Is There a Way to Reformulate the Laws of Physics?

2min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

The programm aconstructor theory is a generalization of the quantum tero computation. The results are promising enough that they entice me to work more on it. Think, in general, any work in the foundation of physics is about working out these bold questions. i am completely open to the fact that this may not work a to the degree that that, in a way, the whole programr hopes.

Traditional physics works within the “Laplacian paradigm”: you give me the state of the universe (or some closed system), some equations of motion, then I use those equations to evolve the system through time. Constructor theory proposes an alternative paradigm: to think of physical systems in terms of counterfactuals — the set of rules governing what can and cannot happen. Originally proposed by David Deutsch, constructor theory has been developed by today’s guest, Chiara Marletto, and others. It might shed new light on quantum gravity and fundamental physics, as well as having applications to higher-level processes of thermodynamics and biology.

Support Mindscape on Patreon.

Chiara Marletto received her DPhil in physics from the University of Oxford. She is currently a research fellow at Wolfson College, University of Oxford. Her new book is The Science of Can and Can’t: A Physicist’s Journey Through the Land of Counterfactuals.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.