Within Reason #113 Sabine Hossenfelder - Superdeterminism: Why Are Physicists Scared of It?
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Jul 21, 2025 
In this engaging discussion, Sabine Hossenfelder, a German theoretical physicist and science communicator, dives into the complexities of quantum physics and the concept of superdeterminism. She addresses the philosophical entanglement of free will and determinism, drawing from historical figures like Einstein and Bohr. Sabine also explores consciousness, questioning whether it can be replicated by machines or if it's inherently tied to biological systems. The conversation traverses the boundaries of science and philosophy, challenging listeners to rethink their perceptions of existence.
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Mental Health Warning in Physics Book
- Sabine Hossenfelder included a mental health warning in her book due to many emails she received about the absence of free will.
- She personally struggled with the concept and took time to get comfortable with it herself.
Physics Meets Philosophy
- Physics tackles philosophical questions like the universe's origin, consciousness, and God's role.
- Sabine views consciousness as emergent from complex atomic arrangements, with no special essence beyond that.
Brain Circuits Create Mental Images
- Mental images like triangles or colors correspond to brain circuit activity, not atomic structures.
- Brain experiments now can decode what images people visualize, showing these connections.
