Episode

#445: Janna Levin on Extra Dimensions, Time Travel, and How to Overcome Boots in the Face
Description
Janna Levin on Extra Dimensions, Time Travel, and How to Overcome Boots in the Face | Brought to you by Allform and LinkedIn Jobs.“I used to resent obstacles along the path, thinking, ‘If only that hadn’t happened life would be so good.’ Then I suddenly realized, life is the obstacles. There is no underlying path.” — Janna LevinJanna Levin (@jannalevin) is the Tow Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Barnard College of Columbia University. She has contributed to an understanding of black holes, the cosmology of extra dimensions, and gravitational waves in the shape of spacetime. Janna is also director of sciences at Pioneer Works, a cultural center dedicated to experimentation, education, and production across disciplines, as well as Pioneer Works’ virtual home The Broadcast.Janna’s books include How the Universe Got Its Spots and the novel A Madman Dreams of Turing Machines, which won the PEN/Bingham Prize. In 2012, she was the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, a grant awarded to those “who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship.” Her last book, Black Hole Blues and Other Songs from Outer Space, is the inside story on the discovery of the century: the sound of spacetime ringing from the collision of two black holes over a billion years ago. Her new book, Black Hole Survival Guide, is scheduled for publication near the end of 2020.Please enjoy!This episode is brought to you by Allform! If you’ve been listening to the podcast for a while, you’ve probably heard me talk about Helix Sleep mattresses, which I’ve been using since 2017. They just launched a new company called Allform, and they’re making premium, customizable sofas and chairs shipped right to your door—at a fraction of the cost of traditional stores. You can pick your fabric (and they’re all spill, stain, and scratch resistant), the sofa color, the color of the legs, and the sofa size and shape to make sure it’s perfect for you and your home.Allform arrives in just 3–7 days, and you can assemble it yourself in a few minutes—no tools needed. To find your perfect sofa, check out Allform.com/TIM. Allform is offering 20% off all orders to you, my dear listeners, at Allform.com/TIM.This episode is also brought to you by LinkedIn Jobs. Whether you are looking to hire now for a critical role or thinking about needs that you may have in the future, LinkedIn Jobs can help. LinkedIn screens candidates for the hard and soft skills you’re looking for and puts your job in front of candidates looking for job opportunities that match what you have to offer.Using LinkedIn’s active community of more than 690 million professionals worldwide, LinkedIn Jobs can help you find and hire the right person faster. When your business is ready to make that next hire, find the right person with LinkedIn Jobs. You can pay what you want and get the first $50 off. Just visit LinkedIn.com/TIM.***If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests.For show notes and past guests, please visit tim.blog/podcast.Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (“5-Bullet Friday”) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Please fill out the form at tim.blog/sponsor.Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss YouTube: youtube.com/timferrissPast guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, and many more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Chapters
Allform is a modular, customizable sofa company that offers spill, stain, and scratch-resistant materials that can be assembled in a few minutes without tools needed.
00:00 - 03:52 (03:52)
Summary
Allform is a modular, customizable sofa company that offers spill, stain, and scratch-resistant materials that can be assembled in a few minutes without tools needed. They offer armchairs, love seats, and even sectional sofas that can be delivered directly to your home with fast, free shipping, and a 100-day trial period.
Episode#445: Janna Levin on Extra Dimensions, Time Travel, and How to Overcome Boots in the Face
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
In this episode, Tim talks about Five Bullet Friday, a weekly email newsletter where he shares five cool things he found that week.
03:52 - 09:19 (05:27)
Summary
In this episode, Tim talks about Five Bullet Friday, a weekly email newsletter where he shares five cool things he found that week. Also, he interviews Janna Levin, an astrophysicist, and author of several books, including Black Hole Blues and Other Songs from Outer Space, which tells the inside story of the discovery of sound from the collision of two black holes over a billion years ago.
Episode#445: Janna Levin on Extra Dimensions, Time Travel, and How to Overcome Boots in the Face
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker reflects on their experience of college, specifically the feeling of being intellectually stimulated and not needing to conform, expressing gratitude for the opportunity after a life-altering accident.
09:19 - 17:32 (08:12)
Summary
The speaker reflects on their experience of college, specifically the feeling of being intellectually stimulated and not needing to conform, expressing gratitude for the opportunity after a life-altering accident. They also touch on their discovery of literature and how it was shared with them by a teacher.
Episode#445: Janna Levin on Extra Dimensions, Time Travel, and How to Overcome Boots in the Face
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Author and journalist Maria Popova shares her childhood experience about being introduced to science, her first encounter with philosophy and how her love for reading led her to a scientific career.
17:32 - 29:00 (11:27)
Summary
Author and journalist Maria Popova shares her childhood experience about being introduced to science, her first encounter with philosophy and how her love for reading led her to a scientific career.
Episode#445: Janna Levin on Extra Dimensions, Time Travel, and How to Overcome Boots in the Face
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The podcast host and interviewee discuss the relationship between science and philosophy, including recommendations for philosophers to read and the importance of pushing physicists to explore philosophical interpretations of quantum mechanics.
29:00 - 38:27 (09:26)
Summary
The podcast host and interviewee discuss the relationship between science and philosophy, including recommendations for philosophers to read and the importance of pushing physicists to explore philosophical interpretations of quantum mechanics.
Episode#445: Janna Levin on Extra Dimensions, Time Travel, and How to Overcome Boots in the Face
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
In this episode, the host discusses the idea of a compact two-dimensional universe and how it can exist without being embedded in a higher dimensional space, citing the discovery of the Earth as a compact finite surface that wraps back on itself.
38:27 - 51:34 (13:06)
Summary
In this episode, the host discusses the idea of a compact two-dimensional universe and how it can exist without being embedded in a higher dimensional space, citing the discovery of the Earth as a compact finite surface that wraps back on itself.
Episode#445: Janna Levin on Extra Dimensions, Time Travel, and How to Overcome Boots in the Face
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
In this podcast, host Tim Ferriss interviews speaker and chemist, Dr. Kate Biberdorf, about her talk on a journey through life on a Mobius strip, where you come back fundamentally different due to changing chirality, and the asymmetry of human bodies.
51:34 - 1:05:00 (13:26)
Summary
In this podcast, host Tim Ferriss interviews speaker and chemist, Dr. Kate Biberdorf, about her talk on a journey through life on a Mobius strip, where you come back fundamentally different due to changing chirality, and the asymmetry of human bodies.
Episode#445: Janna Levin on Extra Dimensions, Time Travel, and How to Overcome Boots in the Face
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The podcast host, Lex Fridman, talks about how he was entranced by Ted Chiang's short story collection, describing his work as structurally interesting and scientifically mind-bending.
1:05:00 - 1:14:37 (09:36)
Summary
The podcast host, Lex Fridman, talks about how he was entranced by Ted Chiang's short story collection, describing his work as structurally interesting and scientifically mind-bending. One of Chiang's least popular books, "Never Let Me Go," is praised for its intimate take on the concept of cloning and its female first-person narrative, and Chiang's recent collection, "Exhalation," is also acclaimed.
Episode#445: Janna Levin on Extra Dimensions, Time Travel, and How to Overcome Boots in the Face
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The concept of time dilation is discussed, explaining how time can differ for individuals traveling at different speeds.
1:14:37 - 1:21:38 (07:01)
Summary
The concept of time dilation is discussed, explaining how time can differ for individuals traveling at different speeds. A book recommendation is also given for those interested in learning how to structure a book in an elegant way.
Episode#445: Janna Levin on Extra Dimensions, Time Travel, and How to Overcome Boots in the Face
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The podcast discusses the concept of time and how it operates differently from space.
1:21:38 - 1:27:49 (06:10)
Summary
The podcast discusses the concept of time and how it operates differently from space.
Episode#445: Janna Levin on Extra Dimensions, Time Travel, and How to Overcome Boots in the Face
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
In a discussion with a friend, the speaker reflects on finding solace in the idea that humans are direct descendants of the universe and the vastness of space and time, while also living within the more immediate realities of the world.
1:27:49 - 1:35:30 (07:41)
Summary
In a discussion with a friend, the speaker reflects on finding solace in the idea that humans are direct descendants of the universe and the vastness of space and time, while also living within the more immediate realities of the world.
Episode#445: Janna Levin on Extra Dimensions, Time Travel, and How to Overcome Boots in the Face
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
In this podcast episode, the speaker shares his perspective on obstacles and limitations, and why it is important to learn how to pivot and move away from them in order to progress in life.
1:35:30 - 1:42:25 (06:54)
Summary
In this podcast episode, the speaker shares his perspective on obstacles and limitations, and why it is important to learn how to pivot and move away from them in order to progress in life. He also discusses the idea of privilege and how it can impact one's opportunities and successes.
Episode#445: Janna Levin on Extra Dimensions, Time Travel, and How to Overcome Boots in the Face
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
In this podcast, the host and guest discuss the emotional impact of the poem "A Brave and Startling Truth" from the 2018 Universe in Verse, highlighting the build-up of layers leading to the realization of the ugliness of the human spirit and the bravery in acknowledging it.
1:42:25 - 1:49:18 (06:53)
Summary
In this podcast, the host and guest discuss the emotional impact of the poem "A Brave and Startling Truth" from the 2018 Universe in Verse, highlighting the build-up of layers leading to the realization of the ugliness of the human spirit and the bravery in acknowledging it.
Episode#445: Janna Levin on Extra Dimensions, Time Travel, and How to Overcome Boots in the Face
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The podcast host shares his positive experience with Allform sofas and offers a discount code for listeners.
1:49:18 - 1:56:49 (07:30)
Summary
The podcast host shares his positive experience with Allform sofas and offers a discount code for listeners. He also talks about LinkedIn Jobs and encourages listeners to use it to find the right candidates for their businesses.