Gerard 't Hooft, a Nobel laureate and theoretical physicist known for his work on the electroweak interaction, challenges traditional views of quantum mechanics. He argues that the universe operates like a deterministic cosmic pinball machine with no real randomness or superposition. Discussing hidden variables and cellular automata, he proposes a radical new framework for understanding reality and defies norms in physics. Delving into concepts like superdeterminism and the mysteries of black holes, 't Hooft offers thought-provoking insights into the nature of existence.
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insights INSIGHT
Why Wild Ideas Get More Support
Gerard 't Hooft argues that simple, deterministic ideas are often dismissed while wilder ideas gain traction.
He suggests bold proposals get attention because they seem unfixable and thus attract support.
insights INSIGHT
Quantum Mechanics As Practical But Incomplete
't Hooft says quantum mechanics gives correct statistical answers but is fundamentally incomplete.
He wants a deterministic theory that yields exact outcomes if initial conditions were known perfectly.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Search For Deterministic Foundations
Seek theories that reproduce quantum probabilities while restoring underlying determinism.
Aim to find hidden-variable laws that give exact outcomes when initial states are specified.
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In this episode, I speak with Nobel laureate Gerard ’t Hooft, a theoretical physicist known for his work on the electroweak interaction and his radical ideas about quantum mechanics. To him, the universe is a cosmic pinball machine. Every ball follows a fixed path. No randomness. No mystery. We only invented quantum mechanics to cope with our ignorance. In his picture, there are no real numbers. No wave functions. No superposition. Just discrete states clicking forward, one after another, beneath everything we see.
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Timestamps:
- 00:00 - Why Quantum Mechanics is Fundamentally Wrong
- 05:00 - The Frustrating Blind Spots of Modern Physicists
- 11:27 - The "Hidden Variables" That Truly Explain Reality
- 17:00 - The "True" Equations of the Universe Will Have No Superposition
- 23:00 - Our Universe as a Cellular Automaton
- 30:02 - Why Real Numbers Don't Exist in Physics
- 39:14 - Can This Radical Theory Even Be Falsified?
- 46:29 - How Superdeterminism Defeats Bell's Theorem
- 58:19 - 't Hooft's Radical View on Quantum Gravity
- 1:08:24 - Solving the Black Hole Information Paradox with "Clones"
- 1:14:00 - What YOU Would Experience Falling Into a Black Hole
- 1:20:17 - How 't Hooft Almost Beat a Nobel Prize Discovery
Links Mentioned:
- Gerard’s site: https://webspace.science.uu.nl/~hooft101/
- Gerard’s papers: https://inspirehep.net/authors/1019113
- Cellular Automaton Interpretation Of Quantum Mechanics [Book]: https://www.amazon.com/Cellular-Automaton-Interpretation-Mechanics-Fundamental/dp/3319823140
- David Wallace [TOE]: https://youtu.be/4MjNuJK5RzM
- Emily Adlam & Jacob Barandes [TOE]: https://youtu.be/rw1ewLJUgOg
- Roger Penrose [TOE]: https://youtu.be/sGm505TFMbU
- Conway’s Game Of Life: https://playgameoflife.com/
- Julian Barbour [TOE]: https://youtu.be/bprxrGaf0Os
- Emily Adlam [TOE]: https://youtu.be/6I2OhmVWLMs
- Sabine’s video on Gerard: https://youtu.be/2kxoq5UzAEQ
- Sabine Hossenfelder [TOE]: https://youtu.be/E3y-Z0pgupg
- Tim Palmer [TOE]: https://youtu.be/vlklA6jsS8A
- Carlo Rovelli [TOE]: https://youtu.be/hF4SAketEHY
- Stephen Wolfram [TOE]: https://youtu.be/0YRlQQw0d-4
- Bernardo Kastrup & Sabine Hossenfelder [TOE]: https://youtu.be/kJmBmopxc1k
- Tim Maudlin [TOE]: https://youtu.be/fU1bs5o3nss
- Jacob Barandes [TOE]: https://youtu.be/wrUvtqr4wOs
- Ted Jacobson [TOE]: https://youtu.be/3mhctWlXyV8
- Claudia De Rham [TOE]: https://youtu.be/Ve_Mpd6dGv8
- Neil Turok [TOE]: https://youtu.be/ZUp9x44N3uE
- Latham Boyle [TOE]: https://youtu.be/nyLeeEFKk04
- David Kaiser [TOE]: https://youtu.be/_yebLXsIdwo
- String Theory Iceberg [TOE]: https://youtu.be/X4PdPnQuwjY
- Birth of Asymptotic Freedom [Paper]: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0550321385902068
- How To Become A Good Theoretical Physicist [Article]: https://www.goodtheorist.science/index.html
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