Andrew Jaffe
Professor of astrophysics and cosmology and Director of the Imperial Centre for Inference and Cosmology at Imperial College London; works on cosmic microwave background experiments and inference methods, and author of The Random Universe.
Best podcasts with Andrew Jaffe
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Nov 10, 2025 • 1h 18min
335 | Andrew Jaffe on Models, Probability, and the Universe
Andrew Jaffe, an expert in astrophysics and cosmology, shares insights on the nature of scientific models and probability. He argues that models are crucial for understanding the universe, illustrating concepts using examples like the London tube map. The discussion includes comparing large language models to human reasoning, the merits of Bayesian analysis in addressing Hume's problem of induction, and the ongoing tensions in measuring the Hubble constant. Jaffe also delves into quantum mechanics, entropy, and how our existence influences cosmological theories.
Nov 25, 2025 • 1h 29min
Andrew H. Jaffe, "The Random Universe: How Models and Probability Help Us Make Sense of the Cosmos" (Yale UP, 2025)
Andrew H. Jaffe, a cosmologist and director of the Imperial Center for Inference and Cosmology, delves into how models and probability shape our understanding of the universe. He explores the importance of models in interpreting data, discussing historical figures like Copernicus and Newton. Jaffe explains the concept of Bayesian probability and how it contrasts with frequentist methods, offering insights into quantum mechanics and the nature of scientific progress. He emphasizes that science is about building probabilistic models to navigate the cosmos' inherent randomness.
