Is the Universe Random or Deterministic, or Neither? Andrew Jaffe - #536

Into the Impossible With Brian Keating

Brian Keating

Physics, Natural Sciences, Science

4.7 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 12 January 2026

⏱️ 67 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Get My NEW Book: Focus Like a Nobel Prize Winner: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FN8DH6SX Andrew Jaffe Book: The Random Universe: https://www.amazon.com/Random-Universe-Models-Probability-Cosmos/dp/0300250509 Is the universe intrinsically random? In this conversation, we dive deep into why the universe may be fundamentally, intrinsically random. Whether inflation on life support, the truth behind the Hubble tension, and whether cosmology is approaching the event horizon, limits beyond which humans can never know. Today we're joined by one of the architects of modern cosmological inference, Professor Andrew Jaffee, author of a new book called The Random Universe that argues that every observation in science is shaped by the models we bring to it, biases and all. KEY TAKEAWAYS 00:00–01:13 — Science and life rely on building models. 01:13–03:35 — Models of people and reality are often wrong and revised. 04:04–06:01 — Observation depends on prior theories. 06:01–07:32 — Models can’t be escaped, only improved. 07:32–08:57 — No single scientific method exists. 08:57–11:25 — Science uses induction, not pure proof. 11:25–13:22 — Induction isn’t certain, only probabilistic. 13:22–15:36 — Induction works because nature is regular. 17:44–19:08 — Big Bang emerges from well-tested models. 19:08–21:15 — Current cosmology is stressed, not broken. 29:19–30:36 — Probability gives meaning to models. 39:45–41:11 — Randomness often reflects limited knowledge. 43:46–45:00 — Quantum physics is fundamentally probabilistic. 49:09–50:04 — Inflation awaits decisive observational tests. - Additional resources: Get My NEW Book: Focus Like a Nobel Prize Winner: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FN8DH6SX?ref_=pe_93986420_775043100 Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/yt to win a meteorite 💥 - Join this channel to get access to perks like monthly Office Hours: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmXH_moPhfkqCk6S3b9RWuw/join 📚 Get a copy of my books: Think Like a Nobel Prize Winner, with life changing interviews with 9 Nobel Prizewinners: https://a.co/d/03ezQFu My tell-all cosmic memoir Losing the Nobel Prize: http://amzn.to/2sa5UpA The first-ever audiobook from Galileo: Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems: Ptolemaic and Copernican https://a.co/d/iZPi9Un 📺 Watch my most popular videos:📺 Neil Turok https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dt5cFLN65fI Frank Wilczek https://youtu.be/3z8RqKMQHe0?sub_confirmation=1 Eric Weinstein vs. Stephen Wolfram https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OI0AZ4Y4Ip4?sub_confirmation=1 Sir Roger Penrose: https://youtu.be/AMuqyAvX7Wo Sabine Hossenfelder: https://youtu.be/g00ilS6tBvs Avi Loeb: https://youtu.be/N9lUceHsLRw Follow me to ask questions of my guests: 🏄‍♂️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating 🔔 Subscribe https://www.youtube.com/DrBrianKeating?sub_confirmation=1 📝 Join my mailing list; just click here http://briankeating.com/list ✍️ Detailed Blog posts here: https://briankeating.com/blog 🎙️ Listen on audio-only platforms: https://briankeating.com/podcast #universe #podcast #briankeating #intotheimpossible #science #astronomy #cosmology #cosmicmicrowavebackground #intotheimpossible #briankeating #AndrewJaffe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, just leave on work now. Sorry, it's a bit loud. Um, basically, so I was thinking we could get Macies tonight.
0:05.7	Had a big Mac on my mind all day and delivery fee on the app is now from 99P. So you win? Of course you are.
0:11.5	Love you. Bye.
0:13.1	Exclusively on the McDonald's app.
0:15.9	18 plus service fee and small order fee may apply, participate in restaurants. Serving times and teas and seas apply.
0:20.0	Is the universe intrinsically random?
0:22.5	In this conversation, we dive deep into why the universe may be fundamentally intrinsically
0:27.9	random, whether inflation is on life support, the truth behind the Hubble tension,
0:32.4	and whether cosmology is approaching the event horizon, the limits beyond which humans can never know.
0:38.3	Today we're joined by one of the architects of modern cosmological inference.
0:43.3	Professor Andrew Jaffe, author of a new book called The Random Universe that argues that every observation in science is shaped by the models we bring to it, biases and all.
0:53.3	So what's one model or personal belief that you held for years and years and years?
0:58.6	And then later only discovered that you were completely wrong.
1:02.9	Oh, gosh.
1:05.8	Let's see.
1:06.8	What did I think I was wrong at?
1:08.7	Well, almost nothing.
1:09.6	No, if only that were true.
1:10.5	But I mean, there's, so there's lots of different realms I could go into, I guess. Many, the ones where I find myself wrong the most often are probably interpersonal relations. So we all build models not only of just the physical world around us, but the people around us all the time.
1:30.2	And I suppose, you know, you're in relationship with people, friends, enemies that become friends.
1:40.1	I mean, that's a great example.
1:41.6	When you thought you understood somebody and you thought that they were diametrically opposed to you in some ways or other.
	...

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