Mindscape 245 | Solo: The Crisis in Physics

Sean is interested in what his guests have to say, and so am I, but I am just as interested, if not much more, in what Sean himself has to say, so the occasional solo episode is a real treat for curious minds. Thank you Sean and patrons!

Dear Professor Carrol. I think this episode was brilliant. For me it was like catching up on the state of the art in theoretical physics. I have a PhD in applied physics and I was always left with the emptiness of not fully understanding the most basic (and hardest to learn) principles of physics. Thank you very much for your work on your podcast, I enjoy every episode while walking the dog.

Sean's level head and depth of knowledge is such a beacon in these times.

It's really amazing to have a physicist of this calibre to rumble on history and ideas of physics.

The way quantum field theory was described here allowed me to finally visualize it in my minds eye, I am very grateful for this. I think you did I great job providing a broad overview of the current state of physics and it was really helpful to an enthusiastic laymen. There is something about connection everything to one another that creates a solid chain of understanding that is difficult to find elsewhere. Thanks!

OMG I can't wait to listen to this - I love the solo episodes. Sean, you are a treasure.

As an older person it bothers me that modern physics has become an area where people seem to think out loud about the universe, without proof about what they are talking about. Some scientists have used the interest in finding answers to promote themselves. They have become rockstars. String theory anyone. .

My goodness, 4 and a half hours! You definitely have a lot to tell us, going to listen now :)

Challenge everything all the time. If you can't defend your theory it probably has weaknesses. The dialog is healthy. Don't attack the person, challenge the idea. Thanks Sean. Healthy dialog.

Sean "I dont want to go into too many details" Carroll

Most people I know: "you just can't know how things work" Sean: "we know how almost everything works mostly, pretty much"

A 4 hour solo!?! Christmas came early 😊

Sean had and has so much to contribute to the world of physics but he has even more to contribute as a philosopher and conveyor of scientific knowledge. In addition, its wonderful that he accepted the position at Hopkins. He belongs there in that position.

Yes. No crisis in Physics. It’s just that we don’t know everything about it. We may never know it all. But that’s no crisis, it’s just the way it is.

Four hours of Professor Carroll! ☮️ ❤️ ^.^

Yessss I can fall asleep to this for many nights in a row. Please take that as the huge compliment, cuz it is.

Over 4 hours? What a treat. Looking forward to diving in! Thanks as always Sean for the great content.

I was just kind of listening to this as background information until Sean Carroll started getting into the lattice that provides a discrete structure for complex quantum systems, serving as the foundation for quantum field theory. After he got into this stuff he had my full attention. Yes, Feynman diagrams do visualize these interactions, complicated by loop momentum and infinities from ultraviolet and infrared divergences. Wilson's effective field theory and renormalization technique set a limit to tackle these infinities. In this, the concept of running coupling emerges, showing interaction strength 'runs' with the energy scale, exemplified in quantum chromodynamics (QCD). Non-perturbative effects further deepen the understanding beyond perturbation theory, revealing phenomena like quark confinement in QCD. The lattice also facilitates studying these non-perturbative phenomena, illustrating the interconnectedness of quantum physics.

Really important podcast. Explains a lot of intermediate level stuff that clarifies a lot of what we hear about through the usual physics lectures and pop science stuff. Thanks for this - would love more!

Favorite way I've heard a lot of these topics described. Will definitely share with friends. The philosophical influence is clear with the clarity and precision that otherwise nebulous terms are defined and explained.