Why Did We Really Abandon the Aether? - Dr. Adam Forrest Kay, DemystifySci #333

Adam Forrest Kay is the author of Escape From Shadow Physics, a
rip-roaring tour through the history of physics that suggests the
quantum world might be a lot less legible than anyone realizes.
Much of his work is informed by the logic of Hydrodynamic Quantum
Analogs, which are classical systems whose behavior can be
described by same mathematics that’s used for quantum mechanics.
Kay makes the case that if a classical system, made of materials
and substances, can be described by the same statistical
mathematics, that it’s possible the quantum intuition that
reality dissolves into a sea of probabilities and wave functions
is just straight up wrong. We explore how the mechanics of
droplets bouncing on surfaces recapitulates the mathematics of
quantum mechanics, what it means for a classical system to behave
like a quantum one, how pilot wave theory fits into the story,
and why this isn’t front page news for every science magazine in
the world.





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PARADIGM DRIFT


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(00:00) Go!


(00:06:20) Adam Kay's Journey


(00:10:17) The Complexity of Innovation


(00:12:26) Hydrodynamic Quantum Analogies


(00:20:20) Philosophy and Positivism in Physics


(00:23:21) Skepticism in Physics


(00:24:35) Transition in Scientific Thought


(00:26:10) Positivism and Knowledge


(00:28:40) Auguste Comte's Positivism and its Paradoxes


(00:34:50) Historical Context from Philosophy to Physics


(00:41:10) The Clash in Intellectual Circles


(00:46:00) Continued Influence of Early Physicists


(00:47:02) Historical Scientific Perspectives


(00:49:07) The Philosophy of Science and Positivism


(00:51:50) Einstein’s Influence on Physical Theories


(00:56:05) Einstein vs. Quantum Mechanics


(01:00:02) Parallels Between Thermodynamics and Quantum Mechanics


(01:07:00) Reevaluating Physical Paradigms


(01:12:07) Evolution of Physical Theories


(01:14:09) Modern Reflections and Quantum Theory


(01:18:07) Book Review and Chapter Structure


(01:19:04) Introduction to Pilot Wave Theory


(01:25:35) Hydrodynamic Quantum Analogies


(01:35:08) Interpretation of Positive Atomism


(01:36:46) Uncertainty Principle and Quantum Mechanics


(01:39:28) Sound, Sampling, and Uncertainty in Physics


(01:44:41) The Role of Fourier Analysis in Various Domains


(01:49:10) Quantum Mechanics and Reality's Mystical
Interpretation


(01:54:09) Physics and Its Intellectual Dominance


(01:58:55) Intersection of Physics and Metaphysics


(02:01:10) Mysticism in Physics


(02:05:27) The Sokal Hoax and Scientific Discourse


(02:09:10) Importance of Diverse Viewpoints


(02:14:23) Writing and Future Endeavors





#quantummechanics, #philosophyofscience, #einstein, #bohr,
#quantumphysics, #pilotwave, #positivism, #quantumreality,
#scienceandphilosophy, #sciencehistory, #waveparticleduality,
#quantumtheory, #physicscommunity #philosophypodcast,
#sciencepodcast, #longformpodcast


ABOUS US: Anastasia completed her PhD studying bioelectricity at
Columbia University. When not talking to brilliant people or
making movies, she spends her time painting, reading, and guiding
backcountry excursions. Shilo also did his PhD at Columbia
studying the elastic properties of molecular water. When he's not
in the film studio, he's exploring sound in music. They are both
freelance professors at various universities.





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