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Are the laws of physics governing forces or elegant summaries? In this deep and often humorous debate, Barry Loewer of Rutgers and Eddy Chen of UC San Diego clash over the very nature of physical reality. Are the laws of nature real, mind independent constraints that shape what’s possible or are they human made descriptions of observed patterns? Together they explore metaphysics, causation, probability, and whether the universe is truly ruled by anything at all. A must watch for anyone questioning the foundations of science itself.
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Timestamps:
00:00 The Nature of Physical Reality
42:28 The Circularity of Scientific Understanding
1:05:44 Reality Explored
1:08:28 Describing Human Experience
1:10:10 The Role of Science
1:10:58 Understanding Motion and Laws
1:12:19 The Nature of Laws
1:14:55 Possible Worlds in Philosophy
1:18:05 Configuration Space Debate
1:21:10 Quantum Mechanics and Reality
1:22:50 Metaphysical Necessity
1:27:13 The Nature of Free Will
1:30:14 Bridging Philosophy and Science
1:32:05 Constraints and Freedom
1:34:57 Philosophical Disputes
1:39:08 The Journey of Learning
2:05:16 Teaching and Learning Dynamics
2:07:23 Closing Reflections
Links Mentioned:
• Barry’s published papers: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=n_RTOwO00oEC&hl=en
• Eddy’s published papers: https://arxiv.org/a/chen_e_1.html
• Neil Turok on TOE: https://youtu.be/ZUp9x44N3uE
• Greg Chaitin on TOE: https://youtu.be/zMPnrNL3zsE
• Leonard Susskind on TOE: https://youtu.be/2p_Hlm6aCok
• Emily Adlam on TOE: https://youtu.be/6I2OhmVWLMs
• Laws of Nature and Chances (book): https://www.amazon.com/Laws-Nature-Chances-Breathes-Equations/dp/0198907699
• Laws of Physics (book): https://www.amazon.com/Laws-Physics-Elements-Philosophy/dp/100901272X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1CHA72RYFUOI8&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.OjkhTXRzZw_SWTMFZp8dUtREsTxacKuwg03AsLUUp6qLCuygS74CtEgujWl7wMvVEt-ErFEz-CfFLiiXTmuUCwKq0TW4WLFIA3DIhDNVaV4.gRuqaZldjUa8Kv_j1ew-CfZGQqtdt00X55fyMZ9NGD4&dib_tag=se&keywords=eddy+chen&qid=1749667626&s=books&sprefix=eddy+chen%2Cstripbooks%2C128&sr=1-1
• On the Plurality of Worlds (book): https://www.amazon.com/Plurality-Worlds-David-K-Lewis/dp/0631224262
• Tim Maudlin on TOE: https://youtu.be/fU1bs5o3nss
• Tim Maudlin and Tim Palmer on TOE: https://youtu.be/883R3JlZHXE
• How Physics Makes Us Free (book): https://www.amazon.com/How-Physics-Makes-Us-Free/dp/0190269448
• From Time Asymmetry to Quantum Entanglement (paper): https://arxiv.org/pdf/2006.05029
• Jacob Barandes on TOE: https://youtu.be/7oWip00iXbo
• Realism with a Human Face (book): https://www.amazon.com/Realism-Human-Face-Hilary-Putnam/dp/0674749456
• Causation and Laws of Nature in Early Modern Philosophy (book): https://www.amazon.com/Causation-Nature-Early-Modern-Philosophy/dp/0199664684/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0
• The Maniac (book): https://www.amazon.com/MANIAC-Benjamin-Labatut/dp/0593654471
• When We Cease to Understand the World (book): https://www.amazon.com/When-We-Cease-Understand-World/dp/1681375664
• Eddy’s paper on time and nature: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2109.09226
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