Fay Dowker is Professor of Theoretical Physics at Imperial College London, where she works broadly on quantum gravity, and more particularly on an approach called causal set theory that takes the most basic pieces of the universe to be atoms of spacetime. In this episode, Robinson and Fay begin by discussing her studies with Stephen Hawking and their work on wormholes before turning to quantum gravity and causal set theory. Fay is also a faculty member at the John Bell Institute for the Foundations of Physics. If you’re interested in the foundations of physics—which you absolutely should be—then please check out the JBI, which is devoted to providing a home for research and education in this important area. Any donations are immensely helpful at this early stage in the institute’s life.

The John Bell Institute: https://www.johnbellinstitute.org

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode…

00:50 Introduction

04:49 How Do Physicists Think of Wormholes?

15:56 Stephen Hawking, Philosophy, and Quantum Gravity

26:00 Causal Set Theory and The Problem of Quantum Gravity

43:45 What is the Path Integral?

54:43 Is Spacetime Discrete?

57:40 Causal Set Theory and Black Holes

01:14:27 Lorentz Symmetry, Non-Locality, and Phenomenology in Causal Set Theory

Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com

Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University. Join him in conversations with philosophers, scientists, weightlifters, artists, and everyone in-between.