The Institute of Art and IdeasFrom the problem of the second law of thermodynamics to the new radical twistor theory, we talk to Roger Penrose about his lifetime of work, what he has learned and where future research lies in cosmology.
Roger Penrose is an English mathematical physicist, mathematician and philosopher of science, and 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics winner. He is Emeritus Rouse Ball Professor of Mathematics in the University of Oxford and Emeritus Fellow of Wadham College, Oxford. He is author of The Road to Reality: A Complete Guide to the Laws of the Universe, a comprehensive guide to the Laws of Physics, as well his own theory on the Penrose Interpretation.
Roger Penrose | Gravity, Hawking Points and Twistor TheoryThe Institute of Art and Ideas2019-06-28 | From the problem of the second law of thermodynamics to the new radical twistor theory, we talk to Roger Penrose about his lifetime of work, what he has learned and where future research lies in cosmology.
Roger Penrose is an English mathematical physicist, mathematician and philosopher of science, and 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics winner. He is Emeritus Rouse Ball Professor of Mathematics in the University of Oxford and Emeritus Fellow of Wadham College, Oxford. He is author of The Road to Reality: A Complete Guide to the Laws of the Universe, a comprehensive guide to the Laws of Physics, as well his own theory on the Penrose Interpretation.
DELVE DEEPER For debates and talks: iai.tv For articles: iai.tv/articles For courses: iai.tv/iai-academy/courses For podcasts: iai.tv/iai-podcastIs faith in Christianity flawed? | Sophie-Grace Chappell takes on Michael ShermerThe Institute of Art and Ideas2023-11-18 | Should we be more sceptical of blind faith? Watch Chrisitian Sophie-Grace Chappell debate sceptic Michael Shermer on spirituality.
Established religion has been on the decline in the West for more than a century, but of those who claim to be not religious 40% believe in 'some form of the supernatural'. From horoscopes to TikTok psychics, we see these alternatives as harmless new-age fantasies. But a recent UCL study found that people who were not religious but had a spiritual understanding of life "were 77% more likely to be dependent on drugs, 72% more likely to suffer from a phobia, and 50% more likely to have a generalised anxiety."
Are new-age spiritual beliefs leading us into a post-enlightenment dark age? Or was Wittgenstein right when he said "the facts of the world are not the end of the matter", and Deleuze when he proposed we should "bring something incomprehensible into the world?" Should we see spirituality and mysticism as a dangerous spiral to dystopia or a positive outcome that challenges scientific truth?
#Christianity #NewAgeSpirituality #Sceptic
Sophie-Grace Chappell is a Professor of Philosophy at the Open University, who writes about ethics, politics, feminism and epistemology. She also writes poetry, and is the UK's first openly transgender academic philosopher; an experience she has written about for Aeon and The Lovepost.
Michael Shermer is a famous science writer, historian of science, founder of The Skeptics Society, and editor-in-chief of its magazine 'Skeptic'.
#spacetimecontinuum #theoreticalphysicsThe censorship of cosmology | Eric LernerThe Institute of Art and Ideas2023-11-16 | Eric Lerner challenges the current cosmological model.
The scientific method is one that preaches openness, humility and falsifiability. But what if cosmology has been held back by the academy for years? Join Big Bang skeptic Eric Lerner to explore the censorship taking place among the stars.
#bigbang #scientificmethod #cosmology
Eric Lerner is an award-winning popular science writer and independent researcher, famous for rejecting the Big Bang theory in favour of a non-standard plasma cosmology.
00:00 Introduction 00:22 Redshift phenomenon 02:22 Tolman test for the angular size of galaxies 03:52 Observations from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) 07:17 Independent measure of the radius of a galaxy 08:37 The impossible galaxies
For debates and talks: iai.tv For articles: iai.tv/articles For courses: iai.tv/iai-academy/coursesProfessor Sunetra Gupta on questioning lockdown | from Reality, models, and mayhemThe Institute of Art and Ideas2023-11-15 | Michael Shermer, Sunetra Gupta and Bjørn Ekeberg discuss the relationship between scientific models and empirical reality.
What does it mean to "trust the science"? Do mathematical models resemble the real world? Should we expect them to?
In the last 100 years, some of the greatest minds - from the founders of quantum mechanics such as Heisenberg and Planck to Hawking - have moved away from thinking science can capture an objective ultimate reality. And yet from dark matter to string theory, we still look for the correct answer, sure that the next theory might be the one. Is this a fundamental mistake? Hawking in his final book certainly concluded it was, saying 'There is no unique picture of reality', but rather that each competing model frames its own version of reality.Should we give up on a single true account and accept that there are many alternative scientific accounts of the world, each with their own effectiveness? Would this enable a greater plurality of theories and enable faster technical advance? Or does an account of science as mere models risk encouraging the pursuit of empty alternatives with no way to choose between them, threatening the whole edifice of science itself?
#covid19 #immunology #antilockdown
Pioneering philosopher of science Bjørn Ekeberg, pre-eminent sceptic Michael Shermer, and Professor of Theoretical Epidemiology at the University of Oxford Sunetra Gupta debate whether science can ever achieve an objective model of ultimate reality.
00:00 Doxa 00:17 Two models 02:51 Epidemology vs physics 04:10 The comparative method 04:45 Was there a lab leak?
For three generations after WWII, despite localised and sometimes extensive conflict, the world avoided global war and maintained a remarkable level of peace. But the horizon is darkening. War in Europe, for decades unthinkable, shows no sign of ending and has the potential to escalate. US-China relations continue to deteriorate whilst Xi JinPing instructs his generals to 'dare to fight' and not 'renounce the use of force' over Taiwan. And across the globe a new arms race is underway, with military expenditure reaching new heights as nations ramp up defence spending.
With so much at stake, how is peace to be obtained? Is military expenditure the best means to avoid war, or does it heighten tension and risk catastrophe? Some argue the nuclear deterrent has enabled our extended period of peace, but have we as a result become complacent and imagined that peace will be maintained when in practice it is being dangerously undermined?
#ukraine #ukrainewar #nato
Renowned economist, Richard D. Wolff, award-winning journalist, Svitlana Morenets, and former intelligence chief, Sir David Omand, join Hilary Lawson to discuss escalating conflict worldwide and the possibility of peace.
00:00 Introduction 00:32 Richard Wolff 04:18 Svitlana Morenets 06:32 Against finger-pointing 10:18 Sir David Omand 15:50 Are ceasefires damaging?
Science is central to modern life. It guides government policy, and offers us direction as individuals - in our perspectives and lifestyle. But science can often seem far away, spoken about in an unintelligible jargon and practised by a select elite. In this fascinating interview, physicist and oceanographer, Dr Helen Czerski, opens science up, exploring the ways in which we can get people involved in science and the potential benefits.
Dr Helen Czerski is a a physicist, oceanographer, presenter and author, currently working as an Associate Professor at University College London in the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
From books to podcasts, we are now told to embrace the idea of ‘self-love’. But are we creating a generation of narcissists? Join renowned philosopher Simon Blackburn to unpack the uses and abuses of loving ourselves.
#pride #blackburn #moralphilosophy
Author of Think and Truth: A guide for the perplexed, Simon Blackburn has worked to bring philosophy to a wider audience. He was Professor of Philosophy at Cambridge and Vice President of the British Humanist Association.
We live in a culture seemingly obsessed with celebrity. But whereas fame used to be a secondary product of success in a given field, now it is a goal in its own right and the key to wider success. Artists as a result focus their attention on their social media persona, rather than rely on their craft. Not surprising that the current generation pursues individual fame, with 86% of young people aspiring to be influencers, with figures such as Kylie Jenner holding 228 million Instagram followers.
Is our focus on celebrity and fame destroying culture? Should we reclaim the value of the work over the individual, the ads and the social media followings? And is fame worth having in any case, and would we be better abandoning it as a goal? Or should we see fame as a talent in itself and recognise the skill and savviness of 21st century influencers?
#influencer #celebrity #evolution
00:00 Introduction 00:13 Will Storr on the evolution of status 02:24 Stefan Simanowitz on why kids want to be famous 04:43 Polly Vernon on getting famous young 08:25 Is fame a talent? 11:46 Will Storr on extroversion and narcissism
Amnesty International's media manager Stefan Simanowitz, Grazia columnist Polly Vernon and award-winning author Will Storr take celebrity to trial. Hosted by Mary Ann Sieghart.
For debates and talks: iai.tv For articles: iai.tv/articles For courses: iai.tv/iai-academy/coursesIs time incompatible with physics? | Avshalom Elitzur and Tim Maudlin take on Michio KakuThe Institute of Art and Ideas2023-11-04 | Watch Avshalom Elitzur and Tim Maudlin take on string theorist Michio Kaku over time.
This excerpt was pulled from the debate 'The trouble with time,' filmed at the HowTheLightGetsIn London festival in September 2023.
In our everyday experience, time is an inescapable backdrop against which events unfold, allowing us to sequence events and measure durations. Yet in the hundred years since Einstein's theory of general relativity, physics has had a radically different account. Time does not flow, there is no before and after. We are not born and we do not die. The entirety of spacetime is given at the outset of the universe. There is no cause and effect. Is this radical discrepancy with our everyday experience a threat to physics or a threat to our understanding of what it is to be alive?
Should we take seriously claims of physicists that everyday experience is an illusion? Or is it their model of the universe that is mistaken? Or are these two profoundly different accounts of time the product of frames of understanding that will always remain incompatible?
#Einstein #TheTroubleWithTime #PhysicsProblems
Avshalom Elitzur is a physicist and philosopher. In 2010, Elitzur won the Noetic Medal of Consciousness and Brain Research for his contributions to cosmology of mind and Quantum Theory.
Tim Maudlin is a philosopher of science who has done influential work on the metaphysical foundations of physics and logic
Michio Kaku is a theoretical physicist, activist, futurologist, and popular-science writer. He is a professor of theoretical physics in the City College of New York and CUNY Graduate Center.
For debates and talks: iai.tv For articles: iai.tv/articles For courses: iai.tv/iai-academy/coursesThe limits of mathematical models | B. Ekeberg, M. Shermer, S. Gupta | Reality, models, and mayhemThe Institute of Art and Ideas2023-11-02 | Bjørn Ekeberg, Michael Shermer and Sunetra Gupta debate the limits of scientific understanding.
In the last 100 years, some of the greatest minds - from the founders of quantum mechanics such as Heisenberg and Planck to Hawking - have moved away from thinking science can capture an objective ultimate reality. And yet from Dark Matter to String Theory, we still look for the correct answer, sure that the next theory might be the one. Is this a fundamental mistake? Hawking in his final book certainly concluded it was saying, 'There is no unique picture of reality' arguing that the competing models of science each frames its own version of reality.
Should we give up on a single true account and accept that there are many alternative scientific accounts of the world each with their own effectiveness? Would this enable a greater plurality of theories and enable faster technical advance? Or does an account of science as mere models risk encouraging the pursuit of empty alternatives with no way to choose between them, threatening the whole edifice of science itself?
Pioneering philosopher of science Bjørn Ekeberg, pre-eminent sceptic Michael Shermer, and Professor of Theoretical Epidemiology at the University of Oxford Sunetra Gupta debate whether science can ever achieve an objective model of ultimate reality.
The sea is essential to human life. It provides more than half the oxygen we breathe, food for billions of people and work for hundreds of millions. Yet this vital resource is imperilled by the excesses of modern capitalism. In this fascinating talk, trailblazing economist Guy Standing explores how corporate collusion is destroying the oceans and presents transformative proposals for how to save them.
#GuyStanding #EconomicsOcean #seaspiracy
This event was in partnership by Audio Note.
Guy Standing is a Professorial Research Associate at SOAS, University of London, and a founder and co-president of the Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN). His most recent work is The Blue Commons (2022)
For debates and talks: iai.tv For articles: iai.tv/articles For courses: iai.tv/iai-academy/coursesIs creativity essential to understanding the universe? | Roger Penrose and Iain McGilchristThe Institute of Art and Ideas2023-10-28 | Roger Penrose and Iain McGilchrist debate imagination and the scientific method.
We see imagination and creativity as central human qualities vital to technology and innovation as well as the arts. Yet the scientific account of the universe, operating with immutable laws and strict cause and effect, appears to leave little room for anything genuinely new, and thus truly imaginative or creative. Is creativity an illusion or is the scientific model itself critically flawed?
Should we conclude that imagination and creativity escape the corset of cause and effect, creating new worlds that we are then able to inhabit? Or is imagination merely the combination of prior experiences, forming nothing essentially original? Is more at stake here than the character of creativity and instead do we need to reframe the very nature of reality and our role in it?
#ImaginingTheUniverse #Creativity #Reality
World-renowned mathematician and Nobel Laureate in Physics Roger Penrose, award-winning writer Esther Freud and ground-breaking polymath and former Oxford scholar Iain McGilchrist join Eliane Glaser to debate creativity, imagination and whether or not they can help us reframe our understanding of reality.
Humans are a paradox. Full of the finest ideals and not infrequently the most vicious of actions. Join Harvard primatologist, Richard Wrangham, to explore how humans evolved to be good and evil at the same time, why it matters, and what we can do about it.
#evolution #alphamale #anthropology
Richard Wrangham is Ruth B. Moore Research Professor of Biological Anthropology at Harvard University and one of the most influential anthropologists in the world.
00:00 Introduction 00:10 Domestication of foxes 02:17 Self-domestication syndrome 03:58 Hockey players with wide faces 05:40 Homo sapiens are domesticated 08:00 Origin of Homo Sapiens 09:00 Alpha males 09:52 We have no alpha males 11:12 Execution of alphas
For debates and talks: iai.tv For articles: iai.tv/articles For courses: iai.tv/iai-academy/coursesHow to harness the power of volcanoes | Anders Sandberg | How volcanoes could change the worldThe Institute of Art and Ideas2023-10-24 | Anders Sandberg talks through ways of geoengineering volcanoes, and why we might want to pursue them.
Can we do anything about the existential risk posed by volcanic eruptions?
The power of volcanoes could change the world. From bombing them in WW2, to exploding US lava flows, we have tried in vain to tame their power for the last century. Join Oxford futurist Anders Sandberg as he argues that geoengineering could transform our lives and the world as we know it.
#volcano #geoengineering #earthscience
Anders Sandberg is a senior research fellow at the Future of Humanity Institute at Oxford University, where his research focusses on the societal and ethical issues surrounding human enhancement and disruptive technologies.
00:00 Introduction 00:11 How do volcanoes actually work? 05:40 Can we stop volcanoes from erupting? 07:54 Geothermal energy 10:00 Rare minerals from volcanoes 14:30 How to diffuse the Yellowstone volcano
For debates and talks: iai.tv For articles: iai.tv/articles For courses: iai.tv/iai-academy/coursesAre we inherently evil? | Slavoj Žižek and Rowan Williams battle over human natureThe Institute of Art and Ideas2023-10-21 | Do good and evil exist? What is the purpose of these classifications? Watch Slavoj Žižek and Rowan Williams debate the nature of humanity.
Whether we see humans as essentially good or essentially selfish and violent has been central to our politics, our account of society, and our vision for social progress. But is this very distinction itself a mistake? Recently, Harvard scientists have shown humans to be both the kindest and most malevolent species on the planet. While figures like Hitler and Stalin though responsible for tens of millions of deaths were also remarkably empathetic in aspects of their private lives.
Should we give up the idea therefore that humans are either inherently good or bad and conclude that all of us are both at the same time with potentially profound consequences for our political beliefs? Or is it vital to retain the distinction to alert us to danger and to drive personal and social change? Or more profoundly, are the categories of good and bad themselves the underlying error and unhelpful, and even dangerous, ways of categorising human behaviour?
#GoodAndEvil #SaintAugustine #HumanNature
Slavoj Žižek is a globally renowned philosopher and cultural critic. He is international director of the Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities at the University of London, visiting professor at New York University and a senior researcher at the University of Ljubljana's Department of Philosophy.
Former Archbishop of Canterbury and Master of Magdalene College in Cambridge, Williams is a theologian, poet and author of Being Christian.
Serving under three US presidents, Fiona Hill is one of the most highly distinguished foreign affairs specialists in the world. Born and raised in a Durham coal mining town, her father said 'there is nothing for you here'. But from there to the White House and becoming one of the key figures behind the West's strategy towards Putin, hers is a remarkable journey. Interviewer Isabel Hilton uncovers Fiona Hill's fascinating insights.
Fiona Hill is one of the most highly distinguished foreign affairs specialists and authors in the world today. Senior advisor to Presidents George W Bush, Barack Obama and briefly Donald Trump, she is a former official at the U.S. National Security Council specializing in Russian and European affairs.
ChatGPT and now GPT 4 has taken the world by storm. It was one of the quickest technologies to reach 1 million users, and it has everyone from Elon Musk to Max Tegmark scrabbling to call a timeout on developing AI - which they see as an existential risk. But is ChatGPT conscious? Join philosopher James Tartaglia in exploring how we confuse scientific and philosophical accounts of consciousness.
#chatgpt #consciousness #philosophyofmind
James Tartaglia is a trailblazing philosopher and the author of Philosophy in a Meaningless Life and Philosophy in a Technological World: GODS AND TITANS. His main interest is in understanding and enhancing our awareness of the nature of philosophical inquiry, which for him centres on the question of the meaning of life.
00:00 Introduction 00:29 Does ChatGPT think it's conscious? 01:59 The concept of simulation 03:31 ChatGPT and the university 05:42 Theories on trial 05:50 Panpsychism 09:36 Idealism 11:00 Behaviourism 13:40 Eliminative / Illusionist Materialism 15:40 Materialism
For debates and talks: iai.tv For articles: iai.tv/articles For courses: iai.tv/iai-academy/coursesDo we need to abandon Einstein? | Eric Weinstein and George Ellis go head to head on wormholesThe Institute of Art and Ideas2023-10-14 | Eric Weinstein and George Ellis battle over Einstein's relevance in today's perception of the universe.
This was taken from the debate 'Down the wormhole,' which was filmed at the HowTheLightGetsIn festival in Hay-on-Wye, Wales in May of 2023.
At the highest speeds of current rockets, it would take more than 100,000 years to reach the nearest star. For Hollywood and the many who want to believe in the possibility of space travel across the galaxy, the solution is wormholes, swirly tubes that allow us to cross vast tracts of the universe and time in a magical jump. Compatible with Einstein's theories, scientists have been reported to have even created them. But critics claim this is false, arguing that we have no evidence for such a thing. The experiment was a simulation of a wormhole and was not real. And even if holes in space time existed travel along them would be impossible.
Should we accept that wormholes are an invention we want to believe but for which there is no evidence? Should we reluctantly conclude that space travel to habitable planets is never going to take place and we will always be alone in the universe? Or is it just possible that our sci-fi imaginings will successfully drive invention?
#DownTheWormhole #WasEinsteinWrong #SpaceTravel
Eric Weinstein is a mathematical physicist and the host of the podcast The Portal. He is the former Managing Director of Thiel Capital in San Francisco and was formerly a Co-Founder and Principal of the Natron Group in Manhattan as well as a Visiting Research Fellow at Oxford University in the Mathematical Institute.
George Ellis is a distinguished professor at University of Cape Town in South Africa. He co-authored 'The Large Scale Structure of Space-Time' with physicist Stephen Hawking, and is considered one of the world's leading theorists in cosmology.
For debates and talks: iai.tv For articles: iai.tv/articles For courses: iai.tv/iai-academy/coursesRupert Sheldrake v. Michael Shermer | On the edges of knowledge | Full discussionThe Institute of Art and Ideas2023-10-12 | Michael Shermer and Rupert Sheldrake go head to head over science, skepticism, spiritual claims and the boundaries of knowledge itself.
If someone's watching you, can you feel it?
If you're interested in seeing more from these two speakers, follow the links below to hear their solo talks.
What is it possible to know? Is the physical universe all there is, or is the immaterial part of reality too? Join radical scientist, Rupert Sheldrake, and world-leading sceptic, Michael Shermer, as they go head-to-head on where the edges of knowledge lie. Güneş Taylor hosts.
#skeptic #spirituality #sixthsense
00:00 Introduction 01:32 Michael Shermer pitch 05:48 Rupert Sheldrake pitch 13:58 Who is censoring you? 17:39 Psychic research evidence 20:30 Consciousness 22:02 What is evidence? 22:52 Alternative theories of physics 25:35 Mechanistic materialism 27:37 Roger Penrose 29:28 How do ideas become accepted? 30:45 Burden of proof 32:24 Scientific conservatism 34:28 Alternative medicine 36:30 Everybody thinks they're Galileo
For debates and talks: iai.tv For articles: iai.tv/articles For courses: iai.tv/iai-academy/coursesUncertainty: the most fundamental question in physics | Tim PalmerThe Institute of Art and Ideas2023-10-10 | Tim Palmer delves into his work on how uncertainty and chaos play out across weather systems, economics and the human brain.
The science of uncertainty: how can we best predict the future?
From quantum physics to climate change, the science of uncertainty can help us understand our chaotic world. Join Oxford Professor of Climate Physics Tim Palmer as he argues that the mathematics of uncertainty is vital to progress.
#chaostheory #weatherforecasting #butterflyeffect
Tim Palmer is an internationally renowned meteorologist and Professor at the University of Oxford. He works on the tough, crucial problems of uncertainty in our weather and climate, drawing on his background in fundamental physics to do so. He was appointed as CBE in the 2015 New Year’s Honours list for services to science and has won numerous other awards in recognition of his world-leading work.
00:00 Introduction 00:37 The primacy of doubt 01:33 Backstory 03:44 Quantum mechanics 05:11 The most fundamental question in physics 05:40 My dilemma 07:22 Michael Fish 08:30 Chaos theory 10:47 Weather forecasting 12:32 Calculating probability 13:10 Predicting hurricanes 14:47 Predictive humanitarian aid 16:00 Economic forecasting
Join groundbreaking psychiatrist, writer, philosopher, and literary scholar Iain McGilchrist in this exclusive studio interview with post-postmodern philosopher Hilary Lawson. The two thinkers explore McGilchrist's early introduction to philosophy, the nature of truth and the cosmos, and the danger of delusional thinking from the left brain.
Iain McGilchrist is an Oxford scholar and polymath whose 'clarity, lucidity and almost hypnotically compelling style' has seen him rise to prominence as a world-wide lecturer and public intellectual.
In a world where the nuances of fertility and biological sex are often overlooked, it is imperative to delve deeper and comprehend the intricate interconnections that exist. Join us in this enlightening session where Güneş Taylor, a forefront thinker in the field, challenges the current narrative and sheds light on the overlooked aspects of fertility regulation.
This interview with Emma Sulkowicz explores the connection between art, politics and subjective experience. Through their experience using art to fight sexual assult taboos, Emma's work exists at the forefront of art as politics, pushing their ideas outside of the traditional medium.
#mattressperformance #performanceart #metoo
Emma Sulkowicz is an artist, sexual assault activist and political commentator.
00:00 Introduction 00:35 Why did you choose to tell your story through performance? 06:20 Can we really expect art to change the world? 08:45 Is creativity a way of asserting control? 12:30 Do we value political art more highly? 17:57 What's the relationship between art and healing? 20:16 Does celebrity culture hinder creativity?
For debates and talks: iai.tv For articles: iai.tv/articles For courses: iai.tv/iai-academy/coursesSlavoj Žižek does a guided meditation, then hits back | with Lisa Miller and DestinyThe Institute of Art and Ideas2023-09-30 | Bestselling psychologist Lisa Miller leads Slavoj Žižek, Destiny and Myriam François through a guided meditation, during a live debate.
Games are everywhere. And not just on the football field. Workplaces, dating lives, education and even friendships are being packaged as games. Tinder makes love a swiping game of snap, AI claims to have solved long-standing scientific problems by ‘converting them into games’. But critics argue games distort life and empty it of meaning. And games can be dangerous. QAnon was created initially as an alternative reality game, and the world is not made safer by understanding military build up as 'an arms race'.
Do we need to end the relentless gamification of life? Should we recognise life has no clear goal, no way to win, no measures of success, no extra lives or second chances? Should we see games as furthering inequality - creating winners and losers? Or have games always been with us, from the system of money to the hierarchies of education, and for the very good reason that they are a remarkably powerful motivator for action?
World-leading philosopher Slavoj Žižek, radical internet personality Steven Bonnell, and bestselling author and psychologist Lisa Miller grapple with the gamification of life. Hosted by pioneering journalist Myriam François.
For debates and talks: iai.tv For articles: iai.tv/articles For courses: iai.tv/iai-academy/coursesThe Future is Quantum AI | Gerard MilburnThe Institute of Art and Ideas2023-09-28 | Dive into the captivating realm of quantum artificial intelligence. While traditional artificial neural networks rely on algorithms, their physical counterparts let thermodynamics do the heavy lifting. Yet, standing out from the crowd is the quantum learning machine - boasting unparalleled efficiency that operates on nearly zero resources. What realities can this machine comprehend, and does it possess the potential for consciousness? Embark on a journey to uncover the bizarre and undeniable truths of our future AI landscape.
For a long time, our treatments for mental health haven’t seen dramatic improvements in outcomes. Psychedelics have the potential to offer up a new treatment path but it is still often an uphill struggle to pass ethics approval and raise funding. David Nutt has spent his lifetime fighting for the right to research psychedelics and has often highlighted uncomfortable truths about our evidence-lacking prohibition of these potentially lifesaving medicines. Join Professor David Nutt as he explores the current state of the field and how these substances could revolutionise the way we treat mental health.
David Nutt is the director of the Neuropsychopharmacology Unit in the Division of Brain Sciences at Imperial College, London and the author of six books, including most recently Psychedelics: The revolutionary drugs that could change your life.
For debates and talks: iai.tv For articles: iai.tv/articles For courses: iai.tv/iai-academy/coursesFree will is not an illusion | Denis NobleThe Institute of Art and Ideas2023-09-23 | The age-old debate on free will has resurfaced with new fervor. With many contending it's merely an illusion, distinguished biologist Denis Noble presents a revolutionary perspective, arguing our very bodies may be the compass to our autonomy.
Denis Noble stands as a beacon in the realm of physiology. As one of the trailblazers of Systems Biology, and Emeritus Professor of Cardiovascular Physiology at Oxford University, Noble's profound insights originate from his groundbreaking work, most notably his development of the first substantial mathematical model of the heart's mechanisms in 1960.
For debates and talks: iai.tv For articles: iai.tv/articles For courses: iai.tv/iai-academy/coursesThe dawn of a new reality? | Massimo Pigliucci, Mazviita Chirimuuta and Anders Sandberg debate VRThe Institute of Art and Ideas2023-09-21 | Massimo Pigliucci, Mazviita Chirimuuta and Anders Sandberg debate virtual reality.
What do we gain from the onset of virtual worlds? What do we lose?
Live a life of luxury, travel to the far ends of the earth, dial up any experience you can imagine. According to its proponents, including Mr Zuckerberg, a new reality is on the way. They claim, our future lives will take place as much in the digital world as in physical world with the potential to give everyone access to experiences currently only available to a few. But critics say this is a nightmare not a utopia. Instead of real relationships, we’ll have virtual ones; instead of nature, we will have a simulation. And who will control it? Meta, you can be sure, has a plan.
Should we ignore the hyperbole and recognize it as a science fiction fantasy that is simply a marketing device to motivate staff and shareholders? Or is the digital virtual world an inevitable future that we urgently need to prepare for now? Can we harness its potential or is it a trap that threatens to steal all that is vital, namely real life?
#virtualreality #vr #transhumanism
Maria Balaska is currently a research fellow at the University of Hertfordshire and at Åbo Akademi University. Anders Sandberg is a researcher, popular science debater, trans-humanist and author of Superhuman: Exploring Human Enhancement from 600 BCE to 2050. Massimo Pigliucci is a philosophy professor at the City College of New York and former co-host of the Rationally Speaking Podcast. His research interests include the Philosophy of Science and the Philosophy of Biology. Mazviita Chirimuuta is a Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh. She is a self-described techno-pessimist and anti-transhumanist.
00:00 Introduction 00:20 Anders Sandberg: Transhumanist 03:01 Massimo Pigliucci: Stoic 05:24 Mazviita Chirimuuta: Techno-pessimist 09:10 What is reality, and what makes virtual reality different?
Less than a third of those in the UK believe in an afterlife. And of those rather more believe in heaven than hell. In a scientific, secular age stories of the afterlife strike many as empty, anachronistic wish fulfilment. But is it a mistake to think that life is prosaic, earthly and simply over when we die? There is, after all, no scientific explanation of consciousness, nor any notion of how material matter could create experience and thought. We don't have an account of how consciousness comes into being and, while some propose that AI might at some point acquire consciousness, there are many philosophers and scientists who argue that no combination of physical machinery will ever be capable of creating thought, consciousness and life.
Have we denied the mystery of life and death because such talk has been tarred by association with specific and implausible religious beliefs? Should we re-engage with the profound strangeness of death and accept that it is beyond our understanding? Or is the mundane and harsh reality that we are a chance combination of organic material that has a limited lifespan and once over is never to return?
This event was produced in affiliation with Theos.
#afterlife #lifeafterdeath #afterliferesearch
Join New York Times Bestseller and professor of Clinical Psychology Lisa Miller, head of research at Theos Paul Bickley, and professor of Evolutionary Biochemistry at University College London Nick Lane. Hosted by Güneş Taylor.
00:00 Introduction 00:19 Could the afterlife be part of a scientific account? 00:49 Nick Lane 03:05 Paul Bickley 04:43 Lisa Miller 07:41 Nick Lane
For debates and talks: iai.tv For articles: iai.tv/articles For courses: iai.tv/iai-academy/coursesAre we addicted to dopamine? | Anna Lembke and Patricia Churchland clash | The pleasure paradoxThe Institute of Art and Ideas2023-09-16 | Anna Lembke and Patricia Churchland clash over why, and whether, rising affluence is leading to depression and anxiety.
This extract was taken from 'The pleasure paradox', a debate involving neurophilosopher Patricia Churchland, Ayn Rand Institute chairman Yaron Brook, and Stanford addiction expert Anna Lembke, hosted by Robert Lawrence Kuhn.
This events was produced in partnership with @CloserToTruthTV
00:00 Introduction 00:06 The dopamine deficit state 01:12 Is depression really increasing? 02:57 Happiness survey data 03:53 Depression caused by overabundance 05:40 The data is too subjective 07:05 The dark side of capitalism 07:24 Correlation vs causation 07:50 The scientific method
For debates and talks: iai.tv For articles: iai.tv/articles For courses: iai.tv/iai-academy/coursesDoes beauty deceive physics? | Michio Kaku, Sabine Hossenfelder, Max Tegmark, Juan MaldacenaThe Institute of Art and Ideas2023-09-14 | Come and see Micho Kaku and Sabine Hossenfelder LIVE next weekend at HowTheLightGetsIn London (23rd-24th September). They'll be debating topics from the Standard Model to gravity and time, at the world's largest philosophy and music festival.
Sabine Hossenfelder, Michio Kaku, Juan Maldacena and Max Tegmark debate beauty, fantasy, faith, and physics.
We think that we pursue the sciences solely for knowledge and truth. But is this a mistake? Untestable ideals like beauty have been baked into theories throughout the history of science. Paul Dirac, one of the greatest scientists of the 20th century, proclaimed "it is more important to have beauty in one's equations than to have them fit experiment." And recently, Roger Penrose described string theory as a 'fashion', quantum physics as a 'faith', and cosmic inflation a as 'fantasy', arguing that scientists suffer from the very same prejudices that affect the rest of us.
Do we pursue science for a pure desire for the truth? Or should we accept that some beliefs, especially in the foundations of physics, are akin to religious beliefs dressed in mathematical language to give our theories meaning? Or would seeing science as simply another theology undermine the field and the progress made over the past few centuries?
#michiokaku #sabinehossenfelder #physics
00:00 Introduction 03:06 Michio Kaku pitch 06:22 Sabine Hossenfelder pitch 08:32 Max Tegmark 11:07 Juan Maldacena 13:34 Is beauty more important than experimental data? 23:36 Are some assumptions in physics akin to religious tenets? 47:37 Will physics be undermined by untestable criteria?
Sabine Hossenfelder is a theoretical physicist and science communicator who researches quantum gravity. She is the author of Lost in Math: How Beauty Leads Physics Astray.
Michio Kaku has spent his career inspired by the search for a grand unifying theory of everything – carrying on Einstein’s quest to unite the four fundamental forces of nature. His latest book is Quantum Supremacy.
Juan Maldacena is the Carl P. Feinberg Professor in the School of Natural Sciences at the Institute for Advanced Study. Due to his field-defining contributions to the foundations of string theory and quantum gravity, Leonard Susskind has called him “the greatest theoretical physicist of his generation.”
Max Tegmark is a pioneering physicist, cosmologist, computer scientist, philosopher, and public intellectual based at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Tegmark is the author of Our Mathematical Universe, which argues that reality is fundamentally a mathematical structure.
Hosted by Mary-Jane Rubenstein, Professor of Religion and Science in Society at Wesleyan University.
While the world celebrates numerous advancements in areas like health, poverty reduction, and literacy, an insidious problem lurks beneath the surface – modern slavery. With a staggering 50 million people trapped in its clutches, it remains a largely unspoken crisis. Dive deep into this pressing issue with Professor Katarina Schwarz, who illuminates the magnitude of the problem and offers insight into potential solutions. Together, we'll uncover the hidden chains binding millions and explore pathways to emancipation.
This enlightening talk is brought to you in partnership with Nottingham University.
For debates and talks: iai.tv For articles: iai.tv/articles For courses: iai.tv/iai-academy/coursesIs economic prediction futile? Guy Standing and Richard Werner clash | Guesses, errors and economicsThe Institute of Art and Ideas2023-09-09 | UBI advocate Guy Standing and 'Father of Quantitative Easing' Richard Werner go head to head over whether accurate economic prediction is possible - and the pros and cons of Universal Basic Income.
00:00 Introduction 00:22 Richard: I make accurate predictions 01:15 Guy: we must live with uncertainty 02:00 Guy: UBI builds resilience 02:48 Richard: GDP and markets can be predicted scientifically 03:09 Richard: Why do the Davos billionaires support UBI? 3:08 Guy: The problem is economic fear and fragility 04:45 Guy: Distribution matters
Join Sophie Scott-Brown in this invigorating studio interview to explore anarchism, direct democracy, and the politics of right-wing populism.
#anarchy #anarchism #freedom
Sophie Scott-Brown is an intellectual historian based at the University of East Anglia with research interests in modern European political thought and the history of education. She is the author of The Histories of Raphael Samuel: A Portrait of a People’s Historian and Colin Ward and the Art of Everyday Anarchy.
00:00 Introduction 00:20 How do you define leadership in your work? 03:45 Could direct democracy ever work on the national level? 10:33 How can we respect democracy in the face of its misuse by certain groups? 15:54 What led you to study anarchism? 20:02 Which historical anarchist thinker would you most like to talk to?
For debates and talks: iai.tv For articles: iai.tv/articles For courses: iai.tv/iai-academy/coursesThe Tibetan baker who didnt understand pride | Mary-Ann Ochota #shorts #iaiThe Institute of Art and Ideas2023-09-06 | Watch the full debate on IAI TV at iai.tv/video/the-status-of-things?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=ShortsTechnology is not neutral | Stephanie HareThe Institute of Art and Ideas2023-09-05 | In an age of rapid technological advancement, the ethics behind our tools become paramount. Dive deep with Dr. Stephanie Hare as she explores the intertwining of technology, power, and ethics. Understand the broader implications of the tech we use daily, and learn how to ensure our tools uplift rather than oppress.
Dr. Stephanie Hare is a renowned researcher, broadcaster, and speaker on the intersections of technology, politics, and history. With experience as a Principal Director at Accenture Research and a Senior Analyst for Western Europe at Oxford Analytica, she brings a wealth of knowledge and critical insight into the realm of technology's role in society.
For debates and talks: iai.tv For articles: iai.tv/articles For courses: iai.tv/iai-academy/coursesCities of the future | Lucelia RodriguesThe Institute of Art and Ideas2023-09-02 | Amidst the pressing environmental challenges we face, there's a beacon of hope that's closer than we might believe. Dive into a transformative conversation with Professor Lucelia Rodrigues from Nottingham University as she unveils her innovative vision for the cities of tomorrow. How can urban landscapes be reshaped to promote sustainability and resilience? Let's reimagine our future, one city at a time. Watch the full talk at iai.tv/video/cities-of-the-future-lucelia-rodriguez&utm_medium=description
Contemporary life is defined by excess. There must always be more, but there is never enough. Join firebrand philosopher, Slavoj Žižek, as he argues against the joys of excess and asks whether we can ever find a way out."The Most Dangerous Philosopher in the West" – Vice
#zizek #lacan #happiness
Slavoj Žižek is a world-renowned philosopher, cultural critic and public intellectual. He is international director of the Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities and a senior researcher at the University of Ljubljana's Department of Philosophy.
00:00 Introduction 02:10 Why can we only enjoy pleasure through pain? 03:28 Lacan's conception of surplus enjoyment 04:48 Judith Butler 05:44 Goebbels' speech 06:15 "Now comes my trick" 07:15 The sad conclusion 09:26 Stalinist collectivisation 10:14 The alt-right 11:52 Steve Bannon
For debates and talks: iai.tv For articles: iai.tv/articles For courses: iai.tv/iai-academy/coursesWe have forgotten the meaning of love #shorts #iai | Slavoj ZizekThe Institute of Art and Ideas2023-08-30 | Watch the full talk/debate on IAI TV at iai.tv/video/how-philosophy-got-lost?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=ShortsRethinking race and gender | Tommy CurryThe Institute of Art and Ideas2023-08-29 | The black man's experience has long been one of marginalization, systematic oppression, and criminalization. Dive into a profound discussion with the renowned philosopher of race, Tommy Curry, as he unpacks the deep-seated effects of colonialism and offers insights into challenging and dismantling racism in today's world.
For debates and talks: iai.tv For articles: iai.tv/articles For courses: iai.tv/iai-academy/coursesCan science uncover reality? | Lisa Randall and Hilary Lawson go head to head | Philosophy at warThe Institute of Art and Ideas2023-08-26 | Can science uncover the nature of reality? | Lisa Randall and Hilary Lawson go head to head
Theoretical physicist Lisa Randall challenges post-postmodern philosopher Hilary Lawson on the nature of reality and the ability to understand it.
For more than a century, a war of ideas has been taking place. One side regards science as the arbiter of all knowledge. Among their ranks many analytic philosophers including Bertrand Russell, "whatever science cannot discover, mankind cannot know". The other side, including continental philosophies such as existentialism and postmodernism, more commonly see philosophy as the ultimate arbiter. 'Science is the new religion' argued Heidegger. 'Science ... is largely useless for philosophical purposes' argued Rorty.
Might philosophy and science be two sides of the same coin and would we be better to see scientists as a type of philosopher, once called natural philosophers, and philosophers a type of scientist, engaged with reality, consciousness, language and society? Or is the divide fundamental, and science, its method and its goals of no relevance to philosophy and vice versa? Then again, should we give no special status to either, and place them alongside the many other ways of making sense of the world?
Lisa Randall is an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Physics and Frank B. Baird, Jr. Professor of Science on the physics faculty of Harvard University. She was included in the list of Time magazine's '100 Most Influential People' of 2007 and was featured in Newsweek's 'Who's Next in 2006' as 'one of the most promising theoretical physicists of her generation.'
Randall has spent most her career exploring the nature of the universe and becoming a world leading expert on particle physics and cosmology. She is the author of Higgs Discovery: The Power of Empty Space and Dark Matter and the Dinosaurs: The stounding Interconnectedness of the Universe.
Hilary Lawson is an English philosopher and founder of the Institute of Art and Ideas. His theory of "closure" puts forward a non-realist metaphysics arguing that people close the openness of the world with thought and language.
For debates and talks: iai.tv For articles: iai.tv/articles For courses: iai.tv/iai-academy/coursesA history of thermodynamics in 15 minutes | Katie Robertson | from The demons of thermodynamicsThe Institute of Art and Ideas2023-08-24 | Katie Robertson gives a fifteen minute introduction to the history of thermodynamics.
Why has thermodynamics been called 'the village witch'?
Thermodynamics has been called 'the village witch' of physics. Yet Einstein told us 'it will never be overthrown'. Join philosopher of physics Katie Robertson as she explores thermodynamics and how to exorcise its demons.
#thermodynamics #physics #entropy
00:00 The village witch 00:49 Introduction to thermodynamics 01:10 The classical picture of a gas 03:18 Macrovariables 05:30 What are heat and work? 06:50 Lavoisier and 'caloric' 07:35 Rumford 09:19 Maxwell 10:27 Steam engines 11:20 The second law of thermodynamics explained 12:20 Entropy explained 14:00 the arrow of time 14:30 The minus first law of thermodynamics
Katie Robertson is a research fellow and cutting edge philosopher of physics at the University of Birmingham. Her research focuses on the role that entropy plays in black holes.