Science (Beta)
The Trouble with Many Worlds
First, I briefly explain the basics of quantum mechanics: everything (yes, really everything) is described by a wave-function, and this wave-function changes according to the Schrödinger equation. Then, we have in the Copenhagen interpretation (and Copenhagen-like interpretations) an additional assumption: the measurement postulate. In my video, I explain what the problem is with this measurement postulate. I then tell you why the many worlds interpretation – contrary to what its supporters claim – does not solve the measurement problem, but just sweeps it under the rug.
Schrödinger’s Cat: Still Not Dead
Schrödinger’s cat is an old though-experiment, but it still gives physicists reason to think. In this video, I tell you about some experiments physicists have done to figure out just what is going on with the effect of quantum mechanics for large objects, and we’ll discuss what it all means.
The Simulation Hypothesis Is Pseudoscience
Is it possible that you, I, and everything we experience is a computer simulation? Why do people like Elon Must and Neil DeGrasse Tyson think this is possible? In this video I will explain how Nick Bostrom’s argument for the simulation hypothesis goes, and what the problems with it are.
Don’t Fall For Quantum Hype
What are the quantum technologies that are now attracting so much research funding? In this video I go through the most important ones: quantum computing, quantum metrology, the quantum internet, and quantum simulations. I explain what these are all about and how likely they are to impact our lives soon. I also tell you what frequently headline blunders to watch out for.
The Mathematics Of Consciousness
In this video I talk about a few approaches to mathematically describe consciousness and their shortcomings. I also briefly talk about what such studies could one day be good for.
Where Do Atoms Come From?
Where do all the atoms come from? When where they made and how? Is it true that we are all made of “stardust” that supernovae spit out when they die? In this video I will explain where all the chemical elements come from and that recent research points at neutron star mergers as the origin of the heavy ones, not supernovae. I will also tell you what the mythical “island of stability” is.
Is Time Real?
In this video I explain why some physicists argue that time does not exist, and what that even means
Is Infinity Real?
In this video I explain what properties infinity has, how to calculate with infinity, how infinity appears in physics and why that may be problematic.
Are Singularities Real?
In this video I explain what singularities are in mathematics, what different types of singularities there are, and that, most importantly, singularities do not necessarily come with anything being infinite. I then talk about singularities that appear in physics, such as pinch off points of droplets and black hole singularities and discuss whether singularities are real.
What Is Energy? Is Energy Conserved?
In this video I explain what physicists mean by “energy”, how it is defined, why it is always conserved, what the difference is between “energy” and “free energy”, why actually energy is not always conserved, and why this still makes sense.
What Happens At The Event Horizon?
What really happens when you approach the event horizon of a black hole? What do you see when you actually cross it?
The Phantom Singularity
Isaac Newton’s Universal Law of Gravitation tells us that there is a singularity to be found within a black hole, but scientists and mathematicians have found a number of issues with Newton’s equations. They don’t always accurately represent reality. Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity is a more complete theory of gravity. So does using the General Theory of Relativity eliminate the singularity? No. Not only does it concur with Newton’s Universal Law of Gravitation but it also reveals a second singularity, not at the center of the black hole but at the event horizon.
The Geometry of Causality
Using geometry we can not only understand, but visualize how causality dictates the order of events in our universe.
How Time Becomes Space Inside A Black Hole
Find out how time and space switch roles when we move beyond the event horizon of the black hole.
The Black Hole Information Loss Problem is Unsolved. And Unsolvable
Today I comment on the recent claim that the black hole information loss problem is “near its end” and explain why this is nonsense.