#112 – Ian Hutchinson: Nuclear Fusion, Plasma Physics, and Religion

Ian Hutchinson is a nuclear engineer and plasma physicist at MIT. He has made a number of important contributions in plasma physics including the magnetic confinement of plasmas seeking to enable fusion reactions, which is the energy source of the stars, to be used for practical energy production. Current nuclear reactors are based on fission as we discuss. Ian has also written on the philosophy of science and the relationship between science and religion. Support this podcast by supporting our sponsors: – Sun Basket, use code LEX: https://sunbasket.com/lex – PowerDot, use code LEX: https://powerdot.com/lex If you would like to get more information about this podcast go to https://lexfridman.com/ai or connect with @lexfridman on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Medium, or YouTube where you can watch the video versions of these conversations. If you enjoy the podcast, please rate it 5 stars on Apple Podcasts, follow on Spotify, or support it on Patreon. Here’s the outline of the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time. OUTLINE: 00:00 – Introduction 05:32 – Nuclear physics and plasma physics 08:00 – Fusion energy 35:22 – Nuclear weapons 42:06 – Existential risks 50:29 – Personal journey in religion 56:27 – What is God like? 1:01:34 – Scientism 1:04:21 – Atheism 1:06:39 – Not knowing 1:09:57 – Faith 1:13:46 – The value of loyalty and love 1:23:26 – Why is there suffering in the world 1:35:08 – AGI 1:40:27 – Consciousness 1:48:14 – Simulation 1:52:20 – Adam and Eve 1:54:57 – Meaning of life