FQxI Podcast

2019: Year in Physics Review Part 1

Beginning our countdown of the biggest stories of the year in physics, as chosen by quantum physicist Ian Durham.

An amped up version of the Schrodinger Cat Paradox spells trouble for all quantum interpretations -- according to its architect Renato Renner. He tells Zeeya and Brendan how the controversial thought experiment works, and why he thinks it is bad news for fans of Many Worlds and quantum parallel universes, QBism, Collapse models and (less so) for Bohmian interpretations of quantum mechanics. But not everyone agrees.

Quantum Supremacy Milestone? Rumours abound that Google's quantum processor Sycamore has performed a task that would flummox the best classical computer — a first in quantum computing. Physicist Ian Durham assesses the claims, gives us a quantum computing primer, and discusses concerns about the term 'quantum supremacy'.

Quantum Mind Reading. Could we create a quantum experiment to predict what a person will do, without having to simulate their consciousness? Physicist Adam Brown argues a classic quantum "bomb tester" proposed in the 1990s could be modified to do just that.

Downward Causation. Cosmologist George Ellis investigates agency and argues that causation is a two-way process between the mind and lower level biological and physical functions. From the 6th FQXi meeting in Tuscany, in July.

Designing the Mind. Cognitive scientist Susan Schneider talks transhumanism and asks at what point does human enhancement go too far? Are we in danger of accidentally destroying ourselves through technological augmentation and creating new beings in our stead? From the 6th FQXi Meeting, in Tuscany.

Measuring Free Will. To what degree are our choices really free, rather than determined? And how much control do we have over them? Quantum physicist Ian Durham presents a new mathematical model for free will. From the 6th FQXi Meeting, in Tuscany.

How do we make decisions? Physicist Carlo Rovelli discusses the science behind choice -- arguing that agency is intimately tied to time's arrow. From the 6th FQXi meeting in Tuscany.

Building an AI Physicist. Cosmologist Max Tegmark describes the challenges with creating trustworthy artificial intelligence, and his own project writing a code that used neural networks to re-discover 100 equations from the Feynman lectures.

The Limits of Computation. Astrophysicist Fred Adams argues the world will run out of resources for computation in 32 years without a paradigm shift. And he discusses how alien civilizations could mine stars to create solar-system-sized "black cloud computers," which could be detected on Earth. From the 6th FQXi meeting in Tuscany.