Books and Ideas Podcast
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| » Forum Index » Books and Ideas Podcast » Topic: Books and Ideas #23: Nobel Physicist, Frank Wilczek |
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Posted on 11/03/08 8:33:58 PM |
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docartemis
Administrator Posts: 688 Reply  |
Books and Ideas #23: Nobel Physicist, Frank Wilczek
Episode 23 of Books and Ideas is an interview with Frank Wilczek, PhD, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2004. We talk about the nature of matter and space. If you haven't been keeping up with physics you might be surprised to learn that they now think that matter is ultimately made of massless particles and that space is NOT empty. This episode is for everyone who is wondering why the Large Hadron Collider is so important. (Before I read Dr. Wilczek book Lightness of Being: Mass, Ether, and the Unification of Forces, I wasn't even sure what a hadron was!) Listen to Episode 23 Show notes and Links for Episode 23 Dr. Wilczek has agreed to come back for another interview, so let me know if you have a question you would like me to ask. _________________ Dr. Ginger Campbell (aka. docartemis) Forum Creator and Administrator Brain Science Podcast 
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Posted on 11/18/08 10:38:43 PM |
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lpb2ha
*** Posts: 63 Reply |
Re: Books and Ideas #23: Nobel Physicist, Frank Wilczek
What a treat this episode was! I am looking forward to hearing Dr. Wilczek again on this podcast. There was a lot of conceptual information in this podcast, which is good. I take his word for it that his theory is backed up by lots of data. In the next episode, I would like to get more insight into the reasons *why* things are as the theory says they are. I.e., why are things not different. Hopefully it is possible to explain some of this to non-mathematicians, as Einstein did with relativity; but maybe not. Also, I can't help but suspect that despite the fit with the data, we are dealing with a theory and therefore something which might be radically superseded at some point; he himself said that physics now is radically different from where it was 30 years ago. (I tend to side with Popper, well, more specifically Imre Lakatos wrt philosophy of physics.) _________________ Luc P. Beaudoin |
Posted on 12/31/08 4:28:29 PM |
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Samuel M Randolph
* Posts: 3 Reply |
Re: Books and Ideas #23: Nobel Physicist, Frank Wilczek
Ginger, A note of appreciation for the way you handled Part II of the interview with Frank in show #24 of Books & Ideas. The follow up show tied up many of the lose ends that needed to be nailed down in order to gain closure at the end of the first interview. Thanks for asking for our input for follow up questions in show #23, but I really do think you did a smashing job of keeping the discussion with Frank on track. For those who want to follow the whole discussion closely, I do think that it's important to read Frank's book in order to gain context as there are many concepts and terms used that would have thrown me off had I not had Frank's frames of reference in place. This visit seemed like a great example of an experience where it's best to have one's consciousness "primed" a bit prior to jumping into the discussion. The alternative would be to read the book and then come back for a repeat hearing. > Best, > > Samuel Randolph |
