Mechanics - 00:06:35 - Effective Field Theory - 00:12:24 - Gravity: Geometry or Force? - 00:18:46 - QFT and Gravity Tension - 00:24:59 - Quadratic Gravity Theory - 00:34:16 - Dueling Arrows of Causality - 00:41:57 - Random Dynamics and Anti-Unification - 00:48:13 - The Naturalness Problem - 00:53:40 - Questioning Hidden Assumptions LINKS MENTIONED: - John's lectures: https://www.youtube.com/@johndonoghue469/featured - John's papers: https://arxiv.org/a/donoghue_j_1.html - The Renormalization Group and Critical Phenomena [Paper]: https://www.nobelprize.org/uploads/2018/06/wilson-lecture-2.pdf - Anthropic Considerations in Multiple-Domain Theories [Paper]: https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.80.1822 - Old "Ghost" Theory of Quantum Gravity Makes a Comeback [Article]: https://www.quantamagazine.org/old-ghost-theory-of-quantum-gravity-makes-a-comeback-20251117/ - Unitarity, Stability and Loops of Unstable Ghosts [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/pdf/1908.02416 - An Effective Field Theory of Gravity for Extended Objects [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/0409156 - Not Quite a Black Hole [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/pdf/1612.04889 - On Quadratic Gravity [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2112.01974 - Quadratic Gravity [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/pdf/1804.09944 - Renormalization of Higher Derivative Quantum Gravity [Paper]: http://www.weylmann.com/stelle.pdf - Quantum Theory in a Nutshell [Book]: https://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Field-Theory-Nutshell-nutshell/dp/0691140340 - Field Theory: A Modern Primer [Book]: https://www.amazon.com/Field-Theory-Modern-Frontiers-Physics/dp/0201546116 - Origin of Symmetries [Book]: https://amzn.to/4qxnLzj - String Theory Iceberg [TOE]: https://youtu.be/X4PdPnQuwjY - Neil Turok [TOE]: https://youtu.be/zNZCa1pVE20 - Avshalom Elitzur [TOE]: https://youtu.be/pWRAaimQT1E - Sir Roger Penrose [TOE]: https://youtu.be/iO03t21xhdk - Ted Jacobson [TOE]: https://youtu.be/3mhctWlXyV8 - Leonard Susskind [TOE]: https://youtu.be/2p_Hlm6aCok - Jonathan Oppenheim [TOE]: https://youtu.be/NKOd8imBa2s - Peter Woit [TOE]: https://youtu.be/TTSeqsCgxj8 - Joseph Conlon & Peter Woit [TOE]: https://youtu.be/fAaXk_WoQqQ - Michael Levin [TOE]: https://youtu.be/c8iFtaltX-s Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal features long-form, technically detailed interviews with leading researchers in physics, mathematics, consciousness, and philosophy, exploring topics at the level of active research. For academics, graduate students, and anyone seeking depth beyond popular science. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A physicist proposes a relativistic theory of consciousness based on spacetime geometry and information.Physicist Nir Lahav joins me to argue that the hard problem isn't hard so much as confused—a consequence of treating consciousness as an absolute property rather than a relative one. Drawing on the principle of relativity, he proposes that subjective experience is a genuine physical property that manifests only from within a cognitive system's own internal simulation, where the felt sense of good and bad becomes as real as location in space. This conversation requires zero prior background in physics or philosophy. Every concept is built from scratch. 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: - Nir's Website: https://www.lahavnir.com/about-me - Nir's Papers: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=LFMD5RkAAAAJ - Nir's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Nir.Lahav - Nir's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewonderofscience9863/videos - A Relativistic Theory of Consciousness [Paper]: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.704270/full - Church-Turing Thesis: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/church-turing/ - What Is It Like to Be a Bat? [Paper]: https://www.sas.upenn.edu/~cavitch/pdf-library/Nagel_Bat.pdf - On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies [TOE]: https://users.physics.ox.ac.uk/~rtaylor/teaching/specrel.pdf - Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems [Book]: https://amazon.com/dp/037575766X?tag=toe08-20 - Discourse on Metaphysics [Book]: https://amazon.com/dp/1474457789?tag=toe08-20 - The Foundation of the General Theory of Relativity [Paper]: https://sites.pitt.edu/~jdnorton/teaching/cosmology_2025/pdf/Einstein_Extension_Relativity_1916.pdf - Some Functional Effects of Sectioning the Cerebral Commissures in Man [Paper]: https://www.pnas.org/doi/epdf/10.1073/pnas.48.10.1765 - Reasoning or Reciting? [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/abs/2307.02477 - The Conscious Mind [Book]: https://amazon.com/dp/0195117891?tag=toe08-20 - Consciousness Iceberg [TOE]: https://youtu.be/65yjqIDghEk - Michael Levin [TOE]: https://youtu.be/c8iFtaltX-s - Karl Friston [TOE]: https://youtu.be/2v7LBABwZKA - Daniel Dennett [TOE]: https://youtu.be/bH553zzjQlI - Bernardo Kastrup [TOE]: https://youtu.be/lAB21FAXCDE - Joscha Bach [TOE]: https://youtu.be/3MNBxfrmfmI - Matt Segall [TOE]: https://youtu.be/DeTm4fSXpbM - Leo Gura [TOE]: https://youtu.be/YspFR9JAq3w - What Is Energy, Actually? [TOE]: https://youtu.be/hQk9GLZ0Fms - Plato's Cave [TOE]: https://youtu.be/PurNlwnxwfY - Iain McGilchrist [TOE]: https://youtu.be/Q9sBKCd2HD0 - Andres Emilsson: https://youtu.be/BBP8WZpYp0Y - Ruth Kastner [TOE]: https://youtu.be/-BsHh3_vCMQ - Urs Schreiber [TOE]: https://youtu.be/1KUhLHlgG2Q - Ted Jacobson [TOE]: https://youtu.be/3mhctWlXyV8 - Stephen Wolfram [TOE]: https://youtu.be/0YRlQQw0d-4 - Emily Adlam and Jacob Barandes [TOE]: https://youtu.be/rw1ewLJUgOg - David Chalmers [TOE]: https://youtu.be/RH5qjdHhtBk - Donald Hoffman and Philip Goff [TOE]: https://youtu.be/MmaIBxkqcT4 - Donald Hoffman [TOE]: https://youtu.be/CmieNQH7Q4w - Michael Levin and Anil Seth [TOE]: https://youtu.be/_kuwwmFnxGY - Elan Barenholtz [TOE]: https://youtu.be/A36OumnSrWY - Geoffrey Hinton [TOE]: https://youtu.be/b_DUft-BdIE Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal features long-form, technically detailed interviews with leading researchers in physics, mathematics, consciousness, and philosophy, exploring topics at the level of active research. For academics, graduate students, and anyone seeking depth beyond popular science. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Curt Jaimungal argues that astrophysicists like Neil deGrasse Tyson and spiritual gurus Deepak Chopra and Thomas Campbell can’t logically claim they don’t hold beliefs. This “Theories of Everything” with Curt Jaimungal episode uses analytic philosophy to show why belief’s vital for understanding physics and consciousness, countering what Thomas Campbell and NASA scientist Nathalie Cabrol say. 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 - The "No Belief" Fallacy - 03:00 - Faith vs. Propositional Belief - 04:57 - Implicit Belief in Hypotheses - 07:10 - van Fraassen’s Constructive Empiricism - 11:51 - Fallibilism and Epistemic Virtue 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: - Neil deGrasse Tyson [TOE]: https://youtu.be/HhWWlJFwTqs - Kierkegaard: The Most Terrifying Philosopher I've Encountered [TOE]: https://youtu.be/BWYxRM__TBU - Curt Interviews NASA Scientist on NPR: https://youtu.be/C8zrfZq1XEs - Bayesian Epistemology: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/epistemology-bayesian/ - Belief: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/belief/ - The Norm Of Assertion: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29684696/ - Truth And Objectivity [Book]: https://amazon.com/dp/0674910877?tag=toe08-20 - Constructive Empiricism Now [Paper]: https://www.princeton.edu/~fraassen/articles/pdfs/CE_Now.pdf - Willard Quine: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/quine/ 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 Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal features long-form, technically detailed interviews with leading researchers in physics, mathematics, consciousness, and philosophy, exploring topics at the level of active research. For academics, graduate students, and anyone seeking depth beyond popular science. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices