Sean Carroll
Blog post with audio player, show notes, and transcript: https://www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2019/01/28/episode-31-brian-greene-on-the-multiverse-inflation-and-the-string-theory-landscape/
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/seanmcarroll
String theory was originally proposed as a relatively modest attempt to explain some features of strongly-interacting particles, but before too long developed into an ambitious attempt to unite all the forces of nature into a single theory. The great thing about physics is that your theories don’t always go where you want them to, and string theory has had some twists and turns along the way. One major challenge facing the theory is the fact that there are many different ways to connect the deep principles of the theory to the specifics of a four-dimensional world; all of these may actually exist out there in the world, in the form of a cosmological multiverse. Brian Greene is an accomplished string theorist as well as one of the world’s most successful popularizers and advocates for science. We talk about string theory, its cosmological puzzles and promises, and what the future might hold. (For more general string theory background, check out Episode 18 with Clifford Johnson.)
Brian Greene received his doctorate from Oxford University, and is currently a professor of Physics and Mathematics at Columbia University. His research includes foundational work on topology change, mirror symmetry, and the compactification of extra dimensions. He is the author of several best-selling books, including The Elegant Universe and The Fabric of the Cosmos, both of which were made into TV specials for NOVA. He and Tracy Day are co-founders of the World Science Festival.
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A different “Brian Greene” from this side of the equation; I meant to say “this side of microphone”, that is – conversation. Somewhat boyishly rebellious (and I mean it as a compliment), but definitely passionate about his original work. And, yet, quite cool-headed, dispassionate, and realistic about the prospects & in-field probabilities of “his theory of everything” – at the same time. The nicest thing about this talk: a pleasant, dynamic, friendly exchange among two fellow physicists.
I was first excited and inspired by the concept of “string theory”. But as it has evolved into a kaleidoscope of 10 to the 500 power shapes and sizes, I am disheartened with it and now conclude it’s a rabbit hole. String theorists by history and training such as B. Greene, as brilliant as he is, are “vested” with years of study and commitment to it, notwithstanding what he purports to advance. Thus, query how objective and neutral they can truly be.
007 is outmatched at last!
I'm such a Sean Carroll fanboy.
Sean and Brian are brilliant scientists with incredible communication skills. What a great privilege to hear them conversing together.
my 2 fav……
A brain in the void of space that thinks it's Brian Green 😂
One retort to the Boltzmann brain problem is that even if you accept that your brain is more likely to be a Boltzmann brain, and your mind just popped into existence with your entire life’s memory’s intact, it would have to keep popping into existence repeatedly every instant (quanta) of time after you make the observation. It holds up logically for an instant but the plausibility goes away after some elapsed time of the brain existing. Your reality could only be mirrored by the Boltzmann brain scenario if it continually appeared with each subsequent appearance having to account for the last moments of time that you experienced after it first appeared. This argument was made by Lawrence Krauss I think.
These guys are 2 of the best authors on modern physics, period. Brian’s “The Elegant Universe” is a stunning work, and Sean’s “The Big Picture” is a dizzingly thorough volume on every important concept in science. I treasure all of Brian’s books, have read most of them several times over and I love Sean’s lectures, podcasts and literature. So cool to listen to them have a conversation on string theory.
maybe the big bang gave birth to different dimensions, yeah maybe but this isn't science it is speculation
Absolutely amazing podcast
my two favorite people that don't know I exist in a single podcast <3
Sean Carroll used the words "flat earth" #FLATEARTHCONFIRMED
Absolutely fantastic, I love mindscape now I have a reason to live. Yiiiipppppeeeeee.
Why did they not talk about where the SUSYs are? Surely that's the most pressing thing with string theory right now
Great Listen
why is it hard to talk about the multiverse?
Of course there are extra dimensions. the extra terrestrials have told us.
i get Brian Greene and Sean Carroll mixed up sometimes. Both great speakers, that look and sound a bit too similar. lol
33:55 "buttload would be the technical term, right?" hahaha my favorite joke of the conversation. Love these two!
Why?
On a tangent, dr. Carroll plays bass…I am certain he wrote the intro music??or at least played the bass…
This one's really a gem in the 'grand overview' department for fundamental physics & cosmology — where have we been (?)… where are we now (?)… and a little on where we might be going. If you were looking for a Brian Greene science program which doesn't "feature" a tedious cacophony of tacky and irrelevant dumbing it down style distractions for the masses… and which isn't introduced by, or interspersed with silly episodes of Brian's Shatner-circa-1967 school of bad acting or his pacing around on a stage mello-dramatically pondering the too obvious "big" questions in time wasting fashion… well, here ya go!
Ah, that's much better! This one's got some meat on its bones and is easily worth the time invested. A great job again by Sean Carroll, keepin' it real.