Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 13 minutes ago
Everywhere in the universe, we see complexity... but how do you actually define it?
Julian Barbour starts from something simple: your position in a room is fixed by the distances to other things. The same idea, he argues, can be used to define complexity for galaxies and even the whole universe.
This is where his framework begins, with ratios of distances between particles.
This clip is from Episode 1 of Julian Barbour’s three-part FQxI masterclass “Complexity in the Cosmos”.
Limited-time introductory offer, 70% off. Use coupon code YOUTUBE70 at checkout to purchase your first month for just $3.30 (instead of $11/month), or make a one-time payment of $16.50 for six months access (usual price will be $55 for six months' access). Introductory offer ends 7th January 2026.
SIGN UP HERE: qacademy.fqxi.org/sign-up-to-complexity-in-the-cosmos
Everywhere in the universe, we see complexity... but how do you actually define it?
Julian Barbour starts from something simple: your position in a room is fixed by the distances to other things. The same idea, he argues, can be used to define complexity for galaxies and even the whole universe.
This is where his framework begins, with ratios of distances between particles.
This clip is from Episode 1 of Julian Barbour’s three-part FQxI masterclass “Complexity in the Cosmos”.
Limited-time introductory offer, 70% off. Use coupon code YOUTUBE70 at checkout to purchase your first month for just $3.30 (instead of $11/month), or make a one-time payment of $16.50 for six months access (usual price will be $55 for six months' access). Introductory offer ends 7th January 2026.
SIGN UP HERE: qacademy.fqxi.org/sign-up-to-complexity-in-the-cosmos
