BREAKING NEWS
Tweets by @FQXi
Physics-Art Flipbook
Feb 4, 2019
Quantum physicist Paul Knott and artist Joseph Namara Hollis have teamed up to create a charming illustrated book for the public investigating Our Quantum Reality, which you can read for free. Learn more about the FQXi-funded outreach project on the blog.
Einstein Prize
Oct 23, 2018
FQXi’s Abhay Ashtekar has been awarded the American Physical Society’s 2018 Einstein Prize, for outstanding achievements in the field of gravitational physics. Congratulations!
Front Page News
Oct 19, 2018
How does objectivity arise from the quantum world? The FQXi-funded answer, provided by Paul A. Knott, Tommaso Tufarelli, Marco Piani, and Gerardo Adesso has made the cover of Physical Review Letters.
NEW IN BLOGS
Black Hole Photographed for the First Time: EHT...
By ZEEYA MERALI
Updated:
Scientists have obtained the first image of a black hole, using Event Horizon Telescope observations of the center of the galaxy M87. The image shows a bright ring formed as light bends in the intense gravity around a black hole that...
Information as Fuel — A New FQXi Research...
By ANTHONY AGUIRRE
We're proud to announce one of our latest ventures: a research program investigating the theme of "Information as Fuel." We intend to award up to US$8million in this program, which has been sponsored by the Templeton World Charity Foundation. We are...
Cosmic Consciousness
By WILLIAM OREM
I was having dinner with a friend the other day when our discussion turned to the problem of consciousness. Intrigued by the general host of deep science questions, he didn’t see why this famous conundrum was a problem for neurophilosophers (to...
FORUM UPDATES
Ultimate Reality
The Nature of Time
By ZEEYA MERALI
I'm opening up this thread, following requests from users, as a place to discuss general questions and ideas about the nature of time.
Enjoy!
Cosmic Origins
Is the Past Infinite?
By WILLIAM OREM
I interviewed some non-mainstream cosmologists last year for an article, such as those at the Alternative Cosmology Group who hosted the Crisis in Cosmology conference in Portugal in 2005. These are credible folks who think the Standard Model (the...
High Energy Physics
Ed Witten on the Nature of Reality
By ZEEYA MERALI
Natalie Wolchover has a fascinating interview with string theorist Ed Witten, in Quanta on dualities and what is real and fundamental. Thank you to Steve Agnew for suggesting that this would be a could discussion topic.
Black Hole Photographed for the First Time: EHT...
By ZEEYA MERALI
Updated:
Scientists have obtained the first image of a black hole, using Event Horizon Telescope observations of the center of the galaxy M87. The image shows a bright ring formed as light bends in the intense gravity around a black hole that...
Information as Fuel — A New FQXi Research...
By ANTHONY AGUIRRE
We're proud to announce one of our latest ventures: a research program investigating the theme of "Information as Fuel." We intend to award up to US$8million in this program, which has been sponsored by the Templeton World Charity Foundation. We are...
Cosmic Consciousness
By WILLIAM OREM
I was having dinner with a friend the other day when our discussion turned to the problem of consciousness. Intrigued by the general host of deep science questions, he didn’t see why this famous conundrum was a problem for neurophilosophers (to...
NEW PODCAST EPISODES
2018 Year in Physics Review Part 2: We conclude our countdown of the top physics stories of the year, as chosen by Ian Durham.
2018 Year in Physics Review Part 1: We begin our countdown of the top physics stories of the year, as chosen by Ian Durham.
Superhuman: In this special edition, evolutionary biologist Rowan Hooper discusses his new book, which examines the extremes of mental and physical ability. He discusses encounters with some of the world's cleverest people, investigates the role of genetics in intelligence, memory, drive and focus, and describes people whose immense resilience has seen them come through terrible adversity. Hooper also describes lessons we can take from human evolution when programming AI.
Featured Videos:
|
Dagomir Kaszlikowski |
|
"One Physics To Rule Them All (This Is Physics, part 1)" Marc Séguin |
|
Xiangjun Shi |
FORUM UPDATES
Ultimate Reality
The Nature of Time
By ZEEYA MERALI
I'm opening up this thread, following requests from users, as a place to discuss general questions and ideas about the nature of time.
Enjoy!
Cosmic Origins
Is the Past Infinite?
By WILLIAM OREM
I interviewed some non-mainstream cosmologists last year for an article, such as those at the Alternative Cosmology Group who hosted the Crisis in Cosmology conference in Portugal in 2005. These are credible folks who think the Standard Model (the...
High Energy Physics
Ed Witten on the Nature of Reality
By ZEEYA MERALI
Natalie Wolchover has a fascinating interview with string theorist Ed Witten, in Quanta on dualities and what is real and fundamental. Thank you to Steve Agnew for suggesting that this would be a could discussion topic.
NEW ARTICLES
Thermo-Demonics
By M. MITCHELL WALDROP • Mar 4, 2019
A devilish new framework of thermodynamics that focuses on how we observe information could help illuminate our understanding of probability and rewrite quantum theory.
Read article
Discuss this article in the FQXi Community Forum
(82 posts)
Gravity's Residue
By GEORGE MUSSER • Feb 15, 2019
An unusual approach to unifying the laws of physics could solve Hawking's black-hole information paradox—and its predicted gravitational "memory effect" could be picked up by LIGO.
Read article
Discuss this article in the FQXi Community Forum
(11 posts)
Could Mind Forge the Universe?
By SOPHIE HEBDEN • Jan 18, 2019
Objective reality, and the laws of physics themselves, emerge from our observations, according to a new framework that turns what we think of as fundamental on its head.
Read article
Discuss this article in the FQXi Community Forum
(55 posts)
Dissolving Quantum Paradoxes
By KATE BECKER • Aug 31, 2018
The impossibility of building a perfect clock could help explain away microscale weirdness.
Read article
Discuss this article in the FQXi Community Forum
(177 posts)
Constructing a Theory of Life
By MIRIAM FRANKEL • Jul 31, 2018
An all-encompassing framework of physics could help to explain the evolution of consciousness, intelligence, and free will.
Read article
Discuss this article in the FQXi Community Forum
(179 posts)
Usurping Quantum Theory
By COLIN STUART • Jun 28, 2018
The search is on for a fundamental framework that allows for even stranger links between particles than quantum theory—which could lead us to a theory of everything.
Read article
Discuss this article in the FQXi Community Forum
(15 posts)
Fuzzballs v Black Holes
By SOPHIE HEBDEN • May 11, 2018
A radical theory replaces the cosmic crunchers with fuzzy quantum spheres, potentially solving the black-hole information paradox and explaining away the Big Bang and the origin of time.
Read article
Discuss this article in the FQXi Community Forum
(28 posts)
Whose Physics Is It Anyway? Q&A with Chanda Prescod-Weinstein
By NICOLA JONES • Apr 20, 2018
Why physics and astronomy communities must take diversity issues seriously in order to do good science.
Read article
Discuss this article in the FQXi Community Forum
(22 posts)
Why Time Might Not Be an Illusion
By NICOLA JONES • Feb 28, 2018
Einstein’s relativity pushes physicists towards a picture of the universe as a block, in which the past, present, and future all exist on the same footing; but maybe that shift in thinking has gone too far.
Read article
Discuss this article in the FQXi Community Forum
(144 posts)
The Complexity Conundrum
By M. MITCHELL WALDROP • Dec 5, 2017
Resolving the black hole firewall paradox—by calculating what a real astronaut would compute at the black hole's edge.
Read article
Discuss this article in the FQXi Community Forum
(56 posts)
Quantum Dream Time
By KATE BECKER • Nov 8, 2017
Defining a ‘quantum clock’ and a 'quantum ruler' could help those attempting to unify physics—and solve the mystery of vanishing time.
Read article
Discuss this article in the FQXi Community Forum
(83 posts)
Our Place in the Multiverse
By SOPHIE HEBDEN • Sep 22, 2017
Calculating the odds that intelligent observers arise in parallel universes—and working out what they might see.
Read article
Discuss this article in the FQXi Community Forum
(24 posts)
Thermo-Demonics
By M. MITCHELL WALDROP • Mar 4, 2019
A devilish new framework of thermodynamics that focuses on how we observe information could help illuminate our understanding of probability and rewrite quantum theory.
Read article
Discuss this article in the FQXi Community Forum
(82 posts)
Gravity's Residue
By GEORGE MUSSER • Feb 15, 2019
An unusual approach to unifying the laws of physics could solve Hawking's black-hole information paradox—and its predicted gravitational "memory effect" could be picked up by LIGO.
Read article
Discuss this article in the FQXi Community Forum
(11 posts)
Could Mind Forge the Universe?
By SOPHIE HEBDEN • Jan 18, 2019
Objective reality, and the laws of physics themselves, emerge from our observations, according to a new framework that turns what we think of as fundamental on its head.
Read article
Discuss this article in the FQXi Community Forum
(55 posts)
Dissolving Quantum Paradoxes
By KATE BECKER • Aug 31, 2018
The impossibility of building a perfect clock could help explain away microscale weirdness.
Read article
Discuss this article in the FQXi Community Forum
(177 posts)
Constructing a Theory of Life
By MIRIAM FRANKEL • Jul 31, 2018
An all-encompassing framework of physics could help to explain the evolution of consciousness, intelligence, and free will.
Read article
Discuss this article in the FQXi Community Forum
(179 posts)
Usurping Quantum Theory
By COLIN STUART • Jun 28, 2018
The search is on for a fundamental framework that allows for even stranger links between particles than quantum theory—which could lead us to a theory of everything.
Read article
Discuss this article in the FQXi Community Forum
(15 posts)
Fuzzballs v Black Holes
By SOPHIE HEBDEN • May 11, 2018
A radical theory replaces the cosmic crunchers with fuzzy quantum spheres, potentially solving the black-hole information paradox and explaining away the Big Bang and the origin of time.
Read article
Discuss this article in the FQXi Community Forum
(28 posts)
Whose Physics Is It Anyway? Q&A with Chanda Prescod-Weinstein
By NICOLA JONES • Apr 20, 2018
Why physics and astronomy communities must take diversity issues seriously in order to do good science.
Read article
Discuss this article in the FQXi Community Forum
(22 posts)
Why Time Might Not Be an Illusion
By NICOLA JONES • Feb 28, 2018
Einstein’s relativity pushes physicists towards a picture of the universe as a block, in which the past, present, and future all exist on the same footing; but maybe that shift in thinking has gone too far.
Read article
Discuss this article in the FQXi Community Forum
(144 posts)
The Complexity Conundrum
By M. MITCHELL WALDROP • Dec 5, 2017
Resolving the black hole firewall paradox—by calculating what a real astronaut would compute at the black hole's edge.
Read article
Discuss this article in the FQXi Community Forum
(56 posts)
Quantum Dream Time
By KATE BECKER • Nov 8, 2017
Defining a ‘quantum clock’ and a 'quantum ruler' could help those attempting to unify physics—and solve the mystery of vanishing time.
Read article
Discuss this article in the FQXi Community Forum
(83 posts)
Our Place in the Multiverse
By SOPHIE HEBDEN • Sep 22, 2017
Calculating the odds that intelligent observers arise in parallel universes—and working out what they might see.
Read article
Discuss this article in the FQXi Community Forum
(24 posts)