Does the Universe Have a Purpose? feat. Neil deGrasse Tyson

And twitter - @minutephysics

Minute Physics provides an energetic and entertaining view of old and new problems in physics -- all in a minute!

Thanks to Nima Doroud for contributions and to Perimeter Institute for support.

[epiem]

The Universe is constantly expanding, in a futile attempt to escape from Chuck Norris.

[pulkitninenine]

Someone has got to put it out there: Your drawing skills are AWESOME.

[WaldoFindsYo]

I thought it said "What is the point of Neil deGrasse Tyson feat the Universe"

[ianross_]

*"While I can not claim to know for sure whether or not the universe has a purpose, the case against it is strong and visible to anyone who sees the universe as it is rather than as they wish it to be"* I don't think Neil could have said it any better.

[Radobilly]

Maybe the universe itself wants to know its purpose and therefore created humans to think about it

[GabeNewellDFTBA]

Everyone is arguing about religion. If I ask you "Do you believe in ancient Egyptian or Greek gods?" Or perhaps "Do you believe in Hindu gods?" Your answer is "Of course not! That would be silly." What is the difference between your god and theirs?

[Bungaroosh]

The purpose of the universe is to experience itself through consciousness. I watched my two new kittens today, outside playing for the first time. Their pure joy in the countless discoveries they were making, and the unbridled adventure of it all, unbounded by fear, I saw was a glorious moment for the universe.

[Forscythe]

Truth won't change the belief of someone who is invested in a personal god. Imagine each day of belief they are climbing another rung of the ladder of faith. The longer they've had that faith the more damage they'll sustain when logic, reason and scientific discovery eventually kicks away that ladder of faith. As time goes on their god of the gap grows smaller and smaller. Therefore, they'll grip that ladder for dear life and deny anything that risks the aforementioned kick no matter how undeniable it is. In essence: "lalalala I can't hear you".

[undeadamerican]

"The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it."

[tvremote]

what if the universe is wondering whether humans have a

[mikaylamclaughlin]

Dr. Neal Tyson is remarkable not only for his intelligence but also for having the ability to be matter-of-fact in a passive way...able to completely get his message out without being offensive or straying from the point. Getting people to listen is just as important as the facts themselves and every aspiring scientist should take the Dr. Tyson method in trying to do so.

[MrOmniblast]

"Does this universe have a purpose? I'm not sure." And everyone loses their goddamn minds. Haha. All the man is saying, is that we *do not know!* 
Think about all the people who think they know...99% of them are *definitely* wrong. 

And he also has a point...the laws of physics conspire against us. People say there would be no earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, forest first, etc, if "man didn't sin.* 

Really? These things happen due to physics. If tidal waves can't happen, you can't stir your coffee. If hurricanes and wild fires couldn't happen, you also couldn't boil the water to make that coffee in the first place! Geysers are nice, right? Volcanoes are deadly? Well they're operating off of the same laws of physics.

[jordanwademeier]

This video should be subtitled "intellectual honesty". 

[DavidFelipe]

Has any of you felt a "nausea" feeling when thinking about the randomness of the universe? Is there any evolutionary/psychological explanation for that? Maybe some informed person here can give a hint?

[MasterGamerZs]

As soon as I saw the title I knew it would precipitate an eruption of religious idiocy in the comments. Tyson is just presenting the facts as they are. There is nothing to suggest the Universe has a 'purpose' and to assert that this question falls under the purview of religious mythology, not science, is asinine. If such a question does have an answer, it should be approached with cogent reasoning and honest observation (essentially science), not through unsubstantiated religious assertions.

[originalcontent]

my favorite theory is that this is just a computer simulation and its just to test out super advanced computers

[NoFateButWhatWeMake]

Dr. Tyson, you have always been one of my greatest heroes. Nothing speaks more truth about our physical world than science. And the truth shall set us free...

[pedroscoponi]

I dunno about the universe, but we all know what earth and it's enhabitants exist for.
Save the dolphins.

[ayushburman]

Before watching video: Does the universe has a purpose?
After watching video: Does the universe has a purpose?

[Pwells]

I work in the film industry. For the majority of the creation of a film, you don't have a film. Yet that film was always the purpose of the process. If your time reference point were say, the world premiere of the film, and the film took some 2 years or many more to make, then you could equally say how inefficient a process it was and how the film did not exist for some 99.9999 percent of that process. And look at all the craftsmen along the way who were only interested in their individual craft and making that, and also look at how many of their crafts, from sets to daily makeup, to physical film itself, were destroyed along the way. Yet all of it was to create the beautiful film in the end, even if it seems like an absurd process with so many bits and pieces moving. And if you knew nothing of what films were or their value in society, and you walked on the set of one oneday, you might think that merely working on that given day and putting on a little theater show, or building the set, was just an activity in and of itself. But it wasn't. And those who had the vision and foresight beforehand, who believed in the end product of the film and an approximation of what it could be, knew in their hearts that that film was real, even before it was created. I guess what I'm saying is, while I love physics and science and follow all of it, I also do believe in purpose and something greater. And Neil should stick to physics, and away from philosophy, spirituality, and religion. Because this is a rather shallow attempt ;)