#112 – Ian Hutchinson: Nuclear Fusion, Plasma Physics, and Religion
Lex Fridman Podcast
Lex Fridman
4.7 • 13.6K Ratings
🗓️ 29 July 2020
⏱️ 122 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
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.
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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
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The following is a conversation with Ian Hutchinson, a nuclear engineer and plasma physicist at MIT. |
| 0:06.2 | He has made a number of important contributions in plasma physics, including the magnetic confinement |
| 0:10.8 | of plasmas, seeking to enable fusion reactions, which happens to be the energy source of the stars, |
| 0:17.6 | to be used for practical energy production. Current nuclear reactors, by the way, |
| 0:23.1 | are based on fiction as we discuss. Ian has also written on the philosophy of science and the |
| 0:29.6 | relationship between science and religion, arguing in particular against scientism, which is a |
| 0:35.6 | negative description of the overreach of the scientific method to questions not amenable to it. |
| 0:41.4 | On this latter topic, I recommend two of his books, his new one, |
| 0:44.9 | Can a scientist believe in miracles, where he answers more than 200 questions on all aspects of |
| 0:49.6 | God and science, and his earlier book on scientism called monopilizing knowledge. As you may have |
| 0:56.7 | seen already, I work hard on having an open mind, always questioning my assumptions, and in general, |
| 1:03.1 | marvel at the immense mystery of everything around us, and the limitations of at least my mind. |
| 1:10.4 | I'm not religious myself, in that I don't go to the synagogue, a church, or mosque, |
| 1:15.6 | but I see the beautiful bond in the community that religion at its best can create. |
| 1:21.3 | I also see both in scientists and religious leaders, signs of arrogance, hypocrisy, greed, and a will |
| 1:30.0 | to power. We're human. By the Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Agnostic, or Atheist, |
| 1:38.4 | this podcast is my humble attempt to explore a complicated human nature. |
| 1:43.2 | What Stanislav Lem in his book, Salaris, called Our Own Labyrinth of Dark Passages and Secret |
| 1:49.1 | Chambers. I ask that you try to keep an open mind as well and be patient with the limitations of |
| 1:56.0 | mind. Quick summary of the ads, two new amazing sponsors, Sunbasket and Power Dot. Please consider |
| 2:04.4 | supporting this podcast by going to sunbasket.com slash Lex and use code Lex at checkout and |
| 2:10.9 | going to power dot dot slash Lex and use code Lex at checkout as well. Click the links by the |
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