Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal

As a listener of TOE you can get a special 20% off discount to The Economist and all it has to offer! Visit https://www.economist.com/toe Physicist Yakir Aharonov argues that the standard story of quantum mechanics is wrong, proposing a time-symmetric “two-state vector” view in which reality is defined by wavefunctions from both past and future. He explains weak measurements (information without collapse), nonlocal dynamics behind interference, and phenomena like the “quantum Cheshire Cat.” Aharonov recounts the birth of the Aharonov–Bohm effect, why gauge potentials mislead about locality, and how pre and post-selection restore causal insight without de...

David Deutsch argues that Einstein would struggle to secure modern research grants, exposing how funding systems favor incremental work over bold, fundamental ideas. He connects this bias to quantum computing, constructor theory, free will, and the role of creativity in scientific breakthroughs.

- 00:00 - Einstein's Grant Application
- 07:00 - Funding People, Not Projects
- 12:35 - Is Physics Stagnant?
- 17:34 - The "Checkbox" Problem
- 26:05 - Physics vs. Math Departments
- 32:42 - Fundamental vs. Foundational
- 40:08 - Physicists and Philosophy
- 45:44 - Why Academics Are Silent
- 51:20 - The Problem of...

Wayne Myrvold reinterprets thermodynamics as a resource theory, arguing that the slogan “entropy always increases” follows from the second law rather than defining it. The conversation contrasts Gibbs and Boltzmann entropy, examines Maxwell’s demon, Landauer erasure, statistical bounds on Carnot efficiency, and explores implications for cosmology, ergodicity, and collapse theories, ending with pedagogical reflections and career advice.

- 00:00 - Is entropy in the system or in our minds?
- 07:12 - Original thermodynamics as a resource theory of heat and power
- 18:24 - The second law does not assume entropy; entropy requires the second law
- 30:5...

Anil Seth and Michael Levin debate whether brains are computers, how consciousness relates to substrate, and if algorithms can ever capture life and mind. Levin argues machines can access a platonic space of agency via embodied interfaces, xenobots, and compositional agents, while Seth challenges the software-hardware split using information theory, Granger causality, and psychophysics. Together they probe islands of awareness, degeneracy, bubble-sort side quests, LLM surprises, alignment, and how to ask better scientific questions.

- 00:00 - Anil Seth & Michael Levin: Islands of Consciousness & Xenobots
- 08:24 - Substrate Dependence: Why Biology Isn't Just 'Wetware'
- 13:13 - Beyond...

In this episode Curt Jaimungal talks with Professor Lilian Dindo about Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and its use for anxiety, panic attacks, and broader mental‑health challenges. They discuss how ACT can help uncover personal values, differentiate anxiety from excitement, and even boost learning in math and physics.

- 00:00:00 - Introduction
- 00:04:05 - What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) therapy?
- 00:08:12 - Suffering is a part of life
- 00:11:06 - ACT is not just for therapy, but for general illness and rejection
- 00:14:24 - Lilian's feeling anxiety in this interview *right now*, bu...

In this episode, Curt talks with Andrés Gómez‑Emilsson of the Qualia Research Institute about mathematically modeling consciousness and visualizing psychedelic experiences. They explore how color geometry, GPU‑driven tools, and concepts like psychedelic thermodynamics can map qualia beyond ordinary sensory input.

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Curt discusses how philosophy has directly contributed to physics through Bell's theorem, decoherence theory, the hole argument, and more. He also explores hidden philosophical assumptions in physics with John Norton that many scientists overlook.

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In this episode Stephen Wolfram, creator of Mathematica and the Wolfram Language, discusses his view of the universe as a computational system. We examine computational irreducibility, discrete space, multi‑way evolution, and how observers shape physical laws from thermodynamics to quantum mechanics. Wolfram also connects his ideas to AI, biology and the emerging field of ruliology.

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MIT physicist Max Tegmark argues that artificial intelligence belongs inside physics and that consciousness will be the next frontier. He distinguishes intelligence from subjective experience, outlines falsifiable experiments with brain‑reading technology, and shows how concepts like Hopfield energy landscapes and mechanistic interpretability connect mind, math, and machines.

- 00:00 - Why AI is the New Frontier of Physics
- 09:38 - Is Consciousness Just a Byproduct of Intelligence?
- 16:43 - A Falsifiable Theory of Consciousness? (The MEG Helmet Experiment)
- 27:34 - Beyond Neural Correlates: A New Paradigm for Scientific Inquiry
- 38:40 - Humanity: The Masters of...

In this episode Curt Jaimungal interviews Matthieu Pageau, author of The Language of Creation, exploring a symbolic grammar that casts heaven as a plan and earth as material. Pageau argues that Satan functions as a tester before becoming a villain, and he connects feminine concepts to renewal and the logic of Gödel's incompleteness. The conversation also examines biblical narratives from Job to Ruth through this symbolic lens.

- 00:00 - Who Are You? (Identity as Relational vs. Self-Defined)
- 04:54 - How Matthieu's Project Differs From His Brother's (Jonathan Pageau)
- 10:25 - The God-Created Function of Satan v...

In this episode Frederic Schuller argues that gravity can be derived from electromagnetism by starting from the matter action and constructing compatible gravitational dynamics. He explores port‑Hamiltonian methods, probability ports in quantum formalism, and the implications for causal structure and spacetime geometry.

- 00:00 - Deriving Einstein from Maxwell Alone
- 05:55 - Why Energy Doesn't Flow in Quantum Systems
- 11:45 - How Modest Ideas Lead to Spacetime Revolution
- 19:00 - Matter Dynamics Dictate Spacetime Geometry
- 24:03 - Maxwell to Einstein-Hilbert Action
- 31:00 - If Light Rays Split in Vacuum Then Einstein is Wrong

In this episode Nobel laureate Gerard ’t Hooft argues that quantum mechanics is fundamentally wrong, describing the universe as a deterministic pinball machine without randomness. He explores superdeterminism, cellular automata, and the implications for black hole information and hidden variables.

- 00:00 - Why Quantum Mechanics is Fundamentally Wrong
- 05:00 - The Frustrating Blind Spots of Modern Physicists
- 11:27 - The "Hidden Variables" That Truly Explain Reality
- 17:00 - The "True" Equations of the Universe Will Have No Superposition
- 23:00 - Our Universe as a Cellular Automaton
- 30:02 - Why Real Numbers Don't Exist in...

Curt discusses how philosophy has directly contributed to physics through Bell's theorem, decoherence theory, the hole argument, and more. Meanwhile, via John Norton, we uncover the hidden philosophical assumptions in physics that most scientists don’t even realize they’re making. As a listener of TOE you can get a special 20% off discount to The Economist and all it has to offer! Visit https://www.economist.com/toe Join My New Substack (Personal Writings): https://curtjaimungal.substack.com Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gL14b92xAErofYQA7bU4e SUPPORT: - Become a YouTube Member (Early Access Vide...

In this episode Curt Jaimungal talks with Professor Felix Finster about his causal fermion systems framework, a radical approach that builds spacetime and quantum physics from underlying correlations. The conversation covers the Dirac sea, emergence of geometry, the Born rule, and implications for quantum gravity and cosmology.

- 00:00 - Introduction
- 03:12 - The Origins of Causal Fermion Systems
- 06:55 - Engaging with Alternative Theories in Physics
- 15:22 - The Standard View of Causation
- 18:21 - Classical, Quantum, and Pre-Quantum
- 23:06 - How Spacetime Emerges from Disconnected Points
- 29:49 - Recovering Lorentz Signature...

Elan Barenholtz and William Hahn argue that language functions as a self‑generating organism that writes its own software into our minds, shaping cognition and behavior. Drawing on large language models, autoregression, and cognitive science, they suggest memory, self and even concepts of God are merely informational tokens.

- 00:00 - Introduction
- 05:28 - The Nature of Autoregression
- 10:14 - Memory and Cognition Redefined
- 11:28 - The Role of Language Models
- 14:23 - Exploring Consciousness and Software
- 26:22 - The Evolution of Language
- 38:08 - Language: A Cultural Artifact
- 54:19 - The Po...

In this episode I talk with Professor Nikita Nekrasov about why quantum field theory remains elusive despite its experimental triumphs. We explore his solution to the Cyberg‑Witten puzzle, the Nekrasov partition function, and the role of exotic four‑dimensional structures in the chemistry of life.

- 00:00 - Introduction
- 01:13 - Understanding Quantum Field Theory
- 04:38 - The Journey to Gauge Origami
- 06:53 - The Story of the Microsoft Partition Function
- 19:12 - Connecting Quantum Mechanics and Field Theory
- 36:43 - The Nature of Instantons
- 45:05 - Exotic R4 and Its Implications
...

Physicist and philosopher Jenann Ismael argues that free will is a physical reality grounded in thermodynamics and relativity. She explains why no system, not even a perfect computer, can predict its own future, and how this unpredictability underpins genuine agency.

- 00:00 - Introduction
- 01:42 - Free Will
- 29:16 - The Limits of Predictability
- 41:45 - Defining Free Will
- 59:42 - Life and Cognition in the Universe
- 1:05:30 - The Choices We Make
- 1:08:01 - Dark Nights of the Soul
- 1:09:35 - Philosophical Responses to Free Will
- 1:11:03 - Personal Reflections...

Mathematician Eva Miranda reveals a new proof that fluid motion can be Turing‑complete, making certain fluid paths undecidable. The episode explores the consequences for chaos theory, the Navier‑Stokes equations and the long‑standing ideas of Penrose and Tao.

- 00:00 - Introduction
- 01:10 - Expect the Unexpected
- 02:52 - Stories of Uncertainty
- 04:45 - The Impact of Alan Turing
- 06:35 - The Halting Problem Explained
- 09:29 - Limits of Mathematical Knowledge
- 12:40 - From Certainty to Uncertainty
- 16:19 - The Rubber Duck Phenomenon
- 19:29 - Unpredictability vs. Undecidability
- 20:1...

Jacob Barandes challenges a hidden assumption in quantum theory, linking classical probability to quantum mechanics through a so‑called mathematical accident. The episode explores how this view reshapes Bell’s theorem, the measurement problem, and offers a realist path forward for quantum physics.

- 00:00 - Introduction
- 01:02 - Non-locality & Local Realism
- 13:58 - Quantum Theory
- 20:45 - Copenhagen Interpretation
- 28:11 - Many Worlds Interpretation
- 34:54 - Creating Indivisible Stochastic Process
- 50:59 - Indivisible Stochastic Process
- 1:01:46 - Teaching Black Holes to Graduate Students
- 1:04:59 - Coordinate Systems in Space-Time
- 1...

Professor John Norton dismantles long‑standing assumptions in physics, from Newtonian determinism to the myth of Landauer’s principle. He argues that causation may be illusory, explores the breakdown of classical physics, and shows why even Einstein got things wrong.

- 00:00 - Introduction
- 03:37 - Norton's Dome Explained
- 06:30 - The Misunderstanding of Determinism
- 09:31 - Thermodynamics and Infinite Systems
- 14:39 - Implications for Quantum Mechanics
- 16:20 - Revisiting Causation
- 18:15 - Critique of Causal Metaphysics
- 20:21 - The Utility of Causal Language
- 24:58 - Exploring Thought Experiments
- 33:05 - La...

Emily Adlam and Jacob Barandes deliver a forceful critique of the Many‑Worlds Interpretation, arguing that it remains a philosophical fantasy without testable predictions or empirical grounding. The conversation also explores self‑identity, consciousness, and the role of probability in quantum theory, challenging common assumptions about parallel universes.

- 00:00 - Introduction
- 01:08 - Philosophical Foundations of Quantum Mechanics
- 3:22 - The Nature of Self-Identity
- 10:59 - Exploring Branching Universes
- 12:54 - Collaboration Between Physicists and Philosophers
- 16:51 - Understanding Probability and Credence
- 29:12 - The Role of Indexicals in Consciousness
- 36:36 - Ca...

Barry Loewer and Eddy Chen debate whether the laws of physics are mind‑independent constraints or human‑made descriptions, weaving metaphysics, causation, and probability into a lively discussion. The conversation spans from the nature of reality to free will, quantum mechanics, and the role of scientific laws.

- 00:00 - The Nature of Physical Reality
- 42:28 - The Circularity of Scientific Understanding
- 1:05:44 - Reality Explored
- 1:08:28 - Describing Human Experience
- 1:10:10 - The Role of Science
- 1:10:58 - Understanding Motion and Laws
- 1:12:19 - The Nature of Laws
- 1:14:55 - Possible Worl...

Elan Barenholtz, a cognitive scientist at Florida Atlantic University, argues that language functions as an autonomous, autoregressive system disconnected from the external world. He explores how AI’s meaning‑free mastery of language challenges our assumptions about mind, perception, and reality.

- 00:00 - The Mind and Language Connection
- 02:09 - The Grounded Thesis of Language
- 09:29 - The Epiphany of Language
- 13:06 - The Dichotomy of Language and Perception
- 16:24 - Language as an Autonomous System
- 19:48 - The Problem of Qualia and Language
- 23:35 - Bridging Language and Action
- 31:32 - Ex...

In this episode Curt Jaimungal challenges the conventional notion of energy, arguing that it is not even a well‑defined concept despite common claims of its conservation. He builds on Veritasium’s critique and explores the philosophical and scientific implications of redefining energy.

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In this rare, unscripted conversation Eric Weinstein reveals the core of his Geometric Unity theory, discussing dark matter, missing generations, peer review, and the potential impact of GU. He also explores philosophical implications, quantum‑classical relationships, and the challenges of communicating his ideas.

- 00:00 - Intro
- 06:50 - Simplifying GU
- 07:58 - Philosophical Implications
- 11:24 - Quantum vs Classical
- 14:15 - Generations Role
- 27:58 - Restricted Data
- 32:30 - Clear Communication
- 36:59 - Explaining GU Challenges
- 38:14 - Recognizing Contributions
- 49:34 - Seiberg-Witten Story
- 1:06:12 - Critical View of...

Philosopher of physics David Wallace unpacks the Everett (Many‑Worlds) interpretation, tackling common misconceptions, probability, emergence and personal identity across multiple worlds. He also examines the Born rule, the direction of time and the role of consciousness in physics.

- 00:00 - Misconceptions About Physics
- 01:27 - Simplicity in Physics
- 4:48 - Understanding Quantum Mechanics
- 7:27 - Mysteries of Large-Scale Physics
- 9:53 - The Nature of Time
- 13:19 - Boundary Conditions in Physics
- 15:04 - Models of Physics
- 16:56 - Canonical vs Covariant Quantization
- 21:10 - Theories of Gravity
- 28:22...

In this episode Professor Yang‑Hue Hi explores how AI is reshaping pure mathematics, from the murmuration conjecture to breakthroughs on the Riemann Hypothesis. We examine the changing research landscape, the role of intuition, and what a future where machines generate discoveries faster than humans might look like.

- 00:00 - Introduction
- 01:34 - Changing Landscape
- 03:30 - ML Categories
- 06:53 - Researchers: Birds vs Hedgehogs
- 09:36 - Personal Experiences
- 11:44 - Future Role of Academics
- 14:08 - AI Mathematician Presentation
- 16:14 - Intuition in Discovery
- 18:00 - AI Assistance in Va...

We examine the common claim that you must be able to explain a concept to a five‑year‑old to truly understand it, arguing that the idea can be misleading and even harmful. The episode explores why some truths resist simplification and shows what genuine understanding looks like for deep learners and teachers.

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MIT physicist and historian David Kaiser examines primordial black holes, exploring how they might explain dark matter and connect to cosmic inflation. He discusses their potential impact on our understanding of the early universe, linking quantum theory, cosmology, and the history of physics.

- 00:00 - What Are Primordial Black Holes?
- 01:41 - Could They Be Dark Matter?
- 05:21 - Kaiser’s Academic Journey
- 10:56 - Studying Physics and Its History
- 11:57 - Cosmic Inflation Basics
- 15:31 - Direct Collapse vs. Stellar Collapse
- 25:14 - Bell’s Theorem Explained
- 38:32 - Quasars and...

Gödel’s incompleteness theorem is often misrepresented in popular science. In this episode we cut through the hype, correcting misconceptions from figures like Neil deGrasse Tyson, Veritasium, Michio Kaku, and Deepak Chopra, and explain exactly what Gödel proved and what he did not.

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In this episode physicist Ted Jacobson explains how Einstein’s equations can emerge from thermodynamic principles of the quantum vacuum, suggesting gravity is an entropic force. The discussion explores Rindler horizons, quantum vacuum states, and holographic duality, linking thermodynamics to spacetime geometry.

- 00:00 - Introduction
- 01:11 - The Journey into Physics
- 04:26 - Spirituality and Physics
- 06:29 - Connecting Gravity and Thermodynamics
- 09:22 - The Concept of Rindler Horizons
- 13:12 - The Nature of Quantum Vacuum
- 20:53 - The Duality of Quantum Fields
- 32:59 - Understanding the Equation of State
...

In this episode physicist Julian Barbour argues that time is an illusion and that quantum mechanics may be replaced by a theory based on relational ratios. He explores how entropy, consciousness, and the structure of the universe can be understood without fundamental time or wave functions.

- 00:00 - Introduction
- 01:35 - Consciousness and the Nature of Reality
- 3:23 - The Nature of Time and Change
- 7:01 - The Role of Variety in Existence
- 9:23 - Understanding Entropy and Temperature
- 36:10 - Revisiting the Second Law of Thermodynamics
- 41:33 - The Illusion of...

In this three‑hour deep dive, Curt Jaimungal unpacks Eric Weinstein’s Geometric Unity, presenting graduate‑level mathematics alongside accessible explanations for newcomers. The episode serves as an extensive “iceberg” guide, moving from foundational concepts to advanced theory.

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Neil Turok proposes a radical black‑hole theory in which the interior is a mirror reflecting an antimatter twin, eliminating information loss, multiverses and extra dimensions. He explains the role of CPT symmetry, the black‑mirror solution, and its implications for quantum effects and cosmology.

- 00:00 - Introduction
- 04:14 - The Paradox of Information Loss
- 11:04 - CPT Symmetry and Its Implications
- 19:09 - Stuckelberg's Insights on Antiparticles
- 29:34 - The Black Mirror Solution Explained
- 41:21 - Dramatic Encounters at the Horizon
- 51:51 - The Unexpected Nature of the Metric
- 59:46 - Ex...

Philosopher Jennifer Nagel argues that universal skepticism is philosophy’s greatest deception, claiming that doubt is an illusion and knowledge is a primitive instant recognition. We explore the nature of knowledge, different forms of skepticism, the Gettier problem, and how these ideas relate to consciousness and free will.

- 00:00 - Introduction
- 01:28 - The Nature of Knowledge
- 10:58 - Philosophers and the Skeptical Mindset
- 16:57 - Types of Skepticism
- 22:27 - Exploring Knowledge Attribution
- 29:51 - The Illusion of Knowledge
- 34:16 - Knowing Without Knowing
- 38:10 - Writing About Knowledge
...

Curt Jaimungal debunks the popular “all possible paths” myth, explaining what Feynman’s path integral actually demonstrates and why the misconception endures. He also examines related misunderstandings about quantum mechanics and the nature of light.

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In this episode Emily Adlam challenges the common assumption that time flows, presenting an “all-at-once” view of physics where the universe resembles a completed Sudoku puzzle. The conversation delves into quantum measurement, observer roles, causality, and the arrow of time, highlighting the need for both philosophical clarity and scientific precision.

- 00:00 - Introduction
- 00:56 - Observers in Quantum Mechanics
- 02:15 - The Measurement Problem
- 06:23 - Dogmas in Quantum Foundations
- 08:24 - Causation and Its Philosophical Implications
- 09:12 - The Arrow of Time and Its Mysteries
- 10:28 - Exploring Coarse Graining and Redu...

In this episode, theoretical physicist Claudia de Rham returns to discuss the possibility that gravity has mass, challenging core assumptions of general relativity and offering new perspectives on dark energy. The conversation also explores implications for cosmology, quantum gravity, and the foundations of physics.

- 00:00 - Introduction
- 01:20 - Claudia's Approach
- 09:11 - Claudia's Motivation
- 14:45 - Dark Energy
- 23:35 - Causality
- 27:19 - Other Approaches
- 45:10 - New Physics
- 50:47 - Dark Energy (cont)
- 57:36 - Quantum Gravity / String Theory
- 01:14:10 - Gravitons & Photons
- 01:21:44 - Symmetry<...

In this episode Curt Jaimungal, Elan Barenholtz, and William Hahn explore how AI‑driven medical swarms could provide 24/7 personalized healthcare at virtually no cost, examining technical, ethical, and educational implications.

- 00:00 - Introduction
- 4:43 - A New Approach to Healthcare
- 5:33 - AI in Medical Imaging
- 7:40 - Cognitive Models
- 11:09 - Education in Medicine
- 23:02 - Exploring the Boundaries of AI
- 32:04 - The Future of AI in Medicine
- 37:20 - Swarming Agents
- 41:49 - Ethics of AI in Healthcare
- 45:17 - AI into Clinical Practice
- 55:58...

Economist Robin Hanson explores the provocative idea that an advanced extraterrestrial civilization may be subtly monitoring Earth, either as caretakers or as part of a long‑running experiment. The conversation also examines academic funding, peer review, and the challenges facing modern scholarship.

- 00:00 - Introduction
- 01:36 - The Great Filter
- 05:38 - Where Are The Aliens?
- 09:13 - UFOs
- 16:50 - Panspermia
- 23:05 - Alien Hierarchies
- 27:30 - Alien Culture & Motivations
- 33:18 - Probability of Aliens
- 39:18 - Truth
- 49:41 - Fall of Academia
- 01:11:27 - Peer Review