Edward Witten - How Do Scientific Breakthroughs Happen?

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  • čas přidán 12. 03. 2021
  • What is the process by which scientific breakthroughs come about? What are the ways in which breakthroughs in physics occur? No “formula” for breakthroughs - but what are the principles? Best is to immerse in the experiences and reflections of those who have made or studied breakthroughs. What are their thought processes? What’s the role of curiosity, playfulness, intuition, persistence? How to avoid “group think”?
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    Edward Witten is an American theoretical physicist and the Charles Simonyi Professor in the School of Natural Sciences at the Institute for Advanced Study.
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    Closer to Truth 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.

Komentáře • 767

  • @CloserToTruthTV
    @CloserToTruthTV  Před rokem +39

    This interview was filmed for the television show Closer To Truth, broadcast on PBS stations.
    Watch the full episode, featuring Robbert Dijkgraaf, Edward Witten, Karen Uhlenbeck, and Sabine Hossenfelder: bit.ly/3lhOVOv

    • @KnowL-oo5po
      @KnowL-oo5po Před rokem +1

      why is eastern europe not this enlightened poland,romania,ukraine,hungary,bulgaria and serbia

    • @friendbesto_corey
      @friendbesto_corey Před rokem

      Thank you!

    • @mikevaldez7684
      @mikevaldez7684 Před rokem +1

      Witten is absolutely brilliant, and listening to him is captivating; you know you are in the presence of sheer brilliance! Amazing, beautiful discussion! 🙋🙏

    • @bluesky45299
      @bluesky45299 Před 11 měsíci

      Consiciousness can only be experienced. For example, if you had a tooth pain. Million Scientists with their Test tube(Deduction/induction via empiricism) can tell you there is no evidence of tooth pain. You will reject their scientific method because you are having direct experience of this pain. I have direct experience of existence. All i know with certainty is my experience ("Cogito Ergo Sum"). I know with certainity that this existence can only come from pre-existing Self-Sufficient/Perfect Existence(Allah the most Exalted).

    • @SpotterVideo
      @SpotterVideo Před 7 měsíci

      Conservation of Spatial Curvature (both Matter and Energy described as "Quanta" of Spatial Curvature)
      Is there an alternative interpretation of "Asymptotic Freedom"? What if Quarks are actually made up of twisted tubes which become physically entangled with two other twisted tubes to produce a proton? Instead of the Strong Force being mediated by the exchange of gluons, it would be mediated by the physical entanglement of these twisted tubes. When only two twisted tubules are entangled, a meson is produced which is unstable and rapidly unwinds (decays) into something else. A proton would be analogous to three twisted rubber bands becoming entangled and the "Quarks" would be the places where the tubes are tangled together. The behavior would be the same as rubber balls (representing the Quarks) connected with twisted rubber bands being separated from each other or placed closer together producing the exact same phenomenon as "Asymptotic Freedom" in protons and neutrons. The force would become greater as the balls are separated, but the force would become less if the balls were placed closer together.
      -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      String Theory was not a waste of time, because Geometry is the key to Math and Physics. However, can we describe Standard Model interactions using only one extra spatial dimension?
      What if we describe subatomic particles as spatial curvature, instead of trying to describe General Relativity as being mediated by particles? Fixing the Standard Model with more particles is like trying to mend a torn fishing net with small rubber balls, instead of a piece of twisted twine.
      Quantum Entangled Twisted Tubules:
      “We are all agreed that your theory is crazy. The question which divides us is whether it is crazy enough to have a chance of being correct.” Neils Bohr
      (lecture on a theory of elementary particles given by Wolfgang Pauli in New York, c. 1957-8, in Scientific American vol. 199, no. 3, 1958)
      The following is meant to be a generalized framework for an extension of Kaluza-Klein Theory. Does it agree with the “Twistor Theory” of Roger Penrose, and the work of Eric Weinstein on “Geometric Unity”? During the early history of mankind, the twisting of fibers was used to produce thread, and this thread was used to produce fabrics. The twist of the thread is locked up within these fabrics. Is matter made up of twisted 3D-4D structures which store spatial curvature that we describe as “particles"? Are the twist cycles the "quanta" of Quantum Mechanics?
      When we draw a sine wave on a blackboard, we are representing spatial curvature. Does a photon transfer spatial curvature from one location to another? Wrap a piece of wire around a pencil and it can produce a 3D coil of wire, much like a spring. When viewed from the side it can look like a two-dimensional sine wave. You could coil the wire with either a right-hand twist, or with a left-hand twist. Could Planck's Constant be proportional to the twist cycles. A photon with a higher frequency has more energy. ( E=hf, More spatial curvature as the frequency increases = more Energy ). What if gluons are actually made up of these twisted tubes which become entangled with other tubes to produce quarks. (In the same way twisted electrical extension cords can become entangled.) Therefore, the gluons are a part of the quarks. Quarks cannot exist without gluons, and vice-versa. Mesons are made up of two entangled tubes (Quarks/Gluons), while protons and neutrons would be made up of three entangled tubes. (Quarks/Gluons) The "Color Charge" would be related to the XYZ coordinates (orientation) of entanglement. "Asymptotic Freedom", and "flux tubes" are logically based on this concept. The Dirac “belt trick” also reveals the concept of twist in the ½ spin of subatomic particles. If each twist cycle is proportional to h, we have identified the source of Quantum Mechanics as a consequence twist cycle geometry.
      Modern physicists say the Strong Force is mediated by a constant exchange of Mesons. The diagrams produced by some modern physicists actually represent the Strong Force like a spring connecting the two quarks. Asymptotic Freedom acts like real springs. Their drawing is actually more correct than their theory and matches perfectly to what I am saying in this model. You cannot separate the Gluons from the Quarks because they are a part of the same thing. The Quarks are the places where the Gluons are entangled with each other.
      Neutrinos would be made up of a twisted torus (like a twisted donut) within this model. The twist in the torus can either be Right-Hand or Left-Hand. Some twisted donuts can be larger than others, which can produce three different types of neutrinos. If a twisted tube winds up on one end and unwinds on the other end as it moves through space, this would help explain the “spin” of normal particles, and perhaps also the “Higgs Field”. However, if the end of the twisted tube joins to the other end of the twisted tube forming a twisted torus (neutrino), would this help explain “Parity Symmetry” violation in Beta Decay? Could the conversion of twist cycles to writhe cycles through the process of supercoiling help explain “neutrino oscillations”? Spatial curvature (mass) would be conserved, but the structure could change.
      Gravity is a result of a very small curvature imbalance within atoms. (This is why the force of gravity is so small.) Instead of attempting to explain matter as "particles", this concept attempts to explain matter more in the manner of our current understanding of the space-time curvature of gravity. If an electron has qualities of both a particle and a wave, it cannot be either one. It must be something else. Therefore, a "particle" is actually a structure which stores spatial curvature. Can an electron-positron pair (which are made up of opposite directions of twist) annihilate each other by unwinding into each other producing Gamma Ray photons?
      Does an electron travel through space like a threaded nut traveling down a threaded rod, with each twist cycle proportional to Planck’s Constant? Does it wind up on one end, while unwinding on the other end? Is this related to the Higgs field? Does this help explain the strange ½ spin of many subatomic particles? Does the 720 degree rotation of a 1/2 spin particle require at least one extra dimension?
      Alpha decay occurs when the two protons and two neutrons (which are bound together by entangled tubes), become un-entangled from the rest of the nucleons
      . Beta decay occurs when the tube of a down quark/gluon in a neutron becomes overtwisted and breaks producing a twisted torus (neutrino) and an up quark, and the ejected electron. The production of the torus may help explain the “Symmetry Violation” in Beta Decay, because one end of the broken tube section is connected to the other end of the tube produced, like a snake eating its tail. The phenomenon of Supercoiling involving twist and writhe cycles may reveal how overtwisted quarks can produce these new particles. The conversion of twists into writhes, and vice-versa, is an interesting process, which is also found in DNA molecules.
      Gamma photons are produced when a tube unwinds producing electromagnetic waves.
      The “Electric Charge” of electrons or positrons would be the result of one twist cycle being displayed at the 3D-4D surface interface of the particle. The physical entanglement of twisted tubes in quarks within protons and neutrons and mesons displays an overall external surface charge of an integer number. Because the neutrinos do not have open tube ends, (They are a twisted torus.) they have no overall electric charge.
      >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
      Within this model a black hole could represent a quantum of gravity, because it is one cycle of spatial gravitational curvature. Therefore, instead of a graviton being a subatomic particle it could be considered to be a black hole. The overall gravitational attraction would be caused by a very tiny curvature imbalance within atoms. We know there is an unequal distribution of electrical charge within each atom because the positive charge is concentrated within the nucleus, even though the overall electrical charge of the atom is balanced by equal positive and negative charge.
      >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
      In this model Alpha equals the compactification ratio within the twistor cone, which is approximately 1/137.
      1= Hypertubule diameter at 4D interface
      137= Cone’s larger end diameter at 3D interface where the photons are absorbed or emitted.
      The 4D twisted Hypertubule gets longer or shorter as twisting or untwisting occurs. (720 degrees per twist cycle.)
      >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
      How many neutrinos are left over from the Big Bang? They have a small mass, but they could be very large in number. Could this help explain Dark Matter?
      >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
      Why did Paul Dirac use the twist in a belt to help explain particle spin? Is Dirac’s belt trick related to this model? Is the “Quantum” unit based on twist cycles?
      ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
      I started out imagining a subatomic Einstein-Rosen Bridge whose internal surface is twisted with either a Right-Hand twist, or a Left-Hand twist producing a twisted 3D/4D membrane. The model grew out of that simple idea.
      I was also trying to imagine a way to stuff the curvature of a 3 D sine wave into subatomic particles.
      .

  • @coops6621
    @coops6621 Před rokem +284

    You know the guys a genius when they employ Einstein to do the interview

  • @ticcusagram
    @ticcusagram Před rokem +632

    Rogans new podcast with Weinstein just sent me to this genius !

  • @a.lucius4459
    @a.lucius4459 Před 3 lety +380

    We’re so lucky to have people like Edward Witten, Roger Penrose, Alan Guth, and Robert Kuhn who lets us have a glimpse of their brilliance.

  • @josephblumenthal1228
    @josephblumenthal1228 Před 2 lety +273

    If Edward Witten can be so humble I have no excuse. yet another lesson I've learned from him.

    • @TheLuminousOne
      @TheLuminousOne Před rokem +4

      Yeah, giant egos never looked good, anyway.

    • @earthcoloredeyes5043
      @earthcoloredeyes5043 Před rokem

      Lol you named all white men, lol yes we are so lucky. I wonder how many women could have discovered the answer. If only they where allowed to have academic careers 50 years ago. How many people of color could have been smarter than Einstein the cousin lover or Hawking the Epstein friend.
      How many genius’s never met their potential do to them being a woman or not white.

    • @tallymeban-anas
      @tallymeban-anas Před rokem +2

      This man is an alien among us. 😳

    • @I_dont_want_an_at
      @I_dont_want_an_at Před rokem

      humble shmumble

    • @I_dont_want_an_at
      @I_dont_want_an_at Před rokem +3

      Humility is a luxury of the highly successful. If you're not highly successful, you don't have that luxury.

  • @patrickl6932
    @patrickl6932 Před 3 lety +289

    This guy is on another level. You can actually see him trying to dumb it down for us..

  • @darnelljackson2160
    @darnelljackson2160 Před rokem +28

    I just looked Witten up in Wikipedia. His father is *still* alive. He's like 102! Amazing.

  • @reimannx33
    @reimannx33 Před 2 lety +148

    His articulation is crisp, not mired in buzzwords, and without overreach.

    • @Solarlube
      @Solarlube Před rokem +9

      Would I be close by saying that Edward Witten wastes not one word and that his excitement in his field is expressed in every word, every gesture. I had not heard of this fellow until today 7:03:2023. I am only a grade student from 1972. And know nothing of string theory but was fascinated by this wonderful interview, thank you.

    • @bmejia837
      @bmejia837 Před rokem +1

      ​@@Solarlube Today is my first time of hearing about him too

    • @parmenides2576
      @parmenides2576 Před 8 měsíci

      His entire career is a scientific buzzword …

    • @reimannx33
      @reimannx33 Před 8 měsíci

      @parmenides2576 You make for a clown that people can laugh at while farting.

  • @sluggo3slug
    @sluggo3slug Před rokem +101

    So extremely exact and lucid in his thoughts and the way he expresses them. Different level human.

  • @PollyMatthew
    @PollyMatthew Před 10 měsíci +13

    Something different about Witten. No other physicist I’ve heard seems to have his perspective, concise explanatory ability. He gives the impression of depth and breadth of understanding that is just amazing.

  • @jjkblast4700
    @jjkblast4700 Před 3 lety +57

    .
    But damn,
    this dude majored in history
    Got a phd in physics
    And won an award in mathematics.
    The comment section is soon to be filled with self proclaimed Einsteins and schrodingers and with completely unrelated criticism

    • @Two_But_Not_Two
      @Two_But_Not_Two Před 3 lety +15

      And yet, if you read the comments, virtually all of them are complimentary and deferential.

    • @ivanleon6164
      @ivanleon6164 Před 2 lety +3

      hahaha so true, there is people in youtube claiming they have theory of everything, claiming there is only one force, electromagnetic. and so on. and of course people saying einstein is overrated, lol.

    • @narek323
      @narek323 Před 2 lety +2

      @@feynmanschwingere_mc2270 First of all, no one was comparing Schrodinger to Einstein. Second, Schrodinger made accomplishments not only in theoretical physics, but also in biology.

    • @debtanupatra3385
      @debtanupatra3385 Před 2 lety

      Nowadays these 10 dimensional supersymmetric fancy fictions have no proof. So after every two year a new particle is discovered, better say invented to defend their quantum mechanical highly nonlinear unfalsifiable unobserved non-science !

  • @matthuckabey007
    @matthuckabey007 Před rokem +44

    This man is super human. The amount of processing power in the room, with this gentleman present, is palpable.

  • @schrodingerscat7218
    @schrodingerscat7218 Před rokem +9

    "Some of the more detailed implications of their work were particularly obvious to me." And that's as boastful as Edward Witten ever gets. What a man. And what a great venue for this interview.

  • @markverhoeven4114
    @markverhoeven4114 Před rokem +20

    Pushing the human mind to its furthest reaches. What a guy.

  • @mirazshamshidov4257
    @mirazshamshidov4257 Před 2 lety +17

    He's so modest,smart,and I love him.

  • @renanlopes2807
    @renanlopes2807 Před 3 lety +160

    One of the greatest theoretical physicist of our time.

    • @waynesaban2607
      @waynesaban2607 Před 2 lety +11

      One of the funniest things I’ve heard, was that many great physicists, when conversing about M theory, often would ask, in deference,
      “What does Ed think” ?

    • @narek323
      @narek323 Před 2 lety

      @@blokin5039 tell that to your mother.

    • @narek323
      @narek323 Před 2 lety +2

      @@blokin5039 Sorry, but my mother does not have any children with extra chromosomes.

    • @narek323
      @narek323 Před 2 lety

      @@blokin5039 I'm sorry that you were born with extra chromosomes lolz, but that's your mom's fault.

    • @rossconi
      @rossconi Před 2 lety

      @@narek323 ahhhhhhhhh no

  • @davecrupel2817
    @davecrupel2817 Před 17 dny

    At 8:15 the passion came out of him real quickly, and palpably, when he started talking more commitedly about string theory. ❤

  • @ExMachina70
    @ExMachina70 Před rokem +10

    This guy takes goal-setting to a whole different level. When he talks about "long-term proposition" I get the sense that he's referring to life-changing directions that he sets his mind and energy to.

  • @cmalc8
    @cmalc8 Před rokem +5

    What a strange pleasure it is to listen to someone so ferociously intelligent speaking.

  • @HawthorneHillNaturePreserve

    OK, I kinda get chills listening to Edward Witten’s incredible intellect. You can see and hear the wheels turning, I’m surprised he didn’t have smoke coming out of his ears. I am in awe of minds like these.

    • @karlkarlsson9126
      @karlkarlsson9126 Před 2 lety +9

      Yeah, his brain is scary. You can see it in Wittens eyes, this guy is deep.

    • @narek323
      @narek323 Před 2 lety

      @@karlkarlsson9126 Scary only for the frail minded.

    • @aous5880
      @aous5880 Před rokem

      Didn't he(Edward ) have a strong knowledge of mathematics before the age of 22?

    • @moodobusiness
      @moodobusiness Před rokem +2

      He didn’t get out of first gear in this interview.

    • @afternoondelight1240
      @afternoondelight1240 Před rokem

      If you ever meet someone like this and you want to make them laugh say
      Does pondering if a question is really hard to solve or just impossible keep you up at night sometimes too?
      Smart people instantly relate and warm up to you because that is a curse when you debate giving up or pushing on uncertain if you’re wasting your time like a cat chasing a laser dot thinking he’s gonna get it.

  • @TheGeorgegenesis
    @TheGeorgegenesis Před rokem +1

    His voice is so soothing. Genius with great poise.

  • @timouellette4693
    @timouellette4693 Před rokem +8

    Edward's intellectual candle power is off the scales. Brilliance to the full.

  • @Bo-tz4nw
    @Bo-tz4nw Před 3 lety +13

    A beautiful mind!
    Time flies, science too . So, now there´s probably no room for a "new Einstein".
    If there is, here you have him. Mentioned among most of the physicist today.

  • @kirbyitrithemis5064
    @kirbyitrithemis5064 Před rokem +3

    Edward Witten I am thrilled to have learned of you. I am anxious about losing you so soon. Wish you the best in making the next discovery in this era.

  • @ezrajalali
    @ezrajalali Před 3 lety +27

    My role model in my life as a physics student ❤❤❤❤

  • @TenzinLundrup
    @TenzinLundrup Před 3 lety +14

    Great back-stories on many of the recent achievements in physics.

  • @prabhakarbohara7663
    @prabhakarbohara7663 Před 3 lety +25

    I am the first one here, Ed witten is super intelligent, more than unlike anyone before and he is my one of the most favourite physicist.

    • @prabhakarbohara7663
      @prabhakarbohara7663 Před 3 lety +3

      His insights is unlikely to get by ordinary mind

    • @soubhikmukherjee6871
      @soubhikmukherjee6871 Před 3 lety +2

      @@prabhakarbohara7663 his IQ is super high.

    • @BoRisMc
      @BoRisMc Před 3 lety +4

      He is barely a human being

    • @patrickl6932
      @patrickl6932 Před 3 lety +2

      @@BoRisMc He is the best human being.

    • @Tyrosine0910
      @Tyrosine0910 Před 2 lety

      @@soubhikmukherjee6871 It has to be at least 180,possibly higher.

  • @patrickl6932
    @patrickl6932 Před 3 lety +6

    Strap in. Try and keep up with this guy. WOW what a brain. Thankfully we have people like this.

  • @keithrezendes6913
    @keithrezendes6913 Před 2 lety +8

    One of the most amazing if not the most amazing physicists.

  • @winstonwolf9252
    @winstonwolf9252 Před rokem +1

    One of my favorite teachers.

  • @Thor_Asgard_
    @Thor_Asgard_ Před rokem +9

    probably the smartes person alive. hes outstanding and very underrated in non physicist talks. Every physicist will tell you, this dude is the real deal.

    • @ivantheterrible4317
      @ivantheterrible4317 Před 2 měsíci

      His theory can't be expiremented. Being the smartest in the world is not like him. Nothing he says can become technology. So it is useless.

  • @Thissafakename
    @Thissafakename Před rokem +1

    When he raises his finger to make sure he has your attention, I anticipate something special. He smiles often too, he genuinely loves particle physics and mathematics

  • @jimmybags1494
    @jimmybags1494 Před rokem +2

    This is without question the single most intelligent person I've ever heard. This is unbelievable. He speaks like he's reading an A+ paper from a prestigious college out loud. This is incredible, and it's....frightening. Jeepers

  • @ShermerHighSchool
    @ShermerHighSchool Před 3 lety +7

    Witten = A giant amongst giants.

  • @williamwilliams1000
    @williamwilliams1000 Před 2 lety +70

    This guy's father was a Physicist its not hard to believe he could transition from history to physics. He probably received a good physics/math education from his father.

    • @leevasha5719
      @leevasha5719 Před 2 lety +6

      For real. It’s still impressive but I’d be more impressed by someone who’s parents weren’t scientists

    • @Tyrosine0910
      @Tyrosine0910 Před 2 lety +26

      @@leevasha5719 Lol seriously? It doesn't matter what your parents were-to achieve what Ed has, you pretty much have to be one of the smartest guys out there.

    • @mathemagics4497
      @mathemagics4497 Před 2 lety +10

      Ed once said he learned calculus by himself when he was eleven, then found mathematics boring.

    • @pstew5309
      @pstew5309 Před rokem +5

      ​@@Tyrosine0910 I mean it does matter to some extent. If your parents were the slave labor plucking cobalt out of the ground and you were strapped to their back, much bigger hill to climb to get to Witten level than if your parents were scientists. It's still climbing everest, but you definitely started a few base camps up than others.

    • @ggvbayareaoakland5914
      @ggvbayareaoakland5914 Před rokem

      ​@p stew that's an extremely ignorant way to think. Are you saying blue collar people are not smart enough? 🤔 that they are so stupid they couldn't produce a genius 🙄

  • @ronaldbeachy
    @ronaldbeachy Před rokem +2

    He rarely, if at all, uses filler words such as "um", "ah," "like", and "you know." He is a very efficient speaker and , of course, thinker.

  • @manaoharsam4211
    @manaoharsam4211 Před rokem +7

    Edward Witten contribution to string theory is amazing. So much respect. I don't know much about this area but maybe one day I will.

  • @robertschlesinger1342
    @robertschlesinger1342 Před 3 lety +5

    Very interesting and worthwhile video.

  • @jamesobiri1583
    @jamesobiri1583 Před rokem +1

    Wow, just wow. Calm as peace.

  • @MissUnConcerned
    @MissUnConcerned Před rokem +28

    I can only wish I had just a fraction of the intelligence and poise this man has. He's so calm.

    • @mr.ditkovich6379
      @mr.ditkovich6379 Před rokem +3

      You have more than half his intelligence already.

    • @KissSlowlyLoveDeeply-pm2je
      @KissSlowlyLoveDeeply-pm2je Před 7 měsíci

      it's just an act. anyone can learn to talk like that and seem smart.

    • @philj9594
      @philj9594 Před 4 měsíci +1

      @@KissSlowlyLoveDeeply-pm2je Yikes. Good luck on your insecurity over your own intelligence journey, big guy. You probably don't have the slightest clue about Witten's accomplishments. This guy is a titan of mathematics and physicists. Trying to understand a fraction of what he understands would lead you to crying yourself to sleep. Get real.

  • @feynmanschwingere_mc2270
    @feynmanschwingere_mc2270 Před rokem +19

    A truly beautiful mind.
    Even the cadence with which he speaks suggests some access to the ethereal mere mortals can only dream of.
    Awesome interview! Should have WAY more views.

    • @colors6692
      @colors6692 Před rokem

      Like Elon Musk🤣

    • @lilydog1000
      @lilydog1000 Před rokem

      @@colors6692 ??? Musk is a dumbo with lots of money.

    • @TheVaged
      @TheVaged Před rokem +1

      He already has what he is going to say lined up. There is generally no pausing and only a few "um's" (probably him realizing he wants to filter something down even more.) Match that with the speed at which he talks while recalling dates and names 40 years ago, yeah, pretty wild.

    • @philj9594
      @philj9594 Před 4 měsíci

      @@TheVaged I mean, this is his life work. Whenever you are tasked with talking about something you dedicated your life to, it's going to be easy to have all the answers. He's probably answered some variant of all of these questions many times over at this point as well. Not to take anything away. The guy is an absolute genius. Just saying that I think it's weird how people try to read into how he speaks during an interview as the evidence of his genius rather than just... you know... his math and physics contributions lmao. People are so weird when it comes to evaluating the intelligence of others. They bark up the wrong trees.

  • @alexjbriiones
    @alexjbriiones Před rokem +19

    I am surprised by how well-spoken is Ed Witten and how clear he is in his explanation. Even I can understand what he is talking about. Eric Weinstein said the other day that he was terrified of Ed Witten because he is so much like God in the physics universe.

    • @sergiobayona
      @sergiobayona Před rokem +3

      That eloquence is unusual and speaks for his tremendous intelligence.

  • @redrodlrowon
    @redrodlrowon Před 3 lety +41

    Truely an astonishing thing to behold. It's like watching Newton or Einstein.

  • @dabulls1g
    @dabulls1g Před 2 lety +9

    I remember seeing Ed on a documentary 20 years ago, that documentary totally changed my life direction.

  • @mdwoods100
    @mdwoods100 Před 4 měsíci

    I love this show, really like Ed Witten, knows his stuff and doesn't blow smoke.

  • @williamtaylor5193
    @williamtaylor5193 Před rokem +2

    It's amazing HOW smart, truly smart people are.

  • @franciscoramirez4179
    @franciscoramirez4179 Před 3 měsíci

    😳Wow! I can listen to this guy all day even know I have no idea what he's talking about! Fascinating!

  • @WanderingWolf365
    @WanderingWolf365 Před 2 měsíci +2

    Listening to a physicist explain the Universe is like listening to a chemist explain the Mona Lisa. - WW

  • @soccerkills
    @soccerkills Před rokem +3

    This is what it should be about bringing more light to these hidden talent that humanity has. I did not know about this person till Joe Rogan

  • @shivakumarv301
    @shivakumarv301 Před 7 dny

    Our assumptions and creativity for more complex assumption can accelerate the growth of knowledge.

  • @milanpaul2989
    @milanpaul2989 Před 3 lety

    Nice interview !

  • @dickmeisterling3924
    @dickmeisterling3924 Před rokem

    Superb interview. Let the genius talk!

  • @RedSupergiant
    @RedSupergiant Před 5 měsíci

    It's just incredible that this great man studied history and then became one of the greatest physicists. Inspiration for every human.

  • @davidemiable
    @davidemiable Před 11 měsíci

    ... want to also compliment the interviewer .. very well done !! Thank you

  • @abcabc-qf8sb
    @abcabc-qf8sb Před 3 lety +21

    More from Ed, please.

  • @ReemusAim
    @ReemusAim Před rokem

    I have a touch of the tism, this guy has the entire spectrum and it has allowed him to absolutely brilliant

  • @ZoOnTheYT
    @ZoOnTheYT Před 4 dny

    I'd never heard of Edward Witten before Lex's interview with Eric Weinstein. And then snippets of other physicists interviews clinched that this guy was a genius to geniuses. And then I watched this interview and read his Wikipedia page. Before that I expected some monster who's every word was incomprehensible. At least in this interview he seems quite the opposite. Eric especially talks in buzzwords and metaphor to the point where it is frustratingly elusive. But Witten is quite articulate and coherent as well as quiet and humble. Should we be surprised though, as his initial studies were in history and English literature. He's a natural storyteller. That evolution also doesn't match my perception of exceptional physicists and mathematicians. Usually, it's the story of the child prodigy, who clearly has an aptitude and a passion for the subject; blowing everyone away, while attending University before puberty. But Witten seems to have started with other interests, and only grasped onto theoretical physics in his twenties. What do you make of someone with a relatively normal development, and in adulthood reaches and surpasses the knowledge and quantity of work of these prodigies. Not enough in one academically dense field, but in two, related though they are. It's a mystery and quite fascinating.

  • @MatticusPrime1
    @MatticusPrime1 Před 3 lety +34

    Ed Witten is a genius

  • @eSKAone-
    @eSKAone- Před rokem +10

    Dude this is the kind of human you should send to talk to the Aliens when they land, or if you send someone back in time to talk to Newton. You can feel him operating on a different level 💟

  • @davidcline471
    @davidcline471 Před rokem +2

    Its weird how Eric Weinstein calls this guy "Voldemort" and goes onto rant and rave about how much he dislikes string theory or m-theory or something having to do with Witten's work. But if you listen to both talk about physics and understand not even half of what either is saying, I'd still bet on Witten's sober and humble approach to this problem that sounds like it will take many decades to solve versus Weinstein's frustration and impatience that string theory and m-theory hasn't produced enough for him.

  • @guitarika8477
    @guitarika8477 Před 3 lety +3

    Is there a clip with this complete interview?

  • @lieferic9
    @lieferic9 Před 2 lety +6

    I checked Ed Witten's Wikipedia page and, believe it or not, he majored in journalism in college.

    • @feynmanschwingere_mc2270
      @feynmanschwingere_mc2270 Před rokem +3

      He was History AND Journalism major.

    • @lieferic9
      @lieferic9 Před rokem +3

      @@feynmanschwingere_mc2270 Fortunately for us he did not go on to law school.

  • @mitchellhayman381
    @mitchellhayman381 Před 9 měsíci

    Amazing man

  • @helmutalexanderrubiowilson6835

    bro... i feel more smart just listening to him...such a clear mind not only understanding our reality also expressing his ideas to people far less smart than him

  • @keithdow8327
    @keithdow8327 Před 2 dny

    Thanks!

  • @pierluigibalocco2368
    @pierluigibalocco2368 Před 3 lety

    Outstanding

  • @sembutininverse
    @sembutininverse Před 3 lety +3

    brilliant

  • @gene4094
    @gene4094 Před rokem

    I found from my career in chemistry is whenever an anomaly is discovered, there are good possibilities for creating new practical applications.

  • @afty2703
    @afty2703 Před rokem +5

    Thank goodness for brilliant people who push our world forward. When I feel despair from all the morons and Qanon ilk among us, I take solace in knowing that there are also INCREDIBLY smart people too. Thank you smart people!❤

  • @annaclarafenyo8185
    @annaclarafenyo8185 Před rokem +7

    I believe Witten's most unique and personal discovery is topological twisting, this is what leads to the Donaldson invariants and also topological string theory. I don't think anyone but Witten could have done this at that time. This interview skipped over the entire period of the late 80s and early 90s, when this breakthrough was made.

  • @damianranger6910
    @damianranger6910 Před rokem +2

    "It's one thing in physics to write down the equations, but then you have to solve them. And that's sometimes easier said than done."

  • @samwesley5086
    @samwesley5086 Před rokem +1

    Amazing interview... Bravo

  • @uttaranghosal5129
    @uttaranghosal5129 Před 3 lety +3

    I am Big fan of ed witten 😊😊😊😊😊🙂🙂🙂

  • @ivanalhamed6843
    @ivanalhamed6843 Před rokem +1

    I dont undestand a thing but i feel the greatness

  • @tehdii
    @tehdii Před 2 lety +2

    Please use better microphones when you will interview Mr. Witten. He has a distinct way of speaking.

  • @ElectronFieldPulse
    @ElectronFieldPulse Před 2 lety +23

    Witten is a genius. That man has never met an equation or concept he couldn't master. I would love to know his thought processes.

    • @fineasfrog
      @fineasfrog Před rokem +3

      No doubt, yet thought as we ordinarily know it has limitations. In one area he is a genius I agree. But we would have to live with him in his household to see how that genius manifest itself when interacting with the variables of life and all that entails. If we look at Gurdjieff's and others insights into the structure of the human being, as a first approximation he suggest that the human being is connected or in touch with what we would call reality via three centers, thinking center, feeling center, and the moving-instinctive-sexual center (often call the 'gut'). For a person to have wisdom the three centers need to be equally developed and balanced. One of the best sources to approach this subject would be The Dramatic Universe in four volumes by John G Bennett or maybe a more readable book would be Deeper Man by JGB. Or as a less technical approach, just to get a different point of view that is in this direction check out Anoop Kumar's tube videos and what intelligence involves as a comprehensive wisdom.

    • @ElectronFieldPulse
      @ElectronFieldPulse Před rokem +1

      @fineasfrog - Thay sounds like a very unscientific way to look at humans. In my opinion, a better description is that brains have evolved over millions of years, and they started as an amiglyda like structure. Over time, more and more of a frontal cortex developed, which put more fine control of the animal as it acted as a brake so to speak, to the more base region of the brain. So, it's like a very complex rube Goldberg machine that still works to satisfy the more basal region.

    • @Di66en6ion
      @Di66en6ion Před rokem

      ​@@fineasfrog Without a doubt individuals like Edward have offsets or deficits in other areas of their lives but that's also up to them. Hyper-specialized humans can do a lot to advance knowledge even if it means sacrificing part of themselves to do so and that aught to be respected. I can't imagine what it's like for anyone to be in a relationship with him as I imagine it would be pretty limited in a lot of ways. It all really depends on how much time he consciously applies to work on other aspects of himself.
      I've seen/heard of extremely smart people (especially those with close to video graphic memory) becoming agoraphobic eventually.

  • @pn2543
    @pn2543 Před 2 lety +1

    great oral history of physics!

  • @williamlarson2759
    @williamlarson2759 Před rokem

    What amazes me, his voice is exactly the same as decades ago!

  • @aaron2709
    @aaron2709 Před 3 lety +4

    Love these talks. The constant camera movement is distracting. Please dial it back. I think it's a matter of percentage. I'd have 2 still cameras and rely on them. One floating camera would pick up shots for no more than 25% of the final cut.

  • @zmo1ndone502
    @zmo1ndone502 Před rokem +1

    This guy just speaks like a robot in a very endearing way. He is science and math incarnate

  • @mickshaw555
    @mickshaw555 Před rokem +1

    Is this gentleman the No. 1 ranked theoretical physicist on the planet today?

  • @MrMendrit
    @MrMendrit Před 3 lety +2

    Where is the whole video ?

  • @shivakumarv301
    @shivakumarv301 Před 7 dny

    With seeing patternin outside world and the growth of knowledge from within we can figute out the process and phenomenon with maths, statistics, probability, computer science and big data.

  • @winstonong9593
    @winstonong9593 Před 2 lety +4

    Towards the end I thought I kept hearing him say he was trying to get rid of string theorists or reduce the number of string theorists, but then I realised he meant theories not theorists 😅

  • @King-jq5vt
    @King-jq5vt Před 3 lety +1

    I love how So many of these guys have Asperger's. It just adds to the charm of their brilliance.

  • @lello333
    @lello333 Před 3 lety +8

    Such a beutiful mind. I feel more intelligent when i 👂 these people.

    • @ivanleon6164
      @ivanleon6164 Před 2 lety

      thats is exactly how you feel when you hear a real genius, real genius put so much effort on making things clear and everyone understand, fake genius make you feel stupid.

  • @Tarek_ebn_Afaaf
    @Tarek_ebn_Afaaf Před 5 měsíci

    Is Born - Infeld Electrodynamics non-linear?

  • @davecrupel2817
    @davecrupel2817 Před 17 dny

    I wish my speechcraft was even a *fraction* as good as this man's is. ❤

  • @TheJlter
    @TheJlter Před 2 lety

    where is the rest of the interview 😀

  • @inoderlulzer5163
    @inoderlulzer5163 Před 8 měsíci

    A very historic event. Two giants finally meet. Einstein and
    Witten united.

  • @zetacrucis681
    @zetacrucis681 Před 2 lety +6

    WItten's mind occupies a totally different plane of existence to the rest of us ordinary mortals. A true diamond in the rough.

  • @numbersandsports4206
    @numbersandsports4206 Před 3 měsíci

    Love being able to tap into minds like this with just the click of a button.

  • @bluelotus542
    @bluelotus542 Před 3 lety +3

    More and more material knowledge makes man more and more bewildered about the nature of truth. This is good, for the day will come when he'll get off the high horse.

    • @spiralsun1
      @spiralsun1 Před 2 lety

      Let us not make dismissive commentary about such things. Also, it’s not necessarily advisable to get your horse high. Even if it is a talking horse like Mr Ed. The 4 horsemen of the apocalypse were actually limits of each other but they were high on dang drugs and couldn’t see it. And a magic horse is a unicorn.
      I like where he talks about how it was magic how the obstacles to string theory went away. Meshes well with the information symbol model
      Of reality I worked out over the last 30 years.

    • @98danielray
      @98danielray Před rokem

      ok schizo

  • @ExMachina70
    @ExMachina70 Před rokem

    When Edward is saying "strong interactions" is he referring to the nuclear force of particles that create the biggest reaction by the interaction of two lights? In other words, from what little I know, I figured that at the quantum level, there are many reactions that happen on a small scale that really aren't significant to the greater outcome.

  • @stevensims3342
    @stevensims3342 Před rokem

    I think the reason string theory is so difficult to explain is due to some misconceptions where math might lead to one answer but essentially just provides a direction to look towards. So you might calculate that parallel universes exist, but we can't bring it all together without considering the whole picture. To put it quite simply we exist in a quantum reality. In a game engine, everything must be programmed. In a simulation, everything must be set up.
    In our quantum reality you do not have to program anything. Essentially all parallel universes do have the possibility to exist. We exist in a state of reality but everything you see, touch and interact with has a potential to push us into what is an ever-folding universe able to move into any possible parallel universe though this is a massively unfathomable event that occurs more than every second and it is down to the quantum level of our world. It is a reality that has any potential to move into another parallel universe, but it must adhere to the laws of physics in order to get there and to give some measurement occurring more often than every millisecond.
    When making calculations with advanced mathematics I feel it might lead you to believe in parallel universes as something separate, but it is happening in our reality at every moment.

  • @gerardoquirogagoode8152
    @gerardoquirogagoode8152 Před 3 lety +4

    It seems to me that Edward Witten didn't answer the original question? How do breakthroughs happen ???
    For Science, this Is crucial. That's been my main focus, understand Knowledge and how It can be generated. We have to approach it from a different mental frame, starting with am open mind

    • @BrianCookSymbios
      @BrianCookSymbios Před rokem

      To me, a non mathematician non physicist, the answer lies at 10:17-10:45. Breakthroughs happen a bit at a time. Knowledge builds on knowledge. What is discovered by some is already intuitively understood by others and therefore quickly built on leading to other larger implications and opportunities.

  • @rizwann123
    @rizwann123 Před rokem

    legend ...

  • @philippemartin6081
    @philippemartin6081 Před 3 lety +1

    Good morning Dr Lawrence, and a Bravo to your invités to win Medal field. He realy diserve it. Bravo again this will be a great show again. Sincères amitiés Philippe Martin

  • @mazda309
    @mazda309 Před rokem

    I think that the combination of his intelligence which is his capacity to recall small details and combine them with the larger structure and having a full-scale capacity to intuitively understand the outcome of the formula. If we were going to put together a fifteen thousand piece puzzle I believe that he would create a formula that would algorithmically allow you to put the puzzle together faster than any human could. But that would all be in his head. We would have to use a large chalkboard and an advanced calculator.

  • @YoRon427
    @YoRon427 Před rokem +1

    Asynchronous confabulation events can further confuse the understanding of 60gHz beat frequency harmonics, in sympathetic resonance with domains of alternating opposite direction calling forth a higher order contextual latency.
    Asynchronous confabulation events can further confuse the understanding of scalar wave interaction, combined with isotropic transfer functions to produce subharmonic symapthetic responses.
    The system, as a whole, is less energentic, with respect to crystaline vibrational resonance, interwoven on a molecular level with a higher order harmonic series to elicit clear connection to the Akashic Records.