Mindscape AMA, Sean Carroll | October 2022

Patreon: / seanmcarroll
Blog post with audio player, show notes, and transcript:
Welcome to the October 2022 Ask Me Anything episode of Mindscape! These monthly excursions are funded by Patreon supporters (who are also the ones asking the questions). We take questions asked by Patreons, whittle them down to a more manageable number - based primarily on whether I have anything interesting to say about them, not whether the questions themselves are good - and sometimes group them together if they are about a similar topic. Enjoy!
Mindscape Podcast playlist: • Mindscape Podcast
Sean Carroll channel: / seancarroll
#podcast #ideas #science #philosophy #culture

[@Lance_Lough]

Best three hours of the month. Thanks.

[@davidschneide5422]

Best two hours each month, at 1.5x.

[@yellowrosetv]

Love the podcast!

[@nowhereman8374]

Thankyou Sean for being Sean. Maybe the Mindscape podcast be in many if not all of the many worlds.

[@johntitorii6676]

Sean yer my fav universe quantum scientist/phillosopher

[@suyapajimenez516]

Profesor Caroll it’s a pleasure to listen some of your presentation about your expertise through KZbin over bc I devoted my life to medicine and physics is not a subject deeply studied for that. Said that I decided to explore your podcast to learn even more, but like the guy of the electron I think I have to start w the number one to have and idea of half of the today’s topics.😂 For those few I understood I enjoyed them. Laugh a little if my comment and thanks.

[@kennygrande9478]

22: min,,, finally the dude nails the right question!!!

[@Ometecuhtli]

I don't get the problem with being an insignificant part of the Universe, if anything it means no matter how bad or mistaken I am it won't affect it much if at all, and all the good things I do I can see them in the people or animals or whichever who are immediate to me, and the same perspective applies to the world for the most of us.

[@PilsnerGrip]

Anybody got the Sean's interview with the Lost show runners? Also patreons ask more questions about shows and movies please :D

[@johngiraldi1150]

We should call it the “telescope that should not have been named after James Webb”, ie ~JWST

[@AndreasGeisler]

On the efficiency of explanations: Explanations are communicative. So we probably apply some of our regular communicative expectations to them, such as Grice's maxims, the maxim of economy in this case: We expect that the speaker will compose as economic an explanation as possible, under the restraints of the other maxims. Good thing to remember: the maxims aren't laws of nature, so much as they are social norms. People get angry with you if you start every explanation with the big bang, simply because this is not the economical way to explain most things. The economic way to explain things is ot accurately assay (guess) which amount of the full explanation is Common to both participants, and then just outline the shortest path from the body of common knowledge to the answer for the topical question. Of course, if there is very little Common knowledge it may in fact be necessary to start quite early.

[@chrisofnottingham]

Re Lost, in his early days JJ Abrams had various shows where there was some element of mystery for which we were waiting for a final reveal, and in the end the answer was "yeah, it is just mysterious".

[@christinley5213]

I always listen to these… Sean your such a good person and i learn so much from you.. thank you!:)

[@SpinningSalads]

You’re a true hero Sean

[@RPoshekGladbach]

Thanks for the Ted Pyne reference. Love his/Euphonics' music!

[@dustindude4995]

CO2 contributions from braking should be around 10000 metric tons based on some napkinmath. Lots of assumptions, but one of them is it doesn't include regenerative braking found in hybrids/electrics. Much larger contributions come from engine and drive train losses. These also improve drastically in electric vehicles. Thanks to Stanford and EPA for having some numbers for me. 5%brake loss x ~14 million metric tons globally x %14 emissions from vehicles(in US)

[@nikeboy995]

45:40 I mean would you punish all identical clones the same way? It doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Clearly only one Alice could have done the crime. Just because the other Alices have the same mental state thinking they did it doesnt mean they actually did it. What do we do with psychological damaged people who think they killed someone but in reality didn't do it? Their mental state clearly made them comit the crime, which they didn't actually do. Do you still punish those people? I think it's a lot more complex then just saying they should all be punished...

[@SandipChitale]

Excellent podcast Sean. As always! You answered my question about the connection between the increase in entropy and the arrow of time at 1:05:28. It appears that you answered it in terms of time as a human (or more abstractly - a records and recall system) would perceive time. I call it a "useful" notion of time. Sure. But I was not talking in terms of such "useful" time. I am speaking in terms of time as simply the fact of change (ala Julien Barbour). Just to be clear I do not consider how humans perceive time to be part of physics. I consider it a subject for psychology. Let's say the universe reaches equilibrium (thermal state), it will still be true that, by definition, microstates from one moment to the next moment will be indistinguishable from each other at the macro level. But that does not mean the microstate at one moment (t1) will be the same as the microstate at the next moment (t1+epsilon) - which results from the current microstate and dynamical laws of physics that propel it to that next microstate naturally. I am talking about the time in the sense of the current moment (t1) and the next moment (t1+epsilon). Of course, such time passage will not be useful to any human entity per see as by definition no human entity can exist, but it can still be thought of as the passage of time. And because the universe is in an equilibrium state and thus by definition the entropy is not changing, it does not mean that the direction of flow of time from (t1) to (t1+epsilon) is meaningless and does not have a direction. That is what I mean by the fact that the increase of entropy from low to high is the cause of the direction of the flow of time is not true. I am clarifying this in response to Sean's statement "what you mean by the flow of time". The flow of time is basically what the laws of physics tell the actual, precise current state of the universe to turn over to the next state in epsilon time. I think Sean will agree there is no ambiguity in that definition. I think of the "forward" flow of time as not something that is one of the two possible ways in which time can flow. To me the "forward" direction is the only choice time has to flow in...because of the very definition of "forward" (t1 -> t1+epsilon). It is similar to the existence of an object. We can have +3 apples. And just because the number -3 as a concept exists that does not mean there can be -3 apples. Thus, even though the word "reverse" exists as a juxtaposition to "forward" it does not mean it can be meaningfully applied to the flow of time. On a recent TOE podcast at 2:39:05 mark, Tim Maudlin addressed the relationship between time and entropy. I happen to agree with Tim. Thoughts?

[@SandipChitale]

BTW Tim Maudlin addressed it here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nIaUk6ZrpJihqdU at 2:39:05 .

[@haroldfloyd5518]

Sean M. Carroll? The M should stand for Multiverse.

[@josefnavratil646]

My opinion "Our Universe", after the big bang, is a location in a Euclidean flat infinite 3+3D space-time, (before the big bang, flat, infinite, without matter, without the flow of chow, without expansion, how else if it is infinite), it is the final location that begins-occurs with the big bang, which is not an explosion, but the change of the previous state to the subsequent state, to the state of plasma, which is an ultra-high curvature of the dimensions of two quantities, space-time. It is a boiling vacuum, it is a foam of dimensions, i.e. an extra curved environment; that is, it is a finite location in an infinite flat time-space that "floats" in that basic Euclidean network - a grid, a wonder of non-curved dimensions. This basic "web-yarn-grid" in the state before the big-bang is still around us, it exists not only before the big-bang but also after it, it is around us and we and the whole complex universe with matter and galaxies and black holes and gravitational fields, we float in that flat 3+3D web of spacetime. The beautiful thing is that even a mathematician will be amazed when he doesn't have to investigate "how" big is the singularity = "locality-our Universe" and will have to recognize the possibility of proposing reality, that in an infinite 3+3D non-curved space-time there is a finite location arbitrarily large , is almost-infinite and almost-zero... Not even mathematicians can determine how big a "unit" is - a unit interval of length or time in an infinite grid-net-yarn of dimensions. That Location is "our Universe"...only one. No nonsense like “multiverses. And the Big Bang was not the creation of the Universe "from nothing" (as string theorists claim), but it was "jump = jump change of state" from previous to subsequent, "jump" from a totally flat space-time to a totally curved state of space-time. The pre-Flag state of flat dimensions suddenly changed to a finite location ( unknowable how big ) with extremely crooked dimensions that 13.8 billion years unpacking !!!!, a) they unfold, not expand into a global "real-structure" (the sky full of galaxies and everything we see "floats" in the variously curved dimensions of every location we see) and b) they are packed !!!!in the microstructure = in the microworld into matter !!!!, they are packed (those dimensions) after the big bang into packages = elementary particles and they are further packed into conglomerates, i.e. into atoms, molecules, into compounds chemical-biological. Etc., etc....etc., as I have described elsewhere for many years. According to physicists from Di Valentino's team, this anomaly could be explained if the expanding universe had a spherical shape. Which is the same, even better, if the expansion is explained by the "unpacking" of that "starting" curvature of the space-time dimensions in the Bang = in the stop state in which time begins to flow and expand = the space and time dimensions begin to expand; this state of space-time of ultra-high curvature of the dimensions of time and length, is plasma, is a state of post-Flash plasma foam. In this foam, the "boiling vacuum" on Planck scales are recruited by warping packing mini-localities = "frozen states" - waveballs-wavepackets that become elementary particles in our human concept, packets that manifest themselves with properties such as mass, spin, charge, etc., etc. (Each particle has a different number of packed dimensions and a different curvature of these; this determines their properties). Then, such an initial state of the Universe, the space-time after the Big Bang, expands further and further and simultaneously collapses, expands "out" "of the singularity" and collapses "into itself" into matter. That is, there is a clustering of elements (mass particles such as quarks, leptons, then on baryons, resonances, then to atoms, then to molecules to compounds - that's "packing" crooked packages into more complex conglomerates, and this happens not only after the Big Bang, but the packing still happening today; complex mass of protein, DNA.. We still have a Planck vacuum around us today, continuously throughout the history of this ! Universe..,, all around us in the boiling vacuum of planck and sub-planck scales, are happening the same marches as a million years ago, as a billion years ago, and 14.24 billion years ago right after the Big Bang. This entire "Local Universe" with curved dimensions is nested in a 3+3D grid, in a network of flat Euclidean dimensions. The universe "floats" in an infinite flat space-time. And at the same time, unpacking...and packing is also taking place from Třesk. What type of curve is that the unpacking is for the global version, I don't know, and I thought 35 years ago that this unwrapping is parabolic...; Summary: it means that the Universe is expanding, sorry, unfolds not only (!) after the Big Bang and after the era of relic radiation, but still, to this day, all around us ( gravitational curvature is still around, unwrapped, other curvatures, electromagnetic, etc. there are still commonly .., only the most "global" 3+3D space-time field, gravity, is the most expanded and it is immeasurable how much-little the curvature approaches absolute flatness- straightness.

[@czerskip]

And why would a naked singularity be a bad thing? 🤔

[@MichaelEdelman1954]

Your open-mindedness will one day earn you the anger of the mob 😉.

[@bryandraughn9830]

Excellent!

[@brianstevens3858]

This reply is for Micheal who had his comment pulled or deleted or whatever, Making the assumption that x is {ok/acceptable} to P1, because y has been stated to be unacceptable, is a form of assumption fallacy, by assuming that a politicly opposing viewpoint {I also am making assumption here, by evidential indicator that you have a problem with the statement J6 was bad.} holds that a similar event is considered acceptable {when it's not}, is inferring something from the statement that was not explicitly stated, this is also a form of false equivalence "If A is the set of C and D, and B is the set of D and E, then since they both contain D, A and B are equal." In this case it is in Jan. 6th it was actually an organized and coordinated effort attacking a specific target for the purpose of insurrection and control, and in the other a {yes also violent and in general thus also wrong} of people trying to express the discontent with the injustice that was being demonstrated by the overall system. It is also a strawman, by stating that it is assumed {by anyone at all} it was a peaceful demonstration, when it clearly was not. Do yourself a favor and take a course in critical thinking.

[@seeley363]

You sound like a prime mugging victim.

[@TheFuzzician]

I just cannot make any sense of Sean's response to the Alice question. A person needs to be punished even without having done anything? Does that mean that if someone just had memories of a crime implanted, that person would automatically be guilty of that crime? How can several people be punished for the same crime, when only one (or none) of them have done it. Sean has always been very clear and articulate, so it feels very odd to listen to him say things that sound so non-sensical.

[@bytefu]

Sean clearly stated in the end of his response that the reason for incarceration is public safety, not vengeance. From that point of view, it's perfectly reasonable to incarcerate each and every identical copy of the perpetrator.

[@AndreasGeisler]

The idea is that a person who knows they have committed a crime can be punished. If the copies share averything about Alice, they also share the knowledge that they have committed a crime. Therefore they can be punished. Pretty simple.

[@tapksa]

Think of it this way. Starting with the caveat Sean also acknowledged: let's not say _what_ to do with criminals, but rather say we have some system, in this case incarceration, which we try to apply in a consistent fashion. Now let's say Alice commits a crime. Alice then goes and gets a ninja friend to cut her in half along the vertical axis, and another surgeon friend to perfectly reconstruct each half. Which Alice goes to jail? The idea of the thought experiment is not to rely on the usually nonproblematic but arguably false intuition that there is an essence that is separate from the material structure one comprises of. Here I try to tickle that intuition with the 50/50 split Alice, rather than cloning, which are morally _perfectly equivalent_. Now, we if we want to be consistent with our incarceration policies, how do we punish Alice? It makes sense to punish both Alices, since they are both the criminal. There are some problems (e.g. consequentialism-wise), but the main point stands. Obviously, if we had ninja-cloning criminals, we would have to think a bit more carefully about these things, but it is definitely not the case that one of the split Alices "did not commit" the crime.

[@TheFuzzician]

@@AndreasGeisler but the other Alices didn't commit the crime.......If Ben "knows" he commited a crime, but it turns out that he didn't (it was a dream, for example), do you think Ben should still be treated as if he did?

[@TheFuzzician]

@@tapksa This is a bit different from the original, since in this case the two Alices at least share some part of the original, as opposed to being entirety separate beings. One issue that i see is that we are assuming that we can adequately estimate the state of mind of Alice. Part of the reason our justice system is the way it is, is because we DON'T know what is going on in someone's head. If we had complete knowledge of what goes on in our minds, our entire justice system might be completely different.

[@yellowrosetv]

Can u bring Konstantin batygin

[@diamon999]

"if we set a precedent and allow Nuclear powers to invade [other countries] and get what they want...." What sanctions or repecussions did USA suffer for illegal invasions they have conducted in the past, Sean? I can tell you the answer, it's none. USA has always "got away" with flexing its military might without costs. Also, recall that the ONLY country in the world which has ever used Nuclear weapons in ANY scenario - first strike, defensive, etc - is the United States. Against an already beaten enemy at the end of a bloody war. And for what? Flexing muscles. It had zero legitimacy strategically - oh, you'll argue it "shorten the war, saved 1000's of lives, blah, blah". Do you think that Russia, or anyone else for that matter, needs any education from USA about the devastation caused by any use of nuclear weapons? Also, ask yourself why the US has changed its nuclear policy to "first strike can win". Seems pretty provacative to me, when Russia, and other nuclear powers, clearly say "nuclear option is when existential threat to our country". Double standards - I expect better from you. First time I've ever given any one of your videos a dislike incidentally.

[@elizondorj]

Amen. The US (and US-led countries) are crying out about war crimes (I’m NOT denying they are!) but kept silent while, for example, the US bombarded civilians in Vietnam (remember Napalm?). They are crying about “annexing” territories and international law and all that while they (at least the US and the UK) have no problem with Israel annexing Syrian and Palestinian lands by force. I am NOT defending Russia, Putin or anyone else. I want to see justice done in chronological order: bombing of civilians (WW II, Vietnam, Korea, Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen, etc.) by US, UK, France, and Australia, then we get to Russia. I want to see brown and black refugees taken into homes same as white (and fair haired) Ukrainians were. Not faulting Ukrainians, not their fault. It is Western Europe (and some Eastern European countries) fault for being racist. So yeah, let’s get war criminals judged and all territories annexed by force returned!

[@yoelevan3478]

you should figure out how to compress your files. being that this only a podcast with no video, the amount of data should be minuscule. I mean you do give an f about climate change right? other than that I do quite enjoy most of your podcasts.

[@user-gj7vp6wk3e]

THEISM IS NOT WELL-DEFINED, AND GOD IS NOT A GOOD THEORY.✌️👍