Episode
#126 - Sean Carroll - The Problem With Quantum Mechanics
1:02:06
Published: Thu Dec 12 2019
Description
Sean Carroll is a theoretical physicist, podcaster and author. Quantum physics is complicated. The quantum world does not operate like the one we see around us, yet our human experience of life emerges from this strange universe. Today we learn how it can be the case that something so alien can give rise to something so familiar. Extra Stuff: Buy Sean's Book Something Deeply Hidden - https://amzn.to/2rsRcL2 Follow Sean on Twitter - https://twitter.com/seanmcarroll Check out everything I recommend from books to products - https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/modernwisdom - Get in touch. Join the discussion with me and other like minded listeners in the episode comments on the MW YouTube Channel or message me... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ModernWisdomPodcast Email: https://www.chriswillx.com/contact
Chapters
Theoretical physicist Sean Carroll discusses quantum mechanics, gravity, and cosmology in a conversation that tackles tough topics in layman's terms.
00:00 - 03:02 (03:02)
Summary
Theoretical physicist Sean Carroll discusses quantum mechanics, gravity, and cosmology in a conversation that tackles tough topics in layman's terms.
Episode#126 - Sean Carroll - The Problem With Quantum Mechanics
PodcastModern Wisdom
The Schrodinger equation explains how an electron behaves as a wave, but when observed, it doesn't look like an electromagnetic wave.
03:02 - 08:35 (05:32)
Summary
The Schrodinger equation explains how an electron behaves as a wave, but when observed, it doesn't look like an electromagnetic wave. The world doesn't need another book about quantum mechanics for its own sake, but a better understanding of it is crucial.
Episode#126 - Sean Carroll - The Problem With Quantum Mechanics
PodcastModern Wisdom
The classical world is so ingrained in our minds that it can be difficult to truly understand and appreciate the intricacies of quantum mechanics, which is necessary for the development of quantum technologies like quantum computers.
08:35 - 13:23 (04:47)
Summary
The classical world is so ingrained in our minds that it can be difficult to truly understand and appreciate the intricacies of quantum mechanics, which is necessary for the development of quantum technologies like quantum computers. Even renowned physicists like Einstein and Schrödinger were initially resistant to the concepts of quantum mechanics.
Episode#126 - Sean Carroll - The Problem With Quantum Mechanics
PodcastModern Wisdom
Physicists have a challenge of explaning how the abstract wave of quantum mechanics becomes to look like a classical world with baseballs and tables and the experiments don't clearly distinguish between one way of doing things and another way.
13:23 - 21:14 (07:51)
Summary
Physicists have a challenge of explaning how the abstract wave of quantum mechanics becomes to look like a classical world with baseballs and tables and the experiments don't clearly distinguish between one way of doing things and another way.
Episode#126 - Sean Carroll - The Problem With Quantum Mechanics
PodcastModern Wisdom
In this podcast episode, the speaker discusses Albert Einstein's interest in quantum mechanics and his failure to come up with a theory that was in line with his opinions.
21:14 - 28:50 (07:35)
Summary
In this podcast episode, the speaker discusses Albert Einstein's interest in quantum mechanics and his failure to come up with a theory that was in line with his opinions. The speaker reflects on the lesson that could be learned from Einstein's struggle.
Episode#126 - Sean Carroll - The Problem With Quantum Mechanics
PodcastModern Wisdom
Einstein and others debate the implications of quantum mechanics, such as entanglement and the Schrödinger equation.
28:50 - 36:31 (07:41)
Summary
Einstein and others debate the implications of quantum mechanics, such as entanglement and the Schrödinger equation.
Episode#126 - Sean Carroll - The Problem With Quantum Mechanics
PodcastModern Wisdom
The parts of the wave function of the universe become completely separated from each other because there are so many photons hitting the cat or not hitting it, causing the two parts of the wave function of the cat, awake and asleep, to interact with the environment around it in different ways.
36:31 - 42:39 (06:07)
Summary
The parts of the wave function of the universe become completely separated from each other because there are so many photons hitting the cat or not hitting it, causing the two parts of the wave function of the cat, awake and asleep, to interact with the environment around it in different ways.
Episode#126 - Sean Carroll - The Problem With Quantum Mechanics
PodcastModern Wisdom
Physicists have often made it seem like the role of a human observer is crucial in explaining quantum mechanics, but they have a bad job of trying to understand it.
42:39 - 48:24 (05:44)
Summary
Physicists have often made it seem like the role of a human observer is crucial in explaining quantum mechanics, but they have a bad job of trying to understand it. This is because the manifest image of the world, which contains the idea that we influence the world, is very close to saying that the ways in which we interact with it can somehow change the world out there.
Episode#126 - Sean Carroll - The Problem With Quantum Mechanics
PodcastModern Wisdom
The process of understanding how a classical world featuring curved space-time and gravity can come out of the quantum world is still being studied, and it may involve something beyond the formalism of quantum mechanics.
48:24 - 55:31 (07:06)
Summary
The process of understanding how a classical world featuring curved space-time and gravity can come out of the quantum world is still being studied, and it may involve something beyond the formalism of quantum mechanics.
Episode#126 - Sean Carroll - The Problem With Quantum Mechanics
PodcastModern Wisdom
In quantum gravity, the geometry of space-time can be in a superposition of all different kinds of geometries which makes it difficult to pinpoint the exact location in space.
55:31 - 1:01:03 (05:32)
Summary
In quantum gravity, the geometry of space-time can be in a superposition of all different kinds of geometries which makes it difficult to pinpoint the exact location in space. String theory only makes sense if space-time is in 10 dimensions which brings forth new technical problem.
Episode#126 - Sean Carroll - The Problem With Quantum Mechanics
PodcastModern Wisdom
In this episode, the speaker talks about the convenience of Twitter and how it is easier to convey thoughts in short tweets rather than writing blog posts.
1:01:03 - 1:01:52 (00:48)
Summary
In this episode, the speaker talks about the convenience of Twitter and how it is easier to convey thoughts in short tweets rather than writing blog posts.