[Part 1] Paul Davies on What’s Eating the Universe | Closer To Truth Chats

Astrophysicist Paul Davies talks his new book, What’s Eating the Universe? And Other Cosmic Questions. In it, he covers teleology in the cosmos, the fine-tuning of our universe, multiple universes, how to understand reality, dark energy, dark matter, time travel, and much more.

Paul Davies is Director of BEYOND: Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science at Arizona State University. He is a theoretical physicist, cosmologist, astrobiologist, and best-selling science author. He has published 30 books and hundreds of research papers across a range of scientific fields, including quantum gravity, early universe cosmology, the nature of time, astrobiology, and an evolutionary theory of cancer. Among his many awards are the 1995 Templeton Prize and the Faraday Prize from The Royal Society.

Closer To Truth, hosted by Robert Lawrence Kuhn, 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.

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[robertschriek]

Robert, once again thank you so much for creating this channel, a real gem.

[philcarter]

Paul Davies I love you. You have inspired me for many years with your books, and finally I get to see your face.

You are a theoretical physicist with a heart. Meaning that you think very subtly.

God bless,

[projekt]

Paul Davies, one of my heroes. I have aaalmost all of his books. Really a great writer 👍👍👍

[ecruzdrd]

Another amazing conversation with Paul Davies, thank you!

[thetonetosser]

First came across Paul Davies on the BBC Horizon documentary series back in the 1980's. Also have a couple of his audio books. Always very engaging and easy to listen to. Thanks Paul for keeping me informed over the past 40 years.

[ZennGordon]

Steady dropping knowledge on this channel. Well done.

[lumenr]

Good questions, great answers. I love it all.

[malanthrope]

Paul is by far the best Closer to Truth interlocutor

[evanjameson]

I started reading this book and almost couldn't put it down.. fantastic subject matter and Davies shows why he may be one of the brightest people alive.

[psmoyer]

Gaston from Beauty and the Beast might have something to say: “Whether fields, particles or strings, if I'm going to prevail in a crowded multiverse, I first have to make the most space. And it has to be the strongest and the smartest empty space compared to all the other Universes. This universe is the best, and don't I deserve the best!”

[samrowbotham]

“You might ask how I, a philosopher could speak to issues treated by scientists. The best way to answer this is with another question. Are we engaging in science or philosophy here? When you study the interaction of two physical bodies, for instance, two subatomic particles, you are engaged in science. When you ask how it is that those subatomic particles - or anything physical - could exist and why you are engaged in philosophy. When you draw philosophical conclusions from scientific data, then you are thinking as a philosopher.”
Antony Flew

[gaetanovindigni]

The relationship to our Universe may be the only human alternative to complete knowledge and understanding of the Universe.

[shiddy.]

21:35

Levitating Superturtle should have been the book title

[rxbracho]

About fine tuning. Why only two options: multiverse (all values of constants are possible) or the absurd (they are what they are)? Why not believe in EVOLUTION of the universe over multiple aeons, as in the CCC theory? In fact, I can imagine the first few aeons being quite short. I would love for Closer to Truth to take CCC more seriously. Thanks for making us think.

[francesco]

""A UNIVERSE THAT JUST EXISTS FOR NO REASON WITH SPECIFIC PROPERTIES THAT JUST ARE IS CORRECTLY DESCRIBED IN FORMAL LOGIC AS ABSURD"" ...I have been saying (with infinitely worse syntax) this for months here !! I love this man !!

[stunningkruger]

what's eating the Universe? the biggest consumer of all.

[angusmacdonald]

reality is absurd. unfathomable, infinite, eternal and conscious

[neffetSnnamremmiZ]

Life is its own food! Universe is its structure!

[PetraKann]

The ancient Greeks also invented the first analog computer that modelled the motion of the planets and the moon, could predict eclipses etc.
The Antikythera Mechanism is about 2200 years old.
The Ancient Greeks also invented a type of steam engine (see Hero).
The first helio-centric model of the cosmos was first proposed by Aristarchus in about 400 BC

[dukeysnider]

I am not a physicist so my speculative theory is likely to be "absurd". As I understand it, Eisenstein's theory E+mc2 means energy equals mass. Scientists say that before the big bang there was nothing, no electrons, no quarks, no Higgs bosons and no quanta, no mass at all. Some call this zero point energy or a vacuum. Before the big bang wasn't there a limitless supply of vacuum energy? Could it be that the vacuum energy became so intense it became unstable and birthed what we see today?