James Hartle - Philosophy of Physics and Cosmology

The observable universe may contain two trillion galaxies and there may be innumerable universes. Is there ultimate unification of fundamental forces, a final theory of matter and energy, space and time? We seek deep harmony, search for deep meaning.



James B. Hartle is Research Professor and Emeritus Professor of Physics at the University of California, Santa Barbara.


Closer to Truth, hosted by Robert Lawrence Kuhn and directed by Peter Getzels, presents the world’s greatest thinkers exploring humanity’s deepest questions. Discover fundamental issues of existence. Engage new and diverse ways of thinking. Appreciate intense debates. Share your own opinions. Seek your own answers.

[peweegangloku]

"We need to understand not only evolution....we need to understand the prerequisite of evolution, which is classical spacetime." Now we are getting somewhere! For this colossal universe or cosmos to have emerged from SPACETIME, which understandably should be immaterial by all counts, is a step in the right direction.

[Jalcolm]

Cosmology is very intricate, because in attempting to describe models of everything, including the phenomena of time and space, they must clear their language of contaminants derived from our preconceptions. Perhaps that is why they appear somewhat careworn.

[rajendratayya]

Just as physical phenomena correspond mathematically, they also equally notationally - otherwise communication physically cannot be possible. Mathematical correspondence and notational compliance are equally necessary for explaining the nature of reality.

[aminomar]

do not be afraid of being a real human and losing the destructive irrational meanness, because intelligence is more than enough to protect you "for intelligent humans humanity become the pride, it is not weakness at all.
you will gain a lot of valuable things, trust me.

[JungleJargon]

The recent James Webb photo should just blow your mind as to great power required for the creation of the universe. Even if we understand everything is finite it still speaks strongly of the infinite. There is something much greater than ourselves that ordered us to be humans instead of crickets. Infinite possibilities is not what we witness in this universe. We see complete decay and entropy. We know it was good and it’s not now. We don’t have enough time to wait for mistakes and mishaps to be good to us considering from past experience that they are already destroying us. We need direction to restore everything and we don’t have it by way of any physical thing. There’s a behemoth in the universe and He is God. That’s why theology is the highest level of science.

[chayanbosu]

Some Physicts say universe come from nothing, some Physicts protest this by saying that those who claim universe come from nothing they are just redefining nothing, now where do laws come from ? Is it true that we are concious being and universe also has conciousness so we can read nature or some different reality behind these laws.

[highdesert]

Did physicists “create” physics and mathematicians math? Or were they always there to be discovered.

Who really deserves credit for the tools we call math and physics?

Edited typo

[aminomar]

to live for only one day as a real human is better than living one
thousand years as an ape, there is a big difference (huge difference)
trust in me.
don't be afraid of being human, it is the pride of mankind, loosing irrational meanness is not a loss at all, you have nothing top lose when you become a real human.

[aminomar]

when apes steal something from human (even valuable things), that time human is not really angry of apes (at all), he can not run after them because he can not jump like them (they have their own world).
he only feels sorry for them.
humans is only worried about their descendants, he expected all that (theft, irrational meanness, faked world, ... ) from the beginning, he shout at the apes only because of sorrow and losing hope, he expected all that from the beginning but he had a hope.
he didn't want to spoil the apes world rather improving it, I know that was not a smart idea at all, but it was about hope (disappointed but can not blamer apes whatever).

[tarikabaraka]

James Burkett Hartle ​ fue un físico teórico estadounidense. Se incorporó al cuerpo docente de la Universidad de California, Santa Bárbara en 1966, y fue miembro del cuerpo docente externo del Instituto Santa Fe.

[kricketflyd]

I thought the big bang theory and it's calculations were put on hold when the multi universe was conceived? Did each universe have a big bang and are they different in each universe?

[raginaldmars]

.. as a German Biologist - when Biology is studied only by Optics, Microscopy... you create unlimited Imagination. Leuwenhook drew images from his own sperm as Dutch Men in clothes and Wooden shoes... We hardly know anything about our own Planet...

[hamster]

Can there be a universe with only hamsters

[aminomar]

I understand, theft and irrational meanness became innate habits (life style too) among the apes, it will take time to turn the apes into a real humans, don't be so greedy, try to live as a real humans even for only one day better than being and irrational ape for thousand year, because what gives value to this existence is mind, humanity, .... it is completely different feeling and life, you will never regret, I promise, just try to be a real humans, even for only one day (deserve trial).
science (real science) needs real intelligent humans, believe me it is not for the apes at all, because irrational meanness, theft do impede intelligence.
humanity is something so precious, it is not weakness from intelligent humans' viewpoint at all, it weakness only from the viewpoint of irrational apes'.
it is a process that never come through theft and the destructive irrational meanness, I know it is something like talking to walls but maybe there is a hope for the sake of future generations.

[JorgeOchoa]

I feel this idea that the universe became more dynamic over time, is false, due to the inherent static nature of time being a dimension. From the perspective of time, alone, there’s always been, and can only ever be, “something” (insert any property of physics). In this respect, “something” can not become more or less complex, or different in its most basic nature, which is physicality.

[abelincoln]

Universal Functions ... is what that Physics & cosmology is all about.

Everything being a Function ... fully explains Sir Issac Newton's Watchmaker Analogy over 300 years ago.

Classical Physics ... is Universal Functions.

Only an intelligence ( like Man) makes, maintains, improves, operates, fine tunes .. abstract & physical Functions.

A Function ... is simply a system that PROCESSES inputs into outputs .. and has clear & obvious INFORMATION which can only come from an intelligence( like Man).

Anything that has clear & obvious... Function, purpose, form, design & properties( INFORMATION) ... can only be made by an intelligence ( like Man).

Man has known for thousands of years ... that only an intelligence ( like Man) makes rules & Laws ( of Nature) and things ( of the Universe ) with purpose, form, design.

Only an intelligence makes Functions with INFORMATION.

Only an intelligence extracts INFORMATION from Functions only made by an Intelligence.

The Laws of Nature/Physics ... are simply common INFORMATION ... Man has extracted from various types of Functions.

Law, Physics, scientific method, mathematics, information/knowledge, time, space are abstract constructs/functions from the Mind of an intelligence.

Matter & Energy are physical Functions from the Mind of an intelligence..

Man is a NATURAL Intelligence with a mind, free will & nature ... made by ... an UNNATURAL intelligence with a mind, free will & nature.

The Mind of an Intelligence is Unnatural & non-physical ( soul/spirit).

The Mind of Man ... is natural (brain) & unnatural ( soul).

Everything makes complete sense when everything is a Function.

Science( function) relies on the Law of Nature( functions) for Man ( a function) to explain natural phenomena ( functions).

God is Spirit and did make Man in His likeness with a body & soul

Abiogenesis & Evolution are fake science. There is zero evidence nature & natural processes can make, maintain, improve, fine tune he simplest Function ( eg quantum particle) nor make this function more complex ( eg electron, proton, neutron, ... Atom ... element .... compound/molecule etc0.

[aminomar]

not humans, mentally and psychologically !the thief apes !

[hershchat]

What insecurity drives a man to repeat that he has a PhD in neurology in an interview on Cosmology?

[richardsylvanus]

Blah blah blah.
He said a lot of nothing.

[aminomar]

but that is really funny, human working hard for the sake of the descendants of the apes while the apes working hard for the sake of their sick imaginary faked world !
there is no hope of any rapprochement between them (hopeless case and completely different worlds).