Cosmic Queries – The Biggest Ideas in the Universe with Neil deGrasse Tyson & Sean Carroll

How does physics impact our free will? On this episode, Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Negin Farsad discuss quantum mechanics, parallel universes, and the theory of everything with theoretical physicist and author of The Biggest Ideas in the Universe, Sean Carroll.

What would it mean to discover what comprises dark matter and dark energy? We discuss our theories on dark matter and how dark matter behaves. Is there such a thing as dark light? What questions keep Neil and Sean up at night? Find out about the incompatibility between gravity and quantum mechanics.

Discover how the universe doesn’t always conserve energy. If photons lose energy as the universe expands, where does the energy go? Learn why the traditional image of an atom is wrong, superposition, and why Sean thinks there are parallel universes. We discuss the role of free will in physics. Could the laws of physics make our universe deterministic? Is there free will? Will we need another once-in-a-generation genius to come up with the theory of everything?

Discover Leiman Alpha forests and whether the Big Bang was a cosmic fart from a celestial giant. We explore quantum biology and the role that quantum mechanics plays in biological processes? What will be the next big breakthrough? Are we going to keep discovering smaller and smaller particles? And finally, is everything just physics? You might be able to guess our answer…

Thanks to our Patrons aziz astrophysics, Scott Barnett, Christopher Saal, David Rhoades, and Jenna Biancavilla for supporting us this week.

NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can watch or listen to this entire episode commercial-free.

About the prints that flank Neil in this video:
"Black Swan” & "White Swan" limited edition serigraph prints by Coast Salish artist Jane Kwatleematt Marston. For more information about this artist and her work, visit Inuit Gallery of Vancouver. https://inuit.com/

Get the NEW Cosmic Queries book (5/5 ⭐s on Amazon!): https://amzn.to/3dYIEQF
Buy Sean Carroll's 'The Biggest Ideas in the Universe': https://amzn.to/3BYmB86

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About StarTalk:
Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up!

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0:00 - Introduction
1:44 - The Santa Fe Institute
2:55 - Mindscape
3:31 - The Biggest Ideas in the Universe
7:37 - Dark Matter & Dark Energy
11:23 - Gravity & Quantum Mechanics
14:16 - Alfred P. Sloan Prize
15:14 - Conservation of Energy & The Expanding Universe
20:04 - Perspectives of an Electron
23:25 - Many Worlds
25:20 - Free Will
30:35 - Unified Theories
32:35 - Negin Farsad
33:38 - Lyman-Alpha Blob
35:50 - Cosmic Farts
38:49 - Quantum Biology
40:56 - Most Fascinating Thing In The Universe
44:11 - The Smallest Particles in the Universe
46:55 - Closing Notes