January 19, 2025

008 理论物理是什么 Demystifying Theoretical Physics

1 hour 19 minutes

【聊了什么】

在这期播客中，清华大学高等研究院研究员陈静远带领听众探讨了一个引人深思的话题：理论物理学的思维框架与认知方式。不同于常见的科普节目着重于介绍新概念和前沿发现，这次讨论聚焦于物理学家是如何构建知识体系、如何理解和统一看似不相关的现象。

从最早的数学抽象到现代物理理论,人类是如何逐步统一对自然界的认知的？为什么说物理学不仅仅是收集知识的"博物学",更是一种构建思想大厦的尝试？在量子信息与时空的统一、还原论与涌现性的讨论中,我们又该如何理解科学本质？

In this podcast, Chen Jingyuan, a researcher at Tsinghua University's Institute for Advanced Study, leads listeners through a thought-provoking topic: the theoretical frameworks and cognitive approaches in theoretical physics. Unlike typical science popularization programs that focus on introducing new concepts and frontier discoveries, this discussion centers on how physicists build knowledge systems and how they understand and unify seemingly unrelated phenomena.

How has humanity gradually unified its understanding of nature, from the earliest mathematical abstractions to modern physical theories? Why is physics not merely a "natural history" of collecting knowledge, but rather an attempt to construct an edifice of ideas? And how should we understand the essence of science in discussions about the unification of quantum information and spacetime, or reductionism versus emergence?

【时间轴 Timecodes】

00:08:07 物理学思维的本质:发现表面不相关事物间的统一性

00:10:32 牛顿革命:地上与天上规律

00:31:28 爱因斯坦革命:时间与空间

00:38:02 量子革命:场与粒子

00:55:44 现代前沿:量子信息与时空的潜在统一性

01:15:45 科学作为认知方法的本质

00:08:07 The essence of physical thinking: discovering unity among seemingly unrelated things

00:10:32 The Newtonian revolution: laws of heaven and earth

00:31:28 The Einstein revolution: time and space

00:38:02 The quantum revolution: fields and particles

00:55:44 Modern frontiers: potential unity of quantum information and spacetime

01:15:45 The nature of science as a cognitive method

【我们是谁 The Who】

选修课 Universus 是一档分享和探讨泛文化话题的中文播客，脱胎于2013年创办的纽约文化沙龙。

我们力求引发对学科方法和视角的认知和思考，而不仅仅是知识的传递。我们在组织活动的过程中积累了一些经验和人脉，尝试打造成年人的博雅教育，并在播客中拓展这样的探索。我们希望审视和反抗无意识的价值规训与随波逐流。我们希望冷酷地剖析自己的偏见，热忱地拥抱多元视角。我们希望去工具化，真诚地感知、理解、创造自己的生活和复杂的世界。我们追随原初的好奇而非代餐式的猎奇。话题可以轻松，方法力求严肃。在《选修课》里，我们互相映照，唤醒失落的维度。

主讲：

陈静远，清华大学高等研究院研究员

选修课 Universus is a Chinese-language podcast created by the same people who founded the New York Chinese Cultural Salon (纽约文化沙龙）in 2013.

The past decade of organizing events and talks put us in a position of creating a sort of liberal arts education experience for those who have left school. We strive to go beyond merely transmitting knowledge to reflecting on complex topics using cross-disciplinary perspectives. We strive to resist conformity, to dissect our own biases, and to embrace diverse schools of thought. Our goal is to help professionals resist becoming just a tool of production, and to understand the world around us in earnest. We let our genuine curiosity be our guide. With a light-hearted tone, we approach each topic seriously. We hope that “选修课 Universus” creates a space to explore lost dimensions.

Our Guests:

Chen Jingyuan, physics researcher at Tsinghua University's Institute for Advanced Study

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