Why This Universe?  By  cover art

Why This Universe?

By: Dan Hooper Shalma Wegsman
  • Summary

  • The biggest ideas in physics, broken down. Join theoretical physicist Dan Hooper and co-host Shalma Wegsman as they answer your questions about dark matter, black holes, quantum mechanics, and more. Part of The University of Chicago Podcast Network.
    © 2024 Why This Universe?
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Episodes
  • 81 - Ancient Greek Astronomy
    Apr 15 2024
    The first episode in a new mini-series on philosophical problems in cosmology - Today we start with the origins of Western science and learn what the ancient Greeks thought about the cosmos. For ad free episodes and other exclusives, join us for just $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverse Our merch is available here: https://www.shalmawegsman.com/why-this-universe
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    43 mins
  • 80 - (April Fools 2024) A Surprising Discovery Shaking Up Modern Cosmology
    Apr 1 2024
    Hear how a recent discovery of the motions of galaxies is changing how cosmologists are thinking about our universe. For ad free episodes and other exclusives, join us for just $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverse Our merch is available here: https://www.shalmawegsman.com/why-this-universe
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    17 mins
  • 79 - NanoGRAV's Big Gravitational Wave Discovery (Ft. Chiara Mingarelli)
    Mar 18 2024
    Last year, an experiment called NanoGRAV made a surprising discovery of gravitational waves using pulsars around the universe. Special guest Chiara Mingarelli explains. For ad free episodes and other exclusives, join us for just $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverse Our merch is available here: https://www.shalmawegsman.com/why-this-universe
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    41 mins

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does the hard problem really exist?

I listened to this episode and I started thinking about the hard problem. it is obvious a lot of philosophers think that the hard problem is a worthy project, but I'm trying to understand the concept of the hard problem as a legitimate thing to figure out. We see the same mystery played out with the emergent phenomenon of society. Politicians, law enforcement, bankers all have societal positions and relevance that are completely separate from the way water condenses into clouds, but if water did not condense into clouds then those emergent structures wouldn't exist. However, intention can still be found in these emerging structures. The gap between objective and subjective might just be a fundamental rule, much like the way we will never have a complete version of mathematics as Godol found out. so we will never have a complete version of mathematics, so what? How does that in any way make that fact profound? Light acts as both a particle and a wave, we can appreciate the epiphany of that realization without attaching any divine significance to it. I know it's hard being human, but whatever made the universe was not. That being said, the universe that we live in seems to be made on exploitation of emergent structures. This fascination with the hard problem seems like Matt Ridley's Lucretian swerve.

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