Why Is 1/137 One of the Greatest Unsolved Problems In Physics?

Some alien civilization wanted to make a fully simulated space game. One programmer set a constant as 1/137 during development, then left the dev team. After a while some other programmer went over the code and couldn't figure out what the constant was for. He commented the code saying "I don't know what it does or why it has that value. When deleted the whole universe breaks down so don't touch it."

[@Pallidum]

The fact that it's not exactly 1/137 is due to a rounding error in an earlier version of libuniverse. This has been kept in the code for legacy compatibility.

[@1224chrisng]

this "Coconut Constant" can be combined with the Rum and Pineapple constants to make an ultimate universal constant, to be discovered by the large piña collider

[@patreekotime4578]

Its an easter egg. 1/137 is just the programmers name.

[@sudeeptaghosh]

What if the parallel universes are created just by varying this constant

[@osmosisjones4912]

If you make a simulation close enough down to every atom isn't that more of a recreation

[@peabody3000]

i can attest: it's amazing how i always understand almost exactly 1/137th of every PBS spacetime video i watch

[@horaceosirian8993]

Let's entangle: that way I'll always understand almost exactly 1/137th of every PBS spacetime video you watch, without having to do anything, and you'll understand almost exactly nothing, w/o any effort on your part. Everyone -wince- wins.

[@lokan_kuru8721]

You're on 137th like, I won't like it to maintain equilibrium

[@MarriedMindless]

You just made my day!

[@henriqueacabral]

ahah precious

[@nuancedme]

this is just golden 🤣 - the trick is to watch it 137 times 😉

[@devnull7970]

Here's what the binary in the message @9:48 translates to 00110100 00110010 = 42 00110110 00111001 = 69 00110001 00110011 00110111 = 137 The problem with this is that it's encoded in base 10 using ascii symbols. Personally I think it's better to encode the numbers directly in binary. 42 -> 101010 69 -> 1000101 137 -> 10001001

[@l-esprit_de_l-ouest]

More universal is: to draw 137 times the same symbol. If they don’t understand they are dumb.

[@Duiker36]

Better for what?

[@chrisconnor8086]

420 69 1337

[@McMurica]

@@chrisconnor8086 gg

[@DoubleOhSilver]

@@Duiker36 he means it's better to represent the numbers in binary, rather than ASCII. The encoding is actually "42" as a string instead of the actual value 42. Same for the other numbers

[@timlong4256]

In the early 1980s I did my thesis research at the J. Robert Oppeengeimer Study Center at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. The fine structure constant was described as the ratio of the rotational radius of the binary Pauli spin-pairs in their shell, to the atomic radius from the center of the nucleus to the center of the spin pair. This applied to all electron shells in an atom.

[@tygical]

Oppeengeimer

[@Greatamericaneclipse]

Outstanding and stimulating video! When I studied physics at UC Berkeley, my quantum mechanics classes were Physics 137A and 137B, not a coincidence

[@Fake_Jesus]

Of course they were. What other number would they be? 😆

[@luiszuluaga6575]

No doubt some of the tenured professors or faculty was having their fun with the undergrads. 🤷🏻‍♂️😅

[@samiam619]

And did ANY of it make sense?

[@AlanTheBeast100]

If you posted an assignment defining what 1/137 meant: automatic fail.

[@muondude]

I was a TA for 137😂. Still haven’t figured it out!

[@MichaelNiles]

Little known fact: our universe was a typo, the 4D experimentalists had originally meant to type "1337" for the seed phrase

[@MechaStorm7]

Great, this is my headcanon now

[@innocentbystander3317]

@@MechaStorm7 Cosmic inflation and redshift is the map getting smaller, dark energy is the shutdown command, and dark matter is the "save-state" on backup media. All is naught as the backup will be deleted as a mistake and a new seed (sans typo) will be started (new heavens and new earth). It's all been foretold and prophesied. In the name of the proton, neutron, and electron; Ramen!

[@3VILmonkey]

Excellent.

[@timothycain8639]

Brilliantly done

[@VanBurenOfficial]

Smoke 🎉 me 😂 out

[@alexanderferling4092]

Pauli died in 1958 in Zürich in hospital room No. 137. He was crazy about this room number and saw it as a bad sign!

[@arzelzon1137]

bad sign?

[@tdk99-i8n]

@@arzelzon1137 well yeah he was right, he died in there. it was a freaking hit job

[@fryncyaryorvjink2140]

The real 666

[@innacrisis6991]

@@tdk99-i8n I guess the universe really didn't want him figuring this one out, huh?

@@innacrisis6991 just mocked him about it

[@pizza8725]

This number is also the ratio between electronic force and strong force so it could be related to this

[@davidhand9721]

That's just because the strong force coupling constant is close to 1. It doesn't shed any additional light.

[@Lund.J]

It is a quotient relative to the 33rd prime number. But do you understand, what that means ?

[@highschooldropou]

@@Lund.J Check out 3119 (the 444th prime). Awfully close to Absolute Zero (911x3).

[@KamelToD]

Also: It's the link between relativity theory and quantum mechanics.

[@namashivayam123]

137/6,25 =22 almost

[@pavelvalenta2426]

so the answer to universe and everything is not 42 but 1/137. Interesting.

[@822nivla]

My thoughts exactly!

[@smithcon]

Fun fact: If you invert the fine structure constant, divide the result by pi, and then subtract the golden ratio from the result, you get approximately 42.

[@cereal-killer4455]

@@smithcon no you don’t. What is inverting and dividing? Isn’t that just dividing the other way?

[@MarcelloGarini]

@@smithcon I think you are onto something here 😂

[@ncdave4life]

It means God has 34 fingers. 137 in base 10 is 41 in base 34. ("42" was a typo.)

[@ArseneGray]

I stopped understanding anything really 40 episodes ago or so. But I am addicted to this channel

[@xezazase]

The weird synth music, British accent, diagrams, and big words... It just seems like it must be making me smarter.

[@hbermpi]

Thanks Lester, I thought it was just only me!

[@pentasteve9723]

@@xezazase pretty sure he's Australian and not British

[@martinschmidt4894]

@@pentasteve9723 Must be the physics frazzling his brain.

[@SpiceySpinster]

Me too. 😀

[@hahtos]

So 42 is NOT the answer to the meaning of life, the universe, and everything 🤯

[@TravisGarris]

137 is just over 43 times π. So... 42 is close, but not quite there.

[@Corvaire]

Or better yet, is 137 the question? ;O)-

[@iwanttwoscoops]

but it is bro!! Calculate 2*phi, and subtract 1. Square this number. Multiply by pi (I mean, obviously... we did just square the previous number). Now, if you multiply this quantity by 42, you will get 137.

[@innocentbystander3317]

@@iwanttwoscoops Instructions unclear. Smashed calculator with head, and now I count 137 stars circling my melon.. 🤯💫

[@trent_carter]

I was just going to type that (137/3.14)-1 = 42

[@diegosolis9681]

The most interesting thing about physics is that when we start to tug on the strings of one thing we find out it's tangled with the strings of the entire universe. In Marcus Aurelius words: “And in the case of superior things like stars, we discover a kind of unity in separation. The higher we rise on the scale of being, the easier it is to discern a connection even among things separated by vast distances.” Dude lived thousands of years ago and he was already unto something

[@diegosolis9681]

@user-io2ym6gm8zHe was Roman... so perfectly plausible 🤣

[@syzyphyz]

What's crazier is Marcus Aurelius was one of the emperors, if only all politicians could be so wise.

[@skeetyeet3928]

@@syzyphyz whats crazy is the fact rick and morty creators realised this and dedicated ricks universe C-137

[@JeffSherlock]

Dude? Please, he did not carry an effin' surfboard.

[@emerther5843]

he wasn't onto* something, it's just typical vague mysticism. you're just an aurelius fanboy

[@s3cr3tpassword]

We had a professor in grad school who is obsessed with the fine structure constant. Whenever he gets to the chapter with α, he would go off on a tangent about how peculiar it was. We made him a meme amongst the grad students. Whenever new grad students join, they would see α or 1/137 all over the TA and RA office and wonder what’s up with that. We just tell them to wait till they take that one professor’s class. It’s grad quantum 1, so every new grad student has to take it. And sure enough, after the semester the new students understood all the memes.

[@Woollzable]

😂😂😂

[@igisanchez265]

liar, you've said in countless videos about poverty in America that you don't have money to attend college. You do know people can read, right?

[@Dan-yk6sy]

@@igisanchez265 woah woah, checking comment history.. did I end back up on reddit?

[@gravoc857]

@@Dan-yk6sy The fedora’s have infested every comment section available on the internet 😂😂

[@chrismanson3211]

go off on a tangent hehehe 🤓🤓🤓 sorry, never gets old.

[@reggieziet]

Man I understood 1/137th of it all, but still nice to learn something new that is truly fascinating.

[@goldenageofdinosaurs7192]

Lol, same. It didn’t help that I kept spacing out during the video. Still, it’s great to know that people are out there trying to answer the questions

[@donadams5503]

As a SETI person, I always wanted to use Pi times hydrogen as the carrier frequency. But now I'll have to rethink unique signatures

[@bigboss-tl2xr]

@@donadams5503 we won't EVER be allowed to join the Federation as long as we still engage in war.

[@billyalarie929]

same.

[@hillaryclinton1314]

Note where it appears in pi

[@przemek3556]

Wolfgang Pauli had always been mystified by fine structure constant. He died in hospital in room number 137.

[@reeflextv9805]

Wait till you realize that that was no mere coincidence (coincidences are a false concept). God will deliver this message soon.

[@Rakscha-Sun]

This is when dedication to math goes to fare :)

[@tuberroot1112]

@@reeflextv9805 Wow that is the 137th time I've heard that crap. God must be telling me something.

[@baptistebauer99]

@@reeflextv9805 A few questions, why do you come to a physics enjoyers space to tell religious things? What do you expect? Are you simply trolling? I mean no harm.

[@TeHPHoBoS999]

@@baptistebauer99 Because physicists are also some of the most superstitious people in existence. And because it's funny.

[@TerryKakavoulis-vv1pt]

It’s wonderful to have a proportional representation of the proton being projected as an electron after a proton is discovered and weighted in terms of h bar in a field between two h bars. A discovery indeed! To get to h bar.. Thank you Mat.

[@gavros9636]

1/137 is the real-world version of 42. The secret of life, the universe, and everything is encoded in 1/137... Too bad we don't know the question.

[@Ozinarg]

Could just be a coincidence. After all, 42 itself has a lot of things unique to itself. As do many other numbers. But since you brought up 42, check out all the stuff it's known for en.wikipedia.org/wiki/42_%28number%29?wprov=sfla1

[@LuisSierra42]

The creators of the simulation just found that the simulation only worked with this number but even they didn't now how

[@gavros9636]

@@LuisSierra42 We just need to build a planet-sized computer to calculate the solution.

[@CallowG]

"What do you get if you divide 137 by Pi?" OK not exactly 42 but close.

[@gavinvalentino1313]

*SLATFATF*

[@felixu95]

Excellent video, but I think the number most universally stressed out over by physicists is the rent.

[@Robinson8491]

They are always 'seeking alpha'

[@WalterKiefer]

You're right, it is too damn high.

[@dens790130]

All they could afford was a fine structure

[@Ace1King1]

It's Trump's IQ.

[@deloachapproach4273]

@@Ace1King1 Why does some Ass King always have to come along and ruin everything by inserting politics into the equation?

[@Lew114]

These videos manage to blow my mind even though I only understand about 1/137 of the physics.

[@davidparadis490]

Better than me...I only understand about 1/137 squared of quantum physics

[@dy6682]

I understand even less . Will wait and ask God herself. Respect

[@rubiks6]

@@dy6682 - It sounds like you've invented your own god. The true, living God has given us His Word and when he refers to himself he uses masculine pronouns. If that bothers you, too bad. He is, after all, God. He always wins arguments.

[@DobromirManchev]

Underrated comment

[@CrakenFlux]

@@dy6682 Not a lot of respect on your part assigning gender to the creator. he is not to be measured by your ideations anymore than we would be by a phage's.

[@ConsciousConversations]

The intimate sharing of wisdom and experience .. not the disconnection of just writing.. beautiful

[@Ava-LeeWillow]

It’s crazy how 4π just pops up in Coulomb’s Law. 4π steradians is the solid (3d) angle of a whole sphere. If you haven’t yet discovered steradians, that’s like 360° but for a sphere not a circle. The universe is telling us it prefers spheres, and that’s roughly what we see at every scale of organization we’ve observed.

[@julianbell9161]

It makes sense when you take into account that a sphere creates the shortest distance around a center for all points along the surface. In the case of Coulomb’s law, an electron emits an electric field equally in all directions from itself, so the force generated from that field would logically form a sphere. If it formed a cube or an oval or any other shape, that would mean some medium or something is causing an unequal amount of force from a center point

[@SPHYNX99752]

​@@julianbell9161 leptons, muons, and peons. ❤

[@rajdeeppatel9151]

The point also is, why tf is Pi everywhere? It is just circumference upon diameter of the most basic geometrical figure we see or can imagine of.

[@IllKeepALightOn]

@@rajdeeppatel9151mmmm pie

[@SakibHasan-ks2fe]

The 4π is an addition by us to make our math neat.

[@WeeWeeJumbo]

this is the clearest explanation of the fine structure constant that i've ever heard. my gratitude is enormous

[@idlemach8106]

wow the conundrum really is like discovering pi but not being able to visualise a circle

[@drd1924]

I like it

[@michaelallen2971]

This

[@AlanTheBeast100]

One of the nicest comparisons I've ever read.

[@greenanubis]

Hmm, similar to visualizing a tesseract. Its one dimension more than we can "see".

[@ighfee]

Nice analogy 😜

[@andywallace56]

A thought moment: It's fascinating that the rough age of the universe has been believed to be around 13.7 billion years.

[@grantnatalie8439]

To be fair tho, the year as a unit of measurement is just a consequence of Earth’s orbit. It isn’t some sort of universal constant.

[@govenormayor87]

1/137 is embedded in the laws of physics, so when the universe was 2 billion, or 3.76 seconds, or 4.98 billion years old, it didn’t matter. It’s a coincidence that we live in the exact time that our current understating puts the universe at 13.7 billion years; and nothing more then that.

[@masterleon40]

@@govenormayor87 The unit years is arbitrary, so the aprox age of the universe being 13.7 billion years is completely meaningless.

[@govenormayor87]

@@masterleon40 that’s what I said

[@guilhermemaximo9337]

​@@govenormayor87did you watch the video? 7:20

[@justsaying7979]

Watching this video made me feel like I learned something without actually having to have learned anything. Well done.

[@horaceosirian8993]

Plants yearn learning.

[@starfyredragon]

Learning there's something you don't know, so now you know you don't know something instead of previously not knowing you don't know something is learning something.

[@nodaysback1]

Watching this video made me feel like I learned something without actually having learned anything.

[@JacobManson77]

it's cool to know about something I don't know nothing about, but everybody who knows about it,knows exactly the same amount. (have I wrote a poem by accident?)

[@HRAE]

Username checks out

[@merseybear]

Matt you and the team that put PBS Space Time episodes together week after week are doing a fantastic job in explaining some of the more difficult concepts that underpin physics. Your delivery is not only clear and concise but also entertaining as well as thought-provoking. Bravo to you all.

[@residentfelon]

pbs logo is npc meme xD

[@KyleBenzien]

Well said

[@PersonManManManMan]

Well said

[@Ebani]

Love the atmosphere you create around explaning that constants are dimensionless, feels almost paranormal.

[@vedantsridhar8378]

True. Perfect thing to watch just before sleeping.

[@808bigisland]

The "dimensionlessness" of a field can vary in size, can be a pointlike singularity and hide hidden variables at the unobservable planck size.

[@ninianstorm6494]

need to force city officials to cut own wealth to support daca+ lower taxes permanently by big amount for all those making below 150k per year to prove daca worth it since for ages DC never lower living cost only print dollars to do more refugee crisis Nuland Hillary McCain Podesta deeply involved start ukraine crisis strike first blood but use woman that put severed finger in wendy chili 2.0 shameless blame russia when muller charge manafort for things nothing to do with russia hack but let podesta go for same reason =blackmail dc/Britain(thank Blair Iraq) to support blame russia to cover up fact 2 party system failed since mccain-hillary all did united fruit company scandal 2.0 but remain rich recall fbi never look at physical evidence just crowdstrike/hillary words, cia break glass 2017 inauguration with media claim russia stolen election left wing media give protest t-shirts to san quan mayor for lying about never receive maria supplies kzbin.info/www/bejne/p4rQdKePgapsoZI george bush 14y ago said add ukraine to nato foreshadow nuland f eu coup 2014 support = 1. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pIW0ZHdnlpKdaJI 2001 pentagon memo kill occupy iraq to syria kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZ7Ve4V-rMeJfZo current ukraine gov is proxy since obama drew red line just like did in syria earlier arming rebels telling russia not to interfere while zelensky ethnic cleanse donbass region 7y= 2. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qpKclYqImKmIhqM 3. kzbin.info/www/bejne/f3PIg3Vtp7yelZo dnc establishment kill 50 in vegas/portland, thugs attack with stand down cops san jose/charlotte, burn loot several months, sabotage afgan withdraw using russia bounty smear to give taliban equip, crash car in to wisconsin parade thanks to nbc follow jury bus smearing ritten house too kzbin.info/www/bejne/i6nSfWuqfbiUbck ray epps-fake sole survivor from ritten house case 2.0/podesta 2.0 when you look at left wing msm collaborate kzbin.info/www/bejne/hZ-5eZukYtuai9k dnc smear looking into treat covid symptoms/travel bans but permit parades/riots, recall snitches get rewards? a. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZmepqppqosZ_jck b. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hmKphoCafbplb8U

[@MostlyPennyCat]

No Units can be seen as just another way to express A Ratio. What's really turning up are pairs of numbers describing two similar things where the left hand thing is 137 times larger than the Right Hand Thing. But everywhere.

[@ivanleon6164]

every physicist has nightmares with it.

[@mitchilito99]

Matt never fails to awe and entertain. What a great resource!

[@jrp107]

"To build a universe it may be that only one number needs to be decided. And from it all other constants of nature follow." That sounds a lot like the seed value for a procedurally generated world (like mincraft)... But I also like the idea that it could be related to some higher level geometries that we don't yet understand (like PI is to circles).

[@Mexican00b]

Oh cool, i bet we got some speedrunner right now doing a small 13 trillion year speed run of our universe

[@RovingTroll]

To top that off we know that the plank length is the smallest unit of distance that something can travel, which implies a universal pixel size.

[@davidhand9721]

​@@RovingTrollno, the Planck units don't work like pixels. The concepts of pixel resolution and physical resolution are not the same. Space does not have unitary cells. The Planck length is the minimum _distance_ that can be meaningful. If two things are closer together than the Planck length, that's fine, but nothing else in the universe can tell they aren't just one thing. It's similar to how resolution works in a microscope. No matter how many magnifying lenses you use, you're never going to see two distinct objects closer together than the resolution.

[@RovingTroll]

@@davidhand9721 that's basically a pixel

[@davidhand9721]

@@RovingTroll it really isn't, though. Pixels are evenly spaced. Planck lengths are not. With pixels, you can resolve two objects less than a pixel apart if they are on opposite sides of a boundary between pixels; both objects will light up a pixel. However, two physical objects less than a Planck length apart can never be resolved. There are no Planck length boundaries; space is continuous in QM. There are a variety of properties in QM that are quantized, i.e. they can only be integer multiples of some minimum unit. Space is not one of them. Planck units aren't generally related to quantization. For example, the Planck mass is the _maximum_ mass of a single particle, and that particle would be a black hole with an event horizon surface of one Planck area. I guess you could think of the Planck mass as the minimum black hole mass, but it's absolutely huge on the particle scale. It's roughly the mass of a dust mote. The same applies to the Planck time. Time is continuous also, so it doesn't represent something like a frame rate. I hope that clears up the confusion.

[@TheDisabledGamersChannel]

I LOVE it when Physicists, mathematicians, scientists etc etc say "i don't know", it make me excitied cause theres still allot to be discovered and learn about.

[@pbsspacetime]

EXACTLY! The other phrase we always want to hear was best described by the great Isaac Asimov: "The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not “Eureka” but “That's funny...”

[@TheDisabledGamersChannel]

@@pbsspacetime 👍

[@kapsi]

Just because we don't know something doesn't mean it's possible to learn it. Like how we'll probably never learn if other universes exist.

[@Joe4evr]

@@kapsi Indeed, as proven by Gödel.

[@DrWhom]

mathaticians?

[@thenderyoshi]

Back when Minecraft added the command block, the \give command still used numerical IDs, and the command block's was 137. Back then, I was really excited about this block so I just incorporated that number on a bunch of stuff I made (especially my old Scratch projects) Turns out I couldn't have picked a better number!

[@SJrad]

I wonder if it was intentional

[@mpjstuff]

Yeah -- well, that Minecraft project in the future is accidentally sent back to the creation of this Universe in a few hundred years. The Universe is widely regarded as a bad idea and poorly implemented, and it looks like it was your fault.🙃

[@mayhemdiscordchaosohmy573]

@@mpjstuff your name is Marc not Douglas or Addams!

[@stevekalgren1059]

Was just about to say, perhaps you didnt pick that number. Maybe, it picked you. Oddly enough, my favorite numbers are 3, 17, and 79. I can tie these numbers together in different ways a day. Like the old TVLand commercials used to do with actors.

[@DomChapman]

Seems like 137 is the Minecraft seed number for our universe.

[@TheLPCSD]

7:07 But wait! If the fine structure “constant” is NOT constant, that would completely invalidate all calculations that have been done to this day on the research of BigBangs’s t=0 because either pi, the Neper’s number, the electrical permeability in a vacuum, Plank’s constant or the speed of light were different at t=0. Since e and pi are mathematical numbers, I’d say that the most probable constants to have been different in the beginning should probably be the measured physical constants. What do you guys think?

[@taylorhornby7475]

If α changed over time, does that mean the ratios between the other constants changed over time? e.g. rewrite the equation as c = e^2/(α4πε₀ℏ); either the speed of light changed over time, some other constants changed to hold c constant, or the formula for α isn't true at all times.

[@biggiefrosty]

This is a really great question. I hope he answers it in the next video.

[@biggiefrosty]

My guess as to the answer: it’s the minimum value of the fine structure value that is actually a constant. The value that changed over time has decreased down to approach this constant limit, and this constant limit is the α that shows up in the equation with other constants of nature.

[@rosskrt]

I would guess π changes from time to time.

[@rosskrt]

Jokes aside, as the fine structure constant is also the electromagnetic coupling constant, I would guess that IF (big if) the formula is true at all times, it's the electric permeability of the void to change over time. But that's just a wild guess, it could totally be that c was different in the past or that the formula needs adjusting to account for different energy levels. Who knows.

[@patreekotime4578]

I think that "over time" was relatively quickly during the formation of the universe. As he mentioned, higher a values mean that atoms cannot form. So the early purely energetic universe had this super high a value but everything had to cool down to a ~ 1/137 before "stuff" could form from the pure energy state.

[@DanielBerke]

Excellent explanation of the fine-structure constant. I got my PhD earlier this year for measuring constraints on variation in alpha (an area of research going back to 1956) in nearby Sun-like stars, and that quote from Feynmann made it into my thesis. (For the curious, I applied a method for measuring the fine-structure constant in astronomical observations to main-sequence stars in the Milky Way for the first time, allowing us to put a constraint of ~12 parts per billion on any variation in its value within 52 parsecs of us, about a hundred times more precise than previous constraints measured in our galaxy.)

[@ottobhan725]

Good on ya mate. What next?

[@EmrysMerlin8807]

Ok, but can you see why kids love the taste of cinnamon toast crunch? Edit: Seriously tho, that's awesome!

[@yzmotoxer807]

Check out the big brain on Daniel!

[@EmrysMerlin8807]

@@yzmotoxer807 Pulp Fiction?

[@yzmotoxer807]

@@EmrysMerlin8807 you got it, dude

[@KuroKitten]

Okay, I'm so glad you brought up PI towards the end. I was struggling to understand what the difference is between the fine structure constant and something like, yeah, say PI. It's also unitless, yet still describes a pretty fundamental aspect of nature - namely, "roundness". I felt much less crazy knowing far smarter people than me are already thinking about this ^.^

[@Fundamental117]

My exact same thought. Pi comes litterly in every single equation so why not 1/137

[@IveGotWheels]

I think the difference is that we know what π means in terms of how it relates to the geometry of Euclidean space; that being the constant relationship between the square of the radius and the area of a circle. The confusion around α is that nobody can figure out what relationship it is actually describing. In other words, π is to a circle as α is to a (?). The answer might lay in finding out which mathematical structure can replace the (?).

[@rayoflight62]

Alpha is directly responsible for the resonance frequency of the hydrogen atom, 1,420 MHz - or a wavelength of 21 cm. If you receive a modulated 21 cm signal (like the Wow!) you can be pretty certain that somebody wants to speak with you. Just like in the film "Contact" written by Carl Sagan, they receive a 1,420 MHz signal multiplied by Pi, to reinforce the idea that a rational entity was behind it. Alpha also reinforce the idea that the Universe could be somehow the work of a Master Designer...

[@DavidtheRationalist]

There are more similarities between Fine Structure Constant and Pi than just a number with never-ending digits and a dimensionless value. Both describe a geometric ratio. Whereas Pi is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to diameter, Fine Structure Constant can be shown to be the ratio of geometries that include circular properties. Thus, Fine Structure Constant can be derived from Pi. "The Relationship of the Fine Structure Constant and Pi" by Jeff Yee

[@ObjectsInMotion]

Because there are twenty numbers just like the fine structure constant and they all can't be mathematical in nature

[@kitersrefuge7353]

Fantastic content. Especially @13:49 onwards. One number to define a universe.

[@BanditBloodwyn]

In my head, an analogy appears: Couldn't we indeed compare Alpha with our commonly known Pi? Imagine our maths doesn't know about the concept of the circle. But everytime, when talking about angles in geometry, this mysterious 3.1415 appears. For me it really looks like Alpha is hinting towards a deeper concept or principle we haven't discover yet.

[@DavidtheRationalist]

There are more similarities between Fine Structure Constant and Pi than just a number with never-ending digits and a dimensionless value. Both describe a geometric ratio. Whereas Pi is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to diameter, Fine Structure Constant can be shown to be the ratio of geometries that include circular properties. Thus, Fine Structure Constant can be derived from Pi. "The Relationship of the Fine Structure Constant and Pi" by Jeff Yee

[@Deh9o11en8or]

And sometimes it appears in contexts that seem completely unrelated to circles at first glance too.

[@PhailRaptor]

@@DavidtheRationalist So the Fine structure Constant is to Pi what a 4th dimensional shape is to a circle?

[@Unfinished80]

That's a good point. Pi is also a dimensionless constant resulting from a ratio. Pi is the ratio of a circles circumfrence to its diameter.

[@UnsolPhysics]

@@PhailRaptor more like relationship between pi and the diameter, they are direct relations. But instead of just double, their relation involves all of the other fundamental constant of the universe

[@deathw8sf0rno1]

If the fine structure constant wasn't constant (like during the big bang), wouldn't the relationship between the other constants (12:05) also be different during that time? Does that severely change any interactions during that period?

[@chrystalll1011]

I had the same question in my head. Wouldn't it indicate a difference in the behaviors and interactions of the electrons shortly after the big bang?

[@nias2631]

Yep, that is what he was laying out. Once the constant was fixed it fixed in place all the other constants. That dictated all interactions that could possibly occur in an alpha=1/137 universe.

[@taelim6599]

I think what's going on is that the "fine structure constant" and the actual fine structure number are two different things. The fine structure number is dependent on energy levels and what changed in the history of the universe, while the fine structure constant is the unchanging absolute minimum the fine structure number can be, and is the constant that physics is built around.

[@milod.5267]

@@taelim6599 Just thought the same.

[@GameNationRDF]

@@taelim6599 very good way of putting it, the semantics is useful here

[@pierredelecto7069]

Maybe if we just used base 137 instead of base 10 this would make sense. If only we had 137 fingers.

[@TheSettlers90]

But it seems to me that the constant is only closely approximated by 1/137, the real number is slightly different

[@1224chrisng]

well, every base, when written is its own base, is base 10, the problem is what base is that written in

[@petersage5157]

I think base e would be more natural.

[@bobbasic]

@@petersage5157 Or base pi.

[@AndrewBlucher]

@@petersage5157 Ah, a very wise choice!

[@samuelmelcher333]

Even as a lay person, I think I can imagine why this number would be so damn tantalizing. Questions like “How does Quantum Mechanics fit with Relativity?” or “What caused the Bang Bang?” or “What’s at the center of a black hole?” seem to call for a response of, “Well, I sure hope the combined work of scores of teams of brilliant scientists eventually figure that out, ideally in my lifetime, but it seems possible we’ll never know.” The fine structure constant not only feels like it’ll inevitably be part of some greater understanding of physics, but also that there’s just enough information there to make it feel like, “if only I could just bang my head hard enough against the problem I just might be able to unlock an answer, and maybe even that new understandings of physics along with it”.

[@SeraphimMessenger]

I have to say, you put this in a way that I see reality, the void, and the reaction a little more (designed space created vs the creation of a space per the reaction on ones reality in its building or as it is built. What is more real -the void between reacting and the reaction per the void as it is pre reaction into its reaction. Ty.

[@TotalRookie_LV]

It's also 33rd prime number (starting counting from 2), thus for communication it might make sense to transmit list of prime numbers up to 137.

[@jajssblue]

I like this idea

[@Chareidos]

@@jajssblue That it is a prime-number actually freaks me out a little ^^

[@finickybits8055]

@@Chareidos Ditto

[@elledan77]

mason's have 33 degrees too

[@garymathis1042]

It's not a prime number; it's an irrational number.

[@michieal221]

So, essentially, alpha is the random seed value for the universe. Seriously, you just described a map-generator taking a seed for the universe's creation. BTW, love this video -- it's my new all-time favorite from this channel!

[@MannyLectro]

Exactly what I thought while watching the video! I suddenly had flashbacks of playing Minecraft and thought: "Wait a minute! Are you telling me that 1/137 is our universe's seed?!"

[@davidhand9721]

It's not really like a random number seed if it's used in calculations all the time. A random number seed matters exactly once. If it mattered twice or more, then it wouldn't be random. Then there's the fact that it isn't really a constant, and charge isn't really fundamental. It's more like a maximum resolution or stress-sensitive recursion limit, if we are going with the whole computational analogy. I'm currently keen on seeing it as a byproduct of neglecting to define a natural unit for charge. We have Planck lengths, times, masses, etc., but you can't get Coulombs (the SI unit of charge) out of there without seeing alpha as the ratio between the electron charge and the natural unit charge squared. It doesn't really tell us why there's a maximum or minimum or what it means, but it does make it a lot less spooky. Good try, though. Keep learning and thinking.

[@Fake_Jesus]

That's what I was thinking.

[@michaelwerkov3438]

@Ralph wroung!

[@michaelwerkov3438]

@@davidhand9721 charge has a maximum and a minimum? Is there anything else like that, other units or significant compound units? Temperature has absolute 0, but that's all I can think of. If some basic unit of charge were to be shoehorned in without deriving it, what significant change to the equations might there be? And would rewriting them to consider that offer any insights?

[@coder0xff]

The coy teasing of some yet unseen structure deep inside the fabric of our reality fills me with fascination and wonder.

[@cybernite99]

If anyone has been coding long enough, you'll be familiar with "magic numbers". We generally try to avoid using them, it's usually bad practice. I am a subscriber to simulation theory, so I choose to believe the coder got lazy and threw a magic number in.

[@sheriayn]

If you have a chance, watch the movie "The Quiet Earth". Its plot involves the fine structure constant. The ending still haunts me even though I haven't see the movie in almost 20 years.

[@wmwilliamsiii]

I rented this movie in the mid 90s. A very underrated / unknown film. It was so good, it's also still kind of a nightmare/fantasy of mine.

[@Aircool212]

@@wmwilliamsiii I've been trying to remember the name of this movie for years, and oddly enough, it was released 37 years ago...

[@hugofontes5708]

@@Aircool212 too bad I probably won't be around to watch it in a hundred years from now

[@comparatorclock]

@@Aircool212 ITS A SIGN FROM THE GODS lol

[@chuckintexas]

@@comparatorclock - Or _THE_ God !

[@jon-noj]

just finished reading QED and loved hearing all the references in this video. been enjoying the channel a lot. thank you for all your hard work!

[@wallyman292]

It amazes me just how much humankind has been able to discover and/or figure out about our universe over the past century or so. Definitely has to be one of, if not the actual , most important "renaissance" periods of mankind.

[@wmpx34]

Flat Earthers: challenge accepted

the simulation discovers the simulation rules

[@AlokKumar-tk1ty]

Offcourse We are accelerating our knowledge since newton era.

[@wallyman292]

@@AlokKumar-tk1ty Agreed. My point is the sheer amount of "acceleration" over the past 100 years is just astounding.

[@Danboi.]

Crazy to think this isn't the first time.. there's countless lost civilizations, possibly having up a 1000yrs of studying math

[@camilosantos4380]

In the book “ASCENSO, Civilization of the Humus” published on Amazon, a theory is proposed that unifies relativistic and quantum physics, supported by a mathematical and analytical calculation of the fine-structure constant (1/137) for the 3rd dimension and the other dimensions that make up the Universe. It includes parallel and mirror universes. It proposes a mathematical theory of how the multiverse should be structured and the action of dark matter and energy within it

[@simonharris4873]

When I watch your videos and I understand something you said, it feels like such an achievement. Thanx for that.

[@MantasasInHD]

Around 10 years ago me and a friend of mine started seeing the number 137 pop up everywhere. We treated it as a joke as if it's some sort of special haunted number, trying to research about it also didn't give us answers. Turns out it has a much more significant meaning than I anticipated.

[@sebastianmichaelrogel6404]

Now that's extremely weird, because i can second that. O.o

[@horzathirteen]

Around 10 years ago me and a friend of mine started noticing that the number 137 didn't pop up everywhere in our lives. We've laughed about it ever since: "Can't believe we didn't notice that earlier!" And there we were thinking we were so special.

[@BassGoThump]

@@horzathirteen Hey! This same thing happened with a bunch of different numbers that didn’t keep popping up. It happened with a bunch of different people that don’t even know each other so it can’t be a coincidence.

[@duroxkilo]

:) add to that my birthday but don;t freak out (00729)

[@constantinexi6893]

This but 136 for me

[@LiminalMan777]

This was an absolutely fantastic episode, another one I'll be rewatching multiple times

[@WeeWeeJumbo]

*RIGHT???*

[@AreUmygrandson]

137 is my favorite number for some reason. I also really like 37. I see it every where in tv and movies. I’ve mentioned it to several people and they noticed it a lot as well

[@destinseese34]

I see 47 everywhere. It's actually the most commonly occurring random number. There's even a society based around the number 47

[@fromgamestogod9850]

Perhaps you're seeing these numbers everywhere because God is trying to call you to Him. 137 and 37 are connected to the deep things of God and His nature. 137 is the 33rd Prime number. 33 is a numeric identifier for the Messiah. 137x3 = 411 411 = The English ordinal value of Genesis 1:1 in the KJB (first verse of the Bible) 411 also = The alphanumeric sum of Hebrew, Greek, & English for "Word" Jesus Christ is the "Word" made flesh, the intelligibility of God manifested. The Greek gematria (alphanumeric) value for Jesus is 888 888 = 37x24 2nd Prime = 3 4th Prime = 7 24 & 37 reading vertically above. 2424 is the sum of prime numbers from 37 to the 37th Prime. The alphanumeric value of Jesus Christ in All 3 languages of the Bible (Hebrew, Greek, & English) is this: 37th Prime + 37th Prime + 37th Prime 37, often expressed as the digital constituents of 3&7 is God's secret: "Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth HIS SECRET unto his servants the prophets." Amos 3:7 3:7 or 37 is God's secret. Amos is the 37th book counting backwards from the end of the Bible. This verse is intentionally placed to draw attention to the fact that the reverse of 37 is 73. 37x73 = 2701, which is the Hebrew alphanumeric value for the first verse in the Bible (Genesis 1:1). The King James Bible, which is God's authoritative word in English was first published in 1611. 1611 = 537 + 537 + 537 5 is God's number for grace. This shows 5 concatenated with 37 three times. 373 is a representation of 37 mirrored about the 7 at the center. 373 also equals "word" in Greek gematria. The 373rd chapter of the Bible contains word# 314159 in the King James Bible (KJB). 3.14159 = pi HIS WORD is the 314159 & 31460th words seen here: "The LORD therefore hath performed HIS WORD that he hath spoken..." 2 Chronicles 6:10 I could go on and on, showing thousands of examples of God using 37 and 137 to show who He is and illustrate His plan. However, time is short. Jesus Christ is returning soon. I'll leave you with one final pairing of 37 that illustrates what is coming (pay attention to the chapter/verse notation): "For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry." Hebrews 10:37 "For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be." Psalm 37:10 Notice that the 10 and 37 are flipped. This is because these verses are both talking about the same event... a convergence point of the Lord's return. It's two different sides of the same coin, and even the number 10 here is of incredible significance but beyond what I can explain in this comment. If you know God's secret of 37 (Amos 3:7), then it's clear what these two verses are referring to. God has given the address of His return with 37 and 10, but knowing how they map to His written word is key. In 2022, we were put on notice that the Lord is returning soon: "He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus." Revelation 22:20 God's countdown for His return is based on a reverse sequence. Even among believers, not many are aware of this. However, if you are aware of this fact, then you will know that God is encoding the year that we should be acutely aware that He is coming soon. When the notation grouping of 22:20 is flipped you get 20:22. 2022 is the year that the Lord is letting us know that He is surely coming quickly. Time is running out. Now is the time to repent and turn to Jesus Christ and accept Him as your Lord and Savior, the God who loves you and redeemed you of your sins by dying on the cross in your place. I suggest reading Romans 10:9-10 Lastly, if you want to see more incredible evidence of God's numeric signatures I suggest looking for the video, "Thy Word Be Verified [Extended]" on the channel Truth is Christ.

[@pawe3039]

Amazing content, as always! I can't really understand physics because I never suited it except for two semesters at uni, but even then it was taught in a similar way - very entertaining and inspiring! I'm really grateful that this channel exists.

[@atomsofstardust]

Why am I hearing about this number for the very first time in my life after years of watching various popular science videos like that? Odd it’s not talked about more.

[@stargazer7644]

It’s a pretty important thing in the deep math of physics. If you aren’t much into that, you’ll not see it much.

[@-dennis3755]

These pop-science channels haven't been around for a super long time all things considered, and there's a lot of depth in physics. While im very surprised I never heard about this in other videos about the constant's (though maybe I did in passing and forgot) it does make sense that it couldve just taken awhile for a channel to get to it for a full video.

[@xBINARYGODx]

@@-dennis3755 well the preface to these channels is what TV used to be - and its not there either (I know, i have watch ALL tv, up to the yar 2010)

[@thejaramogi1]

@atomsofstardust Maybe you've heard about 1/137 before, but it was like a sound wave passing through you at just the right frequency - you didn't realize it was there until someone pointed it out. But don't worry, now that you've heard about it, you can be the life of the physics party with your newfound knowledge!

[@nickopeters]

When I was about to post my Like on your comment--; the number of Likes already-there just-then--; was "137 Likes--!".

[@sebastiancardozo591]

I loved the way you all wrapped this video up. Gave me goosebumps thinking that the universe could be built off of one constant variable. Something extremely complex came from something so simple.

[@volteer1332]

Isn't that how computer random number generators often work? A single string that diverges dynamically each time it calculates?

[@PCRedman]

It's our minecraft seed

[@volteer1332]

@@PCRedman that is a very good analogy!

[@Kayla-y9d7x]

It looks like 4²+1)6)+1

[@billshiff2060]

What give me goose bumps is that Archimedes constant PI is there too.

[@nexaentertainment2764]

The anthropic argument always gets me. A universe with observers must necessarily support said observers. So in other words, while the Copernican principle says we're not special, the fact remains that we exist. Ergo, the universe must necessarily have parameters to support us. I know this has been touched on here before. But it's usually how I reconcile it internally

[@antonnym214]

Outstanding video. Expertly narrated and gently explained. Thank you. All good wishes.

[@Blindastronomer]

Great video as always! As a condensed matter researcher I was hoping there'd be time to touch on how the fine structure constant (analogue) could vary between different systems based on their own discrete symmetries and interactions. Fingers crossed we get a follow up!

[@rayoflight62]

Albeit being a simple number, the fine structure constant has such deeper meaning, and your description of a "Relationship of relationships" paint it perfectly for non-physicists; have my congrats for that. When you described the problem of defining the units of measure when communicating with aliens, you correctly said that alpha is the perfect number to establish a correct universal unit; you may have added that the two golden records on the Voyagers space vehicles have alpha defined pictorially at the beginning, and then used for multiple descriptions, like the position of the Earth in the Galaxy. I strongly believe that physics should be taught in the elementary schools. Thank you Dr. Dodds for all your efforts to spread the knowledge of physics more widely; I sincerely appreciate it. Regards, Anthony

[@osmosisjones4912]

Can light Warp space is that negative Mass . At least a certain wave length. Loom physicist break light speed barrier

[@castonyoung7514]

But I thought that Plank's constant was also dimensionless...

[@pacotaco1246]

@@castonyoung7514 no it has the same units as angular momentum

[@GlacialScion]

@Graham Perry What do you mean?

[@Hunnter2k3]

@@GlacialScion I think they are meaning the fact that you can't just transmit 137 and expect any alien species to understand it. You also need to explain the base you are using and what 1, 3 and 7 mean. A small explanation mind you, but an important one. Considerably simpler than trying to explain our physics since ALL of it is based on human conventions. Not even Math itself is the "language of the universe", our Math is human-convention at the very foundations - order of operations. This gets even more complicated with more advanced math.

[@chriswhite599]

The fine structure constant is endlessly fascinating. Thank you so much for this video

[@douglasstrother6584]

Arnold Sommerfeld contributions to Physics are under appreciated. He was one of the strong bridges between Classical and Quantum Physics.

[@aaizner847]

Misread "Schwarzenegger" at first glance. For a sec I was like - I guess his contributions to physics ARE underappreciated!

[@ignotiev]

When I first learned about 1/137 my physics professor speculated that the scale of objects in the universe was a logarithm of 137 (or something like that, I didn't quite understand it). I also remember that he said he owned the patent for the ring laser, so I will have to see if he looked into tfsc further.

[@johnnyreb280]

The number 137 is a dimensionless mathematical constant that appears in various areas of physics, including quantum electrodynamics (QED), which is the theory that describes the interaction between light and matter. The significance of 137 in physics has puzzled scientists for decades, and it is sometimes referred to as the "fine structure constant" or the "alpha constant." Regarding the question of whether the scale of objects in the universe could be a logarithm of 137, it is important to note that there is currently no scientific evidence to support such a hypothesis. While the number 137 does appear in certain equations that describe the behavior of subatomic particles, there is no known connection between this constant and the scale of objects in the universe.

[@ryanb8302]

​@@johnnyreb280 bro really asked chatgpt

[@d1p70]

@@ryanb8302 lol my thought exactly!

[@maymkn]

Didn't know@@johnnyreb280 was ChatGPT's other name.

[@Scotty-vs4lf]

@@johnnyreb280 yeah pretend u wrote that lmao

[@JamesOKeefe-US]

I love these. As a non scientist, this is so fascinating and well explained. Thank you for these, the universe is truly a wonder 😊

[@Condorman1]

Thank you Matt and Space Time. You put on an amazing presentation every single time.

[@ianji]

Euler's constant (also called the Euler-Mascheroni constant) is a constant which is dimensionless and takes the value of approximately 0.577). Although it is a mathematical constant it crops up in physics, for example in the dimensional regularisation of Feynman diagrams.

[@KalonOrdona2]

for oilier macaroni, use a little over 1 part oil for every 2 parts water, got it. :P

[@Beeza2996]

@@KalonOrdona2 This joke is going straight to my back pocket 😂

[@emergentform1188]

Whoa trippy. Love this channel and how it keeps telling me wild things I've never heard before, despite being relatively well versed in physics for a layperson.

[@karakaaa3371]

There's nothing weird about it. The actual constant is just based on other constants. 1/137 is an approximation.

[@dylanb2990]

@@karakaaa3371 yeah but why are they those numbers and not other numbers?

[@Zane_Alto]

@@karakaaa3371 I think what's special is that its based on the ratio/relationship of other constants, meaning if a different civilization were to use different measurements and therefore different constants, they would always end up coming back to something around 0.0729 as the fine-structure constant, whatever that looks like in their number system.

[@Beliar_VR]

Ok, now Dimension C-137 makes so much sense to me 🤯

[@rossirwin8909]

Dude...

[@absolutedesi5899]

I was recently studying the bohr model of the atom and I saw that the velocity of an electron in the first bohr orbit of hydrogen is c/137

[@MrKyltpzyxm]

Stuff like this makes me want to pursue an advanced degree in theoretical physics. The third point at the end about the dimensionless nature of α being potentially akin to a mathematical constant such as π or e makes me wonder what exactly the difference is between a physical constant and a mathematical constant. Though as I'm typing this, I remember the other bit that mentioned that α might not be constant at all, and is theorized to have been much larger at the Big Bang and could theoretically be even smaller. It's a constant right now only in the sense that the value that we can measure for the relationships which it represents has reached a stable value in the moment we find ourselves experiencing now. So, following that train of thought, a mathematical constant is based in fundamental logic. Pi doesn't change because it is definitionally that specific ratio between rigidly defined concepts. (It's an irrational ratio but nobody's perfect.) Wheras the fine structure "constant" is based on observations which are, on the scale of an infinite multiverse of possibilities, coincidental and borderline arbitrary. The value of pi is foundational. It's fundamental. There is no system of consistently measuring logical relationships that would not produce an identical, or at least proportional, value for pi. There's nothing in the nature of α, as it's defined in this video, that keeps it from being a different value other than the pressures of universal equilibrium that we happen to find ourselves experiencing. I don't remember if the Anthropic Principle was mentioned explicitly in the video, or just alluded to, but it makes sense that we can only measure a value that allows us to exist to perform the measurement. So it's not that the value couldn't be different, just that we wouldn't be around to know it if it were. So I guess that's the difference between mathematical and physical. Mathematics is axiomatic. Physics is derivative. (Or should that be derived?) Thanks to everyone who is still reading this for joining me on my train of thought today.

[@sokka90ml]

Some discoveries needed to be found in mathematics to find the speciality of 1/137

[@adnansaleem6167]

I was wondering the same and this actually made a lot of sense to me. It was very fun to read. Thank you

[@chrismikelinich8062]

What?

[@MrKyltpzyxm]

@@chrismikelinich8062 Sorry if it's gibberish. I'm self taught, and mostly from pop sci videos. If I were to try to summarize what I was trying to say, it's that we find the value of the fine structure constant alpha (which I abbreviated as just 'a') by taking measurements of the physical world and finding consistent patterns. Whereas we find mathematical constants like pi or e directly through abstract logical relationships. I describe the mathematical constants as axiomatic because we, decide the rules of our mathematical systems. We define what makes a circle. Because of that definition the ratio of a circle's diameter to its circumference is necessarily pi. The physical constants are derived from measurements we take of the physical world. Those physical quantities could potentially have other stable values but most of the other sets would result in a much different universe that wouldn't always support the formation of atoms, let alone the development of life. So we happen to measure values that allow us to exist. That's the Anthropic Principle I was referring to. The universe seems fine tuned for our existence. Not because it has to be, but because if it wasn't, we wouldn't be around to notice. So with physical constants you have units of measurement. Miles per hour. Kilograms per cubic liter. And when you do calculations with them some of the units might cancel out. For example, say you drive at a speed of 60 miles per hour. If you divide your speed by the distance you traveled the miles cancel out and you're left with the time it took to go that distance and vice versa if you divide by time. So it's weird that all of alphas units cancelled out when it was calculated. But that weirdness doesn't make it a mathematical constant, because it's still based on physical values that must be measured, and could, theoretically, change some day. Sorry. Not much of a summary. Hopefully it's at least different enough to be a little clearer.

[@csmarkham]

One of the most fascinating presentations I’ve ever seen. Rich food for deep thought. Thank you.

[@zelandakhniteblade5436]

Feynman's wall quote was actually about the observed coupling constant (0.0854...), which is directly related to 137.036 via an inverse square relationship. The full quote feels a little like a dig at other physicists, suggesting that they know the 137 number but good theoretical physicists look deeper and keep the 0.0854 number to hand.

[@monkeeseemonkeedoo3745]

He mentions the relation of 137 to the base probability at 6:03, which is the highlight of the video for me. It makes it clear how fundamental to our Universe the fine structure constant is, since it is the basis for so many particle interactions. I also wonder if the lack of units is surprising given that the constant is describing probabilities, which should be unitless.

[@DavidLoveMore]

The hand of God wrote that number.

[@V.O.Y.S.]

This is honestly mind blowing stuff right here.

[@nom6758]

Perhaps they can use the Fine constant to find out other constants that are needed to complete equations. Like using the stars around a blackhole to find it, but with mathematics.

[@jaybrodnax]

This guy is a fantastic presenter on these topics

[@affinnen]

He’s AI

[@toohdvaetihom7088]

Far better than frauds like Neil Degrasse Tyson

[@boringturtle]

Assuming we send 137 in binary code, you still have to convey that you're using a positional numbering system. Depending on their mode of storage medium and how they evolved communication, they might've settled on a different style of storing numerical values. Perhaps it's based on hexagonal cells, for example. Maybe they've been using qubits from the beginning. Who knows.

[@bkhan19]

Would like to know how is it possible for any intelligent species similar or advanced than us to be using qubits from beginning. Would their evolution synthesize math in a probabilistic outcome? Their pattern recognition system would have to be probabilistic. They would not have a finite distinction between 2 objects. They would look at objects with partial features each time such as 60% of a Rock at one time and then glancing few seconds later, the rock might look 80% . They would have to be doing logic in wave functions. However, they would have Law of Identity issues and this might not allow them to evolve logic as how we know it. They would not call a rock a rock then as it would not have a fixed identity.

[@TheNasaDude]

You just need to send it in a "natural" fashion, like 137 pulses then silence and repeat. You can show it's artificial by giving it extremely precise timing for example

[@michaelsommers2356]

I would imagine that any civilization advanced enough to receive our signal would be able to figure out our notation, especially given that the bits would be arriving serially.

[@eaudesolero5631]

@@bkhan19 that was an amazing description of another way to perceive reality. I want you to try to consider everything that you have ever learned about geology and biology and chemistry and physics and the atomic and subatomic and quantum and spend some time sitting and contemplating all of that as you stare at the world in front of your eyes and think about the air and the light and every structure that you see the trees the walls the paint that is on them the variations in hues as the wind blows in the temperature changes and how all of those photons emitting from all of those light sources in every different direction and all slightly different from each other as they impact the atoms and the electrons that make up everything that you see and all their various energies and angles as they all Impact your eyes constantly and consider that what you see as solid is actually extremely fluid what you see as unchanging is actually extremely variable and then remember that the body and the brain and the eyes that you are using to see that fluidity and variability is itself fluid and variable. You can see it

[@JK_Vermont]

@@TheNasaDude except it’s not actually 1/137 and depending on how the aliens think, the fact that you are sending an approximation might just confuse them

[@jarekk.8247]

Formula for calculating the fine structure constant from mathematical constants: α ≈ (-πe𝛾-e𝛾)+[(π^2+π)/2] = 0,0072953058 α = 0,0072973525 (fine-structure constant) π = 3,1415926535 (PI) e = 2,7182818284 (Napier's constant, Euler's number) 𝛾 = 0,5772156649 (Euler's constant) (1/137 + 0,0072953058)/2 = 0,0072972879 (Arithmetic mean) Discrepancy with experimental results: 0,000884 %

[@rayuk3939]

Love this channel. Been watching for years. Thanks everyone who works for PBS

[@MuscarV2]

137 has been my favorite number for over half my life. Not sure how it started but it keeps popping up as a very interesting number in physics and many other things.

[@rossirwin8909]

It was my dad's call sign as a police officer. We would listen to the scanner all the time and know when we heard 137 Lawrence county I'll be 10-7 at my residence, that he was home for dinner.

[@craig328]

I, for one, appreciate his brief inclusion of the Weighted Companion Cube in his effort to explain an inexplicable circumstance.

[@johnnyreb280]

The statement "Weighted Companion Cube in his effort to explain an inexplicable circumstance" is not a logical statement as it combines elements from two unrelated contexts: the concept of a "Weighted Companion Cube" from the video game "Portal" and the idea of someone attempting to explain an inexplicable circumstance. The two concepts do not relate to each other logically, and therefore it is not possible to refute or support the statement in a logical manner. Additionally, it's worth noting that the Weighted Companion Cube is an inanimate object in the game, incapable of explaining anything, let alone an inexplicable circumstance. Therefore, even if we were to interpret the statement as a hypothetical scenario in which the Cube could explain something, it would still not be a logical statement

[@tswan137]

Ok Craig, tone it down.

[@LOONACORE]

​@@johnnyreb280 Have you looked into an autism diagnosis

[@dieSpinnt]

No its all wrong! Every kid knows that we have to send 42 to an alien civilization and not 137. That would be nonsense! (Satire)

[@zacharyreid7557]

4:39 the portal from Rick and Morty showing up because they’re from dimension C-137 was a nice easter egg

[@MrPoornakumar]

I 've been worrying myself about this α, all these years. You have brought it out clearly.Thank you very much.

[@piman9280]

An alpha worrier?

[@Snoop_Dugg]

i'm just imagining if Douglas Adams wrote the meaning of life to be 1/137 in his book. It would mess with physicists so hard

[@calvingrondahl1011]

Page 137?

[@joedoucette9028]

you are a genius As a kinda smart man, who watches programs like this, never have I read a more truthful statement

[@joedoucette9028]

think about the hitchhikers, trying to do the math while holding a joint and a bag of weed. .

[@cronto_999]

Meaning of life is Easy: RESPONSIBILITY!

[@radtech21]

DON’T PANIC!

[@lefthandedscrewdriver3954]

This is way over my head, but none the less, very interesting. Great video.

[@jaberwoky_]

I don't know why I watch this type of video. I'm usually about ten minutes in when it occurs to me that I haven't the slightest idea what's going on.

[@piman9280]

Don't worry - it's also way over the heads of the scientists!

[@tylerchristensen1484]

I usually tend to watch about a third of these PBS Space Time videos because I don’t know what the heck it all means, but here goes something!

[@oweifhtuvj975]

This was an excellent video, but a slight nitpick about the title-the intersting thing about alpha is it is unitless and ubiquitous. Besides alpha is not 1/137 just like pi is not 22/7.

[@jwlsiee]

exactly, just as people seem to see the golden ratio everywhere, the simplification of alpha to 1/137 seems to lend itself to confirmation bias

[@nickverbree]

I get the impression you guys are of the "shut up and calculate" school

[@alpha_echo_diDi]

I trust you guys. As a layman, I think you take me as close to the boundary of our knowledge as anyone else.

[@RatusMax]

A layman can become an Einstein if he feels like doing it. You just need to start somewhere. Yes, life's problems do get in the way of that sometimes and many can't reach as high. However, the ability is in most humans. Science for all that it is, has not been able to make a concrete engaging way to learn information. We have the answer already thanks to social media mining data of billions of minds. Unfortunately, they use it to push ads for profits, keep people coming back to social media, and indulge people to gamble in video games. People think that humans like Einstein and Ramanujan were one off geniuses. I don't think that's the case. There are just certain things in society that hinder the learning process. College was like a rollercoaster ride. You get on it, you take a set locked path, you get off of it and move on. Ramanujan was never told what he couldn't do. It was like he was on the Oregon trail. He knew his starting point and his end point. How he got there he would have to decide. So, when he had to go down the wrong path many times, it gave him insight. He probably found a lot of information by doing so. Who knows how many proofs were locked up in his head. This is the fundamental failure of society; they don't allow one to walk down the wrong path and explore it. Society actively shames people for failing. They want everyone to walk the same path that everyone else walked and expect change and innovation to occur. Society does NOT support innovation. I remember being in physics class and having some TA/PhD student grade my paper. He marked my answer initially wrong. It didn't follow the common ways students would derive the answer. I took a route that derived a known formula in physics lol. He went back up and scratched out the X. We need to allow exploration in math and physics again. Not just show a problem and use a generic solution. I like and dislike that they try to give us tools to use without knowing how they were made. On one hand, we don't get bogged down by the sheer complexity of it. On the other hand, when we encounter something we haven't seen before; we are less likely to explore it. They didn't give us the ability to (ok maybe my college...) start the endeavor. For example, when I was in HS automotive class, we didn't have all the tools, parts, etc at our disposal to repair a car. We had to improvise. Just because the tools, and parts that made the problem easier wasn't there didn't mean we couldn't solve the problem. That is what's missing nowadays in education. That there are multiple solutions to a problem.

[@kirksneckchop7873]

Putting the fine structure constant in a communication seems like a good way to make aliens think the message is just a natural fluke.. after all, it turns up everywhere and in strange places.

[@olivernorth7418]

It turns up everywhere in the ratios between values. It wouldn't make any sense at all for it to pop up encoded in binary in a transmission unless that transmission was sent by an intelligent species.

[@matchesburn]

"Putting the fine structure constant in a communication seems like a good way to make aliens think the message is just a natural fluke.. after all, it turns up everywhere and in strange places" ...Radio waves also appear everywhere in nature. But if you received one showing you an imagine of a hydrogen atoms structure, you'd realize quite quickly that it's probably not a naturally-occurring source.

[@silviafox78]

@@olivernorth7418 - what if the aliens don't have the same binary meanings as us... what if our way of saying 137 in binary is the aliens' way of saying "731" in the same coding? This makes no sense!

[@kettelbe]

Easier with the value of h2 i believe?

[@ianhopcraft9894]

@@matchesburn Unless the receiving aliens treated the signal source as occurring naturally through evolutionary processes. The aliens are as unlikely to share our natural/unnatural dichotomy as they are to use meters and seconds... just saying.. 🙂

[@smergthedargon8974]

During the "how being dimensionless isn't special" section, I was really hoping he'd throw in something that actually does equal the FSC.

[@Rose_Harmonic]

The ending the last sentence in space-time every single episode always hits me as hilarious. I noticed the video was getting close to done and my brain started finishing every sentence with space-time to trying to guess when it was finally going to arrive. I had to focus to actually listen to the lore of our finest constant... of space-time.

[@NobbsAndVagene]

If I asked how high you were, would your answer be "space-time." ?

[@IAmNumber4000]

5:12 I thought he was about to say “When two particles love each other very much…”

[@bengoodwin2141]

This sounds almost like a variable of how much detail things should have, the kind of thing you would set in a simulation or game to balance how much detail (and thus processing power) you put into things so that you have an interesting but not too expensive world. This could be shown to make more or less sense as an explanation with more information than is provided in this video, and also a better understanding of what the meaning and implications of those cases where the FSC is used

[@mixuaquela123]

that alien example was rly clever way to explain dimensionless constants

[@bencrossley647]

I love the consistent ending. You can always feel that it's coming. I swear I get a dopamine hit just from hearing the word spacetime!

[@ColdHawk]

Spacetime, spacetime, spacetime, spacetime, spacetime, spacetime, spacetime, spacetime, spacetime, spacetime, spacetime, spacetime, spacetime, spacetime, spacetime, spacetime, spacetime, spacetime, spacetime, spacetime, spacetime, spacetime, spacetime! There you go. Enjoy the buzz, and have a great day!

[@JakubS]

Ooh! A video about the fine structure constant? And posted 10 minutes ago! Heck yeah!

[@shawnchong5196]

Thank you for coming back to the grassroots of physics: real questions and a wonderful explanation of the situation. Not hypothetical things that aren't so interesting!

[@KingCuba]

HOW DARE YOU, the HYPOTHETICAL things are the BEST things! Lol

[@shawnchong5196]

@@KingCuba heh, I was not enthusiastic about recent videos about aliens, physics not describing reality, habitable zones, universe in a black hole, Dyson spheres, many worlds, space junk crisis....

[@AishwaryaSuresh-d1l]

The number 137 appears in various Vedic texts, including the Rigveda and the Yajurveda. For instance, in the Rigveda, there are 137 hymns dedicated to the deity Agni, the god of fire. The Taittiriya Samhita, part of the Yajurveda, mentions 137 "flames" associated with the cosmic fire. This is so facinating !

[@coddiwomplingwithrob]

This is the sort of comment I love. Where it is seen from a completely novel perspective that hardly anyone would consider their being any connection to. I am currently writing a book on how the emotions relate to quantum and vedic principles. I will dig deeper. Thanks for the comment.

[@yannia3919]

Not sure if someone mentioned before, I saw a typo when you cancel out the units. One is written as C^7 which should be C^2. The following part is correct though:)

[@RichardJBarbalace]

From a math point of view, it seems like the fine structure constant should be multiplied by 4 pi, making it about 1/11. We know what 4 and pi are; it's the rest of the combination of constants whose numeric value is strange. Maybe this universe goes to 11.

[@WarHero56]

4pi * radius^2 is the surface area of a sphere... makes me wonder if it's got something to do with spreading energy over a spherical space

[@pbp6741]

The pi is only there to cancel the pi he introduced by using ћ instead of h.

[@RichardJBarbalace]

@@pbp6741 , that still leaves a factor of 2 then.

[@AlejandroDeschamps]

The answer is 42

[@pbp6741]

@@RichardJBarbalace Yes.

[@helenavandewater3846]

I am amazed! If I was younger, I would choose a physics study in quantummechanica! But these kind of videos keep me up to date!

[@Bob4golf1]

One of the most interesting stories you've told on one of the most interesting channels on YT!