Max Tegmark's TEDx-Talk On Consciousness
Click the image to be directed to this video. Website: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzCvlFRISIM&list=PLsRNoUx8w3rMUmMTFuZhzmQxE0txdf18K&index=5 Summary: Those interested in consciousness will be aware of David Chalmer's "hard problem". This refers to the difficulty of understanding 'qualia', or, subjective phenomenological experience. For example, we may want to understand the colour 'red' which appears to us, phenomenologically, when we see a red car, a red apple or red hair (etc.). We may quantify this experience by measuring brain waves upon a subject's sighting of something red. But, it appears that even if we are presented with all that a physicalist can account for being 'red' (the mathematics, the science) we would see wavelength descriptions and brain waves. But we would not 'see', or 'feel' red amongst the equations. The equations would not suddenly turn from written letters and numbers into the colour 'red', despite being a 'complete' description of it. Therefore, it appears that there is something that it is like for us to see, or feel, 'red' above the physicalists description of it. We have subjective experience of 'red'. The problem becomes more complicated when we attempt to synthesise the idea of having a brain and a 'mind', where the 'mind' is responsible for this subjective experience and the brain more 'functional' duties such as motor control (movement). This is because if the physical (our brain) and the non-physical (our mind) inhabit the same space but yet are fundamentally distinct by following different physical laws, they cannot have any causal effect upon one another. If the 'mind' behaves according to the physical, material laws which we understand then it's the brain. If the mind does not behave materially (particles, chemical reactions etc.) then it cannot affect that which is governed by material laws. And so the 'mind' can have no affect upon the brain because if the 'mind' were to see 'red' and wanted the brain to pick up the juicy red apple because it looks delicious, it could not direct the brain towards it because it would have no way to influence it, physically. There would be no neurochemical influence, no synapses firing and the apple would not be retrieved. Max Tegmark (physics professor at MIT), discusses this debate within neuroscience, and theorises that we already have the ingredients to understand this hard problem, in this TEDx-Talk. For me this is a major step in synthesising qualia and the physicalist's understanding of the brain. And, ultimately, an extremely positive message: we have the tools already, so let's stop arguing and go forward! Theoretically, I love this. Enjoy!
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Hawking - (2013) A documentary of his life Length: 1hr 28 mins Source: YouTube Rating: 10/10 Year: 2013 Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shbs13XM3k0 Last watched: 22nd December 2013 Click the image to be directed to this documentary. Enjoy! Summary: If you are a fan of Hawking then this is an absolute must see. The documentary takes you through Hawking's life, in his own words. From his eccentric childhood, to his twenties and falling down the stairs at Oxford university (one of the first indicators he was unwell), to falling in love and of course his discoveries. Hawking has not only achieved far more than most human beings, but he has done it all on borrowed time. For forty-nine years he has surpassed medical expectations. Which has a certain kind of irony, considering his father had wanted him to study medicine but he chose physics instead. For me, the highlight was when Hawking was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease at the beginning of his PhD. His world had fallen apart, he wasn't expected to even live long enough to finish his postgraduate work and yet, for Hawking, what saved his life and gave him something to live for was not success, academic stature or fame. Instead, as he says, it was that he fell in love. A reminder from someone who has achieved so much, of what is really important when you're faced with losing everything. Max Tegmark - "The Future of Life: a Cosmic Perspective" Time: 48:55 My Source: YouTube Rating: 8/10 Last viewed: 22nd September 2013 Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GctnYAYcMhI Click the image to be directed to this video. Summary: MIT Professor Max Tegmark gives a lecture at a TED-style two day event whereby he explores his own views of the cosmos, what it is, how it will develop, how it could end and perhaps that we are alone in the universe and what that means. Prof. Max Tegmark is not your average cosmologist, nor your average lecturer. He's excitable, engaging and has a very visible passion for what he does but in a different way to how I would describe others who are clearly engaged in their field. It is more that he wishes for others to engage, be excited and become passionate for the field, rather than simply just wishing to demonstrate the depth of his own involvement in the subject. He is also often a benchmark contributor for big documentaries such as 'The Ultimate Guide to Black Holes' (post below) which allows his enthusiasm to reach a wider audience. He has, therefore, become the contributor I look for before watching a documentary! As you will see if you visit his website, he is a very open academic who believes that scientists should 'get off their high horses' and get as many people involved in learning, teaching and research as possible. He is a personal favourite of mine, a very distinct personality and almost his own little wave in cosmology. Don't believe me? Look below to 'Meeting Prof. Max Tegmark'. - His personal website: http://space.mit.edu/home/tegmark/ - Facebook page for his first book 'The Mathematical Universe' (out soon) which he personally manages: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Max-Tegmark/461616050561921?fref=ts Meeting Prof. Max Tegmark at the Royal Institution, London for a talk on his new (and first) book "Our Mathematical Universe - My Quest For The Ultimate Nature Of Reality" (2014) So, this little story will illuminate how wonderful Professor Max Tegmark really is and what I mean when I say I am ultimately very thankful for my insomnia (a common Twitter rant)! It was very late on the 28th January 2014 and I couldn't sleep, as per usual, so I logged into Facebook. I then saw that Max had posted on the page for his new book (link above), that he was on his way to London and should anyone wish to attend the talk he was giving, they should ask. I immediately jumped at the opportunity and soon found Max asking for all those who had requested a ticket for their contact details so he could let us know if any should become available! Over the moon and very aware that it would be on a 'first come, first serve' basis I took to watching my Facebook like a hawk. I saw this request for a mobile number and sent mine via e-mail immediately. I'm not even sure Facebook had managed to turn it's automatic timescale from "a few seconds ago" to "one minute" before I had replied to Max telling him it was on its way! Knowing I had done all I could, I continued to hover around any electronic device which had a Facebook 'notifications' feature and waited to see if any tickets had been arranged. It was now the day of the talk and I knew I would have to leave for London by around 3pm (to meet a good friend whom I very seldom see before hand) and therefore, despite not knowing if I had a ticket at 12pm I decided to get ready anyway. Then, at around 2pm, I had a phone call and I immediately knew who was going to be on the other end. Now, I am not one for buying into 'celebrity' culture but I have those who I admire greatly and Max is one of them. So, if I was to say I 'kept it cool' and used all the social skills I have to restrain myself from bursting out in an ecstatic "Oh my god" whilst burying my head in my hands with a grin from ear to ear, I would probably (definitely) be lying to you. Needless to say I heard "Hello Alainah, it's Max Tegmark here!" in his lovely, excitable voice and I died, a little, of happiness. The ticket was arranged and Max told me of how to obtain it when I reached the doors. But, that was just the beginning of my Max Tegmark experience, which I will try to list from here. When I arrived at the venue, I used my magic word and discovered that I didn't need to pay for a ticket as I had expected, which was extremely generous of both Max and the venue staff, who arranged this for myself and the other 'winner' of the ticket (only two had become available! - the 'hawk-eyed' approach paid off!) and I walked up the stairs and saw Max. He had said on the phone that I should make sure and say hello, so, of course, in light of his generosity I wanted to introduce myself, and of course, thank him. I waited as Max took a photograph with a young school child and when he turned around and walked towards me, we shook hands and I introduced myself. To my surprise he smiled, nodded and said he recognised me. In text, this may not seem a 'like a big deal' but in situations like this (having approached academics at conferences etc.) this is the first time I have felt as though I was approaching a stranger whom I knew (from their careers) but that did not know me, but had made some effort at least to consider the possibility that I was worth meeting too. In essence, for Max, who has seen thousands of faces to have recognised the face of a fan from Facebook is very simply, 'making an effort'. That is the only way in which I can describe the rest of the evening, speaking to Max later when he signed my book and again after that. He had taken the time to ask if I was sticking around and to speak of the prison research I hope to conduct in the summer of this year. By describing this evening I am hoping to iluminate the point that Max is a very warm and generous academic and there are not many like him. I am not stretched to think of friendly academics, but I am certainly stretched to think of any as welcoming and humble as Max. Therefore, the point of this post (there is one, other than me simply gushing over the evening) is that if you want to get involved in physics or cosmology, that you look into Max. Look for YouTube videos of his lectures, documentaries he has been involved in, events he may be holding and of course, read his first and very new, book. For I may be twenty-two and perhaps I should have 'grown out' of responding so strongly to those I admire, but the reason I have still continued with this post (other than because I am not embarrassed of enjoying the things I enjoy!) is also because it is very easy for me to see already how the effect of Max's affection towards his fans (particularly if they are young and wish to move into physics/cosmology) could be life changing for them. Now I know Max's answer would be that in parallel universes just millimetres from where I stand now there is another Alainah who is a cosmologist, but from this version of myself... if I had met Max at seven or eight years old I can only imagine how encouraging his support would have been. Perhaps, right now, I would be finding time to squeeze in reading his new book not because I am at university and busy with my own course, but because I am at university, busy and studying astrophysics. Who knows! Now, Max, you said you had seen my blog so, if you have stumbled across it again - thank you for everything! And, it was a pleasure to finally get to meet you in person too!
Leonard Susskind - Lectures from Stanford University, US Einstein's General Theory of Relativity - Lecture 1: Time: 1:38:28 My Source: YouTube Rating: 8/10 Last viewed: 25th September 2013 Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbmf0bB38h0 Click the image to be directed to this lecture. Summary: For anyone with a deep interest in physics, Stanford University's recording of Leonard Susskind's lectures are invaluable. They allow you, in your own time, to go through real university physics lectures from one of the most respected physicists in the world. As they are real lectures, they are difficult. However, I have no background in mathematics but because Susskind is a good and patient teacher, I found I could follow with relative ease. You can follow the suggested videos on YouTube to many more of his lectures but this is one is my favourite and was my starting point. I believe Susskind was an inspiration for the writers of 'The Big Bang Theory' and this is where Leonard Hofstadter get his name. Enjoy! Stephen Hawking documentaries: Documentary series: 'Into the Universe' and 'Grand Design' Episodes: 3 each (6 total) Average length: 40+ minutes Sourced: YouTube and others Rating: 10/10 Year: 2010 - 2013 Broadcast by: Discovery Channel Summary: As my favourite person in the entire universe, Stephen Hawking's documentaries get 10/10 throughout. As always, Hawking is brilliantly funny and takes you through his imagination, which as he says, is what allows him to be free. Hawking's disease renders him completely paralysed apart from one eye, meaning he has to memorise the entirety of chapters for his books or scripts for his documentaries. Personally, I think that deserves a 10/10 straight off the bat. But beyond that, as far as documentaries on these subjects go, Stephen Hawking's are by far my favourite and I am yet to see a documentary series top them. They use the highest quality visualisations and Benedict Cumberbatch's narration is brilliant at conveying Hawking's enthusiasm! Hawking's is also fantastic at teaching. Subjects such as 'string theory' which are extremely complicated, Hawking makes beautifully simple. I can not recommend them highly enough. Also, in an interview with Brian Cox and David Attenborough Hawking said that he dreams in equations. Amazing. Click the image of the episode you wish to watch. Into the Universe - 1 - Aliens Time: 43:30 My Source: YouTube Last viewed: Recently Ranking: 10/10 Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_5xBiAalxM Into the Universe - 2 - Time Travel Time: 43:27 My Source: Vimeo Last viewed: Recently Ranking: 10/10 Link: http://vimeo.com/17477895 Into the Universe - 3 - The Story of Everything Time: 1:26:36 My Source: Vimeo Last viewed: Recently Ranking: 10/10 Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tptgwvNmFTM Grand Design - 1 - Key to the Cosmos Time: 42:33 My Source: Sockshare Last viewed: Recently Ranking: 10/10 Link: http://www.sockshare.com/file/1130F23444AD038B Grand Design - 2 - The Meaning of Life Time: 42:32 My Source: Sockshare Last viewed: Recently Ranking: 10/10 Link:http://www.sockshare.com/file/9344E675C004FB2C# Grand Design - 3 - Did God Create the Universe Time: 43:59 My Source: Putlocker Last viewed: Recently Ranking: 10/10 Link: http://www.putlocker.com/file/0A62854D7DD4ED4C# 'Secrets of the Sun' - National Geographic documentary Length: 53:06 My source: YouTube Last viewed: 21st September 2013 Ranking: 7/10 Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32KVGQy3bMY Click the image to be directed to this documentary. Summary: The 'Solar and Heliospheric Observatory' (SOHO) began orbiting and observing the Sun in 1996. Since then NASA have been able to view the Sun 24 hours a day, 365 days a year as SOHO orbits 92 million miles away. This constant observation has lead to the discovery that the Sun is neither solid, liquid nor a gas. It also lead scientists to discover that the Sun vibrates and makes sound which founded a new science - helioseismology. But, also as SOHO observed through it's several different cameras, it showed solar radiation storms and geomagnetic storms which can result in Coronal Mass Ejections (CME waves). CME waves emit billions of tonnes of electrically charged particles into space, travelling at over 1 million miles per hour. When directed towards Earth, CME waves threaten to damage our protection from the Sun's radiation - our magnetic field. Therefore, The National Space Weather Protection Centre (NOAA/NWS) watches SOHO in the hope that scientists can give warning before CME waves cause overloading of national power grids which can black-out cities for hours, days, weeks or even years. -To view SOHO's images yourself, in real time, download NASA's 'Sun Viewer' application (post below). - A Coronal Mass Ejection (CME): My favourite thing in all of astrophysics. 'The Ultimate Guide to Black Holes" - BBC documentary Time: 56:45 My source: YouTube Last viewed: 24th September 2013, Rating: 9/10 Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHyWD16VT00 Click the image to be directed to this documentary. Please excuse the strange opening of the video. Summary: Einstein's general relativity (theory of gravity - 1916) mathematically concludes with (0=infinity) meaning that gravity can collapse to create a singular point of infinite mass which contains no space. This is known as a singularity which exists at the centre of a black hole. It is the point where physics as we know it breaks down. This means that no one (not even Einstein who despite his own mathematics dictating their existence, denied that nature would allow them exist) can explain what happens inside a black hole or what can come out of one. Once beyond the 'event horizon' (the circular outside), matter being sucked into a black hole passes the 'inner horizon'. At this point matter is now travelling at the same speed outwards (as it tries to escape) as it is being pulled inwards and therefore is doomed to continue falling. In the same way that you are doomed to fall into a waterfall as soon as the speed of your swimming matches the speed of the water (the same experience of not being able to fight water rapids). This happens to all matter, even light (C) which travels at C = 671 million mph. This is where the name 'black hole' derives. Due to their very nature of being black, it is almost impossible to see a black hole but astrophysicists and cosmologists have developed ways of not only detecting them but also ways to measure them, to assess how common they are, where they exist, their proportional relation to their galaxy (which they are the centre of) and to conclude that black holes may be as creative as they are destructive. |
Alainah Rook
BA Criminology & Sociology
University of Kent Third year undergraduate Twitter: Alainah_NTR E-mail: [email protected] kent.academia.edu/AlainahR Archives
July 2014
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