Carlo Rovelli and Christophe Galfard on the Architecture of the Universe

Intelligence Squared

Arts, News, Society & Culture, News Commentary

4.2 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 29 July 2016

⏱️ 61 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Does time exist? Was our universe born from a Big Bang, or from a Big Bounce triggered by a former universe imploding? Is this the only universe, or are there infinite ones, all expanding in parallel and out of sight of each other? These are just some of the questions that were tackled by world-renowned physicists Carlo Rovelli and Christophe Galfard when they came to the Intelligence Squared stage, in this event chaired by BBC science star Helen Czerski. Theoretical physics deals with matters at the very limits of human understanding. Einstein was once prompted to tell a student: ‘If you have understood me, then I haven’t been clear.’ In the face of this complexity, Rovelli and Galfard have found a way of explaining the mysteries of physics that has made them the most popular science communicators in their countries. In Italy, Rovelli has consistently outsold Fifty Shades of Grey with his book 'Seven Brief Lessons on Physics', which last year became a Sunday Times bestseller. Galfard — who gained his... Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:27.8	Thank you for downloading this Intelligence Squared podcast.
0:33.0	For more information on our debates, talks and discussions,
0:36.0	visit intelligence squared.com and sign up to the newsletter.
0:40.0	This evening is going to be a bit of a voyage through what we know about the universe and how it's
0:46.1	constructed and what the rules that seem to make it tick are.
0:50.1	And we're not at all ambitious.
0:51.4	We are going to cover things that are smaller than an atom all the way up to the size of a universe.
0:56.0	So I hope you're ready for this.
0:58.0	It gives me vertigo just thinking about that.
1:00.0	Because science is a process.
1:02.0	It's not just an end product,
1:03.0	and discussing what we don't know is far more interesting to most scientists
1:07.0	than discussing what we do know.
1:09.0	So joining me for this discussion, we have, as you just heard from Robert to the world's most well
1:14.8	known enthusiasts and practitioners when it comes to theoretical physics. We have
	...

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