The Origins Podcast with Lawrence Krauss Spooky Physics!
Oct 31, 2025
In a Halloween-themed exploration, the host debunks myths about ghosts using fundamental physics. If ghosts were visible, they'd interact with light, contradicting their ability to pass through walls. The discussion critiques the misuse of quantum mechanics in pop culture, especially the misconception that consciousness can alter reality. By analyzing examples like miracles and werewolves, the host highlights that the real universe, with its quantum wonders and cosmic mysteries, is far more intriguing than any supernatural fantasy.
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Seeing A Ghost Contradicts Its Incorporeal Claim
- If you can see a ghost it must interact electromagnetically, so it cannot pass through walls.
- Visible ghosts therefore violate basic physics because electromagnetism prevents macroscopic penetration of matter.
Movie Example Shows Ghost Inconsistency
- Krauss recounts the movie Ghost where the ghost can't pick up a penny but can sit on a chair.
- He uses this to show fictional ghosts contradict the physics of electromagnetic interaction.
Newton Reduced Supernatural Explanations
- Newtonian physics shifted explanation of events from supernatural causes to physical laws.
- This historical change made witchcraft explanations for weather and events untenable.
