Mindscape Ask Me Anything, Sean Carroll | March 2021

[@DrDress]

28:05 Oh man, do I want to hear you sing now! Everybody thumps up if you want to hear Sean sing too!

[@calvingrondahl1011]

Many worlds, I am fortunate to live in a world with Sean Carroll.

[@czerskip]

Thank you dear patreons for giving everyone the opportunity to hear even more from one of the greatest minds of our times! 💚

[@cawfeedawg]

No

[@I-0-0-I]

Nie ma problemu, bracie :)

[@christinley5213]

Your so carring and empathic about poeple and there questions.. this is one of the many reasons your my hero:)!! So.. what research are you working on? What are you trying to figure out?:) penny for your thoughts..

[@christinley5213]

@@FelixBat id like to think that flat earth is a phycological problem;)

[@chrisc1257]

@@christinley5213 It's more of a misanthropic bias, or contempt. Like calling a group of people insects, which are flat earthers mentally.

[@aagevaksdal]

This podcast is an absolute highlight!

[@timohearn4454]

Seeing your ama pop up in my notifications absolutely made my day, so excited

[@fasligand7034]

Hey Sean, i believe the mindscape has been a great influence on my way of thinking. As a person disconnected from physics, a big part of your material on this subject went over my head. However many of the ideas you share here are so fascinating to me (I'm a medical student and my passion is modelling and simulation of physiology & biological systems). Especially on the topics of complexity & information theory in biology, in which i often found myself arguing with both you and your guest in my mind! I'm grateful for all the knowledge and the renaissance mindset you are sharing and wish you the best in pursuing your ideas outside of academic physics. I hope we as podcast listeners will stand to support you in your future endeavors much as I feel you supported us (me) through your insights and holistic approach!

[@user-qf3lq4zj8g]

FAS, besides supporting Aurélien's encouragement in your participation, since you are studying biological systems, these were some of my favorite Mindscape episodes about the subject: - 132th _plenaria_ (?) immortal worms with Michael - 112nd gene editing with Fyodor - 88th Tiktaalik, the _fish_ with limbs and lungs with Neil

[@h3rotor783]

I often wonder how Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton would survive in this age of social media. They had their social and professional pressures. Did they care about these "social" and "professional" pressures? I don't know. It was a different age. They had insights that were beyond the norm and thankfully so. Thank you for what you do. I know having dreams, that go against the "normal" progression, is often scary and leads to sleepless nights. Especially difficult trying to follow a dream that is incongruous to social and professional norms. Best of luck to you.

[@Nehmo]

Considering the size of the current population and the dissemination of education, there are several "Einsteins" alive today. Some of them are recognized by their associates, and some are not. And some of them have decided perfecting violin music is more important than physics.

[@susandunne3352]

W

[@vladimirmartinusi3094]

59:46 1:00:00

[@vladimirmartinusi3094]

1:00:15

[@vladimirmartinusi3094]

😅

[@Im-just-Stardust]

THE LEGEND

[@Lance_Lough]

Mil Gracias, Angela Howard. (1:53:26) I've been turning that question over in my mind for the past several years!

[@tookie36]

Can I rent Sean for like an hour for my bday and ask him questions ?

[@alexander_andrush]

Dear Sean, thank you for the interesting podcast! It would be quite interesting when you could find an expert for quamtum biology: whether quantum effects play a role in living organisms and what are evidences for that. Thank you!

[@gtziavelis]

Dr. Stuart Hameroff

[@origins7298]

Pretty sure that's already good evidence to indicate that there are quantum effects with photosynthesis. I think quantum effects regarding efficiency of the pathways light takes within the cellular structures of photosynthetic cells has been established. That there's some sort of biological adaptation based on what quantum physics would calculate as the most efficient pathways So in other words the cells of the photosynthetic plant are behaving as if they knew the information that quantum physics would designate as being the most efficient way to process photons. Or for photons to travel within the cellular structure So it's pretty good evidence that the biology seems to take into account what quantum physics would call the most efficient pathway You might want to double-check cuz I'm just kind of speaking off the top of my head here

[@TheAndrewDan]

Can anyone explain to me this conundrum I have with quantum physics? It’s based on the whole Schrödinger’s cat scenario. To me it seems like the whole idea of superposition is simply a human convenience to make it easier to understand. In my eyes, it seems like a particle is always in one state, and measuring it does not define the state, it simply changes it. With Schrödinger’s cat, I don’t see how a cat could ever be both dead and alive. I’m assuming the “observation” discussed in that scenario would be observing the radioactive particle. So, would simply opening the box be an observation? I mean you technically can not observe the particle with your senses, only the cat. To me it seems the cat is either dead or alive in the box, and a human knowing would not change that status. To me, the whole “collapse of the wave function” seems like an idea made to explain away the fact that some things are indeterminable without changing their state, yet that doesn’t make them both states at the same time. It means we simply don’t know it’s state.

[@tookie36]

I think that is the idea of what is the foundations of quantum mechanics. Is it the many worlds interpretation? Is it the Copenhagen interpretation? No one seems to know. Sean is a many worlds believer so I think he believes the state is in a super position and when you make the ovservation the wave function collapses to what we observe

[@whiterage7048]

How have I only just found this channel..love it💪😎

[@therugburnz]

Wow Sean, it is now March 28 2021. Have you read any papers about the new force carrying particle that may have been discovered at the LHC. Early reports claim it is outside the standard model. Also, if you are learing bass guitar, I suggest forming a band.í

[@jokusekovaan]

1:38:26 I don't think Roger Penrose had Gödel in his mind when he said consciousness is not computational, but some Chinese room style arguments by John Searle and others.

[@dajandroid]

My only fear now is that as a result of you moving to the SFI your insights and explanations of the laws of physics will no longer be available to me and Mindscape’s audience. Does SFI give its researchers time and resources to convey their work to the general public? I can not agree with you more wrt your summary of free will. BTW - I found the “The Biggest Ideas” format you settled on was effective for me. They left me wanting more technical discussions but I very much appreciated the “in between Text Book and over a cup of coffee (with a chalk board)” level in which they were delivered. The level of “The Biggest Ideas” gave me time and space (so to speak) to see and consider the subjects covered in the context of possibly novel directions. Thanks for sharing your priors Sean!

[@h.i.5280]

It's working well, Dr. Carroll, always a pleasure to listen to you. Keep them coming.

[@Drewteam88]

I had an idea regarding slit experiments. I've read and studied about the double slit exp, and know when the interference pattern shows or not. If there was 3 slits, the original slit, then the other 2 slits turned 90 degrees or perpendicular to the first one. Curious to the outcomes.

[@grawl69]

Sean Carroll how good you exist and broadcast.

[@crunchy3546]

I’ll sleep well tonight 💤 thanks prof Carroll

[@markkinnard796]

At 7:55 I disagree, a complex curve is the shortest distance between 2 points.

[@rer9287]

Everything "is" - there is no alternative to derive an ought. You just had Sapolsky on - he could have told you that Robert Axelrod established through game theory that evolution requires cooperation for the survival of any species. It's not just humans but even amoeba and plants. Human's then ought to try to cooperate and they do try to cooperate - that is the entire basis of morality.

[@maswinkels]

By implicitly defining survival as a goal, or as desirable, you introduce the ought yourself. The universe does not care if a species evolves and survives. The universe, including the laws of nature just 'is' and develops oughtlessly.

[@RayStraiter]

Great edition. My take away: "Avoid Valorizing Heterodoxy. Seek Truth."

[@Wroteread]

Love the transparency. Love learning!

[@enisten]

Love Sean!

[@nazarayah]

@@enisten mi

[@baraka99]

You should ask Rogan if you can return. Love how you just blow his mind with simple concepts.

[@MWGrossmann]

At around 11:00, you discuss Special Relativity and the Perseverance Mars landing. Wouldn't an observer equidistant from Earth and Mars anywhere on a circumference which would define the Z-axis be able to the difference in perception is people on earth night see the landing it was taking place and recognise the perception disconnect so many who don't understand relativity experience? Basically, wouldn't that negate the necessity of light cone consideration in the same way as changing units in any equation to make at least one value 1 eased calculation? Good luck in future endeavors but your leaving UCal is a huge loss for future students. Are you taking the dssk with you?

[@akumar7366]

Good evening, what is your opinion on Sir Roger Penrose CCC theory, thank you .

[@martinds4895]

Great question, I also would like to hear Sean's opinion about it.

[@akumar7366]

@@martinds4895 Sean did actually interview Sir Roger Penrose and covered the theory but post the awarding of the Nobel prize, I would love to hear a upto date view, personally I love the theory and if Penrose is right, well another Nobel prize will be awarded.

[@akumar7366]

@@AurelienCarnoy Thank you for your kind suggestion, I have been watching Swami Sarvapriyananda of the Vedanta Society of New York , the lectures are in English and well worth watching ,kind regards .

[@charonme]

2:07:30 _"why would you ever convince people of anything? why would you think anything is right or wrong? you can't believe in morality if you don't believe in free will"_ precisely because I'm predetermined to do it, the same way I'm predetermined to write this here

[@bcktt88]

Your honesty and dedication to our society champion my intellectual.

[@lilitvehuni6402]

Which one of these (if any)is more likely to be accurate ? 1 if we live in a block time universe, then LaPlace’s demon exists. 2 if LaPlace’s demon exists, then we live in a block time universe. 3 if we don’t live in a block time universe, then LaPlace’s demon does not exist 4 if LaPlaces demon does not exist, then we don’t live in a block time universe.

[@lilitvehuni6402]

@@AurelienCarnoy I am not sure I understand what you mean. I can tell it’s very human. I want to learn to think as abstract as possible and as far fetched from human centered as possible. Otherwise everything is muddled.

[@lilitvehuni6402]

@salty fisken probability to existing or to discovering?

[@lilitvehuni6402]

@salty fisken ok that makes sense

[@origins7298]

Laplace's demon is a physical impossibility! It's physically impossible because according to physics in order to measure and gain knowledge about any physical system you have to create waste heat that cannot be used to do work So another words just the act of trying to gain knowledge about a physical system creates a complete inability to have complete knowledge in the first place In other words laplace's demon would be like a perpetual motion machine. And we know perpetual motion is physically impossible Also there's no way to have infinite knowledge and the universe might very well be infinite. How could a discrete entity, a being contain unlimited storage Same thing with the idea of unlimited computing power, it's physically impossible to have infinite computer power Anyway LaPlace is demon is physically impossible according to the laws of thermodynamics It's also physically impossible according to the laws of quantum physics. Because according to quantum physics it's impossible to know the position and momentum of particles. There for you could not know a system in its entirety! It's like the famous example of trying to predict the weather. Well just the act of setting up measurement systems can influence the weather in incredibly profound ways that can't be known beforehand It's like the butterfly effect. The smallest movement can create profound disturbances So just goes back to the basic point that there's no way for one physical system to have complete knowledge of another physical system without some sort of loss of information. A movement towards greater entropy Anyway I was wanted to talk about is with Sean because he as such a fondness for the place is demon and he knows very well that it is physically impossible. Again it's like a perpetual motion machine. It's not really that useful of a thought experiment. It's not really useful at all actually

[@lilitvehuni6402]

@@origins7298 thank you what do you think about block time?

[@leighwinfield750]

Thank you Concisely intelligent

[@sarojinichelliah5500]

Omg never thought of that way whether Perseverance has landed .....what a teaser!

[@DamianReloaded]

I went straight through the 3hs from beginning to end like a breeze. Very nice talk. Kudos on starting your own thing to focus on the reserach that you want to do. I believe that's rewarding regardless of the outcome it may bring. Maybe you know about this already but there is a feature on youtube that allows you to create an index to the right of the video with bookmarks to different time stamps that you can title, the time bar below the video will show them as well, they are named chapters I think. I've seen them used in other videos. my2c

[@user-qf3lq4zj8g]

Indeed, I think the *outline* or chapters are created by when timestamps and titles are added in the video description. Example: 7:03 passage of time 1:10:29 moral principles

[@brunosaisi]

what if there is an experiment on a ship between mars and earth, that will comunicate with both ends, and coordinate a rendez vous of two ships coming from both planets and meeting at the experiment, wouldnt there be simultaniety? if both sips are launched at the same instant on a command coming from the experiment, and are able to meet at a specific point in space doesen't it mean that they were launched simultaneously?

[@Atmanyatri]

I want to thank you for the amazing content dr sean. Thank you very much

[@tomlicata703]

You play bass? That's great, I share your view on dabbling in the arts. But it seems you just can't get away from "string theory". 😊

[@3dlabs99]

Thanks for all the fantastic videos. Now I want apple pie 🥧

[@sirilandgren]

So you sort of got tenure through youtube! 😏

[@This-ones-on-her]

the beauty of the internet. Where we can all support one another

[@donnyh3497]

I would love to see the incomparable Sean Carroll talk to Christian troll Darth Dawkins and set him straight about reality.

[@This-ones-on-her]

In the future I hope for these sort of topics to be amongst the average civilians conversation. Rather than some tabloid about a past time royal family.

[@ivankaleoniefuchs333]

Hallo, I'm an Anthropologist und I've breathed Astronomy since age 9. I've much enjoyed your as well other KZbin videos disciplined in science. If I may ask you a 2 part question that may seem rather ignorant? (1a) What evidence ist known convincing us that "time [did not] exist" before a sudden creation of space, energy, etc. (Big Bang)? (1b) How did das universe und our reality know "when" to begin? I question for an existence of "time" as well "energy" before a Big Bang. So what am I missing? :-) Das paradox our mind conceives to be "nothing" ist still physically "something". You can't pour milk into an "empty" glass...if "empty" doesn't exist. Ivanka Leonie Fuchs (2001) Our reality as well das universe we define must be infinite. There ist always "something" on das other side of das fences we conceive. Even if that something ist "nothing". Ivanka Leonie Fuchs (2001) If "nothing" ist physically something because it exist? Then something can be "nothing", und "nothing" can't be nothing, so "nothing" doesn't exist. But if "nothing" doesn't exist? Then "nothing" can't be something. I think humanity's definitions of it's own reality ist often a perception of conceived WooHoo!!!...giggles Thank you for your "time" und any reply...I much enjoy wandering about your "space". :-) Auf Wiedersehen aus Wiesbaden :-)

[@nicholassavage5325]

Dr Carroll I wanted to tell you that I soak up every bit of physics pop physics every KZbin channel I would list them off but I'd like you to actually be able to read the content of this post you my friend have a gift for educating! Between yourself Brian Green Neil deGrasse Tyson and Matt O'Dowd I have learned the equivalent of an honorary degree in physics I'm sure thank you

[@captainzappbrannagan]

Have you given up on string theory due to no testable results? holographic universe also looks not a good future path with space looking flat. What's left? We have the biggest particle accelerators ever out in the universe, black hole collisions, quasars etc give us lots to work with. Maybe our focus should be more and more sensitive equipment to measure the particles, and while we can't see the direct particle we can make some good assumptions as to what happened.

[@bytefu]

The problem with equipment is that the more sensitive and otherwise powerful it is, the more it costs both in money and effort. LHC is already very expensive, and our resources are finite. Although if we all cut on our military budgets (especially US) we could probably have the "next LHC" and fusion reactors working in a decade or two.

[@jeremydoerksen5988]

I very much respect your decisions re: career path and research direction! Good job maintaining your personal integrity - the world would be a much better place if more people were to behave so consistently with their beliefs! Thank you, Sean :-)

[@wraithofsolidarity]

Thoughts on The Delayed-Choice Quantum Eraser Leaves No Choice? Tabish Qureshi, et al (2019) Have you tried to create a new physical reality in your imagination?

[@joshua3171]

dam so many people on here(youtube) I wish I could afford to be a patron with sucks being broke

[@schneetier8581]

Pah, simultaneity isn't possible? My *Ansible* laughs at your Special Relativity.

[@I-0-0-I]

I don't mind the length at all, even if you don't choose my question :)

[@RSkyCar]

Actually, Icecream and Applepie a great choice depends on what confectioner you take them from. Please share some locations if you find something unique.

[@HarryNicNicholas]

i just came upon an idea that the speed of light may have been different in the early universe, i'm trying to get my head around the implications of that, i wonder what serious science has to say about that?

[@piotrwisniewski6726]

When he says Mars is 7 light minutes away he silently assumes that the fotons are moving on the straight lines or geodesics from Mars to the earth so they have always pricise position an momentum. But this is forbidden by the uncertainty princile.

[@JakeR541]

J

[@climbeverest]

So sad you left caltech, I was hoping you would get the nobel prize while over there.

[@ccarson]

I love that you send Blue Yetis to your guests.

[@micosair]

Annotations pls.

[@berg0002]

Hi Sean, is it a possibility that what we call classic behavior of a system, actually is an entanglement, a complex of error correction leading to a stable, protected state of that system, which still is quantum, but entangled with so many particles that is appears solid and stable. So error correction is done in nature and shows up to us, observer, as inertia. So, as a consequence, the larger the error corrected system becomes, the more classical the quantum system looks. In this view, the observer lives in a very specificly defined reference frame, where the relative speed of moving energy appears close to zero, while energies are interlocked, confined in a field, moving at high speeds, but entangled with many, many quanta of energies. Is this a crazy idea of could this be a way of approaching the measurement problem?

[@tommygrandefors9691]

Gold! Never stop enlighten us.

[@HANECart1960]

29:22 - i am an abstract painter who has shown in galleries i would really love to see what types of abstracts Sean has done... :)

[@spikarooni6391]

No such thing as too long

[@jcmendezfitness3878]

So 1 second per second is always the same. Like 1 Calorie is 1 Calorie, 1 K is 1 K SO like in the universe the second per second is 1sec/sec but just might look different to the observer so an ILLUSION. That is not FUN... SEAN. Wow!

[@907-q7u]

I have a question regarding light speed that could prove light speed is variable, but I'm not a patron so I don't get to ask?

[@907-q7u]

@salty fisken I'll just hold on to the question. My luck, somebody else would take credit for it. Lol

[@origins7298]

Pretty sure how you measure a light going through different materials is variable. The speed of light in a vacuum is different than the speed of light in water. It can slow down a lot in very dense material. In glass it is 75% of its speed in a vacuum. So what are you talking about if you don't even realize that the speed is already been established to be variable how could you shed light on much more puzzling mysteries of physics

[@907-q7u]

@@origins7298 I'm talking about variable speed in unobstructed space, I'm well aware that light speed is "variable" when elements are present.

[@origins7298]

@@907-q7u I would say use the terminology the speed of light in a vacuum. This will make you sound like you know what you're talkin about Unobstructed space doesn't mean anything. Or better yet it's vague Anyway the speed of light has been measured very precisely in a vacuum and there has never been any observed fluctuations I mean this is something that has been tested thousands and thousands of times. Why do you think there would be fluctuations? Why do you think no other scientist has found this and claimed their Nobel Prize. This is a simple test to do with our technology If light really did fluctuate like that then we would experience all sorts of disturbances and things like GPS, fiber optics. GPS wouldn't work if light wasn't stable to within the margin of error in the Earth's atmosphere. Anyway you got to write up your ideas and submit them there's plenty of online journals and journals in general.

[@droneracer]

What's your favourite desert, is the kind of moronic question you would do better ignoring rather than mentioning, unless it's to ridicule the questioner.

[@BazNard]

You're my favourite

[@christiansmith-of7dt]

Catalina express

[@josemariodelapiedra611]

Great

[@Techadopter]

And that’s why you mustn’t become a Twitter comedian....when it takes 5mins to explain a glib remark while everyone else looks uncomfortably at their shoes. 🤔😫😆

[@maswinkels]

As long as the intended audience appreciates the remark, why care if some other people don't get it?

[@bytefu]

Finally I discovered that Sean actually has one parasitic word in his speech - "okay". So he is human, after all. I hope he does not make his AMAs shorter on purpose, because I learn so much from them, and they are the best way to spend time on my current job where I get to do nothing for hours. There are tons of videos I could watch instead, but this is way more interesting.

[@dm20422]

✨

[@chriszablocki2460]

🖐

[@chriszablocki2460]

Do you just want to found a new, dystopian country?

[@shaunmorgan4997]

Sean I agree with everything you say except your Ought / Is argument that seems archaic philosophy drummed into you from your early university days. The only thing you can do in an evidence based belief system is derive an ought from is. ALL of medicine is based on these principles. We require water, minerals, proteins.. aka certain molecular compounds to optomize the machines that our bodies appear to be. We REQUIRE the information of what our bodies are or "is" to derive what we "ought" to prescribe (chemically or otherwise) to remedy the problem/restore equilibrium. I believe Sam Harris tried to point this out to you but your rebuttal did not acknowledge this reality and seemed to cling to your old philosophical training.

[@origins7298]

I agree with you. But at the end of the day it's just semantics. Sean is sticking with the idea that buy is, you're talking about how you describe things, and buy ought you are saying how you would like things to be, and there is no logical way to go from the way things are to the way you want them to be there just two different categories Yeah I guess it's a categorical thing in his mind. But obviously we go from the evidence guiding our actions all the time but that's not the categories he's setting up the problem to have

[@_ARCATEC_]

🐿️💓

[@billfinkenstadt323]

P

[@Sixstringman]

Question: how can we stop the complete and total immasculation of America?

[@NafiKhan]

🧐

[@pansepot1490]

Perhaps you mean *emasculation. Idk looks like poor spelling is a far more widespread problem.

[@bytefu]

It would be much easier to answer this question, if it was clear what do you exactly mean by emasculation.

[@chrisc1257]

By voting in a public setting (for all to see) and making it mandatory for all citizens. Persons who fail to vote will not qualify for social services, auto insurance and healthcare.

[@origins7298]

@@chrisc1257 probably not the best way to run a free Society by forcing people to do things

[@deadbydaylight6856]

what a load of crap

[@Teo317]

BIG DISLIKE