Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas AMA | September 2022
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Aug 29, 2022 This engaging discussion covers the nuances of democracy and the challenges of educating future generations. It explores the intriguing concepts of complexity and emergence, revealing how interactions shape reality. Topics also include philosophical debates about voting rights depicted in science fiction, and the contrasts between effective altruism and social activism. The podcast dives into quantum mechanics, touching on the block universe and human perception, while examining the ethical dimensions of gene editing and climate change challenges.
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Defining Complexity
- Complexity has various aspects, like multi-scale structure and numerous process steps.
- There's no single definition, similar to defining life, with different aspects like metabolism and reproduction.
Emergence Definition
- Sean Carroll prefers a broader definition of emergence, encompassing simple and complex situations.
- He defines it as the existence of a reliable macro theory, even probabilistic, where micro configurations map to single macro descriptions.
Physics Career Advice
- Focus on being good at physics, not just intelligence, for a physics career.
- Diverse skills are needed for different physics roles, from experimentalists to theorists.