Lex Fridman Podcast

#187 – Frank Wilczek: Physics of Quarks, Dark Matter, Complexity, Life & Aliens

May 29, 2021

Frank Wilczek, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist at MIT, dives deep into the mysteries of the universe. He unpacks the behavior of quarks and the significance of dark matter, blending complex physics with the beauty of simplicity. The discussion flows through consciousness and its implications for robotics, the interplay of free will and determinism, and the potential of different forms of existence. Wilczek's engaging insights connect cosmic scales with human thought, sparking curiosity about our place in the cosmos.

02:30:09

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Episode guests

Frank Wilczek

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Episode notes

Intro

2min

The Importance of Quality Journalism and Business Management Solutions

2min

Enhancing Online Privacy and Learning Efficiency

2min

Exploring Innovative Sleep Technology for Optimal Comfort

1min

The Beauty of Physics and the Struggles of Understanding

2min

The Beauty of Understanding the Universe

16min

Cosmic Scale and Human Thought

11min

Unraveling the Universe's Origins

25min

Exploring Consciousness: Matter, Self-Awareness, and Robotics

9min

10.

Embracing Complexity: Perspectives in Quantum Understanding

19min

11.

Unraveling the Universe: Particles and Forces

21min

12.

Reversing Time: The Physics of Symmetry

12min

13.

Crystals, Time, and Limits of Physics

24min

14.

The Gift of Life: Exploration and Connection

3min

Frank Wilczek is a Nobel Prize winning physicist at MIT. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:
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EPISODE LINKS:
Frank’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/FrankWilczek
Frank’s Website: https://www.frankawilczek.com/
Fundamentals: Ten Keys to Reality (book): https://amzn.to/3vLPyQB

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OUTLINE:
Here’s the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.
(00:00) – Introduction
(08:39) – Are there limits to what physics can understand?
(17:31) – Beautiful ideas in physics
(25:59) – Space and time are really big
(29:47) – There are billions of thoughts in a human life
(37:09) – Big bang
(45:31) – How life emerged in the universe
(51:33) – Aliens
(1:01:25) – Consciousness
(1:08:53) – Limits of physics
(1:14:29) – Complimentary principle
(1:23:34) – Free will
(1:29:47) – Particles
(1:35:10) – Nobel Prize in Physics
(1:48:24) – Axions and dark matter
(2:03:50) – Time crystals
(2:08:42) – Theory of everything
(2:18:10) – Advice for young people
(2:23:52) – Meaning of life

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