Audio

Evolving Laws Seminar

Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics

August 16 and 17, 2005




Audio File Table of Contents

Chapter 1 - Introduction by Lee Smolin
Chapter 2 - Jaron Lanier's opening statement
Chapter 3 - Stuart Kauffman's opening statement
Chapter 4 - Simon Saunders' opening statement
Chapter 5 - Roberto Unger's opening statement
Chapter 6 - Lucien Hardy's opening statement
Chapter 7 - Comment by Olaf Dryer
Chapter 8 - Kalypso Nicolaidis' opening statement
Chapter 9 - Fotini Markopoulou, Roberto Unger and Simon Saunders
Chapter 10 - Summary by Lee Smolin
Chapter 11 - Summary of main contemporary issues in physics and cosmology
Chapter 12 - Can one conceive of time as emergent?
Chapter 13 - Predictability in physics
Chapter 14 - Biology background by Stuart Kauffman.
Chapter 15 - Computer science background by Jaron Lanier
Chapter 16 - Follow up comments and discussions
Chapter 17 - Equilibrium states and Operas in the Universe
Chapter 18 - Miscellaneous statements and discussions
Chapter 19 - Introductory comments about the nature of time and causality
Chapter 20 - Five theses about the nature of time
Chapter 21 - Follow up comments and discussions
Chapter 22 - End of the day
Chapter 23 - The notion of object by Simon Saunders
Chapter 24 - Criteria for emergence
Chapter 25 - Bulk objects arising in physics by Olaf Dryer
Chapter 26 - Data correlation in physical theories by Lucien Hardy
Chapter 27 - Agendas and future work

Chapter 1 - Introduction by Lee Smolin

Lee Smolin explains the motivation behind the seminar, introduces the discussants and lays out the format of the meeting.


Listen to the audio mp3 format filesize: ~11 MB length [MM:SS]: 11:55
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Chapter 2 - Jaron Lanier's opening statement

  • Constancy has been thought to exist in situations where in fact it did not;
  • The concept of computation.


Listen to the audio mp3 format filesize: ~5.3 MB length [MM:SS]: 5:42
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Chapter 3 - Stuart Kauffman's opening statement

  • Meta-theory proposition for the evolution of fundamental laws;
  • Contingency of fundamental laws;
  • Why should initial and boundary conditions be thought of as separable from law?


Listen to the audio mp3 format filesize: ~6.2 MB length [MM:SS]: 6:38
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Chapter 4 - Simon Saunders opening statement

  • How should one think of time when approaching the issue of evolving laws?;
  • Laws may emerge without the notion of temporality;
  • In the presence of emergent laws ontology becomes vague.


Listen to the audio mp3 format filesize: ~10.2 MB length [MM:SS]: 10:56
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Chapter 5 - Roberto Unger's opening statement

  • Is there real novelty in the world?;
  • Social theory already presents a scenario of evolving laws;
  • Can social theory provide insights to the natural sciences?;
  • Implications of evolving natural laws to the notions of time and causality;
  • The nature of consciousness.


Listen to the audio mp3 format filesize: ~20.4 MB length [MM:SS]: 21:48
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Chapter 6 - Lucien Hardy's opening statement

  • The external versus the internal points of view in a physical theory;
  • The question of evolving laws has implications to both views.


Listen to the audio mp3 format filesize: ~2.4 MB length [MM:SS]: 2:31
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Chapter 7 - Comment by Olaf Dryer


Listen to the audio mp3 format filesize: ~1.9 MB length [MM:SS]: 2:02
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Chapter 8 - Kalypso Nicolaidis' opening statement

  • How should one create a dialogue between the natural and social sciences?;
  • Social theory already presents a scenario of evolving laws;
  • Meta-laws in social theory;
  • The law of democratic peace.


Listen to the audio mp3 format filesize: ~3.9 MB length [MM:SS]: 4:09
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Chapter 9 - Fotini Markopoulou, Roberto Unger and Simon Saunders

  • Question on time and invariant laws.


Listen to the audio mp3 format filesize: ~1.6 MB length [MM:SS]: 1:39
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Chapter 10 - Summary by Lee Smolin

  • Lee Smolin sums up the opening statements and makes an outline of topics to be discussed;
  • Suggestions, clarifications and debates among the discussants.


Listen to the audio mp3 format filesize: ~14 MB length [MM:SS]: 14:53
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Chapter 11 - Summary of main contemporary issues in physics and cosmology.

  • Landscape of theories;
  • Time and evolving geometry in classical general relativity;
  • Quantum gravity and cosmology;
  • Questions by Maya Paczuski, Lucien Hardy, Stuart Kauffman, Kalypso Nicolaidis and Roberto Unger.


Listen to the audio mp3 format filesize: ~23 MB length [MM:SS]: 24:02
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Chapter 12 - Can one conceive of time as emergent?

  • Comment by Simon Saunders and discussion with Robert Brandenberger and Roberto Unger.
  • Matrix theory;
  • Further comments.


Listen to the audio mp3 format filesize: ~4.3 MB length [MM:SS]: 4:35
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Chapter 13 - Predictability in physics

  • Statement by Maya Paczuski: Physical systems have been found in which one cannot decide wether they are predictable or unpredictable.
  • Comment by Kalypso Nicolaidis.


Listen to the audio mp3 format filesize: ~1.5 MB length [MM:SS]: 1:33
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Chapter 14 - Biology background by Stuart Kauffman. Biology and physics debate. Biology and social science debate. Biology and social science debate.

  • Biology cannot be reduced to physics;
  • Space of configurations and pre-adaptation;
  • The problem of predictability;
  • Biology exists with emergent properties.
  • Question by Roberto Unger and complementary comments by Lee Smolin;
  • Debates: Simon Saunders, Roberto Unger, Olaf Dreyer, Robert Brandenberger, Maya Paczuski, Kalypso Nicolaidis.


Listen to the audio mp3 format filesize: ~51.0 MB length [MM:SS]: 54:09
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Chapter 15 - Computer science background by Jaron Lanier.

  • The computer metaphor;
  • Emergent phenomena in computer science;
  • Time and computation;
  • Information theory.


Listen to the audio mp3 format filesize: ~27.3 MB length [MM:SS]: 29:08
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Chapter 16 - Follow up comments and discussions.

  • Information in biology;
  • Computer models;
  • Software;
  • Self-evolving systems.


Listen to the audio mp3 format filesize: ~30.0 MB length [MM:SS]: 31:58
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Chapter 17 - Equilibrium states and Operas in the Universe

  • Equilibrium in software models;
  • Equilibrium in biology;
  • How may systems come out of equilibrium;
  • The question of a system's environment;
  • Can a physical theory be based on the existence of advanced human society?
  • What kind of environments are more likely to create the conditions under which emergency may happen in the social world?


Listen to the audio mp3 format filesize: ~13.0 MB length [MM:SS]: 13:48
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Chapter 18 - Miscellaneous statements and discussions

  • Expected things that have not happened in physics, computer science, social science, biology and limits on what is expected;
  • The existence of rules at very small physical scales;
  • Similarity and time;


Listen to the audio mp3 format filesize: ~18.7 MB length [MM:SS]: 19:56
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Chapter 19 - Introductory comments about the nature of time and causality


Listen to the audio mp3 format filesize: ~23.3 MB length [MM:SS]: 24:51
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Chapter 20 - Five theses about the nature of time

  • Roberto Unger outlines his understanding of the nature of time in a set of five theses.


Listen to the audio mp3 format filesize: ~5.8 MB length [MM:SS]: 6:07
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Chapter 21 - Follow up comments and discussions

  • Debate among all discussants. Individual statements and questions about Roberto Unger's theses;
  • Time in cosmology and the notion of time in mathematics stand out as main topics;


Listen to the audio mp3 format filesize: ~40.6 MB length [MM:SS]: 43:16
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Chapter 22 - End of the day

  • Concluding remarks by Jaron Lanier and Lee Smolin.


Listen to the audio mp3 format filesize: ~3.9 MB length [MM:SS]: 4:10
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Chapter 23 - The notion of object by Simon Saunders

  • Language and logic;
  • Quantification;
  • Identity;
  • Predicates;


Listen to the audio mp3 format filesize: ~12.5 MB length [MM:SS]: 13:23
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Chapter 24 - Criteria for emergence

  • Causality in biology;
  • Emergence of physical laws;
  • Holes in configuration space and ontology;
  • Self-reproducing entities.


Listen to the audio mp3 format filesize: ~12.5 MB length [MM:SS]: 13:23
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Chapter 25 - Bulk objects arising in physics by Olaf Dryer

  • Symmetry breaking and symmetry of physical laws;
  • Quantum mechanics and emergence;
  • Emergence, laws and unexplained features of nature;
  • Relational quantities.


Listen to the audio mp3 format filesize: ~15.9 MB length [MM:SS]: 16:56
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Chapter 26 - Data correlation in physical theories by Lucien Hardy - Pieces of data on pieces of paper...

  • Internal/operational point of view vs. external point of view;
  • Microscopic ontology;
  • Notions and meaning of evolving laws.


Listen to the audio mp3 format filesize: ~26.3 MB length [MM:SS]: 28:00
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Chapter 27 - Agendas and future work

  • Statement by Roberto Unger;
  • Social science;
  • The crisis in all disciplines;
  • Time in mathematics and logic;
  • Website.


Listen to the audio mp3 format filesize: ~52.4 MB length [MM:SS]: 55:55
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