Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal

Sean Carroll: The Crisis in (Fundamental) Physics is Worse Than You Think...

7 snips
Aug 3, 2024
Guest
Sean M. Carroll
Sean Carroll, a theoretical physicist at Caltech and author of popular science books, discusses fundamental physics' growing crisis. He explores the implications of the holographic principle and the philosophical questions that arise in physics. Carroll critiques the stagnation of discoveries and the pressures of 'publish or perish' in academia. He also emphasizes the importance of diverse theoretical approaches, unveiling the complexities of dark matter and quantum gravity, while challenging conventional ideas within the scientific community.
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INSIGHT

Holographic Principle

  • The holographic principle suggests the world isn't truly 3D.
  • It may be a 2D space with densely encoded information projected into our perceived reality.
INSIGHT

ADS vs. de Sitter Space

  • Anti-de Sitter space (ADS) has an infinite dimensional Hilbert space, unlike de Sitter space.
  • This makes ADS compatible with quantum field theories, while de Sitter space might require a different framework.
INSIGHT

Unintentional Philosophy

  • Scientists often make philosophical claims without realizing it.
  • These claims can significantly influence research directions, as seen with the naturalness problem and the LHC.
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