Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas

295 | Solo: Emergence and Layers of Reality

Nov 11, 2024

Delve into the fascinating world of emergence, where complex systems arise from simple interactions. Discover how understanding higher-level properties helps us make sense of reality, even without a complete view of the microscopic. Explore the political implications of emergence and consciousness while pondering everyday phenomena like crumpled paper to highlight unpredictability. Learn about the distinctions between strong and weak emergence and their relevance across science, philosophy, and human behavior, all presented with engaging examples and thoughtful insights.

01:34:59

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Quick takeaways

Emergence is crucial for understanding how higher-level phenomena arise from lower-level entities without changing fundamental physical laws.

The distinction between local and non-local emergence clarifies how complex behaviors can emerge from interactions across varying distance scales.

Weak and strong emergence differ in their implications, questioning whether new, unpredictable phenomena require entirely new scientific explanations or can fit within existing frameworks.

Deep dives

The Concept of Emergence

Emergence refers to how higher-level properties or behaviors arise from lower-level phenomena without necessarily altering the foundational physical laws. This idea applies across various fields, such as physics and philosophy, where different interpretations of emergence can lead to confusion. It often challenges thinkers to clarify whether emergent properties require modifications to the established laws of physics at the microscopic level. Without a clear framework for discussing emergence, misunderstandings can proliferate regarding its implications across diverse scientific and philosophical contexts.

Intro

2min

Exploring Emergence and Its Political Significance

7min

Exploring Complexity and Emergence Through Everyday Phenomena

14min

Clarifying Emergence: Strong vs. Weak

14min

Exploring the Concept of Emergence in Science

27min

Exploring Emergence: From Micro to Macro

33min

Exploring Ontological Features and Emergence in Physics

2min

Emergence is a centrally important concept in science and philosophy. Indeed, the existence of higher-level emergent properties helps render the world intelligible to us -- we can sensibly understand the macroscopic world around us without a complete microscopic picture. But there are various different ways in which emergence might happen, and a tendency for definitions of emergence to rely on vague or subjective criteria. Recently Achyuth Parola and I wrote a paper trying to clear up some of these issues: What Emergence Can Possibly Mean. In this solo podcast I discuss the way we suggest to think about emergence, with examples from physics and elsewhere.

Blog post with transcript: https://www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2024/11/11/295-solo-emergence-and-layers-of-reality/

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