58 - Huw Price: Philosophy of Time, Boltzmann Brains, and Retrocausality
Mar 4, 2023
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Huw Price, former Bertrand Russell Professor and esteemed philosopher, dives deep into the philosophy of time. He explores the A- and B-Series of time, intertwining past, present, and future. The discussion on Boltzmann Brains raises fascinating questions about reality and consciousness. Price also examines the flow of time and its connection to thermodynamics, while challenging traditional causation through the lens of retrocausality in quantum mechanics. His insights bridge philosophy and science, inviting us to rethink our understanding of existence.
The podcast explores the contrasting perspectives of A-series and B-series time, emphasizing the complexities of causality and presentism's challenges.
Huw Price discusses the philosophical implications of Boltzmann brains, raising existential questions about reality and the nature of consciousness.
Deep dives
Exploration of Philosophy of Time
The episode delves into the philosophy of time, highlighting key concepts such as the flow of time and the arrow of time. The discussion contrasts different perspectives on time, particularly the A-series and B-series views, with the A-series relating to a dynamic experience of time where the present moment holds special significance. The conversation emphasizes the intricate relationship between time and causality, examining the idea of presentism and its potential incoherence when combined with a dynamic perspective. The complexities surrounding these philosophical viewpoints raise important questions about how we perceive time and its direction.
Challenges of Presentism and Causality
Presentism is critiqued as a philosophical position that asserts only the present moment exists while neglecting the past and future. This viewpoint faces challenges, especially in reconciling the concept that every moment can be 'special' simultaneously, as it leads to a contradiction regarding the existence of past and future moments. The discussion also touches on how causality interacts with the philosophy of time and how various philosophical positions like presentism may struggle to maintain coherence under scrutiny. Additionally, there are appealing connections made to psychology as it relates to our understanding of causation and the flow of time.
Interplay between Physics and Time
Physics plays a crucial role in discussions about the direction of time, particularly through concepts like the second law of thermodynamics and entropy. The conversation notes the tension between thermodynamic asymmetry and the philosophical desire for a universal direction of time, suggesting that our psychological experience of time aligns with physical processes like entropy. The episode also mentions philosophical implications of theories stemming from quantum mechanics, which open doors to understanding retrocausality—where past events can be influenced by future actions—further complicating the narrative about time. These intricate connections illustrate the ongoing dialogue between philosophical inquiry and scientific exploration.
Boltzmann Brains and Cosmological Models
The idea of Boltzmann brains, introduced by physicist Ludwig Boltzmann, serves as a thought experiment questioning our understanding of reality and observation in the cosmos. The discussion points out that if random fluctuations could create a universe, then it is statistically easier to form a self-aware brain than an entire universe, raising skepticism about our existence. This skepticism ties back to contemporary cosmological models that explore the implications of infinite time and the prevalence of Boltzmann brains over actual historical consciousness. The philosophical and scientific implications of this concept provoke deep questions about existence, awareness, and the nature of the universe itself.
Huw Price is the former Bertrand Russell Professor in the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Cambridge, and was before that Challis Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Centre for Time at the University of Sydney, and then—even before that—was Professor of Logic and Metaphysics at the University of Edinburgh. Huw is an expert across a wide variety of subdomains within the family of philosophy of science and physics, and in this episode he and Robinson discuss topics drawn from the philosophy of time, ranging from its flow and direction to its relationship to causation and quantum mechanics. Huw is also the author of Naturalism Without Mirrors and Time’s Arrow and Archimedes’ Point: New Directions for the Physics of Time. You can keep up with Huw on his website, prce.hu, and via his Twitter account, @HuwPriceAU.
Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University. Join him in conversations with philosophers, scientists, weightlifters, artists, and everyone in-between.
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