The Quantum Physicist as Causal Detective: Robert Spekkens and Elie Wolfe Public Lecture

In their live webcast on October 7, 2020, Perimeter researchers Robert Spekkens and Elie Wolfe shed light on the exciting possibilities brought about by applying quantum thinking to the science of cause and effect. They have done pioneering work studying relations the data science known as causal inference through a quantum foundational lens and can be counted among a small number of physicists worldwide with expertise in this field.

[gilbertanderson]

A very inspiring and uplifting presentation of cutting edge research that is most appreciated. Thank you P.I.

[Achrononmaster]

@42:00 don't get too carried away with the hype. There is a good reason why we observe classcality at macroscopic scales, so in biology, and it is because most quantum effects are confined to regions (across time and/or space, both) where ER=EPR bridges can be traversed. Most biological systems are thus not "intrinsically" quantum mechanical. They _are_ if you need to probe close enough, but most biology never reaches Heisenberg uncertainty limits or Bell limits. (There is no "wavefunction of the universe" hommies.)

[rebeccarpwebb]

Imagine an avg person knowing quantum physics before they know its quantum physics.
I love to learn but not just 3&4 dimensions but 1, 2 and beyond.
Cant even describe this mans research skills ... Very skillfully putting all dimensions in that conversation
Jonkeen thebestdamnpodcast

[fractalnomics]

10:44 The best example of this is: increases CO2 concentrations correlates with increased temperature and increased solar activity. It is clear CO2 can affect both solar activity and temperature. By law, CO2 determines all temperature. This has to be the greatest scientific deduction of all time; it drives all policy and geological and climatological science today, not to mention university expenditure. Pure genius.

[fuller-media]

I theorize that g=tv (gravity) = (time vacuum) Where tv is implosion moment impetus field. Time being the force, seeks reluctance with potential in relation to density.

[KipIngram]

27:08 - Um, ok. That seems somewhat lame at this point. You just went back to the first structure you'd already ruled out but just inserted a claim that quantum theory can dodge Bell's limit. Well, yeah - of course it can. That's kind of the whole point - it's why Bell's work had teeth in the first place. The whole series of experiments arose *because* quantum theory violates Bell's inequalities. We *know* that. Ruling out the other possibilities is the significance.

[TomTom-rhgk]

You haven't proven cause you have shown correlation. You know in general what is likely to happen not what is going to happen.

[RobertSmith-pwio]

Incredible!! Absolutely Excellent!! Thank You all for showing this. I will also share it with several others I know will appreciate the topic!!

[jmachorrov]

Thanks, it's so good seen you back

[KipIngram]

9:15 - I notice that you picked an example where the causality relationship is *extremely* obvious. ;-)

[sufferingduckman]

THIS is the current state of understanding in quantum exploration? I had to check my calendar to make sure it's not 1622.

In a nutshell, gentlemen, inserting causality into a construct with no idea of its actual parameters ("It's quantum!") and patting yourself on the back for having done so only works if you manufacture a whole new language (which you are attempting to do) to hide the fact that there is not a single new idea being presented.

And might it occur to one of you that causality exists in every particular of a construct? Might it occur to you that there are flavors of causality, they are not all vanilla? That the direction of causality is not fixed? Does anyone know how to do a recursive algorithm anymore?

Wow. Get a job making shipping pallets... society can actually use them.

[Grgazola]

Odd. You apply a theory that has unresolved issues with causality to problems that can be solved fine with old-fashioned cause-and-effect logic, as demonstrated in your examples. And you use a conventional flow chart where the significant step is a black box with an unknown number of undisclosed implications with other elements of the chart.
Maybe I don't get it, but what is causal inference, what makes it outstanding when contrasted with other theories? Are there explicit algorithms associated with the theory? So far I only see pipe dreams.

[johndysard]

Fb: #lock3dinthesh3d for quantum science

[brynwalker]

You guys blow my mind! Please keep it up!

[keybutnolock]

Challenging, not so easy to follow, GREAT. Thanks.

[MrAlRats]

Wood burning fireplaces in a leading centre for scientific research and training? Hope they at least source their wood from sustainable forests. All educational and research institutions should be carbon neutral by now. Electrification of all home/office/commercial appliances and HVAC systems is one of the essential steps to achieve carbon neutrality.

[Achrononmaster]

Quantum cryptography is such a lazy simple low hanging fruit scumbag application (just my 2cents ok) . I hope the QIT folks do some more serious work on applications to medicine, and hard optimization problems from the real world where it truly matters for human wellbeing. Also, for the quantum gravity puzzle: a quantum computer costing millions (in real terms) could be a superior laboratory to a new supercollider costing billions in real terms.

[scoreprinceton]

Casual Inferencing might ultimately lead to the conclusion that the reality of bio-life, even with the help of AI, is uncertain at best, not because of the classical/quantum theories/practices, but more so perhaps due to the entangled information matrices. How will the physicists/social-scientists parse the complex terrains of the infinite multiverses of relationships between the variables of a confusion matrix let alone the hidden/missing or the unrecognized ones?