Conjecture Institute

In this module, we will explore the content and shortcomings of four laws of thermodynamics.   Read the module: https://conjectureinstitute.org/courses/constructor-theory/Constructor%20Theory%20Module%203.pdf   Visit Conjecture Institute: https://conjectureinstitute.org/

Physicist Abdullah Afzal discusses the ideas in his essay, Effective Field Theory and the Shape of Realism (cowritten with Hassaan Saleem).   Abdul and Hassaan's' essay is one of several written for our upcoming compendium, Bold Conjectures, Volume II: Essays Across Physics.

Conjecture Institute Fellow Charles Bedard discusses the ideas in his essay, Another Triumph of Locality: Colliding Histories Skew Handshakes.   Charles' essay is one of several written for our upcoming compendium, Bold Conjectures, Volume II: Essays Across Physics.

Conjecture Institute Fellow Sam Kuypers discusses the ideas in his essay, The Fate of Spacetime: What Many Worlds Means for Gravity.   Sam's essay is one of several written for our upcoming compendium, Bold Conjectures, Volume II: Essays Across Physics.

As we saw in Module One, all dynamical laws of motion are time-reversal symmetric: if the trajectory of a system from state A to state B is allowed by particular laws of motion, then the trajectory of that system from state B to state A is also allowed by those same laws.   Yet this fundamental reversibility sits in stark tension with the one-way processes we observe all around us.   Since 1870, a number of attempted solutions to this conflict have been offered that can’t quite solve the problem. But, as is often the case in science, understanding the reasons why they fail shed light on what attributes the actual solution must have.   Read: https://conjectureinstitute.org/courses/constructor-theory/Constructor%20Theory%20Module%202.pdf   Visit Conjecture Institute: https://www.conjectureinstitute.org/   Donate to Conjecture Institute: https://www.every.org/conjecture-institute-inc#/donate/card   Follow Conjecture Institute on X: https://x.com/ConjectureInst  

While Newtonian mechanics, quantum mechanics, and general relativity consist of radically different conceptual frameworks and mathematical infrastructure, they are all expressible in what David Deutsch and Chiara Marletto call the prevailing or traditional conception. If you know the current positions and velocities of the planets, Newton’s laws let you calculate where they will be next year, or where they were last year. If you know the wave function of an electron and the rule governing how it changes, quantum mechanics lets you compute its entire future and its entire past. If you know the positions and velocities of two black holes at the current moment, Einstein’s equations in general relativity fix their entire evolution in spacetime — forward or backward.   Read: https://conjectureinstitute.org/courses/constructor-theory/Constructor%20Theory%20Module%201.pdf   Visit Conjecture Institute: https://www.conjectureinstitute.org/   Donate to Conjecture Institute: https://www.every.org/conjecture-institute-inc#/donate/card   Follow Conjecture Institute on X: https://x.com/ConjectureInst  

The scope of a scientific theory is not a matter of subjective preference, and that judging a theory by its scope is a mistake. Judging a scientific theory by its structure—for example, whether or not it consists of algebraic equations and dynamical laws of motion—is also a mistake. Absent a good explanation for why a given theory’s scope is too great, or why a given theory’s structure renders it inviable, it is irrational to dismiss a theory just because its scope or structure does not meet your preferences.   Read: https://www.conjectureinstitute.org/courses/constructor-theory/Logan%20Constructor%20Theory%20Module%200%20-%20Google%20Docs.pdf   Visit Conjecture Institute: https://www.conjectureinstitute.org/   Donate to Conjecture Institute: https://www.every.org/conjecture-institute-inc#/donate/card   Follow Conjecture Institute on X: https://x.com/ConjectureInst  

Philosophy is often divided into three branches: metaphysics or ontology (what is existence, why do reality’s constituent parts behave the way they do, what constrains and explains Nature’s regularities), epistemology (how knowledge grows, how people come to know what we think we know), and morality (what one should and should not do, how to choose some values over others).   Read: https://www.conjectureinstitute.org/courses/people-reason-reality/Logan%20-%20Reason%20Module%204%20-%20Google%20Docs.pdf   Visit Conjecture Institute: https://www.conjectureinstitute.org/   Donate to Conjecture Institute: https://www.every.org/conjecture-institute-inc#/donate/card   Follow Conjecture Institute on X: https://x.com/ConjectureInst  

A good explanation is not only hard to vary, but it must also cohere with the rest of our explanations and actually explain what we are trying to explain.   These three constraints imply that the search for good explanations will always be nontrivial. In fact, the deeper our explanations of the world, the more constrained the space of good explanations becomes   Read: https://www.conjectureinstitute.org/courses/people-reason-reality/Logan%20-%20Reason%20Module%203%20-%20Google%20Docs.pdf   Visit Conjecture Institute: https://www.conjectureinstitute.org/   Donate to Conjecture Institute: https://www.every.org/conjecture-institute-inc#/donate/card   Follow Conjecture Institute on X: https://x.com/ConjectureInst  

Evidence-based anything is an illusion. There is no evidence-based science, evidence-based policy, evidence-based argument (see this very paragraph).   In reality, a mind first guesses—conjectures—an idea. This could be a scientific idea, a moral idea, an economic idea, a political idea, an idea about beauty—anything.   One then criticizes it: is it internally consistent? Does it cohere with our other ideas about how the world works? Is it arbitrary? Is it consistent with our observations?   Read: https://www.conjectureinstitute.org/courses/people-reason-reality/Logan%20%E2%80%93%20Reason%20Module%202%20-%20Google%20Docs.pdf   Visit Conjecture Institute: https://www.conjectureinstitute.org/   Donate to Conjecture Institute: https://www.every.org/conjecture-institute-inc#/donate/card   Follow Conjecture Institute on X: https://x.com/ConjectureInst

Taking Schrödinger Seriously, Module 1: What Is the Schrödinger Equation?, by Conjecture Institute Fellow Maxime Desalle   By the end of this module, you will be able to: -Identify each symbol in the Schrödinger equation and explain what it represents, -Describe what the wave function is and why it must be complex (here, complex means ‘having both real and imaginary components’), -Explain why the equation uses only the first derivative of Ψ, and what this implies about determinism, -Read the Hamiltonian as a specification of what physical situation the system is in, and -Articulate what the equation says, and what it does not say.   Read: https://www.conjectureinstitute.org/courses/schrodinger/Maxime%20Module%201.pdf   Visit Conjecture Institute: https://www.conjectureinstitute.org/

People, Reason, & Reality Part I: Reason: Module 1: The Paths to Adopting an Idea, by Conjecture Institute President Logan Chipkin   The relationships between errors, problem solving, thinking, and rationality are not as straightforward as common sense might suggest.   Read: https://www.conjectureinstitute.org/courses/people-reason-reality/Logan%20%E2%80%93%20Reason%20Module%201%20-%20Google%20Docs.pdf   Visit Conjecture Institute: https://www.conjectureinstitute.org/

Conjecture Institute President & Cofounder Logan Chipkin speaks with Oxford physicist and Conjecture Institute Senior Scientist Chiara Marletto about constructor theory, a theory in fundamental physics that seeks to express all of the laws of physics in terms of transformations that are possible, transformations that are impossible, and why. Logan and Chiara discuss constructor theory’s motivations, its basic structure, and its applications to the physics of information, time, probability, quantum gravity, and other areas. Visit Chiara’s website: https://www.chiaramarletto.com Learn more about constructor theory: https://www.constructortheory.org Visit Conjecture Institute: https://www.conjectureinstitute.org Donate to Conjecture Institute: https://www.every.org/conjecture-institute-inc#/donate/card

Conjecture Institute Advisor, Lord Daniel Hannan is in conversation today about democracy, free trade and freedom broadly. Lord Hannan has a comprehensive website containing his work which is found at https://danielhannan.info/ while his Youtube channel is a catalogue of speeches, talks, interviews, lectures and more defending the ideas and ideals of the Enlightenment and Western Civilization. Chapters/Timestamps are below 00:00 Introduction 00:04 Preview 00:56 Introduction to Lord Hannan 01:29 Upper Houses and the functions of a Parliament. 09:21 Democracy and the EU Parliament 17:19 “The Will of the People” and referenda. 23:47 The English vs Spanish “Western” civilisations” and political stability. 29:00 The Invention of Freedom and Resource Extraction 37:31 Climate Change, Net Zero and Politics 39:53 Doomerism, Regulation and Social Control. 43:39: Lord Hannan on Nick Bostrom, Techno-Pessimism and AI 45:47 Existential Risk, Property Rights, Wealth 49:56 Common Law, Property Rights and Conservationism 52:12 Free speech and The First Amendment

Maria is fellow of Conjecture Institute https://www.conjectureinstitute.org/ and physicist with her own Youtube Channel where she takes deep dives into many aspects of quantum theory - especially quantum computation. Subscribe to her channel here:    / @maria_violaris  

Oxford physicist Vlatko Vedral speaks with Conjecture Institute President Logan Chipkin about quantum information theory, testing whether or not gravity is classical, whether spacetime is fundamental or emergent, and more.   Get Vlatko's new book, Portals to a New Reality: Five Pathways to the Future of Physics: https://a.co/d/cqCIK8x   Learn more about Vlatko's work: https://www.vlatkovedral.com   Learn more about Conjecture Institute: https://www.conjectureinstitute.org

Eric is a freelance writer and host of The Falsifiable Podcast, a show in which Eric explores both current events and evergreen topics in science, culture, and politics through a Popperian lens. He is currently working on a book that serves as a one-stop shop for anyone interested in epistemology in general—and Popperian epistemology in particular. Eric's podcast can be found here: https://youtube.com/@thefalsifiablepodcast?si=uG3KUkUsUU6jif-Y And his writing here: https://thefalsifiablenewsletter.substack.com

In this episode Conjecture Institute Advisor David Deutsch takes a deep dive into the problems that plague existing academic institutions and, crucially, the ways research (in particular fundamental research in science) tends to be funded. David explains his own experiences in finding a career in physics early in his life, how things have changed and therefore what problems now beset young researchers. David then presents a positive vision for a new way forward and how Conjecture Institute is playing a key role in the formation of a unique model for fostering creativity and making progress by providing an alternative place for research to be conducted and philanthropic support for people and projects to be directed.  Chapters 0:00 Introduction 2:34 How Bureaucracy Stifles Scientific Discovery 9:50 Restoring Freedom to Research 20:34 The Purpose of a University 30:30 Would Quantum Computing Get Funded Today? 37:40 The Manhattan Project’s Unintended Breakthrough 46:56 What’s Missing from Every Quantum Mechanics Textbook 53:25 The One and Only AGI Researcher 55:57 The Case for Constructor Theory 1:04:35 A $7 Million Bet on the Biggest Question in Physics 1:09:04 Countering Pessimism 1:14:21 Confronting Irrationality 1:24:37 Does the UK Need a First Amendment? Does the U.S.? 1:33:17 Final Words X (Twitter): @ConjectureInst Website: http://conjectureinstitute.org

Mathematician Paul Raymond-Robichaud answers questions posed on Twitter/X. Note: there were some connection issues so at times the audio is a bit "lossy" or patchy. But the substance is all still there. Timestamps as follow: 00:00 Introduction 00:55 Hugo Graw wants to know about Paul’s background and intellectual inspirations and the future of mathematics given AI. 07:16 People Paul wishes to thank 17:16 Extended discussion about mathematics as proxy for high IQ or intelligence and the usefulness of mathematics examinations in gauging creativity, etc. 30:41 Thibault wants to know about the big ideas in mathematics and interdisciplinary thinking. 34:37 Lu wants to know if Paul can make the case for voluntarily learning mathematics 38:34 The pseudoscience in “education”. 39:54 Sam asks several questions (1) What is your favourite branch of mathematics (if you have one) and why do you consider it important? 41:33 (2) How did you become interested in quantum theory? 44:36 (3) What do you consider the most impactful use of mathematics in physics? That is, how does better, more rigorous mathematics help is do phyiscs better? 46:26 Nivi asks if Paul has any extensions, improvements, criticisms of David Deutsch’s theories of mathematics. 48:07 Anders asks for an intro to spaced repetition and thoughts on how it intersects with the fun criterion alongside what stoicism can add to CR? 54:09 Guillem asks if we can define purely mathematically the forgetting process? 55:00 Erik asks in what ways can mathematics be considered a language, and in what ways not? 56:21 Josh asks about Imre Lakatos. 56:40 Hemant asks what Paul you thinks is the biggest misconception humans have about the nature of mathematics itself? And if you had to choose one concept from which all of mathematics could be rebuilt, what would it be? 1:00:50 Aziz asks about Category Theory 1:03:01 Ariya asks about Paul’s favourite books and why information helps to understand quantum mechanics. 1:08:02 Cory asks about the connection between entropy in information theory and entropy in thermodynamics? 1:08:45 Josh asks how Paul approaches criticizing explanations (or parts of them) mathematically. 1:10:13 Hemant asks what role do you think pure mathematics and abstract reasoning play in solving complex real-world problems like AI alignment or the control of advanced technologies? 1:13:10 Šmingvin asks about there claim that “no one understands quantum mechanics”.

Mathematician Paul Raymond-Robichaud (⁨@PaulRaymond-Robichaud on Youtube⁩ and @PaulRRobichaud on @X) joins Brett Hall for a discussion about the foundations of mathematics, physics, education and philosophy. Paul works in quantum foundations. He developed a mathematical theory of local realism that generalizes the notion beyond the frameworks of existing theories. In particular, he formally proved that quantum theory itself is locally realistic. This result settles an important scientific question that once troubled luminaries such as Einstein. Beyond his work in physics, Paul is passionate about Stoic philosophy and is exploring ways to merge it with critical rationalism. He is also investigating how physics, computing, and critical rationalism might be brought together to improve the foundations of mathematics.

Conjecture Institute Fellow Carlos De la Guardia speaks with Brett Hall about his AGI research. We compare and contrast approaches to artificial intelligence with a focus on what makes Carlos' approach unique. Support Carlos by visiting https://www.conjectureinstitute.org/

Tom Hyde is a philosopher and polymath interested in the relationship between epistemology and aesthetics. He is developing Wonderism, a bold new book aiming to reconcile Enlightenment rationality with Romanticist sentiment. To wonder, both to think and to feel, to question and to marvel, lies at the heart of all human action. Wonderism explains both sides of this balance and sheds light on the relationships between knowledge and experience, reason and feeling, science and art. Tom has degrees in science and can be found on X at https://x.com/tomhyde_ and on Substack at https://tomhyde.substack.com/

Arjun Khemani is a content creator and fellow of Conjecture Institute. He is an 18-year-old high school dropout who launched and helped lead support at Naval Ravikant's Airchat. He is creating a documentary about our deepest theory of knowledge. In general, he works to spread optimism and fight the enemies of civilization. His Youtube channel can be found  @arjunkhemani  and can be followed on X at https://x.com/arjunkhemani

Sam Kuypers is a theoretical physicist who works on quantum information among other things and is a fellow of Conjecture Institute. To learn more about Sam's work see his blog https://substack.com/@samuelkuypers or scroll down to find Sam here at https://www.conjectureinstitute.org/

Brett Hall speaks with Logan Chipkin about https://www.conjectureinstitute.org/ and the purpose of this podcast series.