Podcasts about foundational questions institute

SpeakerAnthony is the Executive Director & Secretary of the Board at the Future of Life Institute, and the Faggin Presidential Professor for the Physics of Information at UC Santa Cruz. He has done research in an array of topics in theoretical cosmology, gravitation, statistical mechanics, and other fields of physics. He also has strong interest in science outreach, and has appeared in numerous science documentaries. He is a creator of the science and technology prediction platform Metaculus.com, and is founder (with Max Tegmark) of the Foundational Questions Institute.Worldbuilding CourseThis session is a part of THE WORLDBUILDING CHALLENGE: CO-CREATING THE WORLD OF 2045. In this virtual and interactive course, we engage with the most pressing global challenges of our age—climate change, the risks of AI, and the complex ethical questions arising in the wake of new technologies. Our aim is to sharpen participants' awareness and equip them to apply their skills to these significant and urgent issues.Existential HopeExistential Hope was created to collect positive and possible scenarios for the future so that we can have more people commit to creating a brighter future, and to begin mapping out the main developments and challenges that need to be navigated to reach it. Existential Hope is a Foresight Institute project.Hosted by Allison Duettmann and Beatrice ErkersFollow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Existential Hope InstagramExplore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tim Maudlin is a philosopher of science specializing in the foundations of physics, metaphysics, and logic. He is a professor at New York University, a member of the Foundational Questions Institute, and the founder and director of the John Bell Institute for the Foundations of Physics. Patreon (bonus materials + video chat): https://www.patreon.com/timothynguyen In this very in-depth discussion, Tim and I probe the foundations of science through the avenues of locality and determinism as arising from the Einstein-Poldosky-Rosen (EPR) paradox and Bell's Theorem. These issues are so intricate that even the Nobel Prize committee incorrectly described the significance of Bell's work in their press release for the 2022 prize in physics. Viewers motivated enough to think deeply about these ideas will be rewarded with a conceptually proper understanding of the nonlocal nature of physics and its manifestation in quantum theory. I. Introduction 00:00 : 00:25: Biography 05:26: Interdisciplinary work 11:54 : Physicists working on the wrong things 16:47 : Bell's Theorem soft overview 24:14: Common misunderstanding of "God does not play dice." 25:59: Technical outline II. EPR Paradox / Argument 29:14 : EPR is not a paradox 34:57 : Criterion of reality 43:57 : Mathematical formulation 46:32 : Locality: No spooky action at a distance 49:54 : Bertlmann's socks 53:17 : EPR syllogism summarized 54:52 : Determinism is inferred not assumed 1:02:18 : Clarifying analogy: Coin flips 1:06:39 : Einstein's objection to determinism revisited III. Bohm Segue 1:11:05 : Introduction 1:13:38: Bell and von Neumann's error 1:20:14: Bell's motivation: Can I remove Bohm's nonlocality? IV. Bell's Theorem and Related Examples 1:25:13 : Setup 1:27:59 : Decoding Bell's words: Locality is the key! 1:34:16 : Bell's inequality (overview) 1:36:46 : Bell's inequality (math) 1:39:15 : Concrete example of violation of Bell's inequality 1:49:42: GHZ Example V. Miscellany 2:06:23 : Statistical independence assumption 2:13:18: The 2022 Nobel Prize 2:17:43: Misconceptions and hidden variables 2:22:28: The assumption of local realism? Repeat: Determinism is a conclusion not an assumption. VI. Interpretations of Quantum Mechanics 2:28:44: Interpretation is a misnomer 2:29:48: Three requirements. You can only pick two. 2:34:52: Copenhagen interpretation?   Further Reading: J. Bell. Speakable and Unspeakable in Quantum Mechanics T. Maudlin. Quantum Non-Locality and Relativity Wikipedia: Mermin's device, GHZ experiment   Twitter: @iamtimnguyen Webpage: http://www.timothynguyen.org

Explore the nature of reality from quantum physics to space-time. Tim Maudlin delves into the philosophy of physics, probing into the quantum realm, Bell's inequality, special relativity, the mind-body problem, free will, politics, applied ethics and much more. Please Visit this Link to get more information: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mindbodysolution Tim Maudlin is an American philosopher of science who has done influential work on the metaphysical foundations of physics and logic. He studied physics and philosophy at Yale University, and history and philosophy of science at the University of Pittsburgh, where he received his PhD. He taught for more than two decades at Rutgers University before joining the Department of Philosophy at New York University in 2010. Maudlin has also been a visiting professor at Harvard University and Carnegie Mellon University. He is a member of the "Foundational Questions Institute" of the Académie Internationale de Philosophie des Sciences and has received a Guggenheim Fellowship. In 2015 he was elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. He is the founder of the John Bell Institute for the Foundations of Physics in Sveta Nedilja, Hvar, Croatia. Maudlin is also Visiting Professor at the University of Italian Switzerland ✅EPISODE LINKS:

In questo audio il prezioso incontro con Amedeo Balbi astrofisico e Francesca Rigotti filosofa. L'intervista è in Contemporaneamente di Mariantonietta Firmani, il podcast divulgato da Artribune e Parallelo42 Amedeo Balbi e Francesca Rigotti ci regalano un incontro denso e concentrato, tra stelle e pensiero, tra filo di Arianna e paradosso di Andromeda. Iniziando dalla geometria dell'universo che dipende dal mondo in cui spazio e tempo sono influenzati dalla materia e dall'energia che esistono nell'universo. Proseguendo con la tradizione occidentale che attribuisce alle donne appagamento totale rispetto alla pro-creatività. Passando tra passato e futuro che confluiscono come discipline umanistiche e scientifiche. Il desiderio di conoscenza muove verso la scoperta di se stessi; il pensiero è manipolato dai filosofi come il cibo in cucina, e molto altro. ASCOLTA L'INTERVISTA INTEGRALE!! GUARDA IL VIDEO!! https://youtu.be/bt15EE3B6p8 BREVI NOTE BIOGRAFICHE DEGLI AUTORIAmedeo Balbi, astrofisico, professore associato all'Università di Roma "Tor Vergata"; la sua ricerca spazia dalla cosmologia all'astrobiologia. Autore di oltre cento pubblicazioni scientifiche, ha contribuito alle prime misure di precisione dei parametri cosmologici e alla determinazione della geometria dell'universo.Inoltre è membro dell'International Astronomical Union, del Foundational Questions Institute, dell'IAA SETI Permanent Committee e del comitato scientifico della Società Italiana di Astrobiologia. Come divulgatore, cura da anni una rubrica sul mensile Le Scienze, ha collaborato con programmi radio e tv. Inoltre scrive per diverse testate, tra cui: Repubblica, La Stampa, il Post. Nel 2015 ha vinto il Premio Nazionale di Divulgazione Scientifica con il libro “Cercatori di meraviglia” e nel 2021 il Premio Asimov con “L'ultimo orizzonte”. Il suo libro più recente è “Su un altro pianeta”. Francesca Rigotti, filosofa e saggista, già docente all'Università di Göttingen e di Zurigo, visiting fellow all'Università di Princeton. Dal 1996 al 2021 docente all'Università della Svizzera italiana. La sua ricerca mira a decifrare e interpretare le procedure metaforiche e simboliche sedimentate nel pensiero filosofico, nel ragionamento politico, nella pratica culturale e nella vita quotidiana.È anche conferenziera, scrive di critica libraria, collabora con varie testate. Autrice di 30 opere monografiche, oltre cento saggi su riviste e volumi collettanei, tradotti in tredici lingue, tra cui: “L'era del singolo” 2021, “Buio” 2020. Scrive anche: “Migranti per caso. Una vita da Expat” 2019; “De senectute” 2018; “Manifesto del cibo liscio” 2015; “Onestà” 2014; “Nuova filosofia delle piccole cose” 2013. Inoltre, è stata insignita del Premio di Filosofia “Viaggio a Siracusa” 2002, del “Premio Standout Woman Award International” 2016 e del “Premio Fondazione Centenario BSI” 2020.

Death might seem to render pointless all of our attempts to create a meaningful life. But Professor Dean Rickles argues that only constraints―and death is the ultimate constraint―make our actions meaningful. In order for us to live full lives, Dean believes it is the finiteness and shortness of life that brings meaning. In this episode we explore how this insight is the key to making the most of the time that we do have. Dr. Dean Rickles is a Professor of History and Philosophy of Modern Physics at The University of Sydney. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Leeds with a thesis on conceptual issues in quantum gravity. He is also the Co-Director of the Sydney Centre for Time, an Advisor for The Lifeboat Foundation, and Co-leads a Templeton Foundation-funded interdisciplinary project on the flow of time. His primary research focus is the history and philosophy of modern physics, particularly quantum gravity and spacetime physics.  Dean's authored dozens of peer-reviewed articles along with a number of books. He is also a member of the New York Academy of Sciences and the Foundational Questions Institute.  The primary focus of our conversation was on his latest book, Life Is Short. I personally really enjoyed it, and midway through I set it aside to send Dean a request to be on the podcast as I knew I needed to connect and discuss it.  Life is Short explores how death limits our options and forces us to make choices that forge a life and give the world meaning. Therein Dean writes that people often live in a state of indecision, in a misguided attempt to keep their options open. “By reminding us how extraordinary it is that we have any time to live at all, Life Is Short challenges us to rethink what gives life meaning and how to make the most of it." Dean has said that he, himself feels that that life is too short, so I asked him about some of the ways he lives his, albeit too short life, in full. While this is a deep, deep conversation that covers many disciplines, our specific discussion on Life is Short I think will be of interest to anyone wanting to live their life in full.

18 gennaio 2022 - Amedeo Balbi - Secondo i proclami visionari dei nuovi pionieri della frontiera spaziale, il destino dell'umanità è di diventare una specie multi-planetaria. Addirittura, la nostra stessa sopravvivenza a lungo termine sarebbe legata alla possibilità di abbandonare la Terra e di stabilirsi in colonie permanenti nello spazio o su altri pianeti. Ma è davvero così? Cosa che c'è di realistico in queste previsioni, e quanto sono a portata di mano? Quali sono i fattori che rendono abitabile un pianeta? Quali ostacoli dovremmo affrontare per trasferirci su altri mondi, e quali sarebbero le possibili destinazioni? L'esplorazione dello spazio e dell'universo servono a garantirci una via di fuga su un'altra Terra, o, piuttosto, a comprendere che quella che abbiamo è insostituibile? Amedeo Balbi, astrofisico, è professore associato all'Università di Roma “Tor Vergata”. I suoi interessi di ricerca spaziano dalla cosmologia all'astrobiologia. Autore di oltre cento pubblicazioni scientifiche, con le sue ricerche ha contribuito, tra l'altro, alle prime misure di precisione dei parametri cosmologici e alla determinazione della geometria dell'universo. È membro dell'International Astronomical Union, del Foundational Questions Institute, dell'IAA SETI Permanent Committee e del comitato scientifico della Società Italiana di Astrobiologia. Sul fronte della divulgazione, cura da anni una rubrica sul mensile Le Scienze, ha collaborato con programmi radio e tv e scritto per numerosi quotidiani e periodici, tra cui Repubblica e La Stampa. Nel 2015 ha vinto il Premio Nazionale di Divulgazione Scientifica con il libro «Cercatori di meraviglia» (Rizzoli) e nel 2021 il Premio Asimov con «L'ultimo orizzonte» (UTET).

Physicist Anthony Aguirre studies the formation, nature, and evolution of the universe, focusing primarily on the model of eternal inflation—the idea that inflation goes on forever in some regions of universe—and what it may mean for the ultimate beginning of the universe and time. He is the co-founder and associate scientific director of the Foundational Questions Institute, which supports research on questions at the foundations and new frontiers of physics and cosmology. Anthony is also a co-founder of the Future of Life Institute, an organization aiming to increase the probability that life has a future, and of Metaculus, an effort to optimally aggregate predictions about scientific discoveries, technological breakthroughs, and other interesting issues. Cosmological Koans: A Journey to the Heart of Physical Reality, physicist Anthony Aguirre explores deep questions about the nature of reality, using an approach inspired by Zen koans to take the reader on a thought-provoking tour of the cosmos and the core ideas of modern physics. The book covers a wide range of topics, woven together with a fictional storyline that recounts a journey from Italy to Japan. Multiple universes, the nature of time, the meaning of quantum theory, and entropy and information are among the subjects explored. @AnthonyNAguirre http://fqxi.org/ http://www.futureoflife.org/ https://www.amazon.com/Cosmological-Koans-Journey-Physical-Reality/dp/0393609219 00:00:00 Intro 00:06:22 Why did you right Cosmological Koans? 00:11:48 How do you reconcile the mysteries unanswered by physics? 00:17:08 Are you a Buddhist? Views on theology and the nature of reality. 00:22:18 Do we need a theory of everything? 00:31:56 Why did you set the book for when you did in the 1600s? 00:39:01 About the historic period in which the book is set. 00:41:23 What you have to say about cosmogenesis and big bang cosmology? 00:50:52 Thoughts on the multiverse theory. Could other universes have different constants? 01:11:56 How much of physics/cosmology is really sociology and our need to believe? 01:21:42 What discovery gift of knowledge would you put into a time capsule for the ages? LinkedIn Jobs is the best platform for finding the right candidate to join your business this fall. It's the largest marketplace for job seekers in the world, and it has great search features so that you can find candidates with any hard or soft skills that you need. And now, you can post a job for free. Just visit linkedin.com/impossible to post a job for free.  Audible is hands-down my favorite platform for consuming podcasts, fiction and nonfiction books! With an Audible membership, you can download titles and listen offline, anytime, anywhere. The Audible app is free and can be installed on all smartphones and tablets. You can listen across devices without losing your spot. Audible members don't have to worry about using their credits right away. You can keep your credits for up to a year—and use them to binge on a whole series if you'd like! Start your free 30-day trial today:  Audible.com/impossible or text “impossible” to 500-500

Also on Youtube Max Tegmark is a physicist, cosmologist, and artificial intelligence - machine learning researcher. He is a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the scientific director of the Foundational Questions Institute. He has been my mentor and friend for a LONG time :-) Professor Tegmark’s research is focused on precision cosmology, e.g., combining theoretical work with new measurements to place sharp constraints on cosmological models and their parameters. Early on, this challenge has lead him to work mainly on cosmology and quantum information. Although he’s continuing his cosmology work with the HERA collaboration, the main focus of his current research is on the physics of intelligence: using physics-based techniques to better understand biological and artificial intelligence (AI). Ultimately, this could culminate in what he calls an "AI Physicist" https://www.technologyreview.com/2018/11/01/1895/an-ai-physicist-can-derive-the-natural-laws-of-imagined-universes/ A native of Stockholm, Tegmark left Sweden in 1990 after receiving his B.Sc. in Physics from the Royal Institute of Technology (& a B.A. in Economics from the Stockholm School of Economics). His first academic venture beyond Scandinavia brought him to California, where he studied physics at the University of California, Berkeley, earning his PhD. in 1994. Tegmark is an author on more than 200 technical papers, and has been featured in dozens of science documentaries. He has received numerous awards for his research, including a Packard Fellowship (2001-06), Cottrell Scholar Award, an NSF Career grant. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society. His work with the SDSS collaboration on galaxy clustering shared the first prize in Science magazine’s “Breakthrough of the Year: 2003.” His book "LIFE 3.0" was an instant New York Times Best Seller and one of Mark Cuban and Barack Obama's favorite books of 2017. Life 3.0 asks the question: "How will Artificial Intelligence affect crime, war, justice, jobs, society and our very sense of being human?" The rise of AI has the potential to transform our future more than any other technology—and there’s nobody better qualified or situated to explore that future than Max Tegmark. How can we grow our prosperity through automation without leaving people lacking income or purpose? What career advice should we give today’s kids? How can we make future AI systems more robust, so that they do what we want without crashing, malfunctioning or getting hacked? Should we fear an arms race in lethal autonomous weapons? Will machines eventually outsmart us at all tasks, replacing humans on the job market and perhaps altogether? Will AI help life flourish like never before or give us more power than we can handle? Read Life 3.0 https://amzn.to/2YTDg9L 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:09 Disagreement with Noam Chomsky and the challenge of the Imitation Game 00:04:16 Will AI exceed human intelligence? 00:07:04 Should we fear AI? Are we being to passive? 00:09:02 Should we trust AI? What we should worry about. 00:11:21 Were you born tooearly to make good use of AI? Could AI avert war? 00:12:45 AI may have a democratizing impact. 00:17:55 The "Improve The News" experiment 00:26:19 What do you think about exponential change? Will tech solve humanity's problems? 00:30:31 What is your ethical will?

We've talked a lot recently about the Many Worlds of quantum mechanics. That’s one kind of multiverse that physicists often contemplate. There is also the cosmological multiverse, which we talked about with Brian Greene. Today’s guest, Max Tegmark, has thought a great deal about both of those ideas, as well as a more ambitious and speculative one: the Mathematical Multiverse, in which we imagine that every mathematical structure is real, and the universe we perceive is just one such mathematical structure. And there’s yet another possibility, that what we experience as “reality” is just a simulation inside computers operated by some advanced civilization. Max has thought about all of these possibilities at a deep level, as his research has ranged from physical cosmology to foundations of quantum mechanics and now to applied artificial intelligence. Strap in and be ready for a wild ride.Max Tegmark received his Ph.D. in physics from the University of California, Berkeley. He is currently professor of physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has played an important role analyzing data from large-scale structure and the cosmic microwave background. He is the author of Our Mathematical Universe and Life 2.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. He is a co-founder of the Foundational Questions Institute and the Future of Life Institute.Web siteGoogle Scholar pageWikipediaAmazon author pageTalk on AITwitter

If it is not by now fully apparent how much I love science, this conversation, well more accurately this rare chance to sit at the feet of a science master, is proof that there is nothing more surprising and profound than the physics of space, time, information, and quantum reality. Cosmologist, UCSC physics professor, science activist, and author Anthony Aguirre, generously discusses the intricacies of deep reality he shares in his astonishingly creative new book titled, Cosmological Koans: A Journey to the Heart of Physical Reality. His book transported me into a multifaceted explanatory world of historical fiction, mathematics and mind-blowing truths about our cosmos and the nature of reality itself. It should be at the top of everyone’s gift giving book list. Anthony is a rare jewel. In addition to his teaching and research, he has co-founded two seminal institutes: One supporting cutting-edge physics and other focused on the evolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Biotech, energy and climate disruption. Links to both websites are included in the show notes and I urge every listener to visit these resources. The last part of our conversation probes the perils and promise of AI, a tidal wave of change every human should be both excited and concerned about.Listen on Lisa's YouTube ChannelAnthony Aguirre is a professor of physics at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and the associate scientific director of the Foundational Questions Institute a nonprofit organization that he co-founded and co-runs He is also co-founder of Future of Life Institute. Anthony received his doctorate in astronomy from Harvard University in 2000 and then spent three years as a member of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton before accepting a professorship in the physics department of the University of California, Santa Cruz. He has worked on a wide variety of topics in theoretical cosmology (the study of the formation, nature, and evolution of the universe), including the early universe and inflation, gravity physics, first stars, the intergalactic medium, galaxy formation, and black holes.

SPEAKERS Anthony Aguirre Professor of Physics, UC Santa Cruz; Co-Founder, Foundational Questions Institute, Author, Cosmological Koans This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on July 11th, 2019.

Cosmologists have a standard set of puzzles they think about: the nature of dark matter and dark energy, whether there was a period of inflation, the evolution of structure, and so on. But there are also even deeper questions, having to do with why there is a universe at all, and why the early universe had low entropy, that most working cosmologists don’t address. Today’s guest, Anthony Aguirre, is an exception. We talk about these deep issues, and how tackling them might lead to a very different way of thinking about our universe. At the end there’s an entertaining detour into AI and existential risk. Anthony Aguirre received his Ph.D. in Astronomy from Harvard University. He is currently associate professor of physics at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where his research involves cosmology, inflation, and fundamental questions in physics. His new book, Cosmological Koans, is an exploration of the principles of contemporary cosmology illustrated with short stories in the style of Zen Buddhism. He is the co-founder of the Foundational Questions Institute, the Future of Life Institute, and the prediction platform Metaculus. Web site UCSC web page Google Scholar page Wikipedia Amazon.com author page Foundational Questions Institute Future of Life Institute Metaculus Twitter

Sky Nelson-Isaacs – The Physics of SynchronicityAired Thursday, 6 June 2019, 7:00 PM ETSynchronicity or meaningful coincidence has been something philosophers and scientists have wondered about for decades. Most of us have experienced it at least once. For example, you are on a much-anticipated road trip and your vehicle breaks down. As you’re waiting by the side of the road a mechanic who specializes in your make of car drives up and lends a hand. Is this just chance? Can two events be related in a meaningful way without one causing the other? If so, what does this tell us about the cosmos? More to the point, is it possible that you can learn to make choices that actively encourage synchronicity in your life?About the Guest: Sky Nelson-IsaacsSKY NELSON-ISAACS is a theoretical physicist, speaker, author, and musician. He has a Master’s degree in physics from San Francisco State University, with a thesis in String Theory, and a BS in physics from UC Berkeley. Nelson-Isaacs has dedicated his life to finding his own sense of purpose, beginning as a student of the Yogic master Sri Swami Satchidananda when he was less than five years old. His writing on topics like flow comes from integrating this experience into his life. He brings together the connection between synchronicity, physics, and real-life using research and original ideas. As an active researcher in quantum foundations, his research is supported by the Foundational Questions Institute and he works with Theiss Research and independently with support from An active researcher in quantum foundations the Federico and Elvia Faggin Foundation. An educator with nine years of classroom experience, and with experience in industry as a software engineer, Nelson-Isaacs is also a multi-instrumentalist and professional performer of award-winning original musical compositions.For more info, visit: https://skynelson.com/

SKY NELSON-ISAACS, the author of “Living in Flow: The Science of Synchronicity and How Your Choices Shape Your World” is a physics educator, speaker, and musician. He has a master’s degree in physics from San Francisco State University, with a thesis in String Theory, and a BS in physics from UC Berkeley. He brings together the connection between synchronicity, physics, and real-life using research and original ideas. As an active researcher in quantum foundations, his research is supported by the Foundational Questions Institute and the Federico and Elvia Faggin Foundation.

SKY NELSON-ISAACS, the author of “Living in Flow: The Science of Synchronicity and How Your Choices Shape Your World” is a physics educator, speaker, and musician. He has a master’s degree in physics from San Francisco State University, with a thesis in String Theory, and a BS in physics from UC Berkeley. He brings together the connection between synchronicity, physics, and real-life using research and original ideas. As an active researcher in quantum foundations, his research is supported by the Foundational Questions Institute and the Federico and Elvia Faggin Foundation.

Getting from one place to another is hard. What if we could just teleport? From the physics of how this would work (it wouldn’t) to the ripple effects it might have on politics, urban development, and tourism, this episode is all about what would happen if we could zip instantly from one place to another. Guests Matt Lubchansky, comic artist and associate editor at The Nib Zeeya Merali, physicist at the Foundational Questions Institute, author of A Big Bang in a Little Room, cohost of the FQXi Podcast Peter Norton, historian at the University of Virginia, author of Fighting Traffic: The Dawn of the Motor Age in the American City (Paper from the advertisement: Time to End the Use of Genetic Test Results in Life Insurance Underwriting) → → → Sources and more links available here ← ← ← Flash Forward is produced by me, Rose Eveleth. The intro music is by Asura and the outtro music is by Hussalonia. The teleportation attendant from the future was played by Tamara Krinsky. Tamara is the host of the science & technology show TOMORROW'S WORLD TODAY, which you can watch on Amazon, right now. The episode art is by Matt Lubchansky. If you want to suggest a future we should take on, send us a note on Twitter, Facebook or by email at info@flashforwardpod.com. We love hearing your ideas! And if you think you’ve spotted one of the little references I’ve hidden in the episode, email us there too. If you’re right, I’ll send you something cool. And if you want to support the show, there are a few ways you can do that too! Head to www.flashforwardpod.com/support for more about how to give. But if that’s not in the cards for you, you can head to iTunes and leave us a nice review or just tell your friends about us. Those things really do help.  That’s all for this future, come back next time and we’ll travel to a new one.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We know how the stars shine, but how do you make a star? We take an all-night ride on a high-flying jet – an airborne observatory called SOFIA – to watch astronomers investigate how a star is born. As for how the universe was born, we know about the Big Bang but modern physics suggests that similar cosmic explosions may be happening all the time, and even hint that we could – in principle – create a new universe in a laboratory. What does this mean, and how could we do it? From stars to universes, how it all came to be. Guests: Zeeya Merali– Journalist and editor for the Foundational Questions Institute, author of A Big Bang in a Little Room: The Quest to Create New Universes Nick Veronico– Manager of SOFIA Communications for NASA Ames Research Center and Universities Space Research Association Felix Reimann– Freelance photographer Huub Rottgering– Director of Leiden Observatory, The Netherlands Dietmar Lilienthal– Manager, DLR SOFIA Institute, Germany Cornelia Pabst– Astronomer, Leiden Observatory, The Netherlands Charlie Kaminski– Engineering and Maintenance Manager, SOFIA David McAllister– Deputy Program Manager for Operations, SOFIA, NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ENCORE  We know how the stars shine, but how do you make a star?  We take an all-night ride on a high-flying jet – an airborne observatory called SOFIA – to watch astronomers investigate how a star is born. As for how the universe was born, we know about the Big Bang but modern physics suggests that similar cosmic explosions may be happening all the time, and even hint that we could – in principle – create a new universe in a laboratory.  What does this mean, and how could we do it? From stars to universes, how it all came to be. Guests: Zeeya Merali– Journalist and editor for the Foundational Questions Institute, author of A Big Bang in a Little Room: The Quest to Create New Universes Nick Veronico– Manager of SOFIA Communications for NASA Ames Research Center and Universities Space Research Association Felix Reimann– Freelance photographer Huub Rottgering– Director of Leiden Observatory, The Netherlands Dietmar Lilienthal– Manager, DLR SOFIA Institute, Germany Cornelia Pabst– Astronomer, Leiden Observatory, The Netherlands Charlie Kaminski– Engineering and Maintenance Manager, SOFIA David McAllister– Deputy Program Manager for Operations, SOFIA, NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center

How well can we predict the future? In this podcast, Ariel speaks with Anthony Aguirre and Andrew Critch about the art of predicting the future, what constitutes a good prediction, and how we can better predict the advancement of artificial intelligence. They also touch on the difference between predicting a solar eclipse and predicting the weather, what it takes to make money on the stock market, and the bystander effect regarding existential risks. Visit metaculus.com to try your hand at the art of predicting. Anthony is a professor of physics at the University of California at Santa Cruz. He's one of the founders of the Future of Life Institute, of the Foundational Questions Institute, and most recently of Metaculus.com, which is an online effort to crowdsource predictions about the future of science and technology. Andrew is on a two-year leave of absence from MIRI to work with UC Berkeley's Center for Human Compatible AI. He cofounded the Center for Applied Rationality, and previously worked as an algorithmic stock trader at James Street Capital.