Philosophy For Our Times In search of nothing | David Deutsch, Amanda Gefter, Lee Smolin
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Nov 6, 2025 
Join theoretical physicists David Deutsch and Lee Smolin, along with science writer Amanda Gefter, as they delve into the intriguing concept of nothingness. They explore whether true nothing can exist and debate the philosophical versus scientific definitions of nothing. The trio discusses how laws of physics might emerge from nothing, the observer-dependence of vacuum states, and the paradoxes surrounding nothing that may signal deeper issues in physics. Tune in for a thought-provoking journey through the void!
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Beginnings Can Be Modeled Without Paradox
- David Deutsch argues nothingness can be made sense of by careful theories, e.g., no single earliest moment at the Big Bang.
- Mathematical structures (like no smallest positive fraction) can model 'beginning' without paradox.
A Dinner That Sparked A Career
- Amanda Gefter recounts how a dinner conversation with her father launched her lifelong quest about nothing.
- That journey led her to meet John Wheeler and explore foundational physics questions for decades.
Crashing Wheeler's Conference
- Amanda describes crashing a physics conference in 2002 to meet John Wheeler with her father.
- That audacious anecdote led to direct access to Wheeler's ideas and journals.
