The Brain that meets the Universe: Recent Episodes
Edgar Chicurel
The nature of the universe, consciousness, free will... The big questions are fascinating , but answers and explanations from the experts are not always clear, satisfying or, indeed, consistent. This podcast aims to shed some light on these questions and explanations by examining them form the perspectives of science, philosophy and even sci-fi.
When wondering about existence, what are the mysteries we wish we could understand? Given the chance, would we really want to have our questions answered? Do we even know what we want to know?
Is a universe created each time someone measures an electron's spin? This extremely counter intuitive theory of what happens when we measure properties of particles is actually on solid footing among some of the foremost physicists of the day. Why would anyone seriously entertain such an idea?
Are some things off limits to our possibility of knowing? Should science speculate on them? How about the realm that is beyond what we can collect evidence of? What would Kant say?
Every second 20,000 stars fall out of our field of view. Despite the knowledge we now have of the universe and its makeup, there is a hard limit to what we can and cannot detect. The visible universe may be growing, but as it does, there is less to see.
The vastness of the Universe is humbling. Why is it so huge compared to us? Some thoughts on its size and the implications for humans and how and why sentience arises, as well as commentary on the views of renowned physicists on the subject.
When it comes to shaping the future, are humans in the driver's seat? Were we ever? In this episode I take a look at how technological advance creates ever increasing complexity and what the role of humans and AI's is in this seemingly unstoppable rush. Includes comments on the ideas of Yuval Harari, Manollis Kellis, Stanislaw Lem, and others. (Also: some fiddling by the podcaster)
It took 3.5 billion years for technological capability to evolve on Earth, and humans are now at an evolutionary peak that has taken a very long time to attain. How does evolution find a fitness peak such as ours, and where does it take us next?
What does it mean to be self-conscious? and, Why are certain physical systems (e.g. a living human with a brain) conscious of themselves and others, apparently, not?
Sometimes we think we make decisions which our subconscious might have already decided for us. Another look at the nature of free will, this time from the point of view of psychology and the famous Libet experiments.
Can physics really predict our decisions? Is free will an illusion? Even predicting what a billiard ball will do in 6 bounces can be harder than it seems. How about predicting someone´s actions?