1 00:00:03,030 --> 00:00:01,670 nathan mirvold is one of those rare 2 00:00:05,030 --> 00:00:03,040 individuals who it's difficult to 3 00:00:07,030 --> 00:00:05,040 overstate the accomplishments of here is 4 00:00:08,950 --> 00:00:07,040 just a small sample of a list of fields 5 00:00:09,669 --> 00:00:08,960 that he's made extensive contributions 6 00:00:11,749 --> 00:00:09,679 to 7 00:00:12,789 --> 00:00:11,759 it's by no means exhaustive nuclear 8 00:00:15,669 --> 00:00:12,799 power that is 9 00:00:16,750 --> 00:00:15,679 the inventing of new reactor types one 10 00:00:19,189 --> 00:00:16,760 that can use 11 00:00:21,189 --> 00:00:19,199 uranium-238 and spent rods of other 12 00:00:23,429 --> 00:00:21,199 nuclear reactors he also in his early 13 00:00:25,589 --> 00:00:23,439 days founded microsoft research 14 00:00:27,029 --> 00:00:25,599 which back then startup software 15 00:00:28,390 --> 00:00:27,039 companies didn't have a research 16 00:00:30,470 --> 00:00:28,400 component to them 17 00:00:31,429 --> 00:00:30,480 this trend of apple research and google 18 00:00:33,430 --> 00:00:31,439 research 19 00:00:34,549 --> 00:00:33,440 they're just adam brations of his 20 00:00:36,790 --> 00:00:34,559 original creation 21 00:00:38,549 --> 00:00:36,800 he founded a company based solely on 22 00:00:40,470 --> 00:00:38,559 inventing he thought well there is no 23 00:00:42,069 --> 00:00:40,480 modern-day equivalent of edison people 24 00:00:44,229 --> 00:00:42,079 just invent in their own specialized 25 00:00:45,430 --> 00:00:44,239 field why not have a company of a team 26 00:00:47,990 --> 00:00:45,440 of people like edison 27 00:00:50,229 --> 00:00:48,000 he also invented new methods of modes of 28 00:00:51,990 --> 00:00:50,239 delivery of treatments for malaria and 29 00:00:53,830 --> 00:00:52,000 other infectious diseases under the bill 30 00:00:55,670 --> 00:00:53,840 gates foundation he also came up with 31 00:00:56,790 --> 00:00:55,680 geo-engineering solutions to the problem 32 00:00:58,709 --> 00:00:56,800 of global warming 33 00:01:01,029 --> 00:00:58,719 we were scheduled to talk for just under 34 00:01:02,389 --> 00:01:01,039 an hour but it went far over two hours 35 00:01:04,390 --> 00:01:02,399 and i didn't even get to half the 36 00:01:06,870 --> 00:01:04,400 questions that i had written down 37 00:01:07,429 --> 00:01:06,880 enjoy this wide-ranging conversation 38 00:01:10,310 --> 00:01:07,439 with 39 00:01:12,070 --> 00:01:10,320 nathan muirvold okay so why am i 40 00:01:15,510 --> 00:01:12,080 interested in you 41 00:01:25,109 --> 00:01:15,520 i've been following you for 42 00:01:26,550 --> 00:01:25,119 12 years 43 00:01:28,469 --> 00:01:26,560 when i was an undergrad i remember 44 00:01:30,469 --> 00:01:28,479 hearing about your book on modernist 45 00:01:33,670 --> 00:01:30,479 cuisine and being fascinated and doing 46 00:01:34,390 --> 00:01:33,680 plenty of research into you and thinking 47 00:01:36,149 --> 00:01:34,400 that 48 00:01:37,749 --> 00:01:36,159 there are few people very few people in 49 00:01:42,230 --> 00:01:37,759 my life that i wish were my uncle 50 00:01:46,950 --> 00:01:44,469 that i can persistently and bothersomely 51 00:01:48,630 --> 00:01:46,960 ask questions too 52 00:01:50,230 --> 00:01:48,640 and and so for years and years i've had 53 00:01:51,350 --> 00:01:50,240 this fascination with you every once in 54 00:01:52,950 --> 00:01:51,360 a while i'd check in on you 55 00:01:54,870 --> 00:01:52,960 and i admire you you probably get this a 56 00:01:56,230 --> 00:01:54,880 lot but i admire you i look up to you 57 00:01:59,270 --> 00:01:56,240 there are very few people i say that 58 00:02:01,190 --> 00:01:59,280 about and so even with this podcast 59 00:02:02,630 --> 00:02:01,200 i don't give people introductions 60 00:02:04,550 --> 00:02:02,640 because i like to just get right into 61 00:02:06,149 --> 00:02:04,560 the meat of it but for you 62 00:02:07,510 --> 00:02:06,159 i have to tell the audience about my 63 00:02:07,990 --> 00:02:07,520 journey with you and some of your 64 00:02:10,070 --> 00:02:08,000 accolades 65 00:02:16,869 --> 00:02:10,080 so if you don't mind can i just get rid 66 00:02:16,879 --> 00:02:21,430 i'll try not to roll my eyes yeah yeah 67 00:02:24,550 --> 00:02:23,110 i'm just gonna read some of this so this 68 00:02:25,830 --> 00:02:24,560 this podcast is about theories of 69 00:02:27,190 --> 00:02:25,840 everything and 70 00:02:28,470 --> 00:02:27,200 it's also about publicizing some 71 00:02:29,190 --> 00:02:28,480 intellectuals that i don't think get as 72 00:02:31,190 --> 00:02:29,200 much credit 73 00:02:32,390 --> 00:02:31,200 as they deserve now obviously you're 74 00:02:34,150 --> 00:02:32,400 extremely successful 75 00:02:35,430 --> 00:02:34,160 but i was watching your ted talk which i 76 00:02:37,509 --> 00:02:35,440 think is superior 77 00:02:38,470 --> 00:02:37,519 to the majority of ted talks that i see 78 00:02:40,150 --> 00:02:38,480 and it 79 00:02:41,750 --> 00:02:40,160 many ted talks have tens of millions of 80 00:02:42,630 --> 00:02:41,760 views sometimes but yet yours only has 81 00:02:45,670 --> 00:02:42,640 two hundred thousand 82 00:02:47,509 --> 00:02:45,680 okay so if i can help that in any way 83 00:02:49,670 --> 00:02:47,519 i would love to with this minor podcast 84 00:02:50,869 --> 00:02:49,680 of mine 85 00:02:52,550 --> 00:02:50,879 it doesn't seem like you need my help 86 00:02:52,869 --> 00:02:52,560 you're effectively a billionaire and you 87 00:02:55,589 --> 00:02:52,879 have 88 00:02:56,710 --> 00:02:55,599 many scholarly accolades nathan mirvold 89 00:02:59,750 --> 00:02:56,720 is someone who has 90 00:03:01,190 --> 00:02:59,760 a variety of interests and 91 00:03:02,869 --> 00:03:01,200 it just astounds me i don't know of 92 00:03:03,990 --> 00:03:02,879 anyone else who has the same amount so i 93 00:03:05,670 --> 00:03:04,000 decided why don't i just start 94 00:03:07,030 --> 00:03:05,680 to list them and i don't think this is 95 00:03:07,430 --> 00:03:07,040 exhaustive in the least i asked your 96 00:03:08,790 --> 00:03:07,440 team 97 00:03:10,710 --> 00:03:08,800 and even they couldn't come up with all 98 00:03:11,670 --> 00:03:10,720 of them is there a list online well 99 00:03:13,670 --> 00:03:11,680 anyway here's some so 100 00:03:15,110 --> 00:03:13,680 dinosaur slash paleontologists you like 101 00:03:15,589 --> 00:03:15,120 dinosaurs you love looking into paleo 102 00:03:18,229 --> 00:03:15,599 you like 103 00:03:19,110 --> 00:03:18,239 even digging okay great asteroids you 104 00:03:22,550 --> 00:03:19,120 have an interest 105 00:03:23,910 --> 00:03:22,560 in scanning the skies and analyzing the 106 00:03:27,190 --> 00:03:23,920 data of nasa 107 00:03:28,070 --> 00:03:27,200 yup nuclear power okay eradicating 108 00:03:30,390 --> 00:03:28,080 malaria 109 00:03:31,670 --> 00:03:30,400 meta materials quantum gravity in your 110 00:03:34,710 --> 00:03:31,680 former days 111 00:03:37,270 --> 00:03:34,720 software obviously microsoft food 112 00:03:38,390 --> 00:03:37,280 modernist cuisine penguins okay i 113 00:03:39,750 --> 00:03:38,400 thought it was just penguins apparently 114 00:03:41,750 --> 00:03:39,760 it's more but i forgot what your team 115 00:03:44,830 --> 00:03:41,760 told me 116 00:03:47,430 --> 00:03:44,840 all kinds of birds and animals hungry 117 00:03:50,470 --> 00:03:47,440 animals great great great 118 00:03:58,470 --> 00:03:54,470 um well i do a lot of photography 119 00:03:59,830 --> 00:03:58,480 right um so photography of 120 00:04:01,990 --> 00:03:59,840 almost all of the things that you 121 00:04:03,990 --> 00:04:02,000 mentioned photography of 122 00:04:05,110 --> 00:04:04,000 stars and meteors and asteroids 123 00:04:08,309 --> 00:04:05,120 photography 124 00:04:09,990 --> 00:04:08,319 of landscapes in the natural world uh 125 00:04:13,509 --> 00:04:10,000 photography of food 126 00:04:14,789 --> 00:04:13,519 uh for the cookbooks so that's another 127 00:04:18,310 --> 00:04:14,799 one 128 00:04:22,150 --> 00:04:18,320 um uh you know 129 00:04:26,830 --> 00:04:22,160 more generally math and 130 00:04:30,469 --> 00:04:26,840 uh technology fascinate me science 131 00:04:32,070 --> 00:04:30,479 so i think of you as a convivial and 132 00:04:34,310 --> 00:04:32,080 quirky version of elon musk 133 00:04:35,590 --> 00:04:34,320 a lesser known convivial and quirky elon 134 00:04:37,749 --> 00:04:35,600 musk and i've 135 00:04:39,510 --> 00:04:37,759 never had the fascination with elon 136 00:04:41,189 --> 00:04:39,520 mainly because of perhaps personality 137 00:04:42,870 --> 00:04:41,199 differences i'm more on the 138 00:04:44,310 --> 00:04:42,880 theoretical end that's my my background 139 00:04:47,350 --> 00:04:44,320 is in physics 140 00:04:49,030 --> 00:04:47,360 and he's much more practical you seem to 141 00:04:52,150 --> 00:04:49,040 have 142 00:04:53,749 --> 00:04:52,160 both no for me like 143 00:04:55,830 --> 00:04:53,759 i'm more comfortable with qft than i am 144 00:04:56,870 --> 00:04:55,840 with bernoulli's equation like i for 145 00:05:01,510 --> 00:04:56,880 some reason 146 00:05:05,510 --> 00:05:01,520 practical in in the engineering side is 147 00:05:08,710 --> 00:05:05,520 it's difficult for me to apprehend 148 00:05:09,350 --> 00:05:08,720 nathan first of all how do you spend 149 00:05:10,710 --> 00:05:09,360 your days 150 00:05:12,469 --> 00:05:10,720 like what does your average day look 151 00:05:13,510 --> 00:05:12,479 like if there's an average day how much 152 00:05:17,510 --> 00:05:13,520 sleep do you get 153 00:05:19,670 --> 00:05:17,520 what is the structure well you know 154 00:05:20,790 --> 00:05:19,680 i don't think there's any single typical 155 00:05:24,469 --> 00:05:20,800 day 156 00:05:27,749 --> 00:05:24,479 um many of the things that i 157 00:05:31,110 --> 00:05:27,759 do involve you know 158 00:05:33,029 --> 00:05:31,120 very different activities uh today i had 159 00:05:36,390 --> 00:05:33,039 some of the last meetings that 160 00:05:38,230 --> 00:05:36,400 we'll have on um our pizza book 161 00:05:40,710 --> 00:05:38,240 i just wrote a book called modernist 162 00:05:42,710 --> 00:05:40,720 pizza yeah which is aiming to be the 163 00:05:44,710 --> 00:05:42,720 definitive book on pizza 164 00:05:46,469 --> 00:05:44,720 uh and so we had a few meetings to wrap 165 00:05:47,110 --> 00:05:46,479 that up today and not probably a few 166 00:05:48,629 --> 00:05:47,120 more but 167 00:05:50,830 --> 00:05:48,639 it's we're getting down to the short 168 00:05:55,029 --> 00:05:50,840 strokes we're almost done 169 00:05:58,230 --> 00:05:55,039 um i had my picture taken for the book 170 00:06:00,629 --> 00:05:58,240 um because you know it's 171 00:06:01,510 --> 00:06:00,639 kind of goes to the territory i did a 172 00:06:04,830 --> 00:06:01,520 bunch of work 173 00:06:10,150 --> 00:06:04,840 on astro photography 174 00:06:13,510 --> 00:06:10,160 um in december there was a really big 175 00:06:15,029 --> 00:06:13,520 uh meteor shower a shower called the 176 00:06:19,350 --> 00:06:15,039 geminids 177 00:06:22,629 --> 00:06:19,360 my 178 00:06:24,950 --> 00:06:22,639 experience every time i 179 00:06:26,950 --> 00:06:24,960 remember to look to see about going to 180 00:06:30,950 --> 00:06:26,960 see them 181 00:06:33,670 --> 00:06:30,960 what happens is there's it's cloudy 182 00:06:36,070 --> 00:06:33,680 or well the moon is up when the moon is 183 00:06:39,510 --> 00:06:36,080 up you can't see as many of them 184 00:06:41,430 --> 00:06:39,520 um well this year or i guess last year 185 00:06:43,110 --> 00:06:41,440 the very end of 2020 186 00:06:45,189 --> 00:06:43,120 everything came together and i took some 187 00:06:49,270 --> 00:06:45,199 great pictures of the 188 00:06:52,390 --> 00:06:49,280 geminids and now we have to process them 189 00:06:55,029 --> 00:06:52,400 um and the way i do photography 190 00:06:57,029 --> 00:06:55,039 these days is very computationally 191 00:07:00,870 --> 00:06:57,039 intensive 192 00:07:04,629 --> 00:07:00,880 right so in the case of these meteors 193 00:07:06,070 --> 00:07:04,639 uh i took about two and a half thousand 194 00:07:09,189 --> 00:07:06,080 pictures 195 00:07:11,749 --> 00:07:09,199 per camera times four bit cameras so 196 00:07:14,230 --> 00:07:11,759 it's about ten thousand pictures 197 00:07:15,510 --> 00:07:14,240 over the course of one night while these 198 00:07:19,110 --> 00:07:15,520 cameras tracked 199 00:07:20,710 --> 00:07:19,120 a part of the sky and then 200 00:07:22,790 --> 00:07:20,720 because you're tracking the sky the 201 00:07:24,390 --> 00:07:22,800 stars are all nice little dots and those 202 00:07:29,270 --> 00:07:24,400 look really nice 203 00:07:33,189 --> 00:07:31,510 uh well there's all kinds of processing 204 00:07:36,390 --> 00:07:33,199 that we have to do 205 00:07:39,589 --> 00:07:36,400 to get uh 206 00:07:42,629 --> 00:07:39,599 a usable picture out of all that stuff 207 00:07:45,189 --> 00:07:42,639 um i mean so far the pictures 208 00:07:46,390 --> 00:07:45,199 and then all of the temporary files that 209 00:07:47,510 --> 00:07:46,400 you create as you 210 00:07:49,029 --> 00:07:47,520 because sometimes you have to put it in 211 00:07:50,629 --> 00:07:49,039 different formats for different pieces 212 00:07:54,230 --> 00:07:50,639 of software 213 00:07:58,869 --> 00:07:57,430 20 terabytes for one night what will be 214 00:08:02,070 --> 00:07:58,879 one image 215 00:08:03,990 --> 00:08:02,080 ah uh-huh wow okay i'm very anxious to 216 00:08:06,390 --> 00:08:04,000 see how that turned out 217 00:08:07,510 --> 00:08:06,400 uh so how much sleep do you get on an 218 00:08:11,350 --> 00:08:07,520 average day 219 00:08:14,869 --> 00:08:11,360 um you know i've been through periods 220 00:08:17,189 --> 00:08:14,879 where uh i'm traveling 221 00:08:18,550 --> 00:08:17,199 or we're working on some big deadline 222 00:08:19,749 --> 00:08:18,560 for something where i get very little 223 00:08:21,830 --> 00:08:19,759 but usually i get 224 00:08:23,270 --> 00:08:21,840 enough sleep i get eight nine hours of 225 00:08:24,790 --> 00:08:23,280 sleep 226 00:08:26,629 --> 00:08:24,800 the reason i'm asking is that i see you 227 00:08:29,350 --> 00:08:26,639 as someone who's extremely productive 228 00:08:31,350 --> 00:08:29,360 and when i speak to intellectuals i find 229 00:08:33,829 --> 00:08:31,360 that they generally are regimented 230 00:08:35,350 --> 00:08:33,839 that they eat a certain type of food at 231 00:08:36,870 --> 00:08:35,360 a certain time of day 232 00:08:38,230 --> 00:08:36,880 or they don't eat a certain type of food 233 00:08:39,110 --> 00:08:38,240 at a certain time of day or they 234 00:08:42,389 --> 00:08:39,120 meditate 235 00:08:46,790 --> 00:08:42,399 or they take a certain nootropic 236 00:08:48,230 --> 00:08:46,800 and i'm curious what is it that you do 237 00:08:51,750 --> 00:08:48,240 such that you can accomplish all that 238 00:08:55,750 --> 00:08:54,150 it's different each day well it is 239 00:08:58,470 --> 00:08:55,760 different each day so 240 00:09:00,550 --> 00:08:58,480 you know this today was a mix of 241 00:09:03,750 --> 00:09:00,560 different things 242 00:09:07,190 --> 00:09:03,760 um in 243 00:09:10,550 --> 00:09:07,200 i guess the end of february early march 244 00:09:13,670 --> 00:09:10,560 i'm gonna go to missouri i i built 245 00:09:14,630 --> 00:09:13,680 a special camera outfit which looks 246 00:09:16,790 --> 00:09:14,640 pretty ridiculous 247 00:09:19,190 --> 00:09:16,800 it lashes three cameras together each 248 00:09:21,750 --> 00:09:19,200 one of the giant lens 249 00:09:22,470 --> 00:09:21,760 um and i did it so i could photograph 250 00:09:25,829 --> 00:09:22,480 two things 251 00:09:27,910 --> 00:09:25,839 one is big storm waves 252 00:09:29,190 --> 00:09:27,920 so i want to take some super high 253 00:09:32,790 --> 00:09:29,200 quality panoramas 254 00:09:37,030 --> 00:09:32,800 of ocean waves uh and also 255 00:09:38,710 --> 00:09:37,040 um huge flocks of birds 256 00:09:41,430 --> 00:09:38,720 well in missouri they don't have any 257 00:09:44,949 --> 00:09:41,440 storm waves but they do have 258 00:09:45,509 --> 00:09:44,959 uh migrating uh geese so about two 259 00:09:48,230 --> 00:09:45,519 million 260 00:09:48,870 --> 00:09:48,240 of them are due the end of february so 261 00:09:51,030 --> 00:09:48,880 when i go 262 00:09:53,509 --> 00:09:51,040 there i'll probably be there for three 263 00:09:57,430 --> 00:09:53,519 four days maybe a little bit longer 264 00:09:59,509 --> 00:09:57,440 and that'll all be about that and i'll 265 00:10:01,990 --> 00:09:59,519 um i went to see some other migrating 266 00:10:03,670 --> 00:10:02,000 birds in december 267 00:10:05,670 --> 00:10:03,680 or late i got late november actually 268 00:10:08,150 --> 00:10:05,680 late november um 269 00:10:09,750 --> 00:10:08,160 and that was about getting up at four 270 00:10:11,430 --> 00:10:09,760 every day 271 00:10:13,590 --> 00:10:11,440 um so that you could actually be out 272 00:10:14,630 --> 00:10:13,600 where the birds are well before the sun 273 00:10:16,870 --> 00:10:14,640 comes up 274 00:10:18,310 --> 00:10:16,880 because that's like that's the whole 275 00:10:22,069 --> 00:10:18,320 thing 276 00:10:25,110 --> 00:10:22,079 um with the uh 277 00:10:27,269 --> 00:10:25,120 the meteors uh the meteor shower 278 00:10:29,269 --> 00:10:27,279 uh besides all of this technical 279 00:10:33,110 --> 00:10:29,279 equipment that i brought 280 00:10:35,590 --> 00:10:33,120 i also bring a lawn chair because 281 00:10:36,150 --> 00:10:35,600 you want to sit outside and see them and 282 00:10:40,710 --> 00:10:36,160 it's 283 00:10:43,350 --> 00:10:40,720 good enough to see 284 00:10:45,430 --> 00:10:43,360 all of them you see you want to get a 285 00:10:47,190 --> 00:10:45,440 camera catches more 286 00:10:48,470 --> 00:10:47,200 but a camera catches it from a narrow 287 00:10:50,949 --> 00:10:48,480 thing whereas if you're out there you 288 00:10:54,870 --> 00:10:50,959 see them across the whole sky which is 289 00:10:57,350 --> 00:10:54,880 is quite remarkable so anyway different 290 00:10:58,790 --> 00:10:57,360 projects will require you to jump in 291 00:11:01,670 --> 00:10:58,800 with both feet 292 00:11:03,350 --> 00:11:01,680 and be a hundred percent on that project 293 00:11:05,110 --> 00:11:03,360 but most of the time 294 00:11:08,230 --> 00:11:05,120 not and so that's what allows me to 295 00:11:10,310 --> 00:11:08,240 multitask between projects 296 00:11:11,750 --> 00:11:10,320 how do you choose what project are you 297 00:11:14,150 --> 00:11:11,760 just driven by your 298 00:11:16,150 --> 00:11:14,160 intuition your feelings your desires or 299 00:11:19,750 --> 00:11:16,160 is there some grander plan 300 00:11:25,590 --> 00:11:23,030 it's of course there's intuition 301 00:11:26,829 --> 00:11:25,600 and feelings and if i don't want to do 302 00:11:30,630 --> 00:11:26,839 it i'm not going to go do 303 00:11:34,790 --> 00:11:30,640 it and i would hope that my 304 00:11:37,910 --> 00:11:34,800 it's not just my raw passion 305 00:11:41,509 --> 00:11:37,920 uh a lot of the things that i do 306 00:11:44,949 --> 00:11:41,519 are technically difficult to do 307 00:11:47,750 --> 00:11:44,959 so far they haven't been impossible 308 00:11:49,430 --> 00:11:47,760 now i'd hate to pick an impossible one 309 00:11:51,829 --> 00:11:49,440 and get passionate about it 310 00:11:52,870 --> 00:11:51,839 because then you'd waste a lot of time 311 00:11:54,629 --> 00:11:52,880 right 312 00:11:56,310 --> 00:11:54,639 is there something that you found to be 313 00:11:57,590 --> 00:11:56,320 outside of your domain of competence or 314 00:11:59,910 --> 00:11:57,600 outside of what you can do 315 00:12:01,350 --> 00:11:59,920 of course there's i mean problems like 316 00:12:04,389 --> 00:12:01,360 nuclear power 317 00:12:05,910 --> 00:12:04,399 um or there i was one of the inventors 318 00:12:08,470 --> 00:12:05,920 of this new type of a 319 00:12:09,269 --> 00:12:08,480 nuclear power plant i started the 320 00:12:12,949 --> 00:12:09,279 company 321 00:12:15,990 --> 00:12:12,959 moment it's 322 00:12:17,590 --> 00:12:16,000 uh was recently chosen by the 323 00:12:20,230 --> 00:12:17,600 us government to build some test 324 00:12:23,990 --> 00:12:20,240 reactors 325 00:12:26,870 --> 00:12:24,000 but i don't this is not 326 00:12:28,310 --> 00:12:26,880 a one man or even one company thing 327 00:12:30,710 --> 00:12:28,320 nuclear power 328 00:12:32,389 --> 00:12:30,720 intrinsically also involves the decision 329 00:12:34,470 --> 00:12:32,399 society makes 330 00:12:36,550 --> 00:12:34,480 um of course one of the reasons we've 331 00:12:39,269 --> 00:12:36,560 done it is because we want to have a new 332 00:12:42,949 --> 00:12:39,279 type of carbon free 333 00:12:45,990 --> 00:12:42,959 ener source of energy because of our 334 00:12:49,350 --> 00:12:46,000 impending climate crisis 335 00:12:53,590 --> 00:12:49,360 which is a crisis for everybody 336 00:12:57,670 --> 00:12:53,600 um and uh it 337 00:13:00,150 --> 00:12:57,680 there's a bunch of things that i i 338 00:13:02,069 --> 00:13:00,160 so yes i'm working on the climate crisis 339 00:13:04,870 --> 00:13:02,079 i've done other things for climate 340 00:13:06,629 --> 00:13:04,880 but it's not like it's up to me okay not 341 00:13:09,750 --> 00:13:06,639 like i have a magic wand 342 00:13:10,550 --> 00:13:09,760 and i can school solve that problem i 343 00:13:14,150 --> 00:13:10,560 can make it 344 00:13:15,750 --> 00:13:14,160 that's when i make a contribution i try 345 00:13:17,430 --> 00:13:15,760 and we'll see what the world does with 346 00:13:21,190 --> 00:13:17,440 it 347 00:13:24,470 --> 00:13:21,200 whereas if i um last year i 348 00:13:28,230 --> 00:13:24,480 uh created a the world's highest 349 00:13:32,310 --> 00:13:28,240 resolution microscope dedicated 350 00:13:35,509 --> 00:13:32,320 to photographing snowflakes 351 00:13:36,710 --> 00:13:35,519 i saw that now 352 00:13:38,790 --> 00:13:36,720 there's a lot of things you could ask 353 00:13:41,910 --> 00:13:38,800 like who cares or why 354 00:13:45,189 --> 00:13:41,920 but that's one that was 355 00:13:48,069 --> 00:13:45,199 within the scope of 356 00:13:49,509 --> 00:13:48,079 what i thought was possible for me to do 357 00:13:50,470 --> 00:13:49,519 that turned out to be a lot harder than 358 00:13:54,150 --> 00:13:50,480 i thought it would be 359 00:13:55,910 --> 00:13:54,160 but we got it done that's very different 360 00:13:58,949 --> 00:13:55,920 than a societal problem like 361 00:14:01,030 --> 00:13:58,959 eliminating malaria i've contributed i 362 00:14:01,750 --> 00:14:01,040 think a tremendous amount towards that 363 00:14:04,150 --> 00:14:01,760 fight 364 00:14:05,189 --> 00:14:04,160 but it's a tremendous amount towards a 365 00:14:08,550 --> 00:14:05,199 fight that's 366 00:14:12,710 --> 00:14:08,560 you know this far along against 367 00:14:14,949 --> 00:14:12,720 many miles to go so uh 368 00:14:16,949 --> 00:14:14,959 and i i think it's important to work on 369 00:14:20,069 --> 00:14:16,959 both kinds of things 370 00:14:23,590 --> 00:14:20,079 you know you could say 371 00:14:25,509 --> 00:14:23,600 the climate crisis or malaria is 372 00:14:26,629 --> 00:14:25,519 tilting at windmills or doing things 373 00:14:29,509 --> 00:14:26,639 that are 374 00:14:31,590 --> 00:14:29,519 you know beyond anybody's single persons 375 00:14:34,150 --> 00:14:31,600 ability and it's true they are 376 00:14:35,430 --> 00:14:34,160 i to the degree you find a way to 377 00:14:38,389 --> 00:14:35,440 contribute 378 00:14:40,069 --> 00:14:38,399 i still want to work on them but it's 379 00:14:43,269 --> 00:14:40,079 also nice to 380 00:14:46,870 --> 00:14:43,279 do things like write a book on pizza 381 00:14:50,230 --> 00:14:49,030 i've written a couple other cookbooks so 382 00:14:52,150 --> 00:14:50,240 if you ask the question 383 00:14:53,509 --> 00:14:52,160 is it possible for me to write a book on 384 00:14:56,470 --> 00:14:53,519 pizza the answer is sure 385 00:14:58,310 --> 00:14:56,480 that was not ever a question like will 386 00:15:01,430 --> 00:14:58,320 will he write the book 387 00:15:03,829 --> 00:15:01,440 um now you can the what's that question 388 00:15:05,430 --> 00:15:03,839 is is it a good book is it not a good 389 00:15:06,790 --> 00:15:05,440 book what does the rest of the world 390 00:15:09,990 --> 00:15:06,800 think of it 391 00:15:11,350 --> 00:15:10,000 um we're publishing it uh not only in 392 00:15:12,230 --> 00:15:11,360 english but we will publish it in 393 00:15:15,269 --> 00:15:12,240 italian 394 00:15:19,509 --> 00:15:15,279 what will they think of it right 395 00:15:20,150 --> 00:15:19,519 um so anyway it's of a very different 396 00:15:21,829 --> 00:15:20,160 nature 397 00:15:24,629 --> 00:15:21,839 than something where you don't know if 398 00:15:28,389 --> 00:15:26,389 a lot of people don't know that you did 399 00:15:29,590 --> 00:15:28,399 your postdoc under stephen hawking in 400 00:15:31,749 --> 00:15:29,600 quantum gravity 401 00:15:32,949 --> 00:15:31,759 yeah what was that like how do you 402 00:15:34,710 --> 00:15:32,959 practically speaking how do you 403 00:15:35,910 --> 00:15:34,720 communicate to stephen hawking how does 404 00:15:39,509 --> 00:15:35,920 that process work given 405 00:15:41,590 --> 00:15:39,519 his challenges uh 406 00:15:43,269 --> 00:15:41,600 well back in the day that i was with 407 00:15:44,550 --> 00:15:43,279 stephen he didn't have a voice 408 00:15:46,949 --> 00:15:44,560 synthesizer 409 00:15:48,389 --> 00:15:46,959 you know if you've seen him on more 410 00:15:51,269 --> 00:15:48,399 recent 411 00:15:53,030 --> 00:15:51,279 uh tv specials or something he always 412 00:15:54,470 --> 00:15:53,040 has a voice synthesizer he hadn't he 413 00:15:57,829 --> 00:15:54,480 didn't have that 414 00:15:59,749 --> 00:15:57,839 so he would speak as best he could 415 00:16:01,829 --> 00:15:59,759 which didn't really sound like human 416 00:16:05,509 --> 00:16:01,839 speech at all 417 00:16:08,710 --> 00:16:05,519 um and uh 418 00:16:10,710 --> 00:16:08,720 his it was slower what was it also 419 00:16:14,069 --> 00:16:10,720 slower 420 00:16:17,269 --> 00:16:14,079 well it was we'd have to it was slow 421 00:16:17,590 --> 00:16:17,279 it was very very hard to understand and 422 00:16:21,110 --> 00:16:17,600 so 423 00:16:25,030 --> 00:16:21,120 understanding it was partially about 424 00:16:28,550 --> 00:16:25,040 listening and partially about guessing 425 00:16:30,389 --> 00:16:28,560 and the part that was really um 426 00:16:32,550 --> 00:16:30,399 unfortunate about that is he loved to 427 00:16:34,629 --> 00:16:32,560 tell jokes 428 00:16:35,590 --> 00:16:34,639 well it turns out the punchline of a 429 00:16:39,030 --> 00:16:35,600 joke by 430 00:16:39,350 --> 00:16:39,040 definition isn't expected right right 431 00:16:41,910 --> 00:16:39,360 right 432 00:16:43,110 --> 00:16:41,920 you can't guess ahead beat the punchline 433 00:16:45,110 --> 00:16:43,120 four and five 434 00:16:46,870 --> 00:16:45,120 and look at the tension is growing with 435 00:16:50,389 --> 00:16:46,880 everyone like oh my god why don't we 436 00:16:53,749 --> 00:16:50,399 get we get this um so the thing about 437 00:16:56,629 --> 00:16:53,759 working with stephen is uh it's very 438 00:16:59,509 --> 00:16:56,639 hard to feel sorry for yourself 439 00:17:01,350 --> 00:16:59,519 if you're working with stephen you know 440 00:17:04,789 --> 00:17:01,360 you might get up and you think oh 441 00:17:07,110 --> 00:17:04,799 god am i feeling that great and oh it's 442 00:17:09,110 --> 00:17:07,120 cold outside and i forgot 443 00:17:10,549 --> 00:17:09,120 you know this and that and the other 444 00:17:14,710 --> 00:17:10,559 thing and i'm 445 00:17:17,189 --> 00:17:14,720 oh my god my life sucks and then 446 00:17:19,510 --> 00:17:17,199 you have stephen there who has these 447 00:17:22,789 --> 00:17:19,520 incredible physical challenges 448 00:17:26,470 --> 00:17:22,799 and has just an incredibly 449 00:17:30,549 --> 00:17:29,029 and so it just it made it impossible to 450 00:17:34,310 --> 00:17:30,559 feel sorry for yourself 451 00:17:34,950 --> 00:17:34,320 and it's to this day it's something that 452 00:17:38,150 --> 00:17:34,960 when 453 00:17:41,590 --> 00:17:38,160 i'm ever tempted to i was thinking yeah 454 00:17:44,390 --> 00:17:41,600 but i can walk you know i can go to the 455 00:17:45,909 --> 00:17:44,400 bathroom by myself 456 00:17:47,590 --> 00:17:45,919 you know some people denigrate stephen 457 00:17:49,669 --> 00:17:47,600 because he was heralded as the next 458 00:17:51,590 --> 00:17:49,679 einstein at least in the popular media 459 00:17:52,950 --> 00:17:51,600 but then it's a it might be a stretch to 460 00:17:55,190 --> 00:17:52,960 say he was the next einstein 461 00:17:57,669 --> 00:17:55,200 but what you can't fault him on at all 462 00:18:00,789 --> 00:17:57,679 is his diligence his persistence 463 00:18:02,710 --> 00:18:00,799 and the only other person i can compare 464 00:18:04,150 --> 00:18:02,720 him to would be euler who was blind 465 00:18:06,549 --> 00:18:04,160 and still did math but at least euler 466 00:18:09,669 --> 00:18:06,559 had his hands 467 00:18:13,270 --> 00:18:09,679 so um well 468 00:18:15,830 --> 00:18:13,280 stephen was driven to do the work 469 00:18:16,870 --> 00:18:15,840 that he wanted to do and it wasn't a 470 00:18:19,909 --> 00:18:16,880 question of 471 00:18:23,350 --> 00:18:19,919 oh we had to go do it because 472 00:18:25,590 --> 00:18:23,360 you know he needed the salary because 473 00:18:26,710 --> 00:18:25,600 you know the any of these other things 474 00:18:29,590 --> 00:18:26,720 and 475 00:18:31,029 --> 00:18:29,600 he certainly worked as hard as he could 476 00:18:36,789 --> 00:18:31,039 you know 477 00:18:37,830 --> 00:18:36,799 um yeah and it obviously at different 478 00:18:40,150 --> 00:18:37,840 times his 479 00:18:42,070 --> 00:18:40,160 ability to work was compromised by his 480 00:18:46,470 --> 00:18:42,080 condition 481 00:18:49,830 --> 00:18:46,480 but he did incredible things 482 00:18:53,430 --> 00:18:49,840 now the the problem with comparing 483 00:18:57,590 --> 00:18:53,440 um to einstein 484 00:19:01,110 --> 00:18:57,600 is that einstein 485 00:19:08,710 --> 00:19:04,789 unique combination of both brilliance 486 00:19:12,630 --> 00:19:08,720 and he came at a time when he could 487 00:19:16,150 --> 00:19:12,640 discover a tremendous amount of things 488 00:19:18,470 --> 00:19:16,160 um you know if if you want to call 489 00:19:20,230 --> 00:19:18,480 someone the next einstein 490 00:19:24,870 --> 00:19:20,240 the first thing to ask is well who was 491 00:19:26,630 --> 00:19:24,880 the is who was it before einstein 492 00:19:28,470 --> 00:19:26,640 and you could make a case for it being 493 00:19:30,549 --> 00:19:28,480 newton 494 00:19:32,230 --> 00:19:30,559 but okay if you if you take those two 495 00:19:35,270 --> 00:19:32,240 data points that means we should get one 496 00:19:38,390 --> 00:19:35,280 every 500 years 497 00:19:41,510 --> 00:19:38,400 so calm down on the 498 00:19:45,190 --> 00:19:41,520 who's the next einstein um 499 00:19:48,710 --> 00:19:45,200 there's a wonderful organization 500 00:19:50,870 --> 00:19:48,720 uh created by a uh a friend who was 501 00:19:52,710 --> 00:19:50,880 also at cambridge at one point not the 502 00:19:55,909 --> 00:19:52,720 same time i was there 503 00:19:57,750 --> 00:19:55,919 um and it was 504 00:20:00,630 --> 00:19:57,760 the name the organization is next 505 00:20:02,950 --> 00:20:00,640 einstein from africa 506 00:20:03,909 --> 00:20:02,960 and their idea was let's improve 507 00:20:07,190 --> 00:20:03,919 education 508 00:20:09,590 --> 00:20:07,200 and so forth and my 509 00:20:11,029 --> 00:20:09,600 my running joke with the guy who started 510 00:20:12,710 --> 00:20:11,039 it is 511 00:20:15,270 --> 00:20:12,720 okay but there's never been an einstein 512 00:20:20,950 --> 00:20:15,280 from america 513 00:20:26,630 --> 00:20:25,110 phds in physics and has more nobel 514 00:20:29,590 --> 00:20:26,640 prizes 515 00:20:30,950 --> 00:20:29,600 than any other country and then if you 516 00:20:33,590 --> 00:20:30,960 include 517 00:20:34,230 --> 00:20:33,600 in america's column people from other 518 00:20:36,789 --> 00:20:34,240 countries 519 00:20:37,669 --> 00:20:36,799 that did their work they got the phd in 520 00:20:40,630 --> 00:20:37,679 america 521 00:20:42,390 --> 00:20:40,640 it's huge and yet you could make a 522 00:20:43,590 --> 00:20:42,400 strong case that there's never been an 523 00:20:45,430 --> 00:20:43,600 american 524 00:20:47,190 --> 00:20:45,440 that had the breadth of contribution 525 00:20:48,710 --> 00:20:47,200 that einstein did 526 00:20:51,270 --> 00:20:48,720 now that doesn't mean we didn't have 527 00:20:54,310 --> 00:20:51,280 some awesome physicists we did 528 00:20:57,830 --> 00:20:54,320 fine uh um you know the feynman 529 00:21:01,029 --> 00:20:57,840 is a terrific example 530 00:21:03,029 --> 00:21:01,039 but einstein had the unique case that he 531 00:21:05,909 --> 00:21:03,039 was able to make 532 00:21:08,390 --> 00:21:05,919 very fundamental contributions in 533 00:21:10,549 --> 00:21:08,400 multiple areas 534 00:21:11,510 --> 00:21:10,559 you know we know him most in the 535 00:21:13,430 --> 00:21:11,520 particular 536 00:21:15,350 --> 00:21:13,440 popular realm for his theory of 537 00:21:16,950 --> 00:21:15,360 relativity 538 00:21:19,110 --> 00:21:16,960 amusingly that isn't what he got his 539 00:21:20,310 --> 00:21:19,120 nobel prize for for 540 00:21:22,630 --> 00:21:20,320 um he got something called the 541 00:21:24,950 --> 00:21:22,640 photoelectric effect which was 542 00:21:27,350 --> 00:21:24,960 uh one of the first great proofs of 543 00:21:29,270 --> 00:21:27,360 quantum mechanics 544 00:21:31,590 --> 00:21:29,280 which is weird because people usually 545 00:21:33,510 --> 00:21:31,600 think of einstein as being anti-quantum 546 00:21:34,870 --> 00:21:33,520 but the part i really love about it is 547 00:21:37,350 --> 00:21:34,880 that max 548 00:21:39,430 --> 00:21:37,360 planck who was the great physicist of 549 00:21:42,390 --> 00:21:39,440 that era 550 00:21:43,430 --> 00:21:42,400 wrote a recommendation letter for 551 00:21:47,350 --> 00:21:43,440 einstein 552 00:21:50,390 --> 00:21:47,360 to the um uh nobel prize committee 553 00:21:52,070 --> 00:21:50,400 saying look don't effectively 554 00:21:54,390 --> 00:21:52,080 don't worry about this relativity 555 00:21:57,029 --> 00:21:54,400 nonsense it'll blow over 556 00:21:59,029 --> 00:21:57,039 the kid is young you gotta reward him 557 00:22:02,230 --> 00:21:59,039 for this other thing 558 00:22:05,270 --> 00:22:02,240 interesting and yet today 559 00:22:08,549 --> 00:22:05,280 uh we think of him for that but his 560 00:22:13,029 --> 00:22:08,559 uh his role in statistical mechanics 561 00:22:17,110 --> 00:22:13,039 with um what we now call boze statistics 562 00:22:19,350 --> 00:22:17,120 uh it is also incredible 563 00:22:20,950 --> 00:22:19,360 and you must keep going through field 564 00:22:24,630 --> 00:22:20,960 after field where he 565 00:22:28,149 --> 00:22:24,640 was able to be incredibly influential as 566 00:22:32,310 --> 00:22:28,159 was um uh 567 00:22:35,510 --> 00:22:32,320 newton um my favorite crazy newton story 568 00:22:39,510 --> 00:22:35,520 is that uh you know he was made 569 00:22:42,789 --> 00:22:39,520 the chancellor of the british mint 570 00:22:45,669 --> 00:22:42,799 and at the time that was done 571 00:22:48,390 --> 00:22:45,679 as a political favor and it was 572 00:22:50,950 --> 00:22:48,400 explicitly a position that they would 573 00:22:52,630 --> 00:22:50,960 uh call a sinicure meaning without care 574 00:22:54,310 --> 00:22:52,640 like he didn't have to show up at the 575 00:22:58,950 --> 00:22:54,320 office you know 576 00:23:02,950 --> 00:22:58,960 he got into it okay and 577 00:23:06,310 --> 00:23:02,960 if you have an american quarter 578 00:23:08,070 --> 00:23:06,320 the edge is ripped the person who 579 00:23:12,149 --> 00:23:08,080 invented that 580 00:23:15,750 --> 00:23:12,159 sir isaac newton and the reason was 581 00:23:19,510 --> 00:23:15,760 they had a problem with uh 582 00:23:23,430 --> 00:23:19,520 many of the metals with the 583 00:23:24,149 --> 00:23:23,440 the edge of the uh coin holding up there 584 00:23:25,990 --> 00:23:24,159 was a 585 00:23:28,870 --> 00:23:26,000 maintenance there's certainly a problem 586 00:23:31,669 --> 00:23:28,880 of they couldn't make a clean edge 587 00:23:32,950 --> 00:23:31,679 and then it would also wear and then it 588 00:23:35,909 --> 00:23:32,960 was harder to tell 589 00:23:37,110 --> 00:23:35,919 counterfeits so that milling and i 590 00:23:38,870 --> 00:23:37,120 forget the name of it now but that 591 00:23:42,630 --> 00:23:38,880 milling was invented by 592 00:23:45,190 --> 00:23:42,640 newton so he did some now 593 00:23:49,750 --> 00:23:45,200 he also did some crazy [\h__\h] he was into 594 00:23:53,190 --> 00:23:52,070 have you thought much about what's 595 00:23:55,269 --> 00:23:53,200 holding physics back 596 00:23:56,789 --> 00:23:55,279 if you see physics as being held back in 597 00:23:58,950 --> 00:23:56,799 the fundamental laws 598 00:24:00,390 --> 00:23:58,960 for the past 40 years some people say 599 00:24:01,830 --> 00:24:00,400 that it's been taken over by string 600 00:24:04,310 --> 00:24:01,840 theory as well as we don't have 601 00:24:05,350 --> 00:24:04,320 much of data when it comes to we don't 602 00:24:07,350 --> 00:24:05,360 have much new data 603 00:24:09,029 --> 00:24:07,360 so have you thought much about that oh 604 00:24:14,070 --> 00:24:09,039 sure this is 605 00:24:14,080 --> 00:24:17,269 the 606 00:24:21,350 --> 00:24:19,190 my joke with friends from graduate 607 00:24:25,029 --> 00:24:21,360 school is that it all went to hell 608 00:24:27,830 --> 00:24:25,039 uh as soon as i left physics um but 609 00:24:29,430 --> 00:24:27,840 yeah you gotta go back man no it wasn't 610 00:24:32,070 --> 00:24:29,440 i'll be with you every step of the way 611 00:24:32,710 --> 00:24:32,080 i'm not the reason okay it was it was 612 00:24:35,830 --> 00:24:32,720 either 613 00:24:37,510 --> 00:24:35,840 good choice on my part or it was a 614 00:24:40,470 --> 00:24:37,520 coincidence i don't think i could have 615 00:24:43,990 --> 00:24:40,480 solved i think there's a causal arrow 616 00:24:47,830 --> 00:24:44,000 yeah we have uh we've had the situation 617 00:24:49,269 --> 00:24:47,840 where uh you know in the 19th century 618 00:24:50,950 --> 00:24:49,279 they thought they were on the verge of 619 00:24:53,510 --> 00:24:50,960 figuring everything out there was just a 620 00:24:55,909 --> 00:24:53,520 few pesky problems 621 00:24:56,789 --> 00:24:55,919 then in the early part of the 20th 622 00:24:59,669 --> 00:24:56,799 century 623 00:25:01,750 --> 00:24:59,679 up through the 20s and the 30s they 624 00:25:05,190 --> 00:25:01,760 realized 625 00:25:08,710 --> 00:25:05,200 they had no [\h__\h] basically 626 00:25:11,909 --> 00:25:08,720 and this led to 627 00:25:14,230 --> 00:25:11,919 the development of quantum mechanics 628 00:25:16,149 --> 00:25:14,240 well quantum mechanics was fantastically 629 00:25:19,350 --> 00:25:16,159 successful 630 00:25:21,909 --> 00:25:19,360 uh then it ran up against fundamental uh 631 00:25:22,789 --> 00:25:21,919 physics and relativity so they had to 632 00:25:25,190 --> 00:25:22,799 create 633 00:25:27,510 --> 00:25:25,200 relativistic quantum mechanics and 634 00:25:30,950 --> 00:25:27,520 quantum field theory 635 00:25:34,310 --> 00:25:30,960 and all of that was 636 00:25:38,470 --> 00:25:34,320 pretty much in place um i 637 00:25:42,630 --> 00:25:38,480 i went to uh graduate school in physics 638 00:25:45,990 --> 00:25:42,640 in 79 the fall of 79. 639 00:25:48,149 --> 00:25:46,000 and while i was 640 00:25:49,830 --> 00:25:48,159 there maybe the first year maybe it was 641 00:25:53,430 --> 00:25:49,840 the second year 642 00:25:54,870 --> 00:25:53,440 um a guy who had been a 643 00:25:56,870 --> 00:25:54,880 graduate student who'd stayed on as 644 00:26:00,630 --> 00:25:56,880 opposed to frank wilczak 645 00:26:04,070 --> 00:26:00,640 gave a talk about asymptotic freedom 646 00:26:06,950 --> 00:26:04,080 which was one of the last 647 00:26:07,669 --> 00:26:06,960 pieces to really be put together as part 648 00:26:12,950 --> 00:26:07,679 of 649 00:26:15,830 --> 00:26:12,960 what people call quantum chromodynamics 650 00:26:19,190 --> 00:26:15,840 or the standard model 651 00:26:21,990 --> 00:26:19,200 uh and uh frankly got the name about 652 00:26:25,990 --> 00:26:25,190 well you could pick other moments in 653 00:26:27,830 --> 00:26:26,000 time but 654 00:26:30,230 --> 00:26:27,840 for me that's a good moment in time 655 00:26:34,149 --> 00:26:30,240 because at that point in time 656 00:26:36,390 --> 00:26:34,159 we knew there were a 657 00:26:39,510 --> 00:26:36,400 tremendous number of questions that we 658 00:26:42,470 --> 00:26:39,520 couldn't answer 659 00:26:43,190 --> 00:26:42,480 we had successfully integrated multiple 660 00:26:46,950 --> 00:26:43,200 kinds 661 00:26:49,230 --> 00:26:46,960 of uh fundamental physics so 662 00:26:51,669 --> 00:26:49,240 we had successfully integrated 663 00:26:53,510 --> 00:26:51,679 electromagnetism 664 00:26:55,430 --> 00:26:53,520 with something called the weak theory 665 00:26:56,870 --> 00:26:55,440 for the weak interaction it was an old 666 00:26:58,870 --> 00:26:56,880 electro week theory 667 00:27:00,149 --> 00:26:58,880 then we had developed quantum 668 00:27:03,110 --> 00:27:00,159 chromodynamics 669 00:27:04,230 --> 00:27:03,120 or qcd and together these things develop 670 00:27:06,070 --> 00:27:04,240 what 671 00:27:07,590 --> 00:27:06,080 since then we call the standard model of 672 00:27:08,870 --> 00:27:07,600 course we didn't call it the standard 673 00:27:11,430 --> 00:27:08,880 model when it was just 674 00:27:13,430 --> 00:27:11,440 freshly done because it was a little 675 00:27:17,590 --> 00:27:13,440 arrogant to call it standard 676 00:27:21,909 --> 00:27:20,950 and yet we didn't know a lot of very 677 00:27:25,350 --> 00:27:21,919 basic things 678 00:27:29,430 --> 00:27:25,360 we didn't know the 679 00:27:32,549 --> 00:27:29,440 precise relationship between many of our 680 00:27:35,830 --> 00:27:32,559 sets of particles um 681 00:27:38,389 --> 00:27:35,840 leptons which means an electron or a 682 00:27:40,149 --> 00:27:38,399 variety of other particles like that 683 00:27:42,070 --> 00:27:40,159 what are their relationship to the 684 00:27:45,269 --> 00:27:42,080 hadrons 685 00:27:48,549 --> 00:27:47,990 we didn't know the biggest ones we've 686 00:27:51,669 --> 00:27:48,559 now had 687 00:27:55,269 --> 00:27:51,679 all of that fit with gravity 688 00:27:58,389 --> 00:27:55,279 um now by that time we knew that 689 00:28:00,870 --> 00:27:58,399 the uh einstein's general theory of 690 00:28:04,549 --> 00:28:00,880 gravitation 691 00:28:05,990 --> 00:28:04,559 worked great and it predicted all kinds 692 00:28:10,789 --> 00:28:06,000 of things 693 00:28:13,990 --> 00:28:10,799 um still works great 694 00:28:14,389 --> 00:28:14,000 and that's the problem the standard 695 00:28:17,430 --> 00:28:14,399 model 696 00:28:20,630 --> 00:28:17,440 works great in its 697 00:28:24,710 --> 00:28:20,640 sphere of influence 698 00:28:28,310 --> 00:28:24,720 jr works great for gravity 699 00:28:31,510 --> 00:28:28,320 how the hell are they related and 700 00:28:31,990 --> 00:28:31,520 they have to be related because there 701 00:28:35,029 --> 00:28:32,000 are 702 00:28:39,029 --> 00:28:35,039 many many things that 703 00:28:42,830 --> 00:28:39,039 uh are clearly 704 00:28:45,669 --> 00:28:42,840 truly involve both quantum mechanics and 705 00:28:47,750 --> 00:28:45,679 um uh and gravity 706 00:28:49,190 --> 00:28:47,760 my my favorite simple one is candle 707 00:28:54,310 --> 00:28:49,200 flame 708 00:28:57,590 --> 00:28:54,320 wick on the candle 709 00:29:00,230 --> 00:28:57,600 it goes up as it go up gravity 710 00:29:00,710 --> 00:29:00,240 it's heating the gases they become less 711 00:29:03,990 --> 00:29:00,720 dense 712 00:29:05,510 --> 00:29:04,000 it goes up that light 713 00:29:09,029 --> 00:29:05,520 that light you're saying is quantum 714 00:29:13,669 --> 00:29:11,029 there's clearly quantum phenomena going 715 00:29:17,269 --> 00:29:13,679 on in a gravitational field 716 00:29:20,070 --> 00:29:17,279 how are they related now that's a very 717 00:29:22,549 --> 00:29:20,080 simple example and people could probably 718 00:29:23,669 --> 00:29:22,559 sort of explain that or wave their hands 719 00:29:27,590 --> 00:29:23,679 to explain it 720 00:29:30,070 --> 00:29:27,600 but when you get to uh black holes 721 00:29:31,750 --> 00:29:30,080 and and the intense things that space 722 00:29:36,389 --> 00:29:31,760 time does around black holes 723 00:29:39,510 --> 00:29:36,399 or you get to the origin of the universe 724 00:29:41,430 --> 00:29:39,520 or a variety of other things you got a 725 00:29:44,549 --> 00:29:41,440 problem 726 00:29:47,750 --> 00:29:44,559 and so 727 00:29:51,510 --> 00:29:47,760 people set out to solve that 728 00:29:53,990 --> 00:29:51,520 and uh the quote theory of everything is 729 00:29:58,149 --> 00:29:54,000 one of the names that people 730 00:30:00,070 --> 00:29:58,159 gave to that pursuit uh there was a 731 00:30:03,190 --> 00:30:00,080 time when people called it a grand 732 00:30:05,750 --> 00:30:03,200 unified theory instead 733 00:30:07,990 --> 00:30:05,760 but the goal even though the there was 734 00:30:11,990 --> 00:30:08,000 slight differences in what you 735 00:30:15,669 --> 00:30:12,000 would approach the goal was very similar 736 00:30:19,430 --> 00:30:15,679 um so anyway that was 737 00:30:22,630 --> 00:30:19,440 uh that was the situation 738 00:30:24,470 --> 00:30:22,640 40 years ago and it's the situation 739 00:30:26,230 --> 00:30:24,480 today 740 00:30:28,070 --> 00:30:26,240 have you been keeping up with any of the 741 00:30:30,149 --> 00:30:28,080 latest theories of everything such as 742 00:30:31,190 --> 00:30:30,159 weinstein eric weinstein's geometric 743 00:30:34,630 --> 00:30:31,200 unity or 744 00:30:38,470 --> 00:30:34,640 stephen wolfram's yes 745 00:30:41,909 --> 00:30:40,389 i i need to backtrack though there's one 746 00:30:44,630 --> 00:30:41,919 other thing that is 747 00:30:46,149 --> 00:30:44,640 remarkable about this last period of 748 00:30:49,269 --> 00:30:46,159 time 749 00:30:51,269 --> 00:30:49,279 um and uh that 750 00:30:52,950 --> 00:30:51,279 goes a little bit to your question of 751 00:30:55,110 --> 00:30:52,960 the whole world's attention was captured 752 00:30:58,149 --> 00:30:55,120 by string theory well 753 00:31:01,350 --> 00:30:58,159 it starting 754 00:31:03,669 --> 00:31:01,360 with relativity so really starting in 755 00:31:06,549 --> 00:31:03,679 1905 you could argue 756 00:31:10,070 --> 00:31:06,559 but particularly then general relativity 757 00:31:15,509 --> 00:31:13,350 an enormous amount of advances were made 758 00:31:18,470 --> 00:31:15,519 by considering the mathematical 759 00:31:20,389 --> 00:31:18,480 structure of the problem 760 00:31:22,310 --> 00:31:20,399 and in particular the mathematical 761 00:31:24,870 --> 00:31:22,320 symmetries of the problem 762 00:31:27,350 --> 00:31:24,880 and that when you found a mathematical 763 00:31:30,310 --> 00:31:27,360 symmetry 764 00:31:31,269 --> 00:31:30,320 it would if you took that seriously that 765 00:31:34,630 --> 00:31:31,279 would give you 766 00:31:38,470 --> 00:31:34,640 new and important physics 767 00:31:41,830 --> 00:31:38,480 so general relativity is in some sense 768 00:31:45,029 --> 00:31:41,840 the theory of general covariance 769 00:31:46,230 --> 00:31:45,039 so if you take einstein's extremely 770 00:31:48,789 --> 00:31:46,240 simple set of 771 00:31:50,389 --> 00:31:48,799 things of saying you know you you have 772 00:31:53,509 --> 00:31:50,399 these relative observers 773 00:31:58,389 --> 00:31:53,519 and um the inertial frames are the same 774 00:32:02,070 --> 00:32:01,190 uh that gives you general covariance and 775 00:32:04,149 --> 00:32:02,080 that gives you 776 00:32:06,710 --> 00:32:04,159 general relativity and then those same 777 00:32:09,430 --> 00:32:06,720 thoughts about applying covariance 778 00:32:11,830 --> 00:32:09,440 uh give you a tremendous amount of what 779 00:32:14,710 --> 00:32:11,840 it takes for a quantum field theory 780 00:32:16,310 --> 00:32:14,720 you then also take the idea of 781 00:32:19,350 --> 00:32:16,320 symmetries 782 00:32:20,230 --> 00:32:19,360 and say hey we have mathematical 783 00:32:23,269 --> 00:32:20,240 symmetries 784 00:32:25,590 --> 00:32:23,279 are coming and that's uh murray gilman 785 00:32:26,389 --> 00:32:25,600 was famous for calling this the eighth 786 00:32:29,909 --> 00:32:26,399 fold way 787 00:32:35,029 --> 00:32:31,750 group theory with an eight-fold symmetry 788 00:32:38,870 --> 00:32:37,590 and so mathematics was a tremendous 789 00:32:40,830 --> 00:32:38,880 guide 790 00:32:42,549 --> 00:32:40,840 and when you found a mathematical 791 00:32:44,230 --> 00:32:42,559 symmetry 792 00:32:46,950 --> 00:32:44,240 it usually would have a physical 793 00:32:49,990 --> 00:32:46,960 interpretation 794 00:32:50,789 --> 00:32:50,000 well until we found a mathematical 795 00:32:55,190 --> 00:32:50,799 symmetry called 796 00:32:59,509 --> 00:32:55,200 supersymmetry and supersymmetry 797 00:33:02,070 --> 00:32:59,519 from a fundamental mathematics 798 00:33:05,269 --> 00:33:02,080 perspective 799 00:33:11,990 --> 00:33:08,789 and it has sucked an enormous amount of 800 00:33:17,590 --> 00:33:14,149 into saying look this is so beautiful 801 00:33:21,990 --> 00:33:19,909 only so far as we can tell it's not 802 00:33:25,509 --> 00:33:22,000 correct 803 00:33:27,509 --> 00:33:25,519 like it got normal energies meaning the 804 00:33:29,990 --> 00:33:27,519 what we've been able to observe so far 805 00:33:36,149 --> 00:33:30,000 with even our best 806 00:33:39,590 --> 00:33:37,430 it predicts there should be twice as 807 00:33:42,710 --> 00:33:39,600 many particles as there are 808 00:33:44,070 --> 00:33:42,720 those those particles are called super 809 00:33:47,110 --> 00:33:44,080 partners 810 00:33:49,830 --> 00:33:47,120 and fundamentally if you have a 811 00:33:50,630 --> 00:33:49,840 the super symmetry it's analogous to 812 00:33:53,990 --> 00:33:50,640 saying 813 00:33:56,070 --> 00:33:54,000 well if i've got a charge 814 00:33:58,549 --> 00:33:56,080 you know minus one particles i better 815 00:34:01,990 --> 00:33:58,559 have charge plus one particles 816 00:34:02,710 --> 00:34:02,000 and so i have supercharges well then i 817 00:34:05,750 --> 00:34:02,720 need super 818 00:34:08,869 --> 00:34:05,760 partners so then 819 00:34:12,389 --> 00:34:08,879 and this idea was so seductive 820 00:34:17,669 --> 00:34:15,909 um gone 821 00:34:20,710 --> 00:34:17,679 put enormous amounts of brain power into 822 00:34:24,550 --> 00:34:20,720 trying to make it work 823 00:34:25,669 --> 00:34:24,560 and the the big showdown that everyone 824 00:34:28,869 --> 00:34:25,679 expected 825 00:34:32,629 --> 00:34:28,879 was the lhc 826 00:34:37,750 --> 00:34:32,639 and the stated purpose of the lhc 827 00:34:37,760 --> 00:34:41,589 but 828 00:34:47,909 --> 00:34:45,030 almost everyone expected 829 00:34:50,629 --> 00:34:47,919 this would also be where we got the new 830 00:34:52,790 --> 00:34:50,639 set of clues 831 00:34:55,589 --> 00:34:52,800 and this is where we would be able to 832 00:34:59,430 --> 00:34:55,599 solve this fundamental problem 833 00:35:02,630 --> 00:34:59,440 because we've gone this 30 or 40 years 834 00:35:07,030 --> 00:35:02,640 staring at the old clues 835 00:35:12,550 --> 00:35:09,670 and in general physics has progressed 836 00:35:14,790 --> 00:35:12,560 best when we had clues 837 00:35:16,710 --> 00:35:14,800 now general relativity is the great 838 00:35:21,109 --> 00:35:16,720 exception to that 839 00:35:24,310 --> 00:35:21,119 einstein's uh inspiration for that 840 00:35:28,829 --> 00:35:24,320 is so 841 00:35:31,589 --> 00:35:28,839 weak it's so 842 00:35:34,870 --> 00:35:31,599 simple it it almost sounds 843 00:35:37,589 --> 00:35:34,880 simple-minded you know like someone 844 00:35:39,510 --> 00:35:37,599 coming into you and saying ah 845 00:35:41,349 --> 00:35:39,520 i've got this guy in an elevator and 846 00:35:43,510 --> 00:35:41,359 this guy is on this 847 00:35:45,030 --> 00:35:43,520 and i'm going to tell you all about the 848 00:35:45,910 --> 00:35:45,040 structure of the universe from this 849 00:35:49,270 --> 00:35:45,920 you'd say 850 00:35:52,630 --> 00:35:49,280 no no no no you're in that case 851 00:35:54,870 --> 00:35:52,640 but not not not einstein so that was a 852 00:35:55,829 --> 00:35:54,880 rare example of someone who had very few 853 00:35:59,349 --> 00:35:55,839 clues 854 00:36:01,750 --> 00:35:59,359 um uh newton 855 00:36:03,829 --> 00:36:01,760 had very few clues you know that there's 856 00:36:07,589 --> 00:36:03,839 an apocryphal story about the apple 857 00:36:11,990 --> 00:36:10,790 that guy did not take very much in the 858 00:36:16,390 --> 00:36:12,000 way of 859 00:36:19,510 --> 00:36:16,400 uh inspiration to get going 860 00:36:21,190 --> 00:36:19,520 um so that was another great one but 861 00:36:23,190 --> 00:36:21,200 we've we have this problem now that we 862 00:36:26,870 --> 00:36:23,200 have the same clues we've looked at for 863 00:36:31,109 --> 00:36:26,880 30 or 40 years 864 00:36:39,190 --> 00:36:35,670 um it didn't find any super partners 865 00:36:42,950 --> 00:36:39,200 and so far it hasn't had any hint 866 00:36:45,190 --> 00:36:42,960 of that and periodically 867 00:36:46,310 --> 00:36:45,200 over the last three or four years there 868 00:36:48,870 --> 00:36:46,320 will be a murmur 869 00:36:49,349 --> 00:36:48,880 in the field of oh there's someone's got 870 00:36:51,430 --> 00:36:49,359 you know 871 00:36:53,670 --> 00:36:51,440 so and so in this to the two different 872 00:36:56,470 --> 00:36:53,680 projects of this atlas 873 00:36:58,950 --> 00:36:56,480 and alice oh alice is seeing something 874 00:37:01,990 --> 00:36:58,960 or atlas is seeing something 875 00:37:08,550 --> 00:37:05,829 but so far that's all come to naught 876 00:37:09,190 --> 00:37:08,560 and it's probably true well certainly 877 00:37:12,630 --> 00:37:09,200 given 878 00:37:16,069 --> 00:37:12,640 that outcome 879 00:37:19,109 --> 00:37:16,079 if you looked back at the field 20 years 880 00:37:21,750 --> 00:37:19,119 ago or 25 years ago and said 881 00:37:23,270 --> 00:37:21,760 okay we don't really know what's going 882 00:37:28,069 --> 00:37:23,280 on 883 00:37:31,750 --> 00:37:28,079 basket 884 00:37:34,829 --> 00:37:31,760 you'd say no let's you know 885 00:37:36,069 --> 00:37:34,839 we should bet on lots of different ideas 886 00:37:39,109 --> 00:37:36,079 but 887 00:37:39,910 --> 00:37:39,119 there was an overwhelming bat on super 888 00:37:44,630 --> 00:37:39,920 symmetry 889 00:37:53,430 --> 00:37:47,670 the weirder it got in going 890 00:37:57,750 --> 00:37:56,069 it didn't dissuade people now there's 891 00:37:59,270 --> 00:37:57,760 friends of mine who say oh nathan you're 892 00:38:04,150 --> 00:37:59,280 out of it you don't understand how 893 00:38:07,750 --> 00:38:04,160 wonderful and how beautiful it is 894 00:38:11,270 --> 00:38:07,760 i i will stipulate to it being beautiful 895 00:38:13,750 --> 00:38:11,280 um and string theory has 896 00:38:15,190 --> 00:38:13,760 uh led to some interesting discoveries 897 00:38:17,670 --> 00:38:15,200 mathematics 898 00:38:18,950 --> 00:38:17,680 uh ed whitton who i've known since 899 00:38:22,630 --> 00:38:18,960 graduate school is a 900 00:38:25,910 --> 00:38:22,640 great friend and i think the world of ed 901 00:38:28,390 --> 00:38:25,920 uh got the fields medal in mathematics 902 00:38:29,750 --> 00:38:28,400 for a lot of things he worked on while 903 00:38:31,589 --> 00:38:29,760 trying to 904 00:38:33,030 --> 00:38:31,599 investigate super symmetry and string 905 00:38:38,470 --> 00:38:33,040 theory 906 00:38:41,589 --> 00:38:38,480 physical result to its name and that 907 00:38:42,630 --> 00:38:41,599 helps you calculate the modes in a black 908 00:38:45,589 --> 00:38:42,640 hole 909 00:38:47,109 --> 00:38:45,599 which uh go to the still somewhat 910 00:38:49,270 --> 00:38:47,119 controversial 911 00:38:53,750 --> 00:38:49,280 uh issue of whether a black hole 912 00:39:00,550 --> 00:38:57,589 but at this stage 913 00:39:01,510 --> 00:39:00,560 we need one of two things to happen we 914 00:39:05,349 --> 00:39:01,520 either need 915 00:39:08,470 --> 00:39:05,359 new clues or we need 916 00:39:11,589 --> 00:39:08,480 some damn genius who's so smart he or 917 00:39:14,470 --> 00:39:11,599 she does not need clues 918 00:39:16,550 --> 00:39:14,480 well those geniuses seem to come around 919 00:39:18,310 --> 00:39:16,560 every 500 years 920 00:39:20,870 --> 00:39:18,320 now maybe we got a little larger 921 00:39:22,870 --> 00:39:20,880 population today and we're educating a 922 00:39:25,190 --> 00:39:22,880 larger fraction of that population so 923 00:39:28,310 --> 00:39:25,200 maybe it isn't 500 but 924 00:39:32,470 --> 00:39:28,320 it's not a great uh it's not 925 00:39:36,150 --> 00:39:32,480 not great statistics there um or 926 00:39:43,589 --> 00:39:36,160 you need new clues but uh 927 00:39:46,550 --> 00:39:43,599 lhc was ridiculously expensive 928 00:39:46,950 --> 00:39:46,560 trying to come up with a something that 929 00:39:50,150 --> 00:39:46,960 is 930 00:39:53,670 --> 00:39:50,160 dramatically better than lhc 931 00:39:56,710 --> 00:39:53,680 yeah they probably can eat 932 00:39:58,950 --> 00:39:56,720 some number of factors and i i'm not 933 00:40:01,589 --> 00:39:58,960 involved in it so i won't speculate as 934 00:40:05,030 --> 00:40:01,599 to how many factors but 935 00:40:07,990 --> 00:40:05,040 let's say they got a factor of 10. 936 00:40:08,829 --> 00:40:08,000 um we don't know what the present will a 937 00:40:12,309 --> 00:40:08,839 factor of 10 938 00:40:14,630 --> 00:40:12,319 matter or will it be a factor 939 00:40:17,030 --> 00:40:14,640 of 100 or will it be a factor of a 940 00:40:20,950 --> 00:40:17,040 thousand or 941 00:40:29,990 --> 00:40:25,589 and as a result 942 00:40:32,309 --> 00:40:30,000 that very confused story 943 00:40:33,190 --> 00:40:32,319 doesn't seem like it's the single best 944 00:40:36,630 --> 00:40:33,200 story to go 945 00:40:38,550 --> 00:40:36,640 take to nation states and say please 946 00:40:41,109 --> 00:40:38,560 give us 947 00:40:43,030 --> 00:40:41,119 500 billion dollars that it might take 948 00:40:46,390 --> 00:40:43,040 to make something that was 949 00:40:49,510 --> 00:40:46,400 many orders of magnitude better right 950 00:40:51,589 --> 00:40:49,520 right or or we just say okay we have to 951 00:40:54,390 --> 00:40:51,599 put on our thinking gaps 952 00:40:55,430 --> 00:40:54,400 and come up with cheap ways or cheaper 953 00:40:57,510 --> 00:40:55,440 ways 954 00:41:00,390 --> 00:40:57,520 to get to that next level of power 955 00:41:04,630 --> 00:41:00,400 that's also a possibility 956 00:41:09,109 --> 00:41:04,640 but either way we either need 957 00:41:11,829 --> 00:41:09,119 some genius on the old clues 958 00:41:12,390 --> 00:41:11,839 or some new clues now there are people 959 00:41:15,990 --> 00:41:12,400 who are 960 00:41:20,470 --> 00:41:16,000 working on this um peter white who was 961 00:41:22,870 --> 00:41:20,480 uh my roommate in graduate school 962 00:41:24,630 --> 00:41:22,880 one of the most articulate critics of 963 00:41:30,710 --> 00:41:24,640 string theory 964 00:41:36,950 --> 00:41:34,309 peter has recently come out with what 965 00:41:40,150 --> 00:41:36,960 to me look like some very intriguing 966 00:41:44,150 --> 00:41:42,470 and they're along a different approach 967 00:41:47,349 --> 00:41:44,160 than most people have taken 968 00:41:51,990 --> 00:41:50,150 but they're not done yet either they're 969 00:41:55,190 --> 00:41:52,000 uh 970 00:41:58,870 --> 00:41:55,200 they're a stab in the dark 971 00:42:03,030 --> 00:41:58,880 and it will require a lot more work 972 00:42:06,870 --> 00:42:03,040 um within the field of computing 973 00:42:09,510 --> 00:42:06,880 there have been since the 1960s 974 00:42:11,030 --> 00:42:09,520 there have been a variety of people who 975 00:42:14,829 --> 00:42:11,040 have tried to take 976 00:42:16,790 --> 00:42:14,839 the idea of computing as a metaphor 977 00:42:20,470 --> 00:42:16,800 seriously 978 00:42:27,589 --> 00:42:23,990 there's a great uh essay which was 979 00:42:31,430 --> 00:42:27,599 originally a lecture um 980 00:42:34,069 --> 00:42:31,440 by uh edvard vigner 981 00:42:35,510 --> 00:42:34,079 vigner was a nobel prize winner in uh 982 00:42:38,710 --> 00:42:35,520 physics 983 00:42:40,790 --> 00:42:38,720 and the name of this essay is the 984 00:42:41,829 --> 00:42:40,800 unreasonable effectiveness of 985 00:42:47,109 --> 00:42:41,839 mathematics 986 00:42:51,750 --> 00:42:47,119 in physics and so finger says look 987 00:42:55,829 --> 00:42:51,760 how come it's so damn easy 988 00:42:59,270 --> 00:42:55,839 you know we we a lot of physical laws 989 00:43:02,230 --> 00:42:59,280 are first or second order equations 990 00:43:05,910 --> 00:43:02,240 and most of it's linear which means we 991 00:43:11,270 --> 00:43:09,109 and then of course we know that there 992 00:43:15,270 --> 00:43:11,280 are other parts of physics that aren't 993 00:43:19,030 --> 00:43:15,280 linear but 994 00:43:23,349 --> 00:43:19,040 the if i were to give a modern 995 00:43:26,150 --> 00:43:23,359 version of wigner's thing 996 00:43:28,230 --> 00:43:26,160 i would say hey not only has it been 997 00:43:30,870 --> 00:43:28,240 math has had it it's a great 998 00:43:33,270 --> 00:43:30,880 run but are we sure that it's 999 00:43:34,630 --> 00:43:33,280 mathematics in the same way we've done 1000 00:43:39,190 --> 00:43:34,640 it before 1001 00:43:41,510 --> 00:43:39,200 that we need next and that's why people 1002 00:43:43,670 --> 00:43:41,520 like david deutsch as an example david 1003 00:43:47,190 --> 00:43:43,680 deutsch 1004 00:43:50,790 --> 00:43:47,200 is a physicist he was 1005 00:43:52,550 --> 00:43:50,800 the inventor of quantum computing if you 1006 00:43:53,670 --> 00:43:52,560 will he had the idea that maybe you 1007 00:43:56,790 --> 00:43:53,680 could compute 1008 00:43:59,109 --> 00:43:56,800 with quantum systems 1009 00:44:00,550 --> 00:43:59,119 and david has done some very deep 1010 00:44:03,190 --> 00:44:00,560 thinking about 1011 00:44:06,829 --> 00:44:03,200 what it would mean to have a computable 1012 00:44:10,150 --> 00:44:06,839 universe versus not 1013 00:44:13,910 --> 00:44:10,160 where instead of relying 1014 00:44:17,750 --> 00:44:13,920 on uh 1015 00:44:19,990 --> 00:44:17,760 simple equations with polynomials or 1016 00:44:21,990 --> 00:44:20,000 sines and cosines the things that we're 1017 00:44:24,470 --> 00:44:22,000 used to in 1018 00:44:26,790 --> 00:44:24,480 in school maybe the world is 1019 00:44:30,470 --> 00:44:26,800 fundamentally more about 1020 00:44:34,829 --> 00:44:30,480 computation and computation 1021 00:44:36,150 --> 00:44:34,839 is in some sense fundamentally more 1022 00:44:40,069 --> 00:44:36,160 complex 1023 00:44:45,829 --> 00:44:43,109 and you can figure that out 1024 00:44:47,270 --> 00:44:45,839 in things like the various complexity 1025 00:44:49,510 --> 00:44:47,280 theories 1026 00:44:51,829 --> 00:44:49,520 that you know a simple touring machine 1027 00:44:55,270 --> 00:44:51,839 can't predict when it will end 1028 00:44:58,710 --> 00:44:55,280 just as a matter of principle it can't 1029 00:45:01,030 --> 00:44:58,720 yep well um 1030 00:45:02,550 --> 00:45:01,040 there's a whole pile of people besides 1031 00:45:06,550 --> 00:45:02,560 deutsch that have 1032 00:45:09,030 --> 00:45:06,560 gotten excited about this uh 1033 00:45:11,030 --> 00:45:09,040 but i've known stephen wolfram since i 1034 00:45:12,870 --> 00:45:11,040 was at princeton he was at the institute 1035 00:45:14,630 --> 00:45:12,880 for advanced study at the time and 1036 00:45:17,030 --> 00:45:14,640 he's a great friend of mine i have huge 1037 00:45:20,230 --> 00:45:17,040 respect for him 1038 00:45:23,270 --> 00:45:20,240 i use mathematica almost every day 1039 00:45:27,270 --> 00:45:23,280 is his great uh contribution uh 1040 00:45:30,950 --> 00:45:27,280 to software um he's got 1041 00:45:36,150 --> 00:45:30,960 a uh an approach where 1042 00:45:39,270 --> 00:45:36,160 he has been able to replicate 1043 00:45:40,470 --> 00:45:39,280 the classical this is perhaps slightly 1044 00:45:42,150 --> 00:45:40,480 unfair did but 1045 00:45:44,829 --> 00:45:42,160 he's able to replicate some of the 1046 00:45:49,349 --> 00:45:44,839 classical features 1047 00:45:52,230 --> 00:45:49,359 of uh quantum field theory 1048 00:45:53,270 --> 00:45:52,240 um so if you think about all of these 1049 00:45:56,150 --> 00:45:53,280 fields have got 1050 00:45:58,870 --> 00:45:56,160 a quantization com component but they 1051 00:46:00,790 --> 00:45:58,880 also have a classical component 1052 00:46:02,790 --> 00:46:00,800 electromagnetism being the simplest 1053 00:46:05,109 --> 00:46:02,800 example of that but there is a 1054 00:46:06,550 --> 00:46:05,119 effectively a classical component of 1055 00:46:09,990 --> 00:46:06,560 these other things and 1056 00:46:13,430 --> 00:46:10,000 stephen has shown that you can use 1057 00:46:16,390 --> 00:46:13,440 very simple computational systems 1058 00:46:17,430 --> 00:46:16,400 like cellular automata or other simple 1059 00:46:21,109 --> 00:46:17,440 things 1060 00:46:21,119 --> 00:46:25,589 many of the same 1061 00:46:33,270 --> 00:46:29,030 symmetries as 1062 00:46:37,910 --> 00:46:37,109 now there's two ways to view that one 1063 00:46:42,230 --> 00:46:37,920 way to view that 1064 00:46:46,470 --> 00:46:42,240 is to say yes that's great but 1065 00:46:49,030 --> 00:46:46,480 now tie them into a real quantum theory 1066 00:46:50,470 --> 00:46:49,040 and stephen would i think be the first 1067 00:46:52,069 --> 00:46:50,480 to say well 1068 00:46:54,309 --> 00:46:52,079 that's hard he hasn't quite done that 1069 00:46:56,550 --> 00:46:54,319 yet but he has done this intriguing 1070 00:46:58,309 --> 00:46:56,560 first part um 1071 00:47:00,150 --> 00:46:58,319 my friend peter has in a different way 1072 00:47:02,069 --> 00:47:00,160 done that first part 1073 00:47:03,510 --> 00:47:02,079 computation as well or completely 1074 00:47:05,990 --> 00:47:03,520 different is it also computational this 1075 00:47:10,150 --> 00:47:06,000 is much more about traditional 1076 00:47:13,670 --> 00:47:10,160 very very obtuse mathematics 1077 00:47:20,309 --> 00:47:16,870 the 1078 00:47:24,069 --> 00:47:20,319 that will work 1079 00:47:25,750 --> 00:47:24,079 but maybe not 1080 00:47:26,950 --> 00:47:25,760 so you're agnostic you don't have a 1081 00:47:28,150 --> 00:47:26,960 preference to which one of these 1082 00:47:31,589 --> 00:47:28,160 theories 1083 00:47:38,549 --> 00:47:34,870 i mean part of the tragedy 1084 00:47:42,950 --> 00:47:38,559 of super symmetry is that hunches 1085 00:47:46,790 --> 00:47:42,960 based on a mathematical idea 1086 00:47:49,670 --> 00:47:46,800 for the first time didn't work 1087 00:47:50,710 --> 00:47:49,680 right makes you pessimistic and so once 1088 00:47:53,589 --> 00:47:50,720 that's occurred 1089 00:47:55,589 --> 00:47:53,599 then you say and and man that one had 1090 00:47:59,190 --> 00:47:55,599 all the iq in the world 1091 00:48:01,430 --> 00:47:59,200 trying to desperately resuscitate it and 1092 00:48:02,870 --> 00:48:01,440 revive it and make it work 1093 00:48:06,230 --> 00:48:02,880 and yet it doesn't seem to be the way 1094 00:48:09,270 --> 00:48:06,240 nature operates 1095 00:48:12,950 --> 00:48:09,280 um at the same time 1096 00:48:16,549 --> 00:48:12,960 i have a basic faith in the 1097 00:48:18,870 --> 00:48:16,559 idea of physics which is 1098 00:48:20,630 --> 00:48:18,880 that we can figure out how the universe 1099 00:48:22,950 --> 00:48:20,640 works 1100 00:48:25,589 --> 00:48:22,960 and if you think about what we've 1101 00:48:28,309 --> 00:48:25,599 achieved so far 1102 00:48:30,150 --> 00:48:28,319 general relativity quantum field theory 1103 00:48:33,670 --> 00:48:30,160 um 1104 00:48:36,870 --> 00:48:33,680 boy oh boy we have understood 1105 00:48:40,630 --> 00:48:36,880 the universe around us uh 1106 00:48:43,829 --> 00:48:40,640 vastly better than in some sense we have 1107 00:48:51,349 --> 00:48:48,549 and um 1108 00:48:52,390 --> 00:48:51,359 you know whether you think that's luck 1109 00:48:55,990 --> 00:48:52,400 or 1110 00:48:58,790 --> 00:48:56,000 that's because there's some metric that 1111 00:49:02,150 --> 00:48:58,800 the simplest things actually work 1112 00:49:06,470 --> 00:49:02,160 or i mean you can go all 1113 00:49:08,309 --> 00:49:06,480 round and round on that um 1114 00:49:09,990 --> 00:49:08,319 you know the the counter example of 1115 00:49:14,390 --> 00:49:10,000 simple things 1116 00:49:18,069 --> 00:49:14,400 working out simply is number theory 1117 00:49:22,069 --> 00:49:18,079 where you know i can explain to a child 1118 00:49:25,750 --> 00:49:22,079 in a few minutes what integers are 1119 00:49:29,030 --> 00:49:25,760 and uh you can easily show 1120 00:49:31,190 --> 00:49:29,040 how factoring works and multiplication 1121 00:49:32,790 --> 00:49:31,200 works 1122 00:49:36,150 --> 00:49:32,800 and then you can state something like 1123 00:49:38,710 --> 00:49:36,160 the goldbach goldbox conjecture 1124 00:49:40,150 --> 00:49:38,720 and we have no clue how to prove it even 1125 00:49:46,950 --> 00:49:40,160 though it's obviously true 1126 00:49:50,630 --> 00:49:48,950 and that's an extraordinarily simple 1127 00:49:52,790 --> 00:49:50,640 system 1128 00:49:55,270 --> 00:49:52,800 so maybe it's that our idea of 1129 00:49:58,790 --> 00:49:55,280 simplicity isn't right 1130 00:50:00,230 --> 00:49:58,800 um anyway hey i still think it's worth 1131 00:50:02,069 --> 00:50:00,240 people trying to figure out the 1132 00:50:05,190 --> 00:50:02,079 fundamental laws 1133 00:50:07,190 --> 00:50:05,200 and it's well worth it but 1134 00:50:08,549 --> 00:50:07,200 we have gone through a very difficult 1135 00:50:10,069 --> 00:50:08,559 period in that 1136 00:50:12,390 --> 00:50:10,079 what do you mean when you say that our 1137 00:50:14,150 --> 00:50:12,400 idea of simplicity may be wrong what 1138 00:50:16,390 --> 00:50:14,160 could it be first of all what is it and 1139 00:50:19,510 --> 00:50:16,400 then what we are highly biased 1140 00:50:20,950 --> 00:50:19,520 towards things which we can explain with 1141 00:50:24,390 --> 00:50:20,960 simple continuum 1142 00:50:27,829 --> 00:50:24,400 model stuff 1143 00:50:31,589 --> 00:50:27,839 um so uh 1144 00:50:34,710 --> 00:50:31,599 the newton's great invention was the 1145 00:50:37,990 --> 00:50:34,720 calculus which was to say okay let's 1146 00:50:40,950 --> 00:50:38,000 reason about a continuum 1147 00:50:43,030 --> 00:50:40,960 of things starting off with the fact 1148 00:50:44,549 --> 00:50:43,040 well guys that we only have 10 fingers 1149 00:50:47,589 --> 00:50:44,559 and they're kind of discreet 1150 00:50:48,309 --> 00:50:47,599 it looks like you almost have nine yeah 1151 00:50:58,069 --> 00:50:48,319 i 1152 00:51:00,710 --> 00:50:58,079 would always joke to people and say yeah 1153 00:51:02,230 --> 00:51:00,720 he's a scientist and he's using his 1154 00:51:04,470 --> 00:51:02,240 physics background and his lab 1155 00:51:06,309 --> 00:51:04,480 to transform food it's essentially like 1156 00:51:07,670 --> 00:51:06,319 laser cooking a chicken to perfection 1157 00:51:09,589 --> 00:51:07,680 and then i always said that laser 1158 00:51:11,190 --> 00:51:09,599 cooking chicken but then i thought well 1159 00:51:12,790 --> 00:51:11,200 i don't see anything that you do as a 1160 00:51:14,069 --> 00:51:12,800 laser cooking then i thought well maybe 1161 00:51:16,069 --> 00:51:14,079 you do maybe i should ask you 1162 00:51:17,670 --> 00:51:16,079 is there anything uh sure you do 1163 00:51:18,630 --> 00:51:17,680 approximate something like a laser 1164 00:51:22,230 --> 00:51:18,640 cooking 1165 00:51:24,069 --> 00:51:22,240 oh sure um we uh 1166 00:51:26,230 --> 00:51:24,079 well there's lots of things where you 1167 00:51:28,549 --> 00:51:26,240 cook with light 1168 00:51:30,230 --> 00:51:28,559 so a neapolitan pizza is cooked with 1169 00:51:32,790 --> 00:51:30,240 light 1170 00:51:35,349 --> 00:51:32,800 um uh broiling is about cooking with 1171 00:51:38,309 --> 00:51:35,359 light it's all about infrared light 1172 00:51:39,589 --> 00:51:38,319 but for lasers specifically uh we've 1173 00:51:41,430 --> 00:51:39,599 done a bunch of 1174 00:51:43,190 --> 00:51:41,440 stuff that i think is cool i'm not sure 1175 00:51:45,750 --> 00:51:43,200 it's very fundamental 1176 00:51:47,430 --> 00:51:45,760 uh using laser cutters or leaves or 1177 00:51:50,150 --> 00:51:47,440 engravers 1178 00:51:50,870 --> 00:51:50,160 to do cool things you know we could etch 1179 00:51:54,150 --> 00:51:50,880 your face 1180 00:51:55,349 --> 00:51:54,160 on a piece of meat or on a slice of 1181 00:51:58,870 --> 00:51:55,359 bread because 1182 00:52:02,829 --> 00:51:58,880 it looks just like you um 1183 00:52:06,230 --> 00:52:02,839 or cut impossibly complicated 1184 00:52:06,870 --> 00:52:06,240 uh or otherwise impossibly complicated 1185 00:52:09,589 --> 00:52:06,880 patterns 1186 00:52:11,670 --> 00:52:09,599 out of a layer of sugar it sounds more 1187 00:52:15,510 --> 00:52:11,680 like presentation then 1188 00:52:20,309 --> 00:52:15,520 well for a laser cutter yes um lasers 1189 00:52:26,870 --> 00:52:23,829 don't do a lot of things that we 1190 00:52:30,829 --> 00:52:26,880 would want to do with cooking 1191 00:52:34,230 --> 00:52:30,839 right i mean we're just we would rather 1192 00:52:37,670 --> 00:52:34,240 cook with a broad source 1193 00:52:41,109 --> 00:52:37,680 and continuous source of infrared than a 1194 00:52:42,470 --> 00:52:41,119 pulsed laser that would either burn a 1195 00:52:45,829 --> 00:52:42,480 hole 1196 00:52:49,430 --> 00:52:45,839 or be too diffuse so 1197 00:52:52,630 --> 00:52:49,440 in general lasers uh 1198 00:52:55,510 --> 00:52:52,640 are not the be-all and end-all um 1199 00:52:57,190 --> 00:52:55,520 but they're useful for some things 1200 00:52:58,150 --> 00:52:57,200 that's another reason why i wanted you 1201 00:53:01,829 --> 00:52:58,160 as an uncle 1202 00:53:03,190 --> 00:53:01,839 because i love food tremendously 1203 00:53:04,870 --> 00:53:03,200 and when i read that you made the 1204 00:53:05,750 --> 00:53:04,880 perfect fry with bathing it and 1205 00:53:08,870 --> 00:53:05,760 ultrasonic oil 1206 00:53:11,750 --> 00:53:08,880 is that correct yeah i'm like man i wish 1207 00:53:12,950 --> 00:53:11,760 i knew this guy because just so you know 1208 00:53:16,309 --> 00:53:12,960 before each interview 1209 00:53:17,030 --> 00:53:16,319 i fast so right now i'm at a a 48 hour 1210 00:53:19,190 --> 00:53:17,040 fast 1211 00:53:20,870 --> 00:53:19,200 and one of the reasons is because i try 1212 00:53:22,069 --> 00:53:20,880 to research as much as possible about 1213 00:53:23,670 --> 00:53:22,079 the interviewee 1214 00:53:25,190 --> 00:53:23,680 and one of the ways that i productively 1215 00:53:26,309 --> 00:53:25,200 do that is just by not eating so i can 1216 00:53:28,549 --> 00:53:26,319 just focus on work 1217 00:53:29,670 --> 00:53:28,559 until i sleep okay but another reason is 1218 00:53:33,109 --> 00:53:29,680 because i'm so 1219 00:53:35,270 --> 00:53:33,119 avaricious that when i do eat i eat like 1220 00:53:38,549 --> 00:53:35,280 mad and then i have to just i'm like 1221 00:53:45,670 --> 00:53:40,470 glad for this to end is what you just 1222 00:53:48,710 --> 00:53:47,349 yeah okay so going back going back to 1223 00:53:53,589 --> 00:53:48,720 news 1224 00:53:53,599 --> 00:53:58,950 in physics for things that 1225 00:54:04,390 --> 00:54:02,069 can be solved by simple equations 1226 00:54:05,190 --> 00:54:04,400 ideally linear if they're non-linear 1227 00:54:08,870 --> 00:54:05,200 well not 1228 00:54:14,390 --> 00:54:12,309 and uh 1229 00:54:15,990 --> 00:54:14,400 and that's worked super well for lots of 1230 00:54:18,870 --> 00:54:16,000 things but 1231 00:54:20,150 --> 00:54:18,880 uh you know the the discoveries that 1232 00:54:24,790 --> 00:54:20,160 people had of 1233 00:54:28,470 --> 00:54:24,800 uh chaos and dynamical systems 1234 00:54:30,230 --> 00:54:28,480 and more generally fractals 1235 00:54:31,829 --> 00:54:30,240 out in whether there's fractals in the 1236 00:54:36,829 --> 00:54:31,839 real world or fractals 1237 00:54:46,230 --> 00:54:39,270 the 1238 00:54:50,390 --> 00:54:46,240 totally modeled by very simple 1239 00:54:52,150 --> 00:54:50,400 models might be quite limited and we 1240 00:54:54,390 --> 00:54:52,160 might have already 1241 00:54:55,990 --> 00:54:54,400 slipped them all up you have like we 1242 00:54:57,750 --> 00:54:56,000 mentioned we have variegated fields that 1243 00:55:00,069 --> 00:54:57,760 you're pretty much an expert in 1244 00:55:01,750 --> 00:55:00,079 how practically speaking do you do the 1245 00:55:04,150 --> 00:55:01,760 research when you're interested in 1246 00:55:05,589 --> 00:55:04,160 let's say some new field field x what do 1247 00:55:07,430 --> 00:55:05,599 you start out with do you 1248 00:55:09,030 --> 00:55:07,440 interview do you call experts do you 1249 00:55:09,990 --> 00:55:09,040 just go on wikipedia do you go on google 1250 00:55:11,589 --> 00:55:10,000 scholar 1251 00:55:13,349 --> 00:55:11,599 what does the journey from knowing 1252 00:55:15,190 --> 00:55:13,359 nothing to becoming 1253 00:55:18,549 --> 00:55:15,200 moderately ensconced in it to becoming 1254 00:55:21,910 --> 00:55:21,109 well it's got all those steps um you 1255 00:55:23,990 --> 00:55:21,920 know you 1256 00:55:25,670 --> 00:55:24,000 first i try to read as much as i can 1257 00:55:29,589 --> 00:55:25,680 about it 1258 00:55:32,630 --> 00:55:29,599 um often that means i will buy 1259 00:55:34,150 --> 00:55:32,640 books on amazon as the first step do you 1260 00:55:36,309 --> 00:55:34,160 mind taking us through a specific 1261 00:55:39,589 --> 00:55:36,319 example you can pick photography you can 1262 00:55:42,630 --> 00:55:39,599 pick paleontology asteroids 1263 00:55:44,630 --> 00:55:42,640 um well sure i'll pick out let me start 1264 00:55:48,069 --> 00:55:44,640 with asteroids with asteroids 1265 00:55:50,950 --> 00:55:48,079 some people came to me with 1266 00:55:52,309 --> 00:55:50,960 actually a request to donate money to a 1267 00:55:54,230 --> 00:55:52,319 project 1268 00:55:56,230 --> 00:55:54,240 to build a satellite to go look at 1269 00:56:00,549 --> 00:55:56,240 asteroids 1270 00:56:02,630 --> 00:56:00,559 and we spent some time discussing the 1271 00:56:05,910 --> 00:56:02,640 physics of it and i wasn't very 1272 00:56:09,990 --> 00:56:05,920 satisfied and so they sent me 1273 00:56:11,910 --> 00:56:10,000 a white paper about 1274 00:56:13,510 --> 00:56:11,920 this and then i was really dissatisfied 1275 00:56:15,030 --> 00:56:13,520 because i just figured this has to be 1276 00:56:18,470 --> 00:56:15,040 wrong 1277 00:56:20,309 --> 00:56:18,480 and so i reached out to some folks and i 1278 00:56:23,910 --> 00:56:20,319 got some data 1279 00:56:26,150 --> 00:56:23,920 and it took me a few months 1280 00:56:27,670 --> 00:56:26,160 but i showed there's a whole bunch of 1281 00:56:30,630 --> 00:56:27,680 stuff that was 1282 00:56:31,270 --> 00:56:30,640 wrong with their approach you wrote a 1283 00:56:34,470 --> 00:56:31,280 100 1284 00:56:35,670 --> 00:56:34,480 page paper well i've had a couple of 1285 00:56:37,190 --> 00:56:35,680 them 1286 00:56:38,789 --> 00:56:37,200 actually so i don't know if the first 1287 00:56:42,870 --> 00:56:38,799 one was 100 it might have been 1288 00:56:46,470 --> 00:56:42,880 i've written a bunch of papers on it and 1289 00:56:49,589 --> 00:56:46,480 along the way yes i contacted 1290 00:56:53,030 --> 00:56:49,599 uh experts 1291 00:56:56,789 --> 00:56:53,040 contacting experts is 1292 00:57:00,549 --> 00:56:56,799 always tricky because 1293 00:57:04,549 --> 00:57:02,470 experts are busy people and if you 1294 00:57:06,150 --> 00:57:04,559 contact them and say hi i'm some guy 1295 00:57:11,190 --> 00:57:06,160 you've never heard of 1296 00:57:15,750 --> 00:57:13,990 um you better make sure that question is 1297 00:57:17,750 --> 00:57:15,760 a sensible question otherwise they're 1298 00:57:21,030 --> 00:57:17,760 just never going to respond to you 1299 00:57:22,549 --> 00:57:21,040 right um or they'll respond and say oh 1300 00:57:24,829 --> 00:57:22,559 that's nice kid 1301 00:57:27,109 --> 00:57:24,839 you know clearly you don't understand a 1302 00:57:31,109 --> 00:57:27,119 thing 1303 00:57:34,069 --> 00:57:31,119 and it's both a very natural human 1304 00:57:37,349 --> 00:57:34,079 response to being busy and to 1305 00:57:39,910 --> 00:57:37,359 you know not wasting your time on 1306 00:57:41,109 --> 00:57:39,920 crack pots and of the things on the 1307 00:57:44,630 --> 00:57:41,119 other hand 1308 00:57:47,510 --> 00:57:44,640 science isn't about that 1309 00:57:50,069 --> 00:57:47,520 but usually you can find some scientist 1310 00:57:53,670 --> 00:57:52,069 is willing to answer some questions if 1311 00:57:54,710 --> 00:57:53,680 you've got good questions about their 1312 00:57:57,829 --> 00:57:54,720 work 1313 00:58:01,589 --> 00:57:57,839 yeah uh and i love google scholar 1314 00:58:03,270 --> 00:58:01,599 i use google scholar not every day but 1315 00:58:06,630 --> 00:58:03,280 certainly every week 1316 00:58:07,990 --> 00:58:06,640 i'm looking something up and that's 1317 00:58:12,230 --> 00:58:08,000 useful because you can 1318 00:58:16,549 --> 00:58:12,240 get an idea of what the world thinks 1319 00:58:19,349 --> 00:58:16,559 and for a lot of um a lot of stuff 1320 00:58:22,069 --> 00:58:19,359 it's way more current than you would 1321 00:58:25,270 --> 00:58:22,079 find in textbooks 1322 00:58:29,910 --> 00:58:25,280 now it's i mean 1323 00:58:33,829 --> 00:58:29,920 typically a physics paper doesn't use 1324 00:58:35,829 --> 00:58:33,839 mathematics that isn't in a textbook 1325 00:58:37,510 --> 00:58:35,839 it might use physics it's not a textbook 1326 00:58:38,390 --> 00:58:37,520 but not mathematics that's not in the 1327 00:58:40,950 --> 00:58:38,400 text that's correct 1328 00:58:42,390 --> 00:58:40,960 right right right right um uh and so 1329 00:58:42,950 --> 00:58:42,400 sometimes you have to go to the math 1330 00:58:45,109 --> 00:58:42,960 literature 1331 00:58:46,309 --> 00:58:45,119 then to find new math for things and 1332 00:58:50,549 --> 00:58:46,319 that 1333 00:58:53,750 --> 00:58:50,559 uh going 1334 00:58:55,510 --> 00:58:53,760 in a field to the literature is both 1335 00:58:59,510 --> 00:58:55,520 super important 1336 00:59:02,630 --> 00:58:59,520 but it's also a little challenging for 1337 00:59:05,910 --> 00:59:02,640 an outsider because 1338 00:59:09,430 --> 00:59:05,920 people will have their own 1339 00:59:10,950 --> 00:59:09,440 a field will develop its own vocabulary 1340 00:59:13,430 --> 00:59:10,960 its own things that are sort of 1341 00:59:17,510 --> 00:59:13,440 obviously everyone knows x 1342 00:59:20,710 --> 00:59:17,520 versus no they they don't know x 1343 00:59:23,430 --> 00:59:20,720 um but 1344 00:59:26,710 --> 00:59:23,440 in general i have found that there are 1345 00:59:30,829 --> 00:59:26,720 enough scientists enough experts who 1346 00:59:33,910 --> 00:59:30,839 uh i can talk to who 1347 00:59:37,349 --> 00:59:33,920 will help me 1348 00:59:40,630 --> 00:59:37,359 guide me in the right way um 1349 00:59:45,109 --> 00:59:40,640 sometimes join on as collaborators 1350 00:59:48,549 --> 00:59:45,119 um or be good at critiquing things 1351 00:59:53,030 --> 00:59:48,559 mm-hmm and so away you go from there 1352 00:59:56,390 --> 00:59:53,040 um now in the case of asteroids 1353 00:59:58,150 --> 00:59:56,400 the buy every book on amazon 1354 00:59:59,670 --> 00:59:58,160 that's on asteroids is pretty easy 1355 01:00:01,750 --> 00:59:59,680 there's not very many 1356 01:00:02,950 --> 01:00:01,760 but in that case well then you also need 1357 01:00:05,270 --> 01:00:02,960 to make sure you that you've got 1358 01:00:07,910 --> 01:00:05,280 everything understood about 1359 01:00:09,030 --> 01:00:07,920 radiative heat transfer and conductive 1360 01:00:12,549 --> 01:00:09,040 heat transfer 1361 01:00:15,990 --> 01:00:12,559 and the mechanics 1362 01:00:19,910 --> 01:00:16,000 of the engineering aspects of 1363 01:00:21,430 --> 01:00:19,920 uh telescopes and optical aspects and ir 1364 01:00:24,870 --> 01:00:21,440 telescopes in particular 1365 01:00:28,789 --> 01:00:26,950 you know eventually draws in a lot of 1366 01:00:30,390 --> 01:00:28,799 stuff so it doesn't seem like you're 1367 01:00:31,270 --> 01:00:30,400 going completely out of field because 1368 01:00:33,190 --> 01:00:31,280 when you mention 1369 01:00:34,549 --> 01:00:33,200 telescopes and conductive heat it sounds 1370 01:00:36,069 --> 01:00:34,559 like that's building on some of your 1371 01:00:38,150 --> 01:00:36,079 previous knowledge 1372 01:00:39,910 --> 01:00:38,160 is there an example of where you've gone 1373 01:00:43,589 --> 01:00:39,920 completely out of left field i don't 1374 01:00:47,990 --> 01:00:43,599 recall what the saying is um 1375 01:00:49,430 --> 01:00:48,000 well depends what you mean by completely 1376 01:00:51,109 --> 01:00:49,440 okay how about this how about this let's 1377 01:00:52,870 --> 01:00:51,119 take why don't you take me through your 1378 01:00:54,549 --> 01:00:52,880 how you would sort out this problem 1379 01:00:57,430 --> 01:00:54,559 let's say there is the 1380 01:00:58,710 --> 01:00:57,440 issue of when do we go back to 1381 01:01:01,270 --> 01:00:58,720 quote-unquote normal 1382 01:01:02,789 --> 01:01:01,280 from kovid okay so there are quite a few 1383 01:01:04,630 --> 01:01:02,799 variables to think about 1384 01:01:05,829 --> 01:01:04,640 obviously there's politics as well but 1385 01:01:08,230 --> 01:01:05,839 let's say okay 1386 01:01:09,190 --> 01:01:08,240 well what's the infection rate and how 1387 01:01:12,950 --> 01:01:09,200 effective are 1388 01:01:15,750 --> 01:01:12,960 so so how would you go about 1389 01:01:17,190 --> 01:01:15,760 solving the problem obviously we 1390 01:01:18,710 --> 01:01:17,200 mentioned you mentioned it doesn't just 1391 01:01:20,069 --> 01:01:18,720 depend on you but how would you go about 1392 01:01:23,109 --> 01:01:20,079 thinking about it i have 1393 01:01:27,109 --> 01:01:23,119 spent a lot of time working on 1394 01:01:29,270 --> 01:01:27,119 um computer models of infectious disease 1395 01:01:31,910 --> 01:01:29,280 so i'm very familiar with the state of 1396 01:01:34,710 --> 01:01:31,920 the art there in fact my company 1397 01:01:35,430 --> 01:01:34,720 uh created a whole unit of the company 1398 01:01:38,390 --> 01:01:35,440 called the 1399 01:01:39,670 --> 01:01:38,400 institute for disease modeling so in 1400 01:01:43,109 --> 01:01:39,680 that case i know 1401 01:01:46,309 --> 01:01:43,119 all about yet but 1402 01:01:49,349 --> 01:01:46,319 you don't need to have the details 1403 01:01:53,589 --> 01:01:49,359 to get the big picture 1404 01:01:56,710 --> 01:01:53,599 okay so the big picture on kovid 1405 01:02:01,109 --> 01:01:56,720 is very simple that 1406 01:02:03,750 --> 01:02:01,119 right now most people don't have it 1407 01:02:05,349 --> 01:02:03,760 okay which means most people are 1408 01:02:09,670 --> 01:02:05,359 vulnerable 1409 01:02:10,950 --> 01:02:09,680 and by most it's like 80 percent 85 1410 01:02:14,549 --> 01:02:10,960 percent 1411 01:02:20,309 --> 01:02:17,510 well if you have 85 vulnerable you will 1412 01:02:23,750 --> 01:02:20,319 have another wave 1413 01:02:24,950 --> 01:02:23,760 okay unless you're extraordinarily lucky 1414 01:02:27,430 --> 01:02:24,960 and you're able to 1415 01:02:28,390 --> 01:02:27,440 plug every gap and do every other thing 1416 01:02:32,789 --> 01:02:28,400 but 1417 01:02:34,470 --> 01:02:32,799 that's that's an extraordinarily special 1418 01:02:37,670 --> 01:02:34,480 state of affairs 1419 01:02:38,069 --> 01:02:37,680 now the problem with diseases is they 1420 01:02:42,150 --> 01:02:38,079 grow 1421 01:02:44,470 --> 01:02:42,160 exponentially you know 1422 01:02:46,150 --> 01:02:44,480 if you get sick you can infect some 1423 01:02:48,950 --> 01:02:46,160 number of people 1424 01:02:49,670 --> 01:02:48,960 there's practical limits on how many you 1425 01:02:53,750 --> 01:02:49,680 can in 1426 01:02:56,309 --> 01:02:53,760 fact but no conceptual limit 1427 01:02:58,150 --> 01:02:56,319 well each of those can go out and do a 1428 01:02:58,950 --> 01:02:58,160 whole bunch of people and each of those 1429 01:03:03,190 --> 01:02:58,960 can do 1430 01:03:06,390 --> 01:03:03,200 and so it grows exponentially and 1431 01:03:08,230 --> 01:03:06,400 to get rid of a disease you have to make 1432 01:03:11,029 --> 01:03:08,240 sure that its 1433 01:03:13,270 --> 01:03:11,039 growth factor is negative so it dies 1434 01:03:17,029 --> 01:03:13,280 exponentially 1435 01:03:20,950 --> 01:03:17,039 but there's a tremendous 1436 01:03:22,549 --> 01:03:20,960 amount of evidence that most countries 1437 01:03:25,990 --> 01:03:22,559 in the world 1438 01:03:30,069 --> 01:03:26,000 are unable to have 1439 01:03:33,430 --> 01:03:30,079 a locks down enough society 1440 01:03:38,150 --> 01:03:36,470 so it was 1441 01:03:42,390 --> 01:03:38,160 it's a little annoying to me when you 1442 01:03:48,150 --> 01:03:44,309 do a very normal human thing which is to 1443 01:03:51,670 --> 01:03:48,160 criticize folks that did it poorly 1444 01:03:55,750 --> 01:03:51,680 but in fact it's extremely hard 1445 01:03:57,750 --> 01:03:55,760 to do your reopening right 1446 01:04:00,390 --> 01:03:57,760 this oh my god we're shocked there's a 1447 01:04:02,309 --> 01:04:00,400 second wave 1448 01:04:04,150 --> 01:04:02,319 hello of course there was going to be a 1449 01:04:05,510 --> 01:04:04,160 second wave oh my god there's a new 1450 01:04:09,349 --> 01:04:05,520 strain 1451 01:04:12,950 --> 01:04:09,359 well you're lucky it took this long 1452 01:04:16,309 --> 01:04:12,960 viruses particularly rna viruses 1453 01:04:18,309 --> 01:04:16,319 are messy replicators they mutate like 1454 01:04:21,589 --> 01:04:18,319 crazy 1455 01:04:24,950 --> 01:04:21,599 so we have been lucky that covet 1456 01:04:29,670 --> 01:04:24,960 hasn't mutated more than it does 1457 01:04:33,430 --> 01:04:29,680 right right right and okay china 1458 01:04:35,670 --> 01:04:33,440 maybe south korea you can say there's 1459 01:04:37,990 --> 01:04:35,680 a couple people that you know did it 1460 01:04:41,510 --> 01:04:38,000 right 1461 01:04:44,150 --> 01:04:41,520 most other places a lot of other places 1462 01:04:47,589 --> 01:04:44,160 for a while thought oh we did it right 1463 01:04:50,630 --> 01:04:47,599 look at us we have low rates 1464 01:04:51,430 --> 01:04:50,640 and then they got another wave as they 1465 01:04:54,710 --> 01:04:51,440 were 1466 01:04:57,589 --> 01:04:54,720 going to get the other wave okay um 1467 01:04:59,829 --> 01:04:57,599 that's the other thing that is hard for 1468 01:05:00,150 --> 01:04:59,839 people to accept about something that's 1469 01:05:03,270 --> 01:05:00,160 so 1470 01:05:06,870 --> 01:05:03,280 important is that luck makes 1471 01:05:12,870 --> 01:05:10,549 okay so we know about a variety of super 1472 01:05:16,549 --> 01:05:12,880 spreader events 1473 01:05:18,950 --> 01:05:16,559 um early in the epidemic there was some 1474 01:05:20,150 --> 01:05:18,960 birthday party in connecticut i think 1475 01:05:23,349 --> 01:05:20,160 that 1476 01:05:24,710 --> 01:05:23,359 30 or 40 people got infected and went 1477 01:05:26,710 --> 01:05:24,720 all over the place even in different 1478 01:05:31,750 --> 01:05:26,720 countries 1479 01:05:37,510 --> 01:05:35,829 that specific thing is bad luck 1480 01:05:39,109 --> 01:05:37,520 you couldn't have predicted up front 1481 01:05:42,630 --> 01:05:39,119 this will happen in 1482 01:05:44,309 --> 01:05:42,640 connecticut um 1483 01:05:46,230 --> 01:05:44,319 you could predict that it'll happen 1484 01:05:49,270 --> 01:05:46,240 somewhere 1485 01:05:51,190 --> 01:05:49,280 and there were places who for a variety 1486 01:05:54,309 --> 01:05:51,200 of reasons 1487 01:05:57,910 --> 01:05:56,630 and yet they pat themselves in their 1488 01:06:00,710 --> 01:05:57,920 back and they go yeah that's because we 1489 01:06:03,430 --> 01:06:00,720 were so damn smart 1490 01:06:04,710 --> 01:06:03,440 and there were places that were unlucky 1491 01:06:07,670 --> 01:06:04,720 now they were unlucky 1492 01:06:08,950 --> 01:06:07,680 and they weren't doing a perfect job but 1493 01:06:11,990 --> 01:06:08,960 if you look back and say how many 1494 01:06:15,029 --> 01:06:12,000 countries did a perfect job of this 1495 01:06:17,990 --> 01:06:15,039 um we can't really tell 1496 01:06:21,109 --> 01:06:18,000 until it's in retrospect but china has 1497 01:06:25,029 --> 01:06:21,119 done a very good job of containment 1498 01:06:26,549 --> 01:06:25,039 saying arguably south korea has 1499 01:06:28,390 --> 01:06:26,559 and i'm sure you could come up with a 1500 01:06:32,309 --> 01:06:28,400 few other also rams and 1501 01:06:35,990 --> 01:06:32,319 and others um 1502 01:06:40,150 --> 01:06:37,910 you know italy was an interesting 1503 01:06:42,470 --> 01:06:40,160 example italy 1504 01:06:43,190 --> 01:06:42,480 the worst part of the first wave of the 1505 01:06:46,789 --> 01:06:43,200 epidemic 1506 01:06:49,029 --> 01:06:46,799 was all in the north of italy 1507 01:06:52,150 --> 01:06:49,039 which is not what most people would 1508 01:06:56,150 --> 01:06:54,309 because the health care system it's 1509 01:06:58,150 --> 01:06:56,160 widely believed 1510 01:06:59,589 --> 01:06:58,160 in italy and elsewhere that the health 1511 01:07:02,630 --> 01:06:59,599 care system 1512 01:07:06,390 --> 01:07:02,640 in the south is not as good 1513 01:07:09,109 --> 01:07:06,400 and that's a quantifiable thing it's 1514 01:07:10,549 --> 01:07:09,119 number of hospital beds and so on and so 1515 01:07:14,789 --> 01:07:10,559 forth 1516 01:07:17,270 --> 01:07:14,799 um so oddly 1517 01:07:18,789 --> 01:07:17,280 italy got sickest where their healthcare 1518 01:07:20,710 --> 01:07:18,799 was the strongest 1519 01:07:22,630 --> 01:07:20,720 now in a way that's really good because 1520 01:07:24,230 --> 01:07:22,640 at least they had some hope 1521 01:07:26,829 --> 01:07:24,240 and you're saying that's based on luck 1522 01:07:30,230 --> 01:07:26,839 in that example 1523 01:07:33,910 --> 01:07:30,240 well it's it's probably based 1524 01:07:37,190 --> 01:07:33,920 on the other thing the north is good 1525 01:07:40,549 --> 01:07:37,200 is known for which is the north of italy 1526 01:07:41,109 --> 01:07:40,559 is the industrial part of italy and they 1527 01:07:44,789 --> 01:07:41,119 have 1528 01:07:48,309 --> 01:07:44,799 the largest exports 1529 01:07:54,150 --> 01:07:48,319 and it's very likely that it was 1530 01:07:57,109 --> 01:07:54,160 people um in china on business 1531 01:07:58,549 --> 01:07:57,119 that brought it back to the rokkovic 1532 01:08:02,069 --> 01:07:58,559 back to 1533 01:08:05,829 --> 01:08:02,079 uh to the north of italy and 1534 01:08:09,190 --> 01:08:05,839 then from italy to new york because the 1535 01:08:10,150 --> 01:08:09,200 current um understanding is that the new 1536 01:08:13,750 --> 01:08:10,160 york epidemic 1537 01:08:17,910 --> 01:08:13,760 really was gotten from western europe 1538 01:08:20,390 --> 01:08:17,920 and italy in particular um 1539 01:08:25,349 --> 01:08:20,400 unlike in seattle where it was directly 1540 01:08:28,309 --> 01:08:25,359 uh directly people from china 1541 01:08:29,269 --> 01:08:28,319 so you know it i wouldn't you might not 1542 01:08:32,470 --> 01:08:29,279 say it was 1543 01:08:34,950 --> 01:08:32,480 luck pure luck because there might be a 1544 01:08:36,950 --> 01:08:34,960 factor like oh if you have 1545 01:08:39,349 --> 01:08:36,960 lots of industry in that industry 1546 01:08:41,669 --> 01:08:39,359 manufactures things in china 1547 01:08:43,510 --> 01:08:41,679 you're going to have a lot of engineers 1548 01:08:45,669 --> 01:08:43,520 and product managers and other people 1549 01:08:48,870 --> 01:08:45,679 going back and forth 1550 01:08:49,829 --> 01:08:48,880 so maybe calling that luck is too strong 1551 01:08:52,309 --> 01:08:49,839 a word 1552 01:08:53,269 --> 01:08:52,319 but it's not got anything to do with 1553 01:08:55,749 --> 01:08:53,279 your 1554 01:08:57,269 --> 01:08:55,759 medical system it's not got anything to 1555 01:08:59,910 --> 01:08:57,279 do with your hygiene it's 1556 01:09:02,309 --> 01:08:59,920 nothing to do with with that what about 1557 01:09:08,709 --> 01:09:02,319 government 1558 01:09:11,910 --> 01:09:08,719 you can find lots of instances where 1559 01:09:15,110 --> 01:09:11,920 the governments have done a 1560 01:09:16,870 --> 01:09:15,120 better job or a worse job 1561 01:09:21,430 --> 01:09:16,880 nathan you're in charge of the us right 1562 01:09:23,189 --> 01:09:21,440 now okay it's not guidance 1563 01:09:24,709 --> 01:09:23,199 you're in charge and my country canada 1564 01:09:28,149 --> 01:09:24,719 so what do you advise 1565 01:09:31,829 --> 01:09:28,159 canada and the us to do 1566 01:09:35,030 --> 01:09:31,839 well i really want to take more snow 1567 01:09:37,110 --> 01:09:35,040 off like pictures and i can't go to here 1568 01:09:40,149 --> 01:09:37,120 i doubt i'll be allowed to go this 1569 01:09:43,189 --> 01:09:40,159 winter so that pisses me off 1570 01:09:46,470 --> 01:09:43,199 but uh well the 1571 01:09:48,789 --> 01:09:46,480 only way all of the 1572 01:09:51,910 --> 01:09:48,799 kinds of shutdowns and things we've done 1573 01:09:51,920 --> 01:09:57,110 have mostly been uh 1574 01:10:01,189 --> 01:09:59,189 it was a fascinating question that would 1575 01:10:03,669 --> 01:10:01,199 require lots of detail analysis to say 1576 01:10:05,270 --> 01:10:03,679 was it worth it 1577 01:10:07,270 --> 01:10:05,280 there certainly is a point of view that 1578 01:10:10,550 --> 01:10:07,280 says 1579 01:10:14,830 --> 01:10:10,560 if you could have walked the talk 1580 01:10:16,870 --> 01:10:14,840 and really buckled down like the chinese 1581 01:10:20,070 --> 01:10:16,880 did great 1582 01:10:21,990 --> 01:10:20,080 but if you can't do that doing a 1583 01:10:25,510 --> 01:10:22,000 half-assed job is probably 1584 01:10:28,630 --> 01:10:25,520 worse than doing nothing interesting or 1585 01:10:29,030 --> 01:10:28,640 it it gives you a double dose of bad 1586 01:10:30,470 --> 01:10:29,040 things 1587 01:10:32,709 --> 01:10:30,480 wait why is it worse because of its 1588 01:10:34,229 --> 01:10:32,719 effect on the economy huge effect on the 1589 01:10:38,870 --> 01:10:34,239 economy 1590 01:10:41,189 --> 01:10:38,880 affects health outcomes in people's 1591 01:10:45,350 --> 01:10:41,199 lives 1592 01:10:48,550 --> 01:10:45,360 so you can't really separate the two 1593 01:10:50,310 --> 01:10:48,560 super cleanly you can it 1594 01:10:51,990 --> 01:10:50,320 you know because i hear some people say 1595 01:10:53,270 --> 01:10:52,000 yeah you're prioritizing the economy 1596 01:10:54,550 --> 01:10:53,280 over people's lives but what you're 1597 01:10:56,149 --> 01:10:54,560 saying is that they're inextricably 1598 01:10:59,510 --> 01:10:56,159 linked 1599 01:11:02,709 --> 01:10:59,520 many parts of the world they are 1600 01:11:05,110 --> 01:11:02,719 uh and it 1601 01:11:06,149 --> 01:11:05,120 it's a it's an interesting question that 1602 01:11:08,149 --> 01:11:06,159 we'll have to ask 1603 01:11:09,830 --> 01:11:08,159 answer after the fact would we have been 1604 01:11:15,110 --> 01:11:09,840 better off 1605 01:11:21,430 --> 01:11:18,149 but really meaning it 1606 01:11:24,470 --> 01:11:21,440 like okay you are arrested or 1607 01:11:25,669 --> 01:11:24,480 i don't want to say shot on site but you 1608 01:11:29,270 --> 01:11:25,679 don't want to say it 1609 01:11:32,550 --> 01:11:29,280 tased on sight if you don't ask 1610 01:11:33,669 --> 01:11:32,560 but don't go through a whole bunch of 1611 01:11:36,390 --> 01:11:33,679 the other 1612 01:11:39,750 --> 01:11:36,400 silly things and you know here in 1613 01:11:46,709 --> 01:11:43,430 we had a i think a very well-meaning 1614 01:11:48,550 --> 01:11:46,719 government but you have the problem that 1615 01:11:49,669 --> 01:11:48,560 policymakers don't really know what to 1616 01:11:50,709 --> 01:11:49,679 do 1617 01:11:53,630 --> 01:11:50,719 because they haven't been in this 1618 01:11:59,030 --> 01:11:53,640 situation before 1619 01:12:06,070 --> 01:12:03,110 have not always given great advice or 1620 01:12:08,390 --> 01:12:06,080 they have allowed themselves to be 1621 01:12:11,030 --> 01:12:08,400 talked down 1622 01:12:11,990 --> 01:12:11,040 in weird ways so for example when the 1623 01:12:13,750 --> 01:12:12,000 thing first came out 1624 01:12:15,830 --> 01:12:13,760 oh we're going to ban all meetings of 1625 01:12:18,390 --> 01:12:15,840 more than 100 people 1626 01:12:20,950 --> 01:12:18,400 oh wait wait did i say 100 i meant 10. 1627 01:12:24,709 --> 01:12:20,960 oh did i say 10 i meant 1628 01:12:28,709 --> 01:12:24,719 [\h__\h] about somebody 1629 01:12:30,790 --> 01:12:28,719 with lots of well-meaning intentions 1630 01:12:32,310 --> 01:12:30,800 saying oh wait do we really have to 1631 01:12:35,270 --> 01:12:32,320 scrap 1632 01:12:36,189 --> 01:12:35,280 you know groups of 10 people and the 1633 01:12:39,750 --> 01:12:36,199 answer 1634 01:12:43,030 --> 01:12:39,760 epidemiologically was always two 1635 01:12:46,709 --> 01:12:43,040 don't allow two if everyone's alone 1636 01:12:48,550 --> 01:12:46,719 they can't transmit and then okay people 1637 01:12:49,990 --> 01:12:48,560 are gonna live with their families and 1638 01:12:52,950 --> 01:12:50,000 we're not to fix that 1639 01:12:54,310 --> 01:12:52,960 so don't expand it that was the right 1640 01:12:57,830 --> 01:12:54,320 answer 1641 01:12:59,750 --> 01:12:57,840 but you go through this thing of 1642 01:13:01,270 --> 01:12:59,760 saying something and changing it and 1643 01:13:03,669 --> 01:13:01,280 changing it and each one of those things 1644 01:13:05,430 --> 01:13:03,679 was a damn lie 1645 01:13:07,910 --> 01:13:05,440 the you go through another thing where 1646 01:13:09,189 --> 01:13:07,920 people and they're lying because 1647 01:13:11,030 --> 01:13:09,199 they don't feel like people will listen 1648 01:13:11,350 --> 01:13:11,040 if you say keep your social circle to 1649 01:13:13,189 --> 01:13:11,360 two 1650 01:13:14,630 --> 01:13:13,199 or because of some other reason i think 1651 01:13:21,510 --> 01:13:14,640 it sounded too 1652 01:13:25,430 --> 01:13:22,630 there's a lot of people say oh you're 1653 01:13:27,430 --> 01:13:25,440 overreacting you're overreacting you're 1654 01:13:29,189 --> 01:13:27,440 overreacting 1655 01:13:30,870 --> 01:13:29,199 also i heard in the beginning that who 1656 01:13:33,189 --> 01:13:30,880 said that masks were counter effective 1657 01:13:36,310 --> 01:13:33,199 well so 1658 01:13:42,390 --> 01:13:36,320 yes this was a great example 1659 01:13:46,390 --> 01:13:42,400 of well-meaning people 1660 01:13:50,709 --> 01:13:46,400 saying [\h__\h] that was wrong 1661 01:13:52,229 --> 01:13:50,719 and you could eat in some cases 1662 01:13:54,229 --> 01:13:52,239 they couldn't help saying things are 1663 01:13:57,510 --> 01:13:54,239 wrong because we didn't know 1664 01:13:59,350 --> 01:13:57,520 but in in that case the mask thing was 1665 01:14:01,030 --> 01:13:59,360 horrifically stupid they had people 1666 01:14:02,950 --> 01:14:01,040 saying 1667 01:14:04,870 --> 01:14:02,960 literally oh it doesn't matter because 1668 01:14:05,830 --> 01:14:04,880 viruses are so tiny they'll go through 1669 01:14:10,870 --> 01:14:05,840 any 1670 01:14:12,950 --> 01:14:10,880 hole but you're not spewing pure viruses 1671 01:14:13,990 --> 01:14:12,960 so who the [\h__\h] thought that was a good 1672 01:14:17,510 --> 01:14:14,000 thing you're 1673 01:14:19,669 --> 01:14:17,520 spitting okay and 1674 01:14:21,030 --> 01:14:19,679 if you have if you wear one of those 1675 01:14:24,310 --> 01:14:21,040 face masks 1676 01:14:26,630 --> 01:14:24,320 plastic face mask wear one even just 1677 01:14:28,630 --> 01:14:26,640 around the house for a little bit 1678 01:14:30,149 --> 01:14:28,640 and see how filthy it gets near your 1679 01:14:32,630 --> 01:14:30,159 mouth it's gross 1680 01:14:33,590 --> 01:14:32,640 but you're spitting all the time that's 1681 01:14:37,030 --> 01:14:33,600 how we 1682 01:14:37,990 --> 01:14:37,040 speak i see i see then there was a whole 1683 01:14:41,189 --> 01:14:38,000 set of other 1684 01:14:43,270 --> 01:14:41,199 weird political in uh there's a point 1685 01:14:47,110 --> 01:14:43,280 where 1686 01:14:49,030 --> 01:14:47,120 uh in washington state it was okay 1687 01:14:51,350 --> 01:14:49,040 to go golfing but you couldn't go 1688 01:14:53,910 --> 01:14:51,360 fishing 1689 01:14:54,790 --> 01:14:53,920 well that was some political [\h__\h] 1690 01:14:58,310 --> 01:14:54,800 i'm sorry 1691 01:15:01,350 --> 01:14:58,320 there was no science that says 1692 01:15:05,030 --> 01:15:01,360 oh there's this then you also have 1693 01:15:08,830 --> 01:15:05,040 the scientists i have to say are also at 1694 01:15:08,840 --> 01:15:12,470 because 1695 01:15:19,110 --> 01:15:15,590 there wasn't enough thinking about okay 1696 01:15:22,550 --> 01:15:19,120 is something worth doing at the level 1697 01:15:27,350 --> 01:15:22,560 we could actually do it 1698 01:15:30,229 --> 01:15:27,360 right so if we it's clearly the case 1699 01:15:30,630 --> 01:15:30,239 that if the us and canada could have 1700 01:15:34,149 --> 01:15:30,640 done 1701 01:15:38,870 --> 01:15:34,159 what china did it would be way better 1702 01:15:42,630 --> 01:15:38,880 for both the uh economy 1703 01:15:45,830 --> 01:15:42,640 and for the number of people killed 1704 01:15:51,590 --> 01:15:45,840 okay the the us has vastly more people 1705 01:15:59,350 --> 01:15:55,669 but the fact is we couldn't do that 1706 01:16:01,750 --> 01:15:59,360 and given that you can't do it 1707 01:16:05,910 --> 01:16:01,760 and even you could argue well we didn't 1708 01:16:07,669 --> 01:16:05,920 know how incompetent we were up front 1709 01:16:09,189 --> 01:16:07,679 maybe 1710 01:16:10,950 --> 01:16:09,199 but i mean you say we didn't have enough 1711 01:16:12,229 --> 01:16:10,960 data about the virus or the people 1712 01:16:14,390 --> 01:16:12,239 involved in policymaking were 1713 01:16:16,950 --> 01:16:14,400 incompetent 1714 01:16:19,669 --> 01:16:16,960 well no but look you're never going to 1715 01:16:22,790 --> 01:16:19,679 get 100 compliance in anything 1716 01:16:24,390 --> 01:16:22,800 right like we all have laws about 1717 01:16:26,390 --> 01:16:24,400 speeding 1718 01:16:27,510 --> 01:16:26,400 yet virtually everyone who's ever driven 1719 01:16:29,430 --> 01:16:27,520 a car 1720 01:16:30,870 --> 01:16:29,440 has broken one of those laws at some 1721 01:16:34,229 --> 01:16:30,880 point in time it's 1722 01:16:37,910 --> 01:16:34,239 almost none of us get caught right 1723 01:16:38,390 --> 01:16:37,920 and we tr we use those laws to try to 1724 01:16:42,630 --> 01:16:38,400 get 1725 01:16:50,550 --> 01:16:45,910 but if we had something that depended 1726 01:16:53,110 --> 01:16:50,560 critically on us following traffic laws 1727 01:16:54,070 --> 01:16:53,120 we would be [\h__\h] right because we 1728 01:16:59,110 --> 01:16:54,080 cannot 1729 01:17:03,030 --> 01:16:59,120 bring ourselves to obey traffic laws 1730 01:17:04,950 --> 01:17:03,040 it's just a damn fact i you can 1731 01:17:07,110 --> 01:17:04,960 maybe someone could come up with some 1732 01:17:09,350 --> 01:17:07,120 way to make that occur but we 1733 01:17:10,870 --> 01:17:09,360 so china was able to go do it south 1734 01:17:11,590 --> 01:17:10,880 korea seems to be able to do it and 1735 01:17:15,510 --> 01:17:11,600 they're 1736 01:17:17,910 --> 01:17:15,520 a much more free society than china 1737 01:17:19,510 --> 01:17:17,920 um they still have a right sorry to 1738 01:17:21,430 --> 01:17:19,520 interrupt was china able to quote 1739 01:17:23,270 --> 01:17:21,440 unquote do it because they have a larger 1740 01:17:25,030 --> 01:17:23,280 enforcement mechanism such as they will 1741 01:17:25,910 --> 01:17:25,040 shoot you or they will tase you in your 1742 01:17:29,030 --> 01:17:25,920 previous example 1743 01:17:32,310 --> 01:17:29,040 or is it something else well 1744 01:17:37,189 --> 01:17:32,320 or the obedience of the population well 1745 01:17:45,189 --> 01:17:41,510 the the way we have a law-abiding 1746 01:17:48,070 --> 01:17:45,199 society is through a combination 1747 01:17:49,669 --> 01:17:48,080 of catching the people who break the 1748 01:17:52,870 --> 01:17:49,679 laws 1749 01:17:56,830 --> 01:17:52,880 but mostly providing an incentive to 1750 01:17:56,840 --> 01:18:01,590 right so uh 1751 01:18:05,669 --> 01:18:04,390 who is it because the chinese were 1752 01:18:09,030 --> 01:18:05,679 conditioned 1753 01:18:10,550 --> 01:18:09,040 to do what they're told or because the 1754 01:18:11,750 --> 01:18:10,560 threat there was threat of punishment 1755 01:18:13,910 --> 01:18:11,760 but wasn't that thriller 1756 01:18:15,350 --> 01:18:13,920 i mean i don't know you didn't separate 1757 01:18:19,990 --> 01:18:15,360 those two things 1758 01:18:24,149 --> 01:18:22,630 i can't totally remember the name of the 1759 01:18:26,310 --> 01:18:24,159 movie but it was a 1760 01:18:28,709 --> 01:18:26,320 sort of a comedic western movie where 1761 01:18:31,750 --> 01:18:28,719 this guy is given the 1762 01:18:33,669 --> 01:18:31,760 um is made sheriff he's given the star 1763 01:18:34,709 --> 01:18:33,679 of the former sheriff that is this big 1764 01:18:37,830 --> 01:18:34,719 dent unit 1765 01:18:39,189 --> 01:18:37,840 due to a bullet and the guy says well at 1766 01:18:46,950 --> 01:18:39,199 least this 1767 01:18:49,430 --> 01:18:46,960 was badge saved my predecessor 1768 01:18:50,709 --> 01:18:49,440 and guy giving it to him says well it 1769 01:18:52,950 --> 01:18:50,719 would have if it wasn't for all the 1770 01:18:56,470 --> 01:18:52,960 other bullets 1771 01:19:00,149 --> 01:18:56,480 right i mean it if you 1772 01:19:03,270 --> 01:19:00,159 if you sent the police out or you sent 1773 01:19:05,910 --> 01:19:03,280 the soldiers out with 1774 01:19:09,510 --> 01:19:05,920 something the size of my cell phone that 1775 01:19:12,550 --> 01:19:09,520 was completely bulletproof 1776 01:19:13,350 --> 01:19:12,560 it wouldn't be worth doing even if it 1777 01:19:16,149 --> 01:19:13,360 was perfect 1778 01:19:16,709 --> 01:19:16,159 where it was yeah there's too many other 1779 01:19:20,390 --> 01:19:16,719 holes 1780 01:19:23,510 --> 01:19:20,400 in the armor it's pointless 1781 01:19:26,790 --> 01:19:23,520 it's not worth anything it's true and 1782 01:19:30,790 --> 01:19:26,800 i i think that that is what 1783 01:19:34,470 --> 01:19:30,800 occurred in the covet response 1784 01:19:37,510 --> 01:19:34,480 of most of the countries in the world 1785 01:19:42,229 --> 01:19:37,520 they either enacted half 1786 01:19:45,669 --> 01:19:42,239 steps that could never could have worked 1787 01:19:46,470 --> 01:19:45,679 or they enacted ones that should have 1788 01:19:48,630 --> 01:19:46,480 worked 1789 01:19:49,990 --> 01:19:48,640 but they couldn't walk the talk they 1790 01:19:53,350 --> 01:19:50,000 couldn't actually 1791 01:19:55,430 --> 01:19:53,360 have enough compliance or 1792 01:19:57,110 --> 01:19:55,440 they waited until it was too late to do 1793 01:19:58,790 --> 01:19:57,120 that and exactly 1794 01:20:01,110 --> 01:19:58,800 and you probably come up with five other 1795 01:20:04,550 --> 01:20:01,120 reasons so i don't claim i know 1796 01:20:09,189 --> 01:20:04,560 all of the exact mistakes yeah 1797 01:20:09,990 --> 01:20:09,199 but it's when you have an exponentially 1798 01:20:13,030 --> 01:20:10,000 growing 1799 01:20:16,790 --> 01:20:13,040 thing it requires a 1800 01:20:20,709 --> 01:20:16,800 fanatical approach to try 1801 01:20:23,430 --> 01:20:20,719 to eliminate the disease 1802 01:20:25,189 --> 01:20:23,440 and we know that that's true from cases 1803 01:20:28,550 --> 01:20:25,199 where they eliminated 1804 01:20:29,750 --> 01:20:28,560 a malaria within a region we've never 1805 01:20:31,830 --> 01:20:29,760 done it for the whole earth 1806 01:20:33,030 --> 01:20:31,840 but we've done it in regions we know 1807 01:20:36,149 --> 01:20:33,040 that that was the case 1808 01:20:39,990 --> 01:20:36,159 with smallpox 1809 01:20:43,350 --> 01:20:40,000 but in smallpox we had a vaccine 1810 01:20:44,229 --> 01:20:43,360 so anyway it was very clear to me early 1811 01:20:46,070 --> 01:20:44,239 on 1812 01:20:48,149 --> 01:20:46,080 that we're just basically [\h__\h] until 1813 01:20:51,430 --> 01:20:48,159 we get a vaccine 1814 01:20:54,470 --> 01:20:51,440 and it is worth going through 1815 01:20:56,390 --> 01:20:54,480 the various things some certainly it's 1816 01:20:58,470 --> 01:20:56,400 worth wearing masks 1817 01:20:59,750 --> 01:20:58,480 i believe that all along the current 1818 01:21:01,510 --> 01:20:59,760 belief is it's true 1819 01:21:03,030 --> 01:21:01,520 but we went through a phase of denying 1820 01:21:05,669 --> 01:21:03,040 that it was good for masks 1821 01:21:10,070 --> 01:21:05,679 or saying oh masks aren't good for you 1822 01:21:13,189 --> 01:21:11,510 now what about that is there any truth 1823 01:21:15,030 --> 01:21:13,199 to that 1824 01:21:17,350 --> 01:21:15,040 that's not what the latest research 1825 01:21:21,110 --> 01:21:17,360 shows 1826 01:21:24,229 --> 01:21:21,120 because fundamentally why do i never 1827 01:21:25,910 --> 01:21:24,239 sorry your spit and you don't want to 1828 01:21:30,070 --> 01:21:25,920 breathe my spit 1829 01:21:33,590 --> 01:21:30,080 yep and the whole point of these masks 1830 01:21:36,870 --> 01:21:33,600 is to reduce the amount of spit transfer 1831 01:21:41,430 --> 01:21:36,880 now it's not cutting it to zero 1832 01:21:44,950 --> 01:21:41,440 but we're reducing it and statistically 1833 01:21:47,990 --> 01:21:44,960 that means that there are people who 1834 01:21:50,870 --> 01:21:48,000 if in fact you were you know 1835 01:21:53,510 --> 01:21:50,880 locked in an elevator with someone for 1836 01:21:56,470 --> 01:21:53,520 48 hours 1837 01:21:58,390 --> 01:21:56,480 you know unless you had scuba tanks with 1838 01:22:00,229 --> 01:21:58,400 separate air systems 1839 01:22:02,550 --> 01:22:00,239 i don't know how you're going to avoid 1840 01:22:06,070 --> 01:22:02,560 some contagion 1841 01:22:08,310 --> 01:22:06,080 but for a lot of things 1842 01:22:10,470 --> 01:22:08,320 the mass would have worked but it also 1843 01:22:11,910 --> 01:22:10,480 undermined mask making you have people 1844 01:22:14,950 --> 01:22:11,920 think 1845 01:22:17,669 --> 01:22:14,960 it'd be much better from a compliance 1846 01:22:21,189 --> 01:22:17,679 perspective to tell people 1847 01:22:24,390 --> 01:22:21,199 oh this is all for you buddy 1848 01:22:27,590 --> 01:22:24,400 do it for yourself if your friends 1849 01:22:28,550 --> 01:22:27,600 don't want to do it fine you can cry at 1850 01:22:31,170 --> 01:22:28,560 their funeral 1851 01:22:33,189 --> 01:22:31,180 present the other way around 1852 01:22:36,629 --> 01:22:33,199 [Music] 1853 01:22:41,830 --> 01:22:36,639 so anyway uh i think that 1854 01:22:45,270 --> 01:22:41,840 the vaccine is the only thing that 1855 01:22:48,229 --> 01:22:45,280 given our general lack 1856 01:22:50,149 --> 01:22:48,239 of ability to control it with lockdowns 1857 01:22:53,669 --> 01:22:50,159 and 1858 01:22:57,430 --> 01:22:53,679 we've tried in canada 1859 01:22:59,110 --> 01:22:57,440 and the us and all of europe and 1860 01:23:02,390 --> 01:22:59,120 essentially every other country except 1861 01:23:05,510 --> 01:23:02,400 china nobody's gotten 1862 01:23:06,950 --> 01:23:05,520 and south korea south korea nobody has 1863 01:23:09,270 --> 01:23:06,960 gotten a line on this so 1864 01:23:10,709 --> 01:23:09,280 obviously it's the vaccine that's our 1865 01:23:12,310 --> 01:23:10,719 next hope 1866 01:23:14,229 --> 01:23:12,320 you mentioned south korea but they don't 1867 01:23:15,189 --> 01:23:14,239 have the same authoritarian government 1868 01:23:19,110 --> 01:23:15,199 as china so 1869 01:23:19,120 --> 01:23:23,669 well um 1870 01:23:30,070 --> 01:23:26,950 i don't know uh 1871 01:23:31,189 --> 01:23:30,080 i i have friends who are korean or of 1872 01:23:35,430 --> 01:23:31,199 korean 1873 01:23:38,550 --> 01:23:35,440 background who would say oh actually 1874 01:23:42,790 --> 01:23:38,560 it may not be as authoritarian 1875 01:23:46,070 --> 01:23:42,800 but koreans have a very strong 1876 01:23:48,470 --> 01:23:46,080 sense of community and being gung-ho 1877 01:23:50,550 --> 01:23:48,480 interesting and cultural difference and 1878 01:23:53,750 --> 01:23:50,560 that there was a cultural difference 1879 01:23:57,430 --> 01:23:53,760 that they were more likely to follow 1880 01:24:00,470 --> 01:23:57,440 the rules now they also tested up the 1881 01:24:07,590 --> 01:24:03,750 we didn't do [\h__\h] for testing here yeah 1882 01:24:11,270 --> 01:24:07,600 and still barely don't 1883 01:24:13,270 --> 01:24:11,280 well how the hell are you going to stop 1884 01:24:15,350 --> 01:24:13,280 this exponential spread thing 1885 01:24:19,910 --> 01:24:15,360 if you can't identify who the hell has 1886 01:24:23,910 --> 01:24:22,310 anyway so this stage our only hope is 1887 01:24:27,830 --> 01:24:23,920 the vaccine 1888 01:24:30,470 --> 01:24:27,840 and we have to get it rolled out to 1889 01:24:31,750 --> 01:24:30,480 essentially everybody as soon as 1890 01:24:34,870 --> 01:24:31,760 possible now 1891 01:24:38,149 --> 01:24:34,880 there's a word that's been bandied 1892 01:24:41,350 --> 01:24:38,159 about called herd immunity 1893 01:24:44,470 --> 01:24:41,360 and herd immunity is a real feature of a 1894 01:24:47,910 --> 01:24:44,480 mathematical model of a disease 1895 01:24:51,590 --> 01:24:47,920 which basically states 1896 01:24:56,550 --> 01:24:51,600 if enough people get it 1897 01:25:02,629 --> 01:24:59,830 then it's hard for the disease to spread 1898 01:25:04,470 --> 01:25:02,639 because if you have it but almost 1899 01:25:08,149 --> 01:25:04,480 everyone you run into 1900 01:25:11,669 --> 01:25:08,159 is immune then 1901 01:25:11,990 --> 01:25:11,679 you will resolve as doctors say that 1902 01:25:15,270 --> 01:25:12,000 means 1903 01:25:16,470 --> 01:25:15,280 either get better or die you will 1904 01:25:19,189 --> 01:25:16,480 resolve 1905 01:25:21,270 --> 01:25:19,199 and or at least stop being stop 1906 01:25:25,510 --> 01:25:21,280 transmitting 1907 01:25:27,270 --> 01:25:25,520 before you reach a vulnerable person 1908 01:25:28,790 --> 01:25:27,280 it's one of the ways to think about an 1909 01:25:30,629 --> 01:25:28,800 infectious disease 1910 01:25:32,310 --> 01:25:30,639 so you mean to say in hurt immunity that 1911 01:25:33,910 --> 01:25:32,320 if enough healthy people get it so that 1912 01:25:34,550 --> 01:25:33,920 they survive and then they become immune 1913 01:25:38,390 --> 01:25:34,560 to it 1914 01:25:40,790 --> 01:25:38,400 well you need to have immune people 1915 01:25:42,310 --> 01:25:40,800 okay now the through vaccination right 1916 01:25:46,310 --> 01:25:42,320 here of getting effect 1917 01:25:50,070 --> 01:25:46,320 of this well there's two ways there's 1918 01:25:52,870 --> 01:25:50,080 recovered people because for almost 1919 01:25:53,350 --> 01:25:52,880 every disease in the world infectious 1920 01:25:56,229 --> 01:25:53,360 disease 1921 01:25:57,830 --> 01:25:56,239 i should say you get some amount of 1922 01:26:02,229 --> 01:25:57,840 immunity 1923 01:26:05,430 --> 01:26:02,239 after you've had it um 1924 01:26:09,910 --> 01:26:05,440 malaria has the least immunity 1925 01:26:13,430 --> 01:26:11,910 or you don't get it as strongly or 1926 01:26:17,110 --> 01:26:13,440 there's a variety of other 1927 01:26:19,990 --> 01:26:17,120 things so basically 1928 01:26:21,030 --> 01:26:20,000 once you have society either recover 1929 01:26:24,870 --> 01:26:21,040 from that 1930 01:26:25,669 --> 01:26:24,880 or get vaccinated then you can stop it 1931 01:26:27,990 --> 01:26:25,679 but people 1932 01:26:29,590 --> 01:26:28,000 started talking about herd immunity when 1933 01:26:32,470 --> 01:26:29,600 five percent of the country 1934 01:26:35,430 --> 01:26:32,480 was infected or two percent was infected 1935 01:26:39,350 --> 01:26:35,440 and that was just absurd 1936 01:26:41,669 --> 01:26:39,360 and it was somebody working really hard 1937 01:26:43,430 --> 01:26:41,679 to try to find hope and say well maybe 1938 01:26:46,950 --> 01:26:43,440 maybe maybe we could 1939 01:26:49,270 --> 01:26:46,960 it's like be serious in 1940 01:26:50,950 --> 01:26:49,280 most any model you don't get to hurt 1941 01:26:54,149 --> 01:26:50,960 immunity until you get 1942 01:26:54,550 --> 01:26:54,159 well over half and usually it's more 1943 01:26:57,750 --> 01:26:54,560 like 1944 01:26:59,990 --> 01:26:57,760 three quarters so in 1945 01:27:01,430 --> 01:27:00,000 the stage when three quarters of the 1946 01:27:06,550 --> 01:27:01,440 population 1947 01:27:09,030 --> 01:27:06,560 have been rendered immune 1948 01:27:09,590 --> 01:27:09,040 then you can start to talk about her 1949 01:27:15,750 --> 01:27:09,600 immunity 1950 01:27:22,390 --> 01:27:19,270 the way you typically model diseases 1951 01:27:24,550 --> 01:27:22,400 is as if every one of us 1952 01:27:25,430 --> 01:27:24,560 might have some random possibility of 1953 01:27:29,910 --> 01:27:25,440 meeting some 1954 01:27:33,510 --> 01:27:29,920 other one of us any fine day 1955 01:27:35,430 --> 01:27:33,520 that's how the world works okay covid 1956 01:27:37,669 --> 01:27:35,440 was devastating 1957 01:27:39,350 --> 01:27:37,679 around the world what it got into 1958 01:27:42,310 --> 01:27:39,360 assisted living centers 1959 01:27:45,430 --> 01:27:42,320 and nursing homes because you're a set 1960 01:27:50,149 --> 01:27:45,440 of people that can't get away 1961 01:27:56,390 --> 01:27:53,030 and you have caregivers that work at 1962 01:28:03,510 --> 01:28:00,310 doctors nurses other caregivers 1963 01:28:07,669 --> 01:28:03,520 so once coveted got 1964 01:28:12,790 --> 01:28:07,679 into an assisted living center 1965 01:28:16,070 --> 01:28:12,800 it was going to explode and and no 1966 01:28:17,990 --> 01:28:16,080 you know if if you had the last people 1967 01:28:21,590 --> 01:28:18,000 on earth to be vaccinated 1968 01:28:23,430 --> 01:28:21,600 we're all in the same nursing home 1969 01:28:25,590 --> 01:28:23,440 there's no herd immunity that's going to 1970 01:28:27,669 --> 01:28:25,600 save them if 1971 01:28:29,590 --> 01:28:27,679 covet lands there they're all going to 1972 01:28:30,550 --> 01:28:29,600 get it or a large fraction we'll get it 1973 01:28:36,070 --> 01:28:30,560 and die and 1974 01:28:48,229 --> 01:28:39,510 the 1975 01:28:52,229 --> 01:28:48,239 to achieve some slowing of infection 1976 01:28:54,229 --> 01:28:52,239 due to inoculation we don't know 1977 01:28:57,350 --> 01:28:54,239 but it depends on the circles that 1978 01:29:01,110 --> 01:28:57,360 people move in 1979 01:29:03,030 --> 01:29:01,120 you know if if in fact 1980 01:29:04,870 --> 01:29:03,040 you had kids that go to a particular 1981 01:29:07,669 --> 01:29:04,880 school 1982 01:29:09,270 --> 01:29:07,679 if covet gets to one of the parents and 1983 01:29:11,110 --> 01:29:09,280 then gets to the kids and then they 1984 01:29:14,149 --> 01:29:11,120 spread the at school 1985 01:29:17,510 --> 01:29:14,159 then you have a much tighter connection 1986 01:29:21,189 --> 01:29:17,520 to the other parents in that school 1987 01:29:22,870 --> 01:29:21,199 than you might have to some other group 1988 01:29:24,470 --> 01:29:22,880 of folks on the other side of town like 1989 01:29:26,229 --> 01:29:24,480 maybe a nursing home 1990 01:29:27,590 --> 01:29:26,239 right okay on the other hand once it 1991 01:29:28,149 --> 01:29:27,600 gets to the nursing home the nursing 1992 01:29:30,950 --> 01:29:28,159 home at 1993 01:29:33,350 --> 01:29:30,960 home has very strong connectivity to 1994 01:29:36,149 --> 01:29:33,360 each other 1995 01:29:37,350 --> 01:29:36,159 so it's a it's a complicated thing now 1996 01:29:39,590 --> 01:29:37,360 um 1997 01:29:41,590 --> 01:29:39,600 israel is doing a great job of giving 1998 01:29:46,709 --> 01:29:41,600 people injections 1999 01:29:49,910 --> 01:29:46,719 um of the people that are in their 2000 01:29:51,510 --> 01:29:49,920 priority groups for the first wave 2001 01:29:54,390 --> 01:29:51,520 in like the first week they've done a 2002 01:29:58,629 --> 01:29:57,510 okay it's a smaller country it doesn't 2003 01:30:01,270 --> 01:29:58,639 have a problem 2004 01:30:04,870 --> 01:30:01,280 that canada and united states both have 2005 01:30:07,750 --> 01:30:04,880 of a huge rural population 2006 01:30:08,470 --> 01:30:07,760 but still our cities aren't doing that 2007 01:30:11,830 --> 01:30:08,480 well 2008 01:30:15,669 --> 01:30:11,840 right and 2009 01:30:21,270 --> 01:30:18,790 we have somehow failed 2010 01:30:24,149 --> 01:30:21,280 we have the weird situation that we 2011 01:30:27,350 --> 01:30:24,159 panic enough to do some things like 2012 01:30:29,189 --> 01:30:27,360 close the borders you know close all 2013 01:30:31,510 --> 01:30:29,199 restaurants close this 2014 01:30:32,470 --> 01:30:31,520 but we don't seem to be panic enough to 2015 01:30:35,189 --> 01:30:32,480 say 2016 01:30:36,790 --> 01:30:35,199 okay this is a [\h__\h] public health 2017 01:30:39,030 --> 01:30:36,800 emergency 2018 01:30:40,229 --> 01:30:39,040 we're calling out the national guard 2019 01:30:43,110 --> 01:30:40,239 we're putting people 2020 01:30:44,390 --> 01:30:43,120 or just put them in every damn walgreens 2021 01:30:47,910 --> 01:30:44,400 and cvs 2022 01:30:49,510 --> 01:30:47,920 or there's a hundred ways you could roll 2023 01:30:52,229 --> 01:30:49,520 out a vaccine 2024 01:30:54,229 --> 01:30:52,239 yeah way more effectively but instead 2025 01:30:56,790 --> 01:30:54,239 it's sort of like oh 2026 01:30:58,390 --> 01:30:56,800 yeah each state will decide and if the 2027 01:30:59,990 --> 01:30:58,400 state does a good job well that's good 2028 01:31:02,070 --> 01:31:00,000 if they do a bad job well those people 2029 01:31:03,350 --> 01:31:02,080 are a little [\h__\h] 2030 01:31:04,870 --> 01:31:03,360 okay i don't want to keep talking about 2031 01:31:05,750 --> 01:31:04,880 covid i wanted to ask you some physics 2032 01:31:07,270 --> 01:31:05,760 questions but 2033 01:31:09,030 --> 01:31:07,280 i don't get to speak to someone who 2034 01:31:10,550 --> 01:31:09,040 studies infectious diseases much 2035 01:31:12,470 --> 01:31:10,560 and i haven't been keeping up with the 2036 01:31:13,830 --> 01:31:12,480 covid news and i hear that some people 2037 01:31:15,830 --> 01:31:13,840 say colvit isn't much 2038 01:31:17,350 --> 01:31:15,840 more dangerous than the flu so first of 2039 01:31:18,550 --> 01:31:17,360 all i want to know what do you say to 2040 01:31:21,270 --> 01:31:18,560 that and then second 2041 01:31:22,550 --> 01:31:21,280 what is the deal with this new strain is 2042 01:31:28,870 --> 01:31:22,560 it more 2043 01:31:35,510 --> 01:31:31,030 well in both cases the world doesn't 2044 01:31:43,590 --> 01:31:40,229 there is we have a very strange 2045 01:31:46,629 --> 01:31:43,600 situation in our lives in general 2046 01:31:50,550 --> 01:31:46,639 where we get used to old risks and we 2047 01:31:57,270 --> 01:31:54,629 so yeah influenza killed 2048 01:31:58,310 --> 01:31:57,280 you know hundreds of millions of people 2049 01:32:05,990 --> 01:31:58,320 in 2050 01:32:09,030 --> 01:32:06,000 every year it's killed a shitload of 2051 01:32:13,590 --> 01:32:11,830 now why are we okay with that well we're 2052 01:32:14,709 --> 01:32:13,600 okay with that because we tried as hard 2053 01:32:17,750 --> 01:32:14,719 as we could 2054 01:32:21,189 --> 01:32:17,760 to make vaccines we 2055 01:32:21,590 --> 01:32:21,199 did come up with vaccine that usually in 2056 01:32:25,590 --> 01:32:21,600 most 2057 01:32:28,149 --> 01:32:25,600 years sort of kind of helps 2058 01:32:30,229 --> 01:32:28,159 but it's also true that the number of 2059 01:32:34,229 --> 01:32:30,239 people who have died in the annual 2060 01:32:37,030 --> 01:32:34,239 um flu epidemic from say 1918 2061 01:32:40,950 --> 01:32:37,040 to today 100 years worth that's about 2062 01:32:44,470 --> 01:32:40,960 the same as died in 1918. 2063 01:32:48,950 --> 01:32:44,480 now you have a new thing like covid 2064 01:32:51,189 --> 01:32:48,960 and covid i should say in 1918 it had a 2065 01:32:54,950 --> 01:32:51,199 very weird pattern 2066 01:32:59,350 --> 01:32:54,960 of mortality 2067 01:33:02,470 --> 01:32:59,360 so it was terrible on 18 to 24 2068 01:33:06,790 --> 01:33:02,480 year old men and 2069 01:33:09,910 --> 01:33:06,800 yet it was very uh few fatalities and 2070 01:33:13,750 --> 01:33:09,920 little infectiousness in 2071 01:33:15,910 --> 01:33:13,760 people i think at over the age of 65 or 2072 01:33:18,470 --> 01:33:15,920 60 something like that 2073 01:33:20,550 --> 01:33:18,480 and it's believed the reason why is that 2074 01:33:23,910 --> 01:33:20,560 there was another flu epidemic 2075 01:33:26,950 --> 01:33:23,920 not as severe that was 2076 01:33:30,070 --> 01:33:26,960 like 50 years earlier 2077 01:33:32,470 --> 01:33:30,080 and so the people who got that influenza 2078 01:33:34,470 --> 01:33:32,480 were pretty much spared the new one 2079 01:33:37,669 --> 01:33:34,480 interesting 2080 01:33:42,870 --> 01:33:37,679 um anyway 2081 01:33:42,880 --> 01:33:47,110 it's a few percent death risk 2082 01:33:51,030 --> 01:33:49,990 for many parts of the population but 2083 01:33:55,430 --> 01:33:51,040 i'll just take me 2084 01:33:58,709 --> 01:33:55,440 i'm 61 so i'm over 60. 2085 01:34:01,669 --> 01:33:58,719 um i've had some uh 2086 01:34:02,229 --> 01:34:01,679 respiratory infections in the past i 2087 01:34:03,590 --> 01:34:02,239 like that 2088 01:34:06,070 --> 01:34:03,600 difficult number theory probably just 2089 01:34:07,189 --> 01:34:06,080 said i'm 61 so i'm over 60. 2090 01:34:08,870 --> 01:34:07,199 yeah it's one of those go back 2091 01:34:10,149 --> 01:34:08,880 conjecture problems well but that's one 2092 01:34:12,310 --> 01:34:10,159 of the thresholds 2093 01:34:13,350 --> 01:34:12,320 and i'm not over 65 where it gets even 2094 01:34:15,669 --> 01:34:13,360 worse 2095 01:34:16,830 --> 01:34:15,679 but i also have had a bunch of sinus 2096 01:34:21,750 --> 01:34:16,840 infections 2097 01:34:24,709 --> 01:34:21,760 chronically i'm arguably high risk 2098 01:34:26,470 --> 01:34:24,719 and then oh besides it killing you it 2099 01:34:29,830 --> 01:34:26,480 can also 2100 01:34:33,270 --> 01:34:29,840 put you in a in a permanent brain 2101 01:34:34,550 --> 01:34:33,280 fog there's a whole bunch of evidence 2102 01:34:37,030 --> 01:34:34,560 for that 2103 01:34:38,149 --> 01:34:37,040 it can take away your sense of taste now 2104 01:34:39,750 --> 01:34:38,159 that would [\h__\h] up my 2105 01:34:43,270 --> 01:34:39,760 cookbook career if i couldn't taste 2106 01:34:49,910 --> 01:34:46,629 so and it it will kill 2107 01:34:53,189 --> 01:34:49,920 lots and lots of people and it is a 2108 01:34:55,750 --> 01:34:53,199 because it's a new thing 2109 01:34:57,109 --> 01:34:55,760 we arguably should do everything we can 2110 01:35:00,310 --> 01:34:57,119 within reason 2111 01:35:02,229 --> 01:35:00,320 to stop it and saying oh it's just as 2112 01:35:03,990 --> 01:35:02,239 bad as the other stuff 2113 01:35:05,270 --> 01:35:04,000 is like well yeah but you don't want to 2114 01:35:09,430 --> 01:35:05,280 multiply that by 2115 01:35:12,709 --> 01:35:09,440 something i mean car deaths 2116 01:35:15,669 --> 01:35:12,719 are horrendous in the united states and 2117 01:35:19,030 --> 01:35:15,679 in canada and all over the world 2118 01:35:22,950 --> 01:35:19,040 um there are many more people 2119 01:35:25,430 --> 01:35:22,960 killed uh by cars in the united states 2120 01:35:29,750 --> 01:35:25,440 than there are by people 2121 01:35:31,990 --> 01:35:29,760 okay the it's like twice the murder rate 2122 01:35:34,310 --> 01:35:32,000 and our murder rate is way too high for 2123 01:35:38,790 --> 01:35:34,320 a developed country it's a 2124 01:35:40,709 --> 01:35:38,800 it's a shame it should be much lower um 2125 01:35:42,550 --> 01:35:40,719 well if you if you introduced a new 2126 01:35:45,590 --> 01:35:42,560 thing as an oh but it's just as 2127 01:35:47,350 --> 01:35:45,600 it's only as bad as cars well cars all 2128 01:35:50,229 --> 01:35:47,360 over again 2129 01:35:51,350 --> 01:35:50,239 takes a large mortality factor and 2130 01:35:53,990 --> 01:35:51,360 doubles down 2131 01:35:55,990 --> 01:35:54,000 you don't want to do that and is it only 2132 01:36:00,149 --> 01:35:56,000 as bad as the flu or is it more 2133 01:36:03,990 --> 01:36:03,510 well it turns out people don't really 2134 01:36:07,430 --> 01:36:04,000 know 2135 01:36:08,070 --> 01:36:07,440 both sides of that equation we certainly 2136 01:36:11,430 --> 01:36:08,080 know 2137 01:36:14,550 --> 01:36:11,440 that it is got uh 2138 01:36:18,550 --> 01:36:14,560 the mortality in some 2139 01:36:21,750 --> 01:36:18,560 age groups appears to be 2140 01:36:23,189 --> 01:36:21,760 way worse than we would than you'd say 2141 01:36:26,870 --> 01:36:23,199 for a typical 2142 01:36:30,390 --> 01:36:26,880 annual flu that it's more like the 2143 01:36:33,109 --> 01:36:30,400 epidemic flu of 1918 2144 01:36:35,990 --> 01:36:33,119 but then somebody else says but oh do we 2145 01:36:39,030 --> 01:36:36,000 really know how many people 2146 01:36:42,070 --> 01:36:39,040 have had it 2147 01:36:45,350 --> 01:36:42,080 and the answer is we don't 2148 01:36:48,229 --> 01:36:45,360 so there are people who are 2149 01:36:49,030 --> 01:36:48,239 living in close proximity with others 2150 01:36:52,390 --> 01:36:49,040 who had it 2151 01:36:55,510 --> 01:36:52,400 who didn't seem to get it 2152 01:36:58,149 --> 01:36:55,520 now did those people get it and repel it 2153 01:37:02,070 --> 01:36:58,159 and beat it 2154 01:37:05,350 --> 01:37:02,080 did they have some pre-existing 2155 01:37:07,189 --> 01:37:05,360 immunity there's a thought that there 2156 01:37:10,390 --> 01:37:07,199 are two coronaviruses 2157 01:37:14,709 --> 01:37:10,400 that are implicated in the common cold 2158 01:37:16,629 --> 01:37:14,719 mainly maybe if you had a cold last year 2159 01:37:18,470 --> 01:37:16,639 and it was one of those coronary viruses 2160 01:37:22,709 --> 01:37:18,480 maybe you're immune to it 2161 01:37:26,149 --> 01:37:22,719 we don't know now 2162 01:37:29,270 --> 01:37:26,159 it was weird in the uh 2163 01:37:32,629 --> 01:37:29,280 1918 flu that it mostly 2164 01:37:35,510 --> 01:37:32,639 killed young adults um 2165 01:37:36,709 --> 01:37:35,520 this one is weird in that it doesn't 2166 01:37:40,149 --> 01:37:36,719 seem to 2167 01:37:43,750 --> 01:37:40,159 kill young children it can 2168 01:37:47,510 --> 01:37:43,760 kill young children it's not zero 2169 01:37:50,870 --> 01:37:47,520 but the mortality rate is way way lower 2170 01:37:52,070 --> 01:37:50,880 now that's a it's a little surprising 2171 01:37:55,109 --> 01:37:52,080 because 2172 01:37:58,790 --> 01:37:55,119 very small children don't have a 2173 01:38:05,990 --> 01:38:02,470 number one number two it's 2174 01:38:09,109 --> 01:38:06,000 just usually it's a new disease 2175 01:38:10,310 --> 01:38:09,119 hits the very old and the very young and 2176 01:38:12,950 --> 01:38:10,320 it's the people in the middle that are 2177 01:38:16,149 --> 01:38:12,960 okay this one's not like that 2178 01:38:19,270 --> 01:38:16,159 it's the sums it's the very 2179 01:38:22,950 --> 01:38:19,280 old and the middle part of 2180 01:38:25,669 --> 01:38:22,960 the the stack and older that uh 2181 01:38:26,709 --> 01:38:25,679 that seem to be most at risk but a lot 2182 01:38:32,149 --> 01:38:26,719 of this 2183 01:38:38,629 --> 01:38:36,390 a level of research that either 2184 01:38:41,430 --> 01:38:38,639 is difficult to do or hasn't been done 2185 01:38:47,430 --> 01:38:43,990 um now with regard to the new strain 2186 01:38:49,750 --> 01:38:47,440 yeah well the new strain 2187 01:38:51,750 --> 01:38:49,760 appears to be this is a kind of the same 2188 01:38:55,030 --> 01:38:51,760 thing you 2189 01:38:58,390 --> 01:38:55,040 it's viruses are messy when they 2190 01:39:00,950 --> 01:38:58,400 um replicate you 2191 01:39:02,390 --> 01:39:00,960 almost always see some replication 2192 01:39:05,030 --> 01:39:02,400 errors 2193 01:39:06,950 --> 01:39:05,040 and that allows for example the 2194 01:39:10,070 --> 01:39:06,960 conclusion 2195 01:39:11,750 --> 01:39:10,080 that the seattle epidemic started with 2196 01:39:13,830 --> 01:39:11,760 people from china 2197 01:39:16,790 --> 01:39:13,840 whereas the european the new york 2198 01:39:19,750 --> 01:39:16,800 epidemic started with people from 2199 01:39:20,229 --> 01:39:19,760 europe that conclusion is precisely 2200 01:39:22,709 --> 01:39:20,239 because 2201 01:39:24,470 --> 01:39:22,719 the strains are always mutating a little 2202 01:39:27,270 --> 01:39:24,480 bit 2203 01:39:28,229 --> 01:39:27,280 and the first new york strains were more 2204 01:39:31,030 --> 01:39:28,239 similar 2205 01:39:35,270 --> 01:39:31,040 to the western european ones than to the 2206 01:39:42,229 --> 01:39:39,270 are you okay do you have one of them 2207 01:39:44,229 --> 01:39:42,239 i every year i get this allergic cough 2208 01:39:46,790 --> 01:39:44,239 but he does have everyone around me 2209 01:39:49,189 --> 01:39:46,800 thinking oh my god this is it 2210 01:39:51,350 --> 01:39:49,199 um he's in the final death of causing 2211 01:39:55,669 --> 01:39:51,360 fear to all your loved ones 2212 01:39:58,470 --> 01:39:55,679 um so uh anyway 2213 01:40:00,229 --> 01:39:58,480 this strain has been or some strain that 2214 01:40:03,590 --> 01:40:00,239 appears 2215 01:40:06,790 --> 01:40:03,600 to have popped up from nowhere 2216 01:40:09,830 --> 01:40:06,800 in the uk and also 2217 01:40:14,550 --> 01:40:09,840 in south africa and it's been found 2218 01:40:18,790 --> 01:40:17,510 it's definitely a new strain by itself 2219 01:40:21,910 --> 01:40:18,800 that's not a big 2220 01:40:25,270 --> 01:40:21,920 surprise it might be more 2221 01:40:28,310 --> 01:40:25,280 infectious or more transmissible 2222 01:40:29,350 --> 01:40:28,320 that does occur with viruses we don't 2223 01:40:32,070 --> 01:40:29,360 know right now 2224 01:40:33,750 --> 01:40:32,080 i don't think there is enough there's so 2225 01:40:36,229 --> 01:40:33,760 many people that have said yes and 2226 01:40:40,070 --> 01:40:36,239 people who have said no 2227 01:40:42,470 --> 01:40:40,080 and a 2228 01:40:43,189 --> 01:40:42,480 out of an abundance of caution we have 2229 01:40:47,030 --> 01:40:43,199 to act 2230 01:40:49,669 --> 01:40:47,040 like oh it's it's yes 2231 01:40:50,629 --> 01:40:49,679 at the same time it's probably already 2232 01:40:53,910 --> 01:40:50,639 everywhere so 2233 01:40:54,790 --> 01:40:53,920 locking the doors probably doesn't do 2234 01:40:57,109 --> 01:40:54,800 that much 2235 01:40:59,270 --> 01:40:57,119 what it really ought to do is make you 2236 01:41:02,070 --> 01:40:59,280 want to get the vaccine out there 2237 01:41:02,550 --> 01:41:02,080 right wait sorry and this vaccine would 2238 01:41:04,310 --> 01:41:02,560 also 2239 01:41:06,390 --> 01:41:04,320 prevent the new strain from infecting 2240 01:41:09,590 --> 01:41:06,400 you well we don't 2241 01:41:12,550 --> 01:41:09,600 actually know that either see here's one 2242 01:41:19,270 --> 01:41:16,830 in physics we are able to use 2243 01:41:21,669 --> 01:41:19,280 abstractions to 2244 01:41:24,390 --> 01:41:21,679 say here's a very general theory and we 2245 01:41:26,870 --> 01:41:24,400 can calculate it in a very simplified 2246 01:41:29,189 --> 01:41:26,880 situation but it also works in a more 2247 01:41:31,990 --> 01:41:29,199 complicated one 2248 01:41:33,510 --> 01:41:32,000 so for example we say conservation of 2249 01:41:37,270 --> 01:41:33,520 mass 2250 01:41:39,430 --> 01:41:37,280 conservation of momentum conservation of 2251 01:41:44,229 --> 01:41:39,440 energy 2252 01:41:46,229 --> 01:41:44,239 well you can use those principles 2253 01:41:49,590 --> 01:41:46,239 in lots of a very com otherwise 2254 01:41:53,030 --> 01:41:49,600 complicated circumstances 2255 01:41:55,109 --> 01:41:53,040 the problem here is the effect that a 2256 01:41:56,550 --> 01:41:55,119 vaccine has we know in theory what a 2257 01:41:59,590 --> 01:41:56,560 vaccine does 2258 01:42:03,669 --> 01:41:59,600 is it stimulates your immune system 2259 01:42:05,669 --> 01:42:03,679 to be on the lookout for this pathogen 2260 01:42:06,950 --> 01:42:05,679 and that allows your immune system to 2261 01:42:11,990 --> 01:42:06,960 mount a response 2262 01:42:17,990 --> 01:42:12,000 and overwhelm the pathogen vastly sooner 2263 01:42:24,070 --> 01:42:22,149 but we don't know exactly whether 2264 01:42:28,070 --> 01:42:24,080 this is going to work with the others 2265 01:42:30,709 --> 01:42:28,080 because we haven't tested it 2266 01:42:31,270 --> 01:42:30,719 now this is one where if they have 2267 01:42:38,310 --> 01:42:31,280 enough 2268 01:42:41,510 --> 01:42:39,990 they'll be able to figure this one out 2269 01:42:46,310 --> 01:42:41,520 relatively quickly 2270 01:42:49,750 --> 01:42:46,320 and my bet would be it does 2271 01:42:52,390 --> 01:42:49,760 but it's a bat and you know in the case 2272 01:42:56,070 --> 01:42:52,400 of flow 2273 01:43:00,149 --> 01:42:56,080 uh flu famously mutates enough that 2274 01:43:07,350 --> 01:43:04,709 now because that's true for flu 2275 01:43:09,510 --> 01:43:07,360 you get this whole bunch of silly things 2276 01:43:12,149 --> 01:43:09,520 statements by scientists 2277 01:43:13,669 --> 01:43:12,159 where you know early in the epidemic 2278 01:43:14,550 --> 01:43:13,679 they'll say oh it'll all go away in the 2279 01:43:17,350 --> 01:43:14,560 summer 2280 01:43:19,910 --> 01:43:17,360 because it's a seasonal thing just like 2281 01:43:22,870 --> 01:43:21,430 and people would say scientists would 2282 01:43:24,390 --> 01:43:22,880 say this to me he said what do you want 2283 01:43:27,350 --> 01:43:24,400 drugs 2284 01:43:29,189 --> 01:43:27,360 there's no evidence of that you're 2285 01:43:31,910 --> 01:43:29,199 hoping it's true 2286 01:43:33,270 --> 01:43:31,920 oh there's you but most most respiratory 2287 01:43:35,270 --> 01:43:33,280 viruses are and i said 2288 01:43:37,189 --> 01:43:35,280 what do you mean by most once you 2289 01:43:39,510 --> 01:43:37,199 subtract out flu 2290 01:43:41,510 --> 01:43:39,520 we really don't know squat about about 2291 01:43:45,350 --> 01:43:41,520 the cold 2292 01:43:47,030 --> 01:43:45,360 well common colds do propagate during 2293 01:43:48,709 --> 01:43:47,040 the summer 2294 01:43:50,870 --> 01:43:48,719 and in fact there's a fascinating thing 2295 01:43:53,510 --> 01:43:50,880 that no one knows why 2296 01:43:54,390 --> 01:43:53,520 we seem to associate colds more with the 2297 01:43:57,990 --> 01:43:54,400 winter 2298 01:44:00,709 --> 01:43:58,000 mm-hmm i see okay also 2299 01:44:01,590 --> 01:44:00,719 even though flu is seasonal no one knows 2300 01:44:04,709 --> 01:44:01,600 why 2301 01:44:06,390 --> 01:44:04,719 cold is not seasonal then or is it only 2302 01:44:07,830 --> 01:44:06,400 somewhat seasonal i don't believe that 2303 01:44:09,590 --> 01:44:07,840 the common well the common goals is 2304 01:44:13,750 --> 01:44:09,600 certainly not entirely seasonal 2305 01:44:16,070 --> 01:44:13,760 the um annual epidemic of influenza is 2306 01:44:20,709 --> 01:44:16,080 strongly seasonal 2307 01:44:22,629 --> 01:44:20,719 so if you take 50 years of data between 2308 01:44:25,669 --> 01:44:22,639 france united states this is what i 2309 01:44:29,109 --> 01:44:25,679 happen to know the statistics 2310 01:44:30,950 --> 01:44:29,119 the day on which the peak epidemic 2311 01:44:32,790 --> 01:44:30,960 occurs 2312 01:44:34,149 --> 01:44:32,800 as recorded by say number of hospital 2313 01:44:38,070 --> 01:44:34,159 admissions or 2314 01:44:43,750 --> 01:44:40,149 it's only a few days different every 2315 01:44:46,790 --> 01:44:45,669 now that means it's got to have some 2316 01:44:51,350 --> 01:44:46,800 very powerful 2317 01:44:55,350 --> 01:44:53,430 well that so obviously we figured that 2318 01:44:59,030 --> 01:44:55,360 out right 2319 01:45:00,629 --> 01:44:59,040 we haven't there's multiple theories 2320 01:45:02,709 --> 01:45:00,639 the theories of course contradict each 2321 01:45:07,189 --> 01:45:02,719 other and the theories also 2322 01:45:08,790 --> 01:45:07,199 frankly contradict common sense mostly 2323 01:45:10,629 --> 01:45:08,800 as far as i know one of the theories is 2324 01:45:11,590 --> 01:45:10,639 that in the cold we congregate more such 2325 01:45:13,750 --> 01:45:11,600 as in buses 2326 01:45:14,629 --> 01:45:13,760 so what about that common cold there's 2327 01:45:21,270 --> 01:45:14,639 that 2328 01:45:25,189 --> 01:45:21,280 this is one of the great questions 2329 01:45:26,550 --> 01:45:25,199 that is part of what rudyard kipling 2330 01:45:29,350 --> 01:45:26,560 would call a just so 2331 01:45:31,750 --> 01:45:29,360 story he had these just those stories 2332 01:45:33,830 --> 01:45:31,760 how the leopard got its spots and 2333 01:45:34,950 --> 01:45:33,840 they're sort of little fables for 2334 01:45:38,310 --> 01:45:34,960 children 2335 01:45:40,790 --> 01:45:38,320 yes it's true that we congregate in we 2336 01:45:43,109 --> 01:45:40,800 ride the bus more whereas we might walk 2337 01:45:46,790 --> 01:45:43,119 or ride bicycles 2338 01:45:53,750 --> 01:45:46,800 right um 2339 01:45:59,590 --> 01:45:57,830 excuse me what timing huh yeah exactly 2340 01:46:03,750 --> 01:45:59,600 yeah give me one minute i'll be right 2341 01:46:07,270 --> 01:46:05,270 you know the the number of things we 2342 01:46:11,189 --> 01:46:07,280 don't know is 2343 01:46:13,510 --> 01:46:11,199 frighteningly large um 2344 01:46:14,870 --> 01:46:13,520 but at the moment i think look our best 2345 01:46:18,390 --> 01:46:14,880 bet is the vaccines 2346 01:46:20,390 --> 01:46:18,400 and let's hope that the vaccines 2347 01:46:21,990 --> 01:46:20,400 do provide protection against this other 2348 01:46:25,669 --> 01:46:22,000 strain 2349 01:46:28,149 --> 01:46:25,679 um and whatever 2350 01:46:31,189 --> 01:46:28,159 one thing that's terrible about having a 2351 01:46:35,910 --> 01:46:31,199 large epidemic 2352 01:46:39,590 --> 01:46:35,920 is that in a very crude way 2353 01:46:43,910 --> 01:46:41,910 determines the rate of evolution of the 2354 01:46:45,669 --> 01:46:43,920 virus 2355 01:46:47,350 --> 01:46:45,679 because every time he gets transmitted 2356 01:46:49,270 --> 01:46:47,360 to a new person you're running a new 2357 01:46:50,790 --> 01:46:49,280 evolutionary experiment and you could 2358 01:46:52,149 --> 01:46:50,800 have new mutations 2359 01:46:53,910 --> 01:46:52,159 that's why you're surprised that there's 2360 01:46:56,629 --> 01:46:53,920 only one new strain well 2361 01:46:57,430 --> 01:46:56,639 there isn't one there's hundreds of 2362 01:46:59,590 --> 01:46:57,440 strains 2363 01:47:01,510 --> 01:46:59,600 but they're little teeny teeny 2364 01:47:04,390 --> 01:47:01,520 differences i think this is one that 2365 01:47:07,990 --> 01:47:04,400 seems to be a larger macro difference 2366 01:47:10,149 --> 01:47:08,000 okay okay let's get back to some of your 2367 01:47:11,669 --> 01:47:10,159 asteroid research i remember you said 2368 01:47:14,229 --> 01:47:11,679 that in i believe it was 2369 01:47:15,430 --> 01:47:14,239 nasa's data they analyzed some of the 2370 01:47:17,910 --> 01:47:15,440 asteroids as 2371 01:47:18,950 --> 01:47:17,920 circular i mean sorry spherical when 2372 01:47:21,189 --> 01:47:18,960 when they're oblong when they're 2373 01:47:22,950 --> 01:47:21,199 elongated 2374 01:47:24,390 --> 01:47:22,960 please let me know if you recall what 2375 01:47:25,750 --> 01:47:24,400 i'm saying and but to me and to 2376 01:47:26,070 --> 01:47:25,760 virtually anyone listening that seems 2377 01:47:27,910 --> 01:47:26,080 like an 2378 01:47:29,750 --> 01:47:27,920 obvious mistake so why would these 2379 01:47:34,390 --> 01:47:29,760 experts model them spherically just 2380 01:47:34,400 --> 01:47:37,669 well 2381 01:47:42,070 --> 01:47:40,870 the it's true that the model that they 2382 01:47:44,310 --> 01:47:42,080 used 2383 01:47:47,189 --> 01:47:44,320 is a model which assumes that the 2384 01:47:49,669 --> 01:47:47,199 asteroid is a sphere 2385 01:47:50,790 --> 01:47:49,679 now if you have enough measurements of 2386 01:47:54,629 --> 01:47:50,800 it 2387 01:47:56,390 --> 01:47:54,639 compensate 2388 01:47:58,070 --> 01:47:56,400 they typically didn't have enough 2389 01:48:01,030 --> 01:47:58,080 measurements of it 2390 01:48:04,070 --> 01:48:01,040 but these the using a spherical model is 2391 01:48:07,910 --> 01:48:04,080 not the worst thing they did 2392 01:48:11,669 --> 01:48:07,920 they also just made data up 2393 01:48:13,669 --> 01:48:11,679 and just just cheated 2394 01:48:15,109 --> 01:48:13,679 yeah when you say they made data up they 2395 01:48:17,030 --> 01:48:15,119 copied data is that what you mean when 2396 01:48:20,870 --> 01:48:17,040 you say they made them up 2397 01:48:25,510 --> 01:48:20,880 yeah so you're supposed to be deriving 2398 01:48:28,790 --> 01:48:25,520 the um diameter of these asteroids 2399 01:48:31,270 --> 01:48:28,800 and instead you know and 2400 01:48:32,870 --> 01:48:31,280 the ones the way you tell if you did a 2401 01:48:34,709 --> 01:48:32,880 good job is you have about a hundred 2402 01:48:36,870 --> 01:48:34,719 asteroids 2403 01:48:39,189 --> 01:48:36,880 that you know the diameter of from a 2404 01:48:41,270 --> 01:48:39,199 different method 2405 01:48:43,510 --> 01:48:41,280 so you say right the way i determine my 2406 01:48:44,550 --> 01:48:43,520 accuracy is i predict it over here and i 2407 01:48:48,149 --> 01:48:44,560 compare it 2408 01:48:49,990 --> 01:48:48,159 to the known results and my predictions 2409 01:48:50,390 --> 01:48:50,000 match then i pat myself in the back and 2410 01:48:53,510 --> 01:48:50,400 said 2411 01:48:55,910 --> 01:48:53,520 i did something that was accurate yeah 2412 01:48:58,870 --> 01:48:55,920 um these people just copied all the 2413 01:49:06,470 --> 01:49:03,030 and the consequence of that is what well 2414 01:49:10,070 --> 01:49:06,480 it well it's deeply unethical 2415 01:49:11,830 --> 01:49:10,080 number one number two they did this and 2416 01:49:13,109 --> 01:49:11,840 then they claimed that they had the most 2417 01:49:15,350 --> 01:49:13,119 accurate 2418 01:49:17,830 --> 01:49:15,360 diameters and they criticized everyone 2419 01:49:21,750 --> 01:49:17,840 else who had done 2420 01:49:24,870 --> 01:49:21,760 other data sets in the past even though 2421 01:49:26,229 --> 01:49:24,880 they had no idea of what their accuracy 2422 01:49:29,990 --> 01:49:26,239 was 2423 01:49:33,030 --> 01:49:30,000 and because they took the only cases 2424 01:49:35,030 --> 01:49:33,040 that uh where we know the answer and 2425 01:49:37,510 --> 01:49:35,040 they copied those 2426 01:49:40,550 --> 01:49:37,520 you can't now tell what the accuracy of 2427 01:49:43,030 --> 01:49:40,560 any of their things are 2428 01:49:44,229 --> 01:49:43,040 so they built it on a shaky foundation 2429 01:49:47,589 --> 01:49:44,239 yeah and i 2430 01:49:50,070 --> 01:49:47,599 i think it was just a rush 2431 01:49:51,669 --> 01:49:50,080 to try to get their project done and 2432 01:49:53,270 --> 01:49:51,679 also to make their project look like it 2433 01:49:55,350 --> 01:49:53,280 was a success 2434 01:49:56,790 --> 01:49:55,360 and we're talking about nasa here we're 2435 01:49:59,910 --> 01:49:56,800 talking about jpl 2436 01:50:03,189 --> 01:49:59,920 the jet propulsion laboratory so it's 2437 01:50:06,550 --> 01:50:03,199 a laboratory managed by caltech but 2438 01:50:07,990 --> 01:50:06,560 it's effectively part of nasa and 2439 01:50:10,229 --> 01:50:08,000 and some of the scientists who were 2440 01:50:14,070 --> 01:50:10,239 involved in this weren't njpl there are 2441 01:50:16,470 --> 01:50:14,080 various universities and so 2442 01:50:19,830 --> 01:50:16,480 you know it's the kind of thing that if 2443 01:50:22,390 --> 01:50:19,840 you or i had done as an undergraduate 2444 01:50:26,310 --> 01:50:22,400 um and we've been found out we would 2445 01:50:28,870 --> 01:50:26,320 have been expelled 2446 01:50:30,790 --> 01:50:28,880 and you know we'd be talking about how 2447 01:50:31,750 --> 01:50:30,800 our lives took this big turn we couldn't 2448 01:50:34,870 --> 01:50:31,760 become physicists 2449 01:50:38,390 --> 01:50:34,880 we were expelled for cheating and 2450 01:50:40,390 --> 01:50:38,400 um but because nasa 2451 01:50:42,390 --> 01:50:40,400 is very influential and gives out lots 2452 01:50:45,189 --> 01:50:42,400 of money 2453 01:50:48,870 --> 01:50:45,199 other scientists really didn't want to 2454 01:50:52,950 --> 01:50:50,790 a bunch they needed someone like you 2455 01:50:57,030 --> 01:50:52,960 who's independent to say 2456 01:50:59,430 --> 01:50:57,040 yes that's right this was 2457 01:51:02,310 --> 01:50:59,440 you know people would sometimes ask me 2458 01:51:03,990 --> 01:51:02,320 why are you doing this and the answer is 2459 01:51:06,629 --> 01:51:04,000 because paradoxically i'm the only one 2460 01:51:08,070 --> 01:51:06,639 who could 2461 01:51:10,629 --> 01:51:08,080 this is interesting this brings me to a 2462 01:51:11,189 --> 01:51:10,639 larger a thought occurs to me how much 2463 01:51:13,669 --> 01:51:11,199 of 2464 01:51:15,270 --> 01:51:13,679 let's say problems in science in general 2465 01:51:15,830 --> 01:51:15,280 there's a variety i'm sure but i'm 2466 01:51:17,430 --> 01:51:15,840 thinking 2467 01:51:18,950 --> 01:51:17,440 specifically right now about theoretical 2468 01:51:21,350 --> 01:51:18,960 physics and string theory 2469 01:51:22,310 --> 01:51:21,360 but problems in general are due to the 2470 01:51:24,070 --> 01:51:22,320 dependence on 2471 01:51:25,910 --> 01:51:24,080 funding from a certain agency versus 2472 01:51:27,669 --> 01:51:25,920 someone like you who can be independent 2473 01:51:29,430 --> 01:51:27,679 and say well here's what i think 2474 01:51:30,870 --> 01:51:29,440 and i can stand up to you well i don't 2475 01:51:36,709 --> 01:51:30,880 think it's super 2476 01:51:41,750 --> 01:51:39,910 the the string theory 2477 01:51:43,030 --> 01:51:41,760 is so complicated that generally it's 2478 01:51:46,790 --> 01:51:43,040 very hard to compute 2479 01:51:53,910 --> 01:51:50,149 um that that's why uh 2480 01:51:56,470 --> 01:51:53,920 my friend peter named his blog 2481 01:51:58,709 --> 01:51:56,480 uh after a saying of wolf king paulies 2482 01:52:02,629 --> 01:51:58,719 who was a great uh german physicist 2483 01:52:05,990 --> 01:52:02,639 it's not even wrong 2484 01:52:07,189 --> 01:52:06,000 so it's wrong would be it makes a 2485 01:52:10,310 --> 01:52:07,199 prediction 2486 01:52:12,470 --> 01:52:10,320 and it doesn't match the world but in 2487 01:52:16,149 --> 01:52:12,480 most cases in string theory 2488 01:52:19,189 --> 01:52:16,159 it's so mathematically difficult to make 2489 01:52:23,189 --> 01:52:19,199 a actual prediction 2490 01:52:27,910 --> 01:52:26,149 you're not even at that level okay okay 2491 01:52:29,990 --> 01:52:27,920 now the ramifications of the asteroids 2492 01:52:31,350 --> 01:52:30,000 does it have something to do with the 2493 01:52:32,070 --> 01:52:31,360 threat of asteroids being 2494 01:52:35,109 --> 01:52:32,080 underdetermined 2495 01:52:38,310 --> 01:52:35,119 well yes it the threat 2496 01:52:41,430 --> 01:52:38,320 the size of the asteroids is important 2497 01:52:43,430 --> 01:52:41,440 for two reasons one is as a 2498 01:52:45,030 --> 01:52:43,440 part of understanding how the solar 2499 01:52:46,950 --> 01:52:45,040 system was built 2500 01:52:48,870 --> 01:52:46,960 asteroids are a very critical part of 2501 01:52:52,629 --> 01:52:48,880 that 2502 01:52:54,950 --> 01:52:52,639 um asteroids are a little bit 2503 01:52:56,149 --> 01:52:54,960 like the junk you see at a construction 2504 01:52:59,270 --> 01:52:56,159 site 2505 01:53:02,629 --> 01:52:59,280 they're building a house you'll see 2506 01:53:04,470 --> 01:53:02,639 sawed off pieces of 2x4 and nails and 2507 01:53:08,390 --> 01:53:04,480 all this other stuff 2508 01:53:11,510 --> 01:53:08,400 and that's a great analogy by the way 2509 01:53:13,350 --> 01:53:11,520 this is the material that was left over 2510 01:53:16,229 --> 01:53:13,360 from building 2511 01:53:17,510 --> 01:53:16,239 the solar system and it never really got 2512 01:53:19,669 --> 01:53:17,520 into a planet 2513 01:53:20,950 --> 01:53:19,679 or another thing and so it's kind of the 2514 01:53:22,709 --> 01:53:20,960 drug left over but 2515 01:53:25,109 --> 01:53:22,719 it's super interesting to understand 2516 01:53:25,990 --> 01:53:25,119 that junk to understand the conditions 2517 01:53:28,709 --> 01:53:26,000 under which the solar 2518 01:53:30,709 --> 01:53:28,719 system formed the other reason is 2519 01:53:34,470 --> 01:53:30,719 practical that we want to know 2520 01:53:36,870 --> 01:53:34,480 the threat that asteroids pose um 2521 01:53:37,750 --> 01:53:36,880 they were kind of tough on the dinosaurs 2522 01:53:40,470 --> 01:53:37,760 right right 2523 01:53:41,510 --> 01:53:40,480 we now know and you were there at one of 2524 01:53:44,550 --> 01:53:41,520 the first lectures 2525 01:53:46,229 --> 01:53:44,560 where that was proposed yes yeah that's 2526 01:53:49,510 --> 01:53:46,239 pretty cool 2527 01:53:50,310 --> 01:53:49,520 yeah it was that was a great example of 2528 01:54:19,830 --> 01:53:50,320 a 2529 01:54:22,550 --> 01:54:19,840 been 2530 01:54:23,430 --> 01:54:22,560 traced to lots of other mass extinctions 2531 01:54:28,470 --> 01:54:23,440 not just 2532 01:54:33,910 --> 01:54:31,510 going back to the threat uh 2533 01:54:34,950 --> 01:54:33,920 yeah so it's very important to know for 2534 01:54:37,830 --> 01:54:34,960 the threat 2535 01:54:38,550 --> 01:54:37,840 particularly because the way some of 2536 01:54:40,790 --> 01:54:38,560 these 2537 01:54:42,709 --> 01:54:40,800 this asteroid work is funded is by 2538 01:54:44,790 --> 01:54:42,719 telling congress oh this is important 2539 01:54:47,350 --> 01:54:44,800 for the threat 2540 01:54:48,629 --> 01:54:47,360 yes you tell congress look this isn't 2541 01:54:51,189 --> 01:54:48,639 just 2542 01:54:52,550 --> 01:54:51,199 a bunch of scientists having fun with 2543 01:54:55,589 --> 01:54:52,560 the origin of the 2544 01:54:58,470 --> 01:54:55,599 uh solar system no no this might 2545 01:55:02,229 --> 01:54:58,480 tell you what thing is going to plunk 2546 01:55:05,189 --> 01:55:02,239 down in the middle of kansas next week 2547 01:55:07,189 --> 01:55:05,199 and so we really need to know it yeah 2548 01:55:09,510 --> 01:55:07,199 and it's compelling argument 2549 01:55:11,589 --> 01:55:09,520 so they have an incentive to overplay 2550 01:55:12,709 --> 01:55:11,599 the threat of asteroids or did you find 2551 01:55:14,390 --> 01:55:12,719 in your research that we're actually 2552 01:55:17,430 --> 01:55:14,400 underplaying it 2553 01:55:20,790 --> 01:55:17,440 well it's in 2554 01:55:23,750 --> 01:55:20,800 they're using that threat as a way to 2555 01:55:26,070 --> 01:55:23,760 ask for more funding and i say you 2556 01:55:30,550 --> 01:55:26,080 shouldn't give those people more funding 2557 01:55:33,830 --> 01:55:30,560 until they learn math or 2558 01:55:36,390 --> 01:55:33,840 and ethics uh so 2559 01:55:37,990 --> 01:55:36,400 um and that goes for both now there's 2560 01:55:38,550 --> 01:55:38,000 lots of other people at jpl that are 2561 01:55:40,470 --> 01:55:38,560 great 2562 01:55:42,229 --> 01:55:40,480 there's not everyone at jpl but there's 2563 01:55:45,510 --> 01:55:42,239 one group of jpl 2564 01:55:49,350 --> 01:55:45,520 there's one person but one professor at 2565 01:55:53,990 --> 01:55:49,360 ucla that 2566 01:55:55,669 --> 01:55:54,000 really screwed up um 2567 01:55:57,830 --> 01:55:55,679 and had a giant amount of arrogance 2568 01:55:58,550 --> 01:55:57,840 about that screw up and so didn't admit 2569 01:56:01,030 --> 01:55:58,560 it and has 2570 01:56:02,550 --> 01:56:01,040 fought it to the mail because they 2571 01:56:03,830 --> 01:56:02,560 thought you i recall that they put out 2572 01:56:06,149 --> 01:56:03,840 an article 2573 01:56:07,589 --> 01:56:06,159 oh yeah no they they did did a smear 2574 01:56:12,149 --> 01:56:07,599 campaign on me 2575 01:56:15,669 --> 01:56:14,950 they it's been very hard for me i have 2576 01:56:17,990 --> 01:56:15,679 published 2577 01:56:18,950 --> 01:56:18,000 several papers including one over 100 2578 01:56:22,550 --> 01:56:18,960 pages 2579 01:56:24,790 --> 01:56:22,560 but it's been much more difficult for me 2580 01:56:28,390 --> 01:56:24,800 to do that because 2581 01:56:32,310 --> 01:56:28,400 uh i'm the guy who's saying that 2582 01:56:35,270 --> 01:56:32,320 people in the field are totally wrong 2583 01:56:35,589 --> 01:56:35,280 and some people in the field agree with 2584 01:56:37,350 --> 01:56:35,599 me 2585 01:56:39,669 --> 01:56:37,360 but say well why don't you just like be 2586 01:56:42,709 --> 01:56:39,679 a little quieter about it 2587 01:56:45,270 --> 01:56:42,719 it's like no that's 2588 01:56:47,510 --> 01:56:45,280 unethical to be quieter about something 2589 01:56:50,149 --> 01:56:47,520 that's this bad 2590 01:56:51,669 --> 01:56:50,159 um are you driven by ethics or were you 2591 01:56:54,830 --> 01:56:51,679 always disagreeable and you'll point out 2592 01:56:54,840 --> 01:56:59,030 well 2593 01:57:04,390 --> 01:57:01,589 i certainly noticed that they had done 2594 01:57:06,310 --> 01:57:04,400 some things very seriously wrong 2595 01:57:08,390 --> 01:57:06,320 and initially it wasn't this copying 2596 01:57:11,750 --> 01:57:08,400 initially what i noticed is that they 2597 01:57:14,070 --> 01:57:11,760 didn't understand freshman physics 2598 01:57:16,790 --> 01:57:14,080 and they even the professor didn't 2599 01:57:19,990 --> 01:57:16,800 understand freshman physics 2600 01:57:23,030 --> 01:57:20,000 yep um 2601 01:57:25,030 --> 01:57:23,040 just no they is there something called 2602 01:57:29,109 --> 01:57:25,040 kirchhoff's law of radiation 2603 01:57:31,750 --> 01:57:29,119 it's in all early physics classes 2604 01:57:33,350 --> 01:57:31,760 it's part of understanding what's called 2605 01:57:35,189 --> 01:57:33,360 black body radiation which is 2606 01:57:36,830 --> 01:57:35,199 fundamental to all of the modeling they 2607 01:57:41,350 --> 01:57:36,840 do 2608 01:57:42,950 --> 01:57:41,360 they didn't understand it at all 2609 01:57:44,470 --> 01:57:42,960 um when you say they didn't understand 2610 01:57:45,830 --> 01:57:44,480 it do you mean to say that they didn't 2611 01:57:48,790 --> 01:57:45,840 incorporate it 2612 01:57:51,350 --> 01:57:48,800 okay they their approach to modeling 2613 01:57:55,270 --> 01:57:51,360 totally violates it 2614 01:57:58,950 --> 01:57:55,280 so they're they tried to apply 2615 01:58:02,070 --> 01:57:58,960 a method which violates physical law 2616 01:58:04,070 --> 01:58:02,080 which that's a bad thing to do 2617 01:58:05,589 --> 01:58:04,080 now it's a bad thing to do that most 2618 01:58:07,430 --> 01:58:05,599 people would generally ascribe to 2619 01:58:10,790 --> 01:58:07,440 ignorance 2620 01:58:14,070 --> 01:58:10,800 arrogance 2621 01:58:17,510 --> 01:58:14,080 not ethics it was that 2622 01:58:21,189 --> 01:58:17,520 after you've i found the ethical things 2623 01:58:22,310 --> 01:58:21,199 that in some sense made it even worse 2624 01:58:25,430 --> 01:58:22,320 and the ethical things you're talking 2625 01:58:28,550 --> 01:58:25,440 about the copying of data okay 2626 01:58:31,750 --> 01:58:28,560 unethical things and uh 2627 01:58:35,270 --> 01:58:31,760 the science 2628 01:58:36,950 --> 01:58:35,280 exists because we trust it and we can 2629 01:58:40,870 --> 01:58:36,960 only trust it 2630 01:58:43,270 --> 01:58:40,880 if we're vigilant to it and 2631 01:58:45,990 --> 01:58:43,280 you could get lots of scientists to say 2632 01:58:48,790 --> 01:58:46,000 oh yes that's true 2633 01:58:49,270 --> 01:58:48,800 but the ones in general they don't apply 2634 01:58:52,229 --> 01:58:49,280 that 2635 01:58:53,589 --> 01:58:52,239 uniformly in this case the professor at 2636 01:58:56,149 --> 01:58:53,599 ucla 2637 01:58:57,430 --> 01:58:56,159 is kind of a loudmouth jerk who likes to 2638 01:58:59,669 --> 01:58:57,440 one-up people 2639 01:59:01,189 --> 01:58:59,679 and has a reputation for being really 2640 01:59:04,310 --> 01:59:01,199 smart 2641 01:59:05,589 --> 01:59:04,320 um which is weird because in all of his 2642 01:59:08,390 --> 01:59:05,599 interactions with me 2643 01:59:09,109 --> 01:59:08,400 he's nothing he says makes any sense at 2644 01:59:11,270 --> 01:59:09,119 all 2645 01:59:14,830 --> 01:59:11,280 but he says it are you able to say his 2646 01:59:19,830 --> 01:59:16,709 um 2647 01:59:20,870 --> 01:59:19,840 uh aggressively oh you don't understand 2648 01:59:21,430 --> 01:59:20,880 it because of this theory i'm not 2649 01:59:24,470 --> 01:59:21,440 throwing 2650 01:59:26,310 --> 01:59:24,480 that and it's only if you both know all 2651 01:59:27,350 --> 01:59:26,320 those theories and this you say wait a 2652 01:59:30,149 --> 01:59:27,360 minute 2653 01:59:32,149 --> 01:59:30,159 that is a bunch of [\h__\h] this brings 2654 01:59:33,910 --> 01:59:32,159 me to a larger problem 2655 01:59:35,430 --> 01:59:33,920 that you mentioned with regard to kovit 2656 01:59:37,510 --> 01:59:35,440 and now nasa and 2657 01:59:39,750 --> 01:59:37,520 a general cultural movement to distrust 2658 01:59:41,510 --> 01:59:39,760 mainstream science 2659 01:59:43,030 --> 01:59:41,520 well here's what's interesting is that 2660 01:59:44,070 --> 01:59:43,040 there's seems to me 2661 01:59:45,669 --> 01:59:44,080 from the outside let's say i'm 2662 01:59:46,310 --> 01:59:45,679 investigating an issue like global 2663 01:59:47,669 --> 01:59:46,320 warming 2664 01:59:49,030 --> 01:59:47,679 now obviously some people say it exists 2665 01:59:49,589 --> 01:59:49,040 some people say it doesn't exist and you 2666 01:59:52,149 --> 01:59:49,599 have your 2667 01:59:53,669 --> 01:59:52,159 your own you you seem to know the answer 2668 01:59:56,470 --> 01:59:53,679 to that because you've investigated it 2669 01:59:57,109 --> 01:59:56,480 but to me from the outside okay how does 2670 02:00:00,229 --> 01:59:57,119 one 2671 02:00:02,310 --> 02:00:00,239 go about researching a contentious issue 2672 02:00:04,149 --> 02:00:02,320 when it seems like there are incentive 2673 02:00:05,510 --> 02:00:04,159 structures on each side to either say 2674 02:00:05,910 --> 02:00:05,520 that global warming exists or doesn't 2675 02:00:07,030 --> 02:00:05,920 exist 2676 02:00:09,109 --> 02:00:07,040 or whatever the issue whether it's 2677 02:00:09,510 --> 02:00:09,119 global warming or not given that as you 2678 02:00:11,510 --> 02:00:09,520 mentioned 2679 02:00:12,709 --> 02:00:11,520 sometimes these large institutions all 2680 02:00:15,109 --> 02:00:12,719 agree on a single 2681 02:00:16,629 --> 02:00:15,119 narrative and they might be colluding or 2682 02:00:17,189 --> 02:00:16,639 they might be just ignorant or whatever 2683 02:00:19,510 --> 02:00:17,199 it may be 2684 02:00:24,550 --> 02:00:19,520 so what what are we to do as individuals 2685 02:00:27,750 --> 02:00:26,629 hey i don't have a good answer for you 2686 02:00:31,030 --> 02:00:27,760 you know we 2687 02:00:34,390 --> 02:00:31,040 we have this situation 2688 02:00:37,189 --> 02:00:34,400 that for a variety of reasons 2689 02:00:38,550 --> 02:00:37,199 there are folks that don't want to take 2690 02:00:41,830 --> 02:00:38,560 the vaccine 2691 02:00:44,149 --> 02:00:41,840 because they don't trust some element 2692 02:00:45,030 --> 02:00:44,159 of this whole thing they either say i 2693 02:00:49,109 --> 02:00:45,040 don't trust 2694 02:00:50,950 --> 02:00:49,119 we 2695 02:00:53,990 --> 02:00:50,960 develop this under record time why don't 2696 02:00:55,589 --> 02:00:54,000 they go back and do it more slowly 2697 02:00:59,109 --> 02:00:55,599 you don't [\h__\h] people are dying that's 2698 02:00:59,119 --> 02:01:03,350 and it turns out that the 2699 02:01:08,310 --> 02:01:05,750 the argument that they ought to be made 2700 02:01:10,790 --> 02:01:08,320 to them is very straightforward 2701 02:01:11,830 --> 02:01:10,800 which is current goals and speed you 2702 02:01:15,189 --> 02:01:11,840 will get 2703 02:01:16,870 --> 02:01:15,199 coven every one of us will 2704 02:01:19,350 --> 02:01:16,880 i'm not referring to coveting specific 2705 02:01:22,310 --> 02:01:19,360 i'm just well okay but here's the deal 2706 02:01:24,790 --> 02:01:22,320 every one of us will get it and for 2707 02:01:27,189 --> 02:01:24,800 almost every one of us 2708 02:01:28,229 --> 02:01:27,199 like probably every one of us getting 2709 02:01:31,189 --> 02:01:28,239 covered 2710 02:01:33,109 --> 02:01:31,199 has a higher risk threshold than the 2711 02:01:35,750 --> 02:01:33,119 worst vaccine anyone ever made in 2712 02:01:39,109 --> 02:01:37,430 so these vaccines actually seem like 2713 02:01:39,589 --> 02:01:39,119 they're the best vaccines anyone made in 2714 02:01:42,310 --> 02:01:39,599 history 2715 02:01:44,870 --> 02:01:42,320 as it turns out just out by accident but 2716 02:01:47,030 --> 02:01:44,880 even if it was the worst 2717 02:01:48,950 --> 02:01:47,040 give it a break this is like people 2718 02:01:49,350 --> 02:01:48,960 driving to the airport who are afraid 2719 02:01:51,750 --> 02:01:49,360 about 2720 02:01:52,870 --> 02:01:51,760 a plane crash because a plane they're 2721 02:01:55,350 --> 02:01:52,880 going to get on 2722 02:01:56,709 --> 02:01:55,360 but then driving the airport is vastly 2723 02:02:00,070 --> 02:01:56,719 more dangerous 2724 02:02:02,470 --> 02:02:00,080 i see okay now how you get people 2725 02:02:03,109 --> 02:02:02,480 to internalize those things and believe 2726 02:02:06,709 --> 02:02:03,119 them 2727 02:02:10,550 --> 02:02:06,719 i don't know it certainly doesn't help 2728 02:02:13,669 --> 02:02:10,560 that kovit has been politicized 2729 02:02:17,270 --> 02:02:13,679 and i mean that with both capital p 2730 02:02:20,149 --> 02:02:17,280 politics you know associated with 2731 02:02:20,870 --> 02:02:20,159 the the trump administration or the this 2732 02:02:23,910 --> 02:02:20,880 or that 2733 02:02:27,350 --> 02:02:23,920 but it also means small p politics like 2734 02:02:30,950 --> 02:02:27,360 oh let's say it's okay to golf but not 2735 02:02:34,870 --> 02:02:32,629 know these golf courses are going to be 2736 02:02:39,589 --> 02:02:34,880 really mad at us 2737 02:02:41,589 --> 02:02:39,599 it it and so you have a situation where 2738 02:02:44,790 --> 02:02:41,599 people also the scientists 2739 02:02:47,270 --> 02:02:44,800 have been groping their way 2740 02:02:49,510 --> 02:02:47,280 now the fact that they the they've 2741 02:02:53,830 --> 02:02:49,520 changed their minds 2742 02:02:59,750 --> 02:02:57,030 if you say yep i had my mind made up 2743 02:03:01,109 --> 02:02:59,760 and nothing i can see will ever change 2744 02:03:04,870 --> 02:03:01,119 my mind 2745 02:03:05,990 --> 02:03:04,880 you should not trust that man because 2746 02:03:08,070 --> 02:03:06,000 you need to have someone who's 2747 02:03:10,310 --> 02:03:08,080 constantly weighing evidence 2748 02:03:11,990 --> 02:03:10,320 and new evidence of new things can 2749 02:03:14,709 --> 02:03:12,000 change your mind 2750 02:03:15,189 --> 02:03:14,719 but we've had the unfortunate situation 2751 02:03:18,629 --> 02:03:15,199 that 2752 02:03:21,830 --> 02:03:18,639 there are a lot of people who um 2753 02:03:24,229 --> 02:03:21,840 who don't believe and and will refuse 2754 02:03:27,109 --> 02:03:24,239 the vaccine 2755 02:03:29,750 --> 02:03:27,119 now the rude thing to say is that's just 2756 02:03:32,790 --> 02:03:29,760 evolution in action 2757 02:03:33,910 --> 02:03:32,800 those people will suffer a higher rate 2758 02:03:37,830 --> 02:03:33,920 of 2759 02:03:43,430 --> 02:03:37,840 uh consequences 2760 02:03:45,990 --> 02:03:43,440 from uh covet than from the vaccine and 2761 02:03:46,550 --> 02:03:46,000 to a certain percentage we can tolerate 2762 02:03:50,310 --> 02:03:46,560 that 2763 02:03:52,149 --> 02:03:50,320 in society um 2764 02:03:53,830 --> 02:03:52,159 i say a certain percentage because of 2765 02:03:57,270 --> 02:03:53,840 that herd immunity thing because you 2766 02:04:00,629 --> 02:03:57,280 don't have to get to every last 2767 02:04:01,350 --> 02:04:00,639 person however i think when it comes to 2768 02:04:04,069 --> 02:04:01,360 stuff 2769 02:04:05,030 --> 02:04:04,079 like the anti-vaxxers that don't want 2770 02:04:09,270 --> 02:04:05,040 their children 2771 02:04:13,830 --> 02:04:12,629 it is a real danger to other kids in the 2772 02:04:21,669 --> 02:04:13,840 school 2773 02:04:23,910 --> 02:04:21,679 children of families that have someone 2774 02:04:25,990 --> 02:04:23,920 a kid in the school and so on and so 2775 02:04:27,430 --> 02:04:26,000 forth to have those kids not be 2776 02:04:30,709 --> 02:04:27,440 vaccinated 2777 02:04:33,030 --> 02:04:30,719 and it's really bad for them 2778 02:04:34,470 --> 02:04:33,040 so you know on one hand in a free 2779 02:04:38,069 --> 02:04:34,480 society you want 2780 02:04:39,589 --> 02:04:38,079 to allow people to have a certain set of 2781 02:04:41,430 --> 02:04:39,599 freedoms 2782 02:04:42,629 --> 02:04:41,440 on the other hand you don't typically 2783 02:04:44,870 --> 02:04:42,639 allow those 2784 02:04:45,669 --> 02:04:44,880 freedoms to allow a parent to kill a 2785 02:04:49,430 --> 02:04:45,679 child 2786 02:04:52,310 --> 02:04:49,440 for example which 2787 02:04:54,310 --> 02:04:52,320 that comes up in the cases where for 2788 02:04:55,350 --> 02:04:54,320 example they're refusing a medical 2789 02:04:58,470 --> 02:04:55,360 procedure 2790 02:05:02,470 --> 02:04:58,480 for religious grounds 2791 02:05:03,430 --> 02:05:02,480 and the united states canada as far as i 2792 02:05:06,870 --> 02:05:03,440 know 2793 02:05:08,790 --> 02:05:06,880 uh europe they say no at a certain 2794 02:05:09,910 --> 02:05:08,800 point the state will intervene and they 2795 02:05:13,990 --> 02:05:09,920 will try to 2796 02:05:16,950 --> 02:05:14,000 say the kids get saved because 2797 02:05:17,830 --> 02:05:16,960 we we do protect children even if their 2798 02:05:20,390 --> 02:05:17,840 parents aren't 2799 02:05:23,669 --> 02:05:20,400 just like we take children away from 2800 02:05:29,109 --> 02:05:26,470 so what do you do with people who are 2801 02:05:32,790 --> 02:05:29,119 passionately convinced about something 2802 02:05:34,790 --> 02:05:32,800 that is demonstrably wrong 2803 02:05:36,069 --> 02:05:34,800 well when that demonstrably wrong thing 2804 02:05:40,069 --> 02:05:36,079 has constant 2805 02:05:43,109 --> 02:05:40,079 he if it's a religious matter 2806 02:05:45,189 --> 02:05:43,119 i say leave it alone people can have 2807 02:05:47,030 --> 02:05:45,199 different ideas about religion 2808 02:05:48,229 --> 02:05:47,040 they can each say well my god is right 2809 02:05:52,950 --> 02:05:48,239 and that other guy's 2810 02:06:00,069 --> 02:05:56,709 let him but when it comes to things like 2811 02:06:02,950 --> 02:06:00,079 not taking a vaccine um 2812 02:06:04,950 --> 02:06:02,960 you know there will be a period this 2813 02:06:07,109 --> 02:06:04,960 spring where people start 2814 02:06:09,589 --> 02:06:07,119 needing to go back to work and we'll 2815 02:06:12,950 --> 02:06:09,599 have enough people vaccinated 2816 02:06:14,390 --> 02:06:12,960 and i think it's very reasonable to say 2817 02:06:15,589 --> 02:06:14,400 you shouldn't go back to work if you're 2818 02:06:18,629 --> 02:06:15,599 not vaccinated 2819 02:06:22,149 --> 02:06:18,639 or have proof that you had 2820 02:06:25,910 --> 02:06:22,159 coveted um but 2821 02:06:27,830 --> 02:06:25,920 that'll cause a whole bunch of people to 2822 02:06:29,669 --> 02:06:27,840 get all worked up and say oh it's civil 2823 02:06:31,270 --> 02:06:29,679 liberties and we have to allow people 2824 02:06:37,510 --> 02:06:31,280 that 2825 02:06:40,870 --> 02:06:39,109 it's a very different issue than when it 2826 02:06:43,270 --> 02:06:40,880 affects others 2827 02:06:45,030 --> 02:06:43,280 let me restate the question a bit more 2828 02:06:46,629 --> 02:06:45,040 clearly some of the many of the audience 2829 02:06:48,229 --> 02:06:46,639 members almost all of them i think are 2830 02:06:49,430 --> 02:06:48,239 extremely extremely intelligent people 2831 02:06:50,790 --> 02:06:49,440 so for them 2832 02:06:53,030 --> 02:06:50,800 they're listening forget about covid 2833 02:06:54,470 --> 02:06:53,040 forget about covid like you mentioned 2834 02:06:56,709 --> 02:06:54,480 you're also extremely extremely 2835 02:06:58,470 --> 02:06:56,719 extremely bright and 2836 02:07:00,310 --> 02:06:58,480 probably if you didn't look into the 2837 02:07:02,390 --> 02:07:00,320 research on asteroids you would have 2838 02:07:03,910 --> 02:07:02,400 maybe you would have accepted what nasa 2839 02:07:07,030 --> 02:07:03,920 had said maybe you wouldn't have 2840 02:07:08,390 --> 02:07:07,040 regardless how do you sort out i was 2841 02:07:10,310 --> 02:07:08,400 going to say signal from the noise but 2842 02:07:13,189 --> 02:07:10,320 it's almost like signal from anti-signal 2843 02:07:13,510 --> 02:07:13,199 or from contrived signal when you do 2844 02:07:15,430 --> 02:07:13,520 like 2845 02:07:17,030 --> 02:07:15,440 what do you do as a as an intelligent 2846 02:07:17,430 --> 02:07:17,040 person do you just have to dive into the 2847 02:07:19,750 --> 02:07:17,440 field 2848 02:07:20,550 --> 02:07:19,760 do you just have to trust it because you 2849 02:07:22,149 --> 02:07:20,560 can't just doubt 2850 02:07:25,270 --> 02:07:22,159 everything you have to live your life 2851 02:07:32,069 --> 02:07:28,870 living in a society is something 2852 02:07:35,109 --> 02:07:32,079 that involves a lot of trust 2853 02:07:37,270 --> 02:07:35,119 right so it to live in a civil society 2854 02:07:39,189 --> 02:07:37,280 you have to have a certain degree of 2855 02:07:41,430 --> 02:07:39,199 trust that everyone else is going to 2856 02:07:44,950 --> 02:07:41,440 live up to their obligations 2857 02:07:46,709 --> 02:07:44,960 more or less and you know that if they 2858 02:07:49,030 --> 02:07:46,719 don't you have some recourse 2859 02:07:51,350 --> 02:07:49,040 you can call the police so you can 2860 02:07:55,109 --> 02:07:51,360 complain in some fashion 2861 02:07:59,189 --> 02:07:55,119 um but it yeah 2862 02:08:02,470 --> 02:07:59,199 you have to trust in the case of physics 2863 02:08:05,189 --> 02:08:02,480 you have to trust what 2864 02:08:07,189 --> 02:08:05,199 generations of physicists have produced 2865 02:08:09,109 --> 02:08:07,199 and that the scientific method and the 2866 02:08:10,069 --> 02:08:09,119 people looking at things and really 2867 02:08:13,189 --> 02:08:10,079 looking at things 2868 02:08:15,270 --> 02:08:13,199 and being critical of them including 2869 02:08:16,629 --> 02:08:15,280 publishing my papers things other stuff 2870 02:08:19,270 --> 02:08:16,639 is [\h__\h] 2871 02:08:20,550 --> 02:08:19,280 that that process will get us to the 2872 02:08:23,589 --> 02:08:20,560 right answer 2873 02:08:25,990 --> 02:08:23,599 most of the time and i think most of the 2874 02:08:29,350 --> 02:08:26,000 time it does 2875 02:08:32,470 --> 02:08:29,360 you know there certainly are examples 2876 02:08:36,069 --> 02:08:32,480 of uh fields or 2877 02:08:40,069 --> 02:08:36,079 particularly politicized fields 2878 02:08:43,270 --> 02:08:40,079 that i think it is much more difficult 2879 02:08:46,870 --> 02:08:43,280 you know certainly global warming 2880 02:08:50,629 --> 02:08:46,880 has gotten that way it is a politicized 2881 02:08:53,990 --> 02:08:50,639 field in that lots of politicians 2882 02:08:57,430 --> 02:08:54,000 or people on the street will have 2883 02:08:58,629 --> 02:08:57,440 very strong opinions that have nothing 2884 02:09:03,350 --> 02:08:58,639 to do with actual 2885 02:09:05,189 --> 02:09:03,360 science they will have to do with 2886 02:09:08,310 --> 02:09:05,199 you know the consequences on that on 2887 02:09:11,510 --> 02:09:08,320 their industry or 2888 02:09:16,870 --> 02:09:11,520 their ideology or some other set 2889 02:09:18,870 --> 02:09:16,880 of stuff that makes it more difficult 2890 02:09:20,870 --> 02:09:18,880 you find the same thing is true with 2891 02:09:27,430 --> 02:09:20,880 nutrition 2892 02:09:30,470 --> 02:09:27,440 uh has unfortunately 2893 02:09:34,149 --> 02:09:30,480 failed us broadly 2894 02:09:35,510 --> 02:09:34,159 you know it went on a jihad against fat 2895 02:09:37,430 --> 02:09:35,520 we should get rid of fat which 2896 02:09:40,229 --> 02:09:37,440 everything be low fat 2897 02:09:41,830 --> 02:09:40,239 and during the decades that we went on 2898 02:09:45,030 --> 02:09:41,840 the low fat 2899 02:09:47,589 --> 02:09:45,040 uh approach yeah the 2900 02:09:49,270 --> 02:09:47,599 obesity rate has gone up the rate of 2901 02:09:52,229 --> 02:09:49,280 ingestion of 2902 02:09:53,910 --> 02:09:52,239 uh i mean all the bad things they said 2903 02:09:57,189 --> 02:09:53,920 would go down have gone up 2904 02:10:00,390 --> 02:09:57,199 right right and in that case it's 2905 02:10:03,589 --> 02:10:00,400 probably based on 2906 02:10:09,350 --> 02:10:03,599 just some fundamental bad work 2907 02:10:12,790 --> 02:10:09,360 in the 1950s and 60s that got propagated 2908 02:10:17,109 --> 02:10:12,800 um and the fact that 2909 02:10:21,270 --> 02:10:17,119 there are people who make their money 2910 02:10:24,550 --> 02:10:21,280 either as you know commercial food 2911 02:10:25,109 --> 02:10:24,560 sellers or sellers of junk foods and so 2912 02:10:27,990 --> 02:10:25,119 forth 2913 02:10:29,430 --> 02:10:28,000 or people who are health food advocates 2914 02:10:32,550 --> 02:10:29,440 on the other side 2915 02:10:36,470 --> 02:10:32,560 helps to politicize with a small pee 2916 02:10:40,870 --> 02:10:36,480 this issue right so we have this huge 2917 02:10:44,229 --> 02:10:40,880 movement uh against gluten 2918 02:10:47,589 --> 02:10:44,239 and there is no good science 2919 02:10:50,149 --> 02:10:47,599 in support of it there are 2920 02:10:51,430 --> 02:10:50,159 people who shouldn't eat gluten because 2921 02:10:55,189 --> 02:10:51,440 they have 2922 02:10:59,270 --> 02:10:55,199 a very sp specific thing but 2923 02:11:03,189 --> 02:10:59,280 the overwhelming majority don't well 2924 02:11:06,910 --> 02:11:03,199 well the the trend has become oh 2925 02:11:11,430 --> 02:11:06,920 read a couple of websites and then 2926 02:11:14,629 --> 02:11:11,440 self-diagnose that you need this 2927 02:11:16,470 --> 02:11:14,639 and then uh eat a whole a diet 2928 02:11:18,069 --> 02:11:16,480 that has all kinds of other [\h__\h] in it 2929 02:11:21,510 --> 02:11:18,079 that is much less 2930 02:11:23,109 --> 02:11:21,520 tested than gluten one of the beautiful 2931 02:11:23,990 --> 02:11:23,119 aspects of your book modernist cuisine 2932 02:11:25,510 --> 02:11:24,000 when i first read it 2933 02:11:26,950 --> 02:11:25,520 and by the way i think i went to the u 2934 02:11:27,669 --> 02:11:26,960 of t library the first day that it 2935 02:11:29,109 --> 02:11:27,679 ordered it 2936 02:11:30,629 --> 02:11:29,119 because i was so excited to read it but 2937 02:11:31,750 --> 02:11:30,639 it was a huge book and i couldn't afford 2938 02:11:33,510 --> 02:11:31,760 it at the time 2939 02:11:35,589 --> 02:11:33,520 was in the first chapter i believe you 2940 02:11:37,669 --> 02:11:35,599 dispel some of the myths some 2941 02:11:39,589 --> 02:11:37,679 extremely ingrained myths so for example 2942 02:11:40,790 --> 02:11:39,599 with butter versus margarine and i 2943 02:11:41,750 --> 02:11:40,800 didn't know that at the time okay that 2944 02:11:43,109 --> 02:11:41,760 butter is much 2945 02:11:44,950 --> 02:11:43,119 healthier for you it seems to be 2946 02:11:45,830 --> 02:11:44,960 something that we all seem to take for 2947 02:11:48,550 --> 02:11:45,840 granted now but 2948 02:11:49,189 --> 02:11:48,560 for 50 years or so that wasn't the case 2949 02:11:51,030 --> 02:11:49,199 also 2950 02:11:53,750 --> 02:11:51,040 i think you mentioned that bacon has 2951 02:11:56,470 --> 02:11:53,760 olic acid is oleic acid or olic acid 2952 02:11:58,229 --> 02:11:56,480 compared to all much at a higher 2953 02:12:01,830 --> 02:11:58,239 percentage than all this one 2954 02:12:03,910 --> 02:12:01,840 thing where it got to be trendy for 2955 02:12:06,629 --> 02:12:03,920 people to say that 2956 02:12:08,390 --> 02:12:06,639 there were protective features in olive 2957 02:12:13,109 --> 02:12:08,400 oil 2958 02:12:15,709 --> 02:12:13,119 based on very skimpy amounts of studies 2959 02:12:17,350 --> 02:12:15,719 you know a huge problem with nutritional 2960 02:12:19,589 --> 02:12:17,360 epidemiology 2961 02:12:20,709 --> 02:12:19,599 is that it's extremely difficult and 2962 02:12:23,430 --> 02:12:20,719 expensive 2963 02:12:24,550 --> 02:12:23,440 to do the kind of study you need to do 2964 02:12:27,750 --> 02:12:24,560 where you study 2965 02:12:29,669 --> 02:12:27,760 people and outcomes over a 20 or 25 year 2966 02:12:33,109 --> 02:12:29,679 period 2967 02:12:37,030 --> 02:12:33,119 so instead people would fixate 2968 02:12:38,709 --> 02:12:37,040 on a proxy measurement so they said oh 2969 02:12:40,069 --> 02:12:38,719 cholesterol is bad for you 2970 02:12:41,910 --> 02:12:40,079 so we'll measure cholesterol if your 2971 02:12:44,069 --> 02:12:41,920 cholesterol goes up then we know that's 2972 02:12:45,830 --> 02:12:44,079 bad for you 2973 02:12:47,270 --> 02:12:45,840 well then it later turns out well 2974 02:12:49,109 --> 02:12:47,280 actually there's good cholesterol 2975 02:12:51,990 --> 02:12:49,119 there's bad cholesterol 2976 02:12:53,430 --> 02:12:52,000 and then it turns out oops dietary 2977 02:12:57,669 --> 02:12:53,440 cholesterol 2978 02:13:01,669 --> 02:12:59,589 um just for the people listening that 2979 02:13:03,109 --> 02:13:01,679 means you can ingest cholesterol such as 2980 02:13:04,550 --> 02:13:03,119 an eggs and it doesn't raise your blood 2981 02:13:08,709 --> 02:13:04,560 cholesterol 2982 02:13:11,669 --> 02:13:08,719 well in particular there are 2983 02:13:12,550 --> 02:13:11,679 the the kind of cholesterol that you 2984 02:13:16,229 --> 02:13:12,560 would worry about 2985 02:13:19,109 --> 02:13:16,239 in a cardiac situation is manufactured 2986 02:13:25,669 --> 02:13:22,149 and so the dietary thing isn't 2987 02:13:27,189 --> 02:13:25,679 really a factor i see i see now that is 2988 02:13:31,350 --> 02:13:27,199 such 2989 02:13:33,750 --> 02:13:31,360 and of course when these things came out 2990 02:13:35,030 --> 02:13:33,760 did people come and say oh you know 2991 02:13:39,270 --> 02:13:35,040 something 2992 02:13:42,709 --> 02:13:39,280 we were wrong we [\h__\h] up we were wrong 2993 02:13:45,430 --> 02:13:42,719 we're sorry nope 2994 02:13:47,030 --> 02:13:45,440 most of this so most people still think 2995 02:13:50,950 --> 02:13:47,040 cholesterol 2996 02:13:53,350 --> 02:13:50,960 counts thing they kind of know there's a 2997 02:13:57,430 --> 02:13:53,360 good and a bad kind now 2998 02:14:00,149 --> 02:13:57,440 but the butter thing you mentioned 2999 02:14:01,589 --> 02:14:00,159 in one of the few really long term 3000 02:14:02,709 --> 02:14:01,599 really good stuff something called the 3001 02:14:06,310 --> 02:14:02,719 nurses study 3002 02:14:09,030 --> 02:14:06,320 over 25 years they awarded that now 3003 02:14:10,310 --> 02:14:09,040 they followed the health of 25 000 3004 02:14:12,069 --> 02:14:10,320 nurses 3005 02:14:13,830 --> 02:14:12,079 they found that the people who ate 3006 02:14:16,870 --> 02:14:13,840 margarine 3007 02:14:17,669 --> 02:14:16,880 had double the cardiac uh problem rate 3008 02:14:22,069 --> 02:14:17,679 and death rate 3009 02:14:23,589 --> 02:14:22,079 of people who ate butter which means 3010 02:14:25,109 --> 02:14:23,599 there's a whole lot of health food 3011 02:14:28,229 --> 02:14:25,119 advocates 3012 02:14:30,550 --> 02:14:28,239 that killed people straight up 3013 02:14:32,229 --> 02:14:30,560 they went out there recommending 3014 02:14:35,430 --> 02:14:32,239 margarine 3015 02:14:39,910 --> 02:14:35,440 time 3016 02:14:42,709 --> 02:14:39,920 was was what we now call a trans fat 3017 02:14:43,910 --> 02:14:42,719 but they had it so in their heads that 3018 02:14:47,310 --> 02:14:43,920 um 3019 02:14:52,470 --> 02:14:47,320 saturated fats were bad and this was a 3020 02:14:58,069 --> 02:14:56,069 and that little surmise 3021 02:15:00,069 --> 02:14:58,079 was dead wrong in fact trans fats 3022 02:15:01,669 --> 02:15:00,079 actually are bad literally dead wrong 3023 02:15:04,470 --> 02:15:01,679 right literally dead wrong it literally 3024 02:15:09,030 --> 02:15:04,480 killed lots of people 3025 02:15:09,430 --> 02:15:09,040 um and so when you have situations like 3026 02:15:12,470 --> 02:15:09,440 that 3027 02:15:12,950 --> 02:15:12,480 or some of the other absurd things to 3028 02:15:15,030 --> 02:15:12,960 come 3029 02:15:19,589 --> 02:15:15,040 bring it back to gofet you know the 3030 02:15:19,599 --> 02:15:23,910 that was an absurd thing 3031 02:15:27,350 --> 02:15:26,069 telling people who have a fever to stay 3032 02:15:30,629 --> 02:15:27,360 inside 3033 02:15:32,149 --> 02:15:30,639 makes tons of sense yep 3034 02:15:33,990 --> 02:15:32,159 what's absurd about taking someone's 3035 02:15:34,550 --> 02:15:34,000 temperature as you enter a store let's 3036 02:15:37,189 --> 02:15:34,560 see 3037 02:15:37,750 --> 02:15:37,199 hood there's a set of things that you 3038 02:15:42,149 --> 02:15:37,760 often 3039 02:15:49,510 --> 02:15:45,990 uh this sort of situation that i call 3040 02:15:57,350 --> 02:15:53,430 so lots of religions 3041 02:16:00,950 --> 02:15:57,360 have a thing on purification 3042 02:16:03,910 --> 02:16:00,960 that stuff gets to be dirty 3043 02:16:06,950 --> 02:16:03,920 in god's eyes somehow and then you have 3044 02:16:11,510 --> 02:16:06,960 to purify it with a ritual 3045 02:16:13,910 --> 02:16:11,520 and there's a controversial theory by 3046 02:16:15,589 --> 02:16:13,920 an anthropologist named robert uh 3047 02:16:18,629 --> 02:16:15,599 sapolsky 3048 02:16:21,830 --> 02:16:18,639 that says the reason religions 3049 02:16:22,709 --> 02:16:21,840 all have purification rituals is that 3050 02:16:27,109 --> 02:16:22,719 eventually 3051 02:16:31,270 --> 02:16:27,119 they get a priest who has ocd 3052 02:16:34,669 --> 02:16:31,280 and that priest's ocd winds up 3053 02:16:38,150 --> 02:16:34,679 being manifest in them writing lots of 3054 02:16:39,429 --> 02:16:38,160 purification rituals now i don't know if 3055 02:16:42,070 --> 02:16:39,439 that's really true 3056 02:16:42,790 --> 02:16:42,080 right i'm going to be talking to robert 3057 02:16:44,389 --> 02:16:42,800 at some point 3058 02:16:48,790 --> 02:16:44,399 i don't i have some issues with that but 3059 02:16:55,750 --> 02:16:52,150 the idea that you would empower 3060 02:16:58,870 --> 02:16:55,760 the nation's waitresses and sales clerks 3061 02:17:00,870 --> 02:16:58,880 to all go and take your temperature 3062 02:17:03,349 --> 02:17:00,880 and oh what are you supposed to do if 3063 02:17:05,429 --> 02:17:03,359 the person has the fever 3064 02:17:07,030 --> 02:17:05,439 are you in a hazmat suit when you're 3065 02:17:10,469 --> 02:17:07,040 doing this 3066 02:17:17,270 --> 02:17:14,549 and it's well-meaning 3067 02:17:18,950 --> 02:17:17,280 but it's something that i think if you 3068 02:17:23,110 --> 02:17:18,960 looked at the amount of effort 3069 02:17:26,309 --> 02:17:23,120 that it caused versus 3070 02:17:29,589 --> 02:17:26,319 the uh the you know 3071 02:17:30,950 --> 02:17:29,599 the cost benefit basically how much 3072 02:17:31,429 --> 02:17:30,960 heart would it cause for how much 3073 02:17:33,270 --> 02:17:31,439 benefit 3074 02:17:34,549 --> 02:17:33,280 so like at our company i said [\h__\h] 3075 02:17:35,910 --> 02:17:34,559 we're not going to have some poor 3076 02:17:39,030 --> 02:17:35,920 employee 3077 02:17:41,830 --> 02:17:39,040 who has to go up and down a line and 3078 02:17:43,669 --> 02:17:41,840 do this and expose themselves they're 3079 02:17:47,509 --> 02:17:43,679 the ones that'll get it 3080 02:17:49,990 --> 02:17:47,519 yep why did we do that 3081 02:17:51,589 --> 02:17:50,000 yeah you know another thing is they said 3082 02:17:55,030 --> 02:17:51,599 oh you have to have everyone enter 3083 02:17:57,830 --> 02:17:55,040 in the same entrance so that you 3084 02:17:59,349 --> 02:17:57,840 can you know count them all and you can 3085 02:18:03,270 --> 02:17:59,359 know exactly how many people are in the 3086 02:18:09,349 --> 02:18:07,509 why well what if we have to contact 3087 02:18:13,190 --> 02:18:09,359 trace 3088 02:18:16,309 --> 02:18:13,200 and i said well we'll ask the people 3089 02:18:16,709 --> 02:18:16,319 i mean it turns out at my company and i 3090 02:18:19,830 --> 02:18:16,719 think 3091 02:18:21,190 --> 02:18:19,840 almost every company you don't act every 3092 02:18:24,870 --> 02:18:21,200 minute of the day 3093 02:18:28,469 --> 02:18:24,880 like you can't trust the people there 3094 02:18:31,589 --> 02:18:28,479 to do even the simplest thing 3095 02:18:34,070 --> 02:18:31,599 um you know if in fact they came into 3096 02:18:36,150 --> 02:18:34,080 the office on a particular day 3097 02:18:38,070 --> 02:18:36,160 well you'd know that regardless of which 3098 02:18:41,270 --> 02:18:38,080 entrance they came into because the 3099 02:18:42,629 --> 02:18:41,280 card key system does it so you can all 3100 02:18:45,110 --> 02:18:42,639 you can email everyone who's in the 3101 02:18:46,790 --> 02:18:45,120 building so if there was a contagion 3102 02:18:47,509 --> 02:18:46,800 event you would email them then you can 3103 02:18:50,070 --> 02:18:47,519 ask them 3104 02:18:51,429 --> 02:18:50,080 hey were you near george that day 3105 02:18:53,910 --> 02:18:51,439 because it turns out george came down 3106 02:18:57,190 --> 02:18:53,920 with coven 3107 02:18:58,950 --> 02:18:57,200 but there's always this oh let's lock 3108 02:19:02,389 --> 02:18:58,960 everything down 3109 02:19:08,870 --> 02:19:05,990 it would be a difficult calculation 3110 02:19:11,830 --> 02:19:08,880 to do but if you said okay what is 3111 02:19:14,950 --> 02:19:13,910 picking some set of people to be the 3112 02:19:19,270 --> 02:19:14,960 poor 3113 02:19:26,549 --> 02:19:22,389 with the temperature gun and 3114 02:19:29,110 --> 02:19:26,559 how many people did you really turn away 3115 02:19:30,150 --> 02:19:29,120 and therefore if you know how many you 3116 02:19:31,830 --> 02:19:30,160 turned away 3117 02:19:34,469 --> 02:19:31,840 what what did this really do for the 3118 02:19:37,669 --> 02:19:34,479 epidemic overall 3119 02:19:41,190 --> 02:19:37,679 now in a perfect world i don't doubt you 3120 02:19:44,469 --> 02:19:41,200 should stop those people from coming in 3121 02:19:47,589 --> 02:19:44,479 and in japan 3122 02:19:49,110 --> 02:19:47,599 when you go into customs man you're they 3123 02:19:51,910 --> 02:19:49,120 have all of these signs 3124 02:19:54,070 --> 02:19:51,920 and monitors up and it's zeroing in and 3125 02:19:56,230 --> 02:19:54,080 automatically taking your temperature 3126 02:19:57,750 --> 02:19:56,240 for everybody in the room and okay that 3127 02:19:59,830 --> 02:19:57,760 makes some sense 3128 02:20:01,429 --> 02:19:59,840 if you found somebody came coming in 3129 02:20:05,110 --> 02:20:01,439 with a horrible 3130 02:20:07,349 --> 02:20:05,120 fever you could then decide 3131 02:20:08,389 --> 02:20:07,359 to do something quarantine them for a 3132 02:20:10,710 --> 02:20:08,399 little bit 3133 02:20:12,070 --> 02:20:10,720 but of course what you can do with all 3134 02:20:13,030 --> 02:20:12,080 the people that happen to be standing 3135 02:20:15,910 --> 02:20:13,040 next to them 3136 02:20:17,030 --> 02:20:15,920 or run the flight with them or whatever 3137 02:20:19,190 --> 02:20:17,040 even then 3138 02:20:21,190 --> 02:20:19,200 it i don't think the japanese have fully 3139 02:20:24,309 --> 02:20:21,200 thought it through 3140 02:20:29,750 --> 02:20:24,319 because if that person really is 3141 02:20:32,550 --> 02:20:29,760 the um start of a terrible epidemic 3142 02:20:33,510 --> 02:20:32,560 because whenever you detected the fever 3143 02:20:37,110 --> 02:20:33,520 you'd have to like 3144 02:20:40,230 --> 02:20:37,120 stop the everything 3145 02:20:42,870 --> 02:20:40,240 you know have you know little tubes come 3146 02:20:46,150 --> 02:20:42,880 down from the ceiling and seal everyone 3147 02:20:48,150 --> 02:20:46,160 off separately it it would be really 3148 02:20:49,670 --> 02:20:48,160 very difficult 3149 02:20:51,110 --> 02:20:49,680 when i first heard about you i remember 3150 02:20:52,309 --> 02:20:51,120 you were talking about as could have 3151 02:20:53,670 --> 02:20:52,319 been a freakonomics you were talking 3152 02:20:55,750 --> 02:20:53,680 about a way of solving 3153 02:20:57,110 --> 02:20:55,760 global warming with geoengineering and i 3154 02:20:58,630 --> 02:20:57,120 remember being intrigued because you 3155 02:21:00,309 --> 02:20:58,640 said it requires something like a few 3156 02:21:01,990 --> 02:21:00,319 million dollars or maybe a few billion 3157 02:21:03,670 --> 02:21:02,000 but that's still relatively low 3158 02:21:05,750 --> 02:21:03,680 and you raise some balloons and you have 3159 02:21:06,469 --> 02:21:05,760 a tube that emits sulfur dioxide i 3160 02:21:09,830 --> 02:21:06,479 believe 3161 02:21:13,190 --> 02:21:09,840 okay that sounds like a an extremely 3162 02:21:16,510 --> 02:21:13,200 inventive and simple idea why 3163 02:21:19,190 --> 02:21:16,520 don't i hear much talk about 3164 02:21:21,429 --> 02:21:19,200 geoengineering solutions to the problem 3165 02:21:22,790 --> 02:21:21,439 of global warming 3166 02:21:25,349 --> 02:21:22,800 what are the problems with them in 3167 02:21:28,950 --> 02:21:27,030 oh let me explain where i'm coming from 3168 02:21:29,510 --> 02:21:28,960 because i see that we should get to zero 3169 02:21:32,230 --> 02:21:29,520 emissions 3170 02:21:33,590 --> 02:21:32,240 in carbon but then even if the carbon 3171 02:21:34,790 --> 02:21:33,600 that's in our atmosphere stays there 3172 02:21:36,630 --> 02:21:34,800 that's still going to cause a certain 3173 02:21:39,670 --> 02:21:36,640 amount of problems over time 3174 02:21:40,070 --> 02:21:39,680 which means that something else needs to 3175 02:21:44,630 --> 02:21:40,080 be done 3176 02:21:47,270 --> 02:21:44,640 anyway of course of course 3177 02:21:48,870 --> 02:21:47,280 it's is it political like what's going 3178 02:21:50,790 --> 02:21:48,880 on yes it's political 3179 02:21:52,309 --> 02:21:50,800 it's well first of all it's political 3180 02:21:54,070 --> 02:21:52,319 within the scientific community the 3181 02:21:58,389 --> 02:21:54,080 scientific community itself 3182 02:22:03,190 --> 02:21:58,399 has become very polarized 3183 02:22:07,590 --> 02:22:03,200 that the people who study global warming 3184 02:22:09,670 --> 02:22:07,600 uh got very 3185 02:22:10,790 --> 02:22:09,680 tight they kept saying oh this is a 3186 02:22:13,750 --> 02:22:10,800 problem 3187 02:22:14,389 --> 02:22:13,760 why look here thinking wow here's the 3188 02:22:17,110 --> 02:22:14,399 thing 3189 02:22:21,429 --> 02:22:17,120 if i show you this evidence society will 3190 02:22:24,630 --> 02:22:23,670 and no matter what they showed society 3191 02:22:28,630 --> 02:22:24,640 didn't 3192 02:22:32,150 --> 02:22:28,640 listen to them well that's caused 3193 02:22:38,710 --> 02:22:35,510 there are lots of scientists in 3194 02:22:41,030 --> 02:22:38,720 the field who are very leery 3195 02:22:43,190 --> 02:22:41,040 about publishing anything or doing any 3196 02:22:46,790 --> 02:22:43,200 research on global warming 3197 02:22:49,990 --> 02:22:46,800 because their fear their their 3198 02:22:54,150 --> 02:22:50,000 friends will chastise it as being some 3199 02:22:55,910 --> 02:22:54,160 form of accommodation to the other side 3200 02:22:57,510 --> 02:22:55,920 okay and what do you say other side 3201 02:23:00,389 --> 02:22:57,520 stupid what do you think 3202 02:23:00,870 --> 02:23:00,399 is stupid and it's counterproductive 3203 02:23:04,790 --> 02:23:00,880 well 3204 02:23:08,070 --> 02:23:04,800 then there's the there's a lot of 3205 02:23:11,510 --> 02:23:08,080 global warming activists or climate 3206 02:23:15,349 --> 02:23:13,910 and they think that the global warming 3207 02:23:18,790 --> 02:23:15,359 problem is very much 3208 02:23:21,830 --> 02:23:18,800 like a children's book that i read as 3209 02:23:23,990 --> 02:23:21,840 a as a little kid it's called the little 3210 02:23:25,910 --> 02:23:24,000 engine that could 3211 02:23:27,910 --> 02:23:25,920 there's not this little end a little 3212 02:23:30,950 --> 02:23:27,920 steam engine 3213 02:23:32,790 --> 02:23:30,960 and it needs to take this 3214 02:23:35,030 --> 02:23:32,800 stuff over the mountain and all the big 3215 02:23:37,990 --> 02:23:35,040 engines are scared to do it 3216 02:23:39,910 --> 02:23:38,000 and the little engine says i'll try and 3217 02:23:41,990 --> 02:23:39,920 then it says i think i can i think i can 3218 02:23:45,990 --> 02:23:42,000 i think i can 3219 02:23:49,349 --> 02:23:46,000 well a lot of people in the 3220 02:23:52,230 --> 02:23:49,359 uh global warming world 3221 02:23:54,710 --> 02:23:52,240 are like that they think look we know 3222 02:23:58,070 --> 02:23:54,720 exactly what to do 3223 02:24:01,510 --> 02:23:58,080 we have the technology it's easy 3224 02:24:04,389 --> 02:24:01,520 we're just a bunch of 3225 02:24:06,150 --> 02:24:04,399 you know fat [\h__\h] that are addicted to 3226 02:24:09,590 --> 02:24:06,160 our suvs 3227 02:24:11,270 --> 02:24:09,600 and is as soon as we just all do the 3228 02:24:17,750 --> 02:24:11,280 right thing 3229 02:24:21,590 --> 02:24:20,469 and and then if you come up with global 3230 02:24:25,270 --> 02:24:21,600 warming 3231 02:24:28,469 --> 02:24:25,280 then those very people will then 3232 02:24:30,550 --> 02:24:28,479 say you shut up 3233 02:24:32,870 --> 02:24:30,560 we're trying to convince society we're 3234 02:24:34,790 --> 02:24:32,880 probably we're trying to tell society 3235 02:24:36,950 --> 02:24:34,800 i think we can i think we can we'll try 3236 02:24:38,469 --> 02:24:36,960 to be positive here 3237 02:24:40,150 --> 02:24:38,479 and the minute you say you have a 3238 02:24:43,830 --> 02:24:40,160 different solution 3239 02:24:45,670 --> 02:24:43,840 it lets the air out of the balloon 3240 02:24:47,830 --> 02:24:45,680 we need to threaten these people that 3241 02:24:51,510 --> 02:24:47,840 there's no other way to save earth 3242 02:24:55,030 --> 02:24:51,520 otherwise they won't listen to us mm-hmm 3243 02:24:57,750 --> 02:24:55,040 so i say in response i say 3244 02:25:00,950 --> 02:24:57,760 okay show me how much progress we've 3245 02:25:07,910 --> 02:25:04,710 well we have made any progress 3246 02:25:09,110 --> 02:25:07,920 well okay suppose we did the full paris 3247 02:25:12,870 --> 02:25:09,120 accord 3248 02:25:14,389 --> 02:25:12,880 well everyone knows that is [\h__\h] 3249 02:25:16,469 --> 02:25:14,399 and of course then i did the 3250 02:25:19,910 --> 02:25:16,479 calculations for myself 3251 02:25:22,790 --> 02:25:19,920 if there was no 3252 02:25:23,990 --> 02:25:22,800 more emission tomorrow we stopped it 3253 02:25:27,830 --> 02:25:24,000 which there's no way we can do 3254 02:25:31,110 --> 02:25:27,840 it right right right but the temperature 3255 02:25:34,710 --> 02:25:31,120 would continue to rise for about 3256 02:25:42,070 --> 02:25:38,309 then it would start to slowly decrease 3257 02:25:44,389 --> 02:25:42,080 individual model in 145 3258 02:25:47,349 --> 02:25:44,399 years the temperature would be less than 3259 02:25:53,349 --> 02:25:50,950 so now i ask you is the is global 3260 02:25:56,389 --> 02:25:53,359 warming 3261 02:25:59,750 --> 02:25:56,399 a serious problem or not 3262 02:26:04,230 --> 02:25:59,760 and it's very funny to me because 3263 02:26:08,070 --> 02:26:04,240 if you if you talk to people who deny 3264 02:26:09,750 --> 02:26:08,080 the existence of global warming 3265 02:26:12,469 --> 02:26:09,760 there's a set of people that say listen 3266 02:26:14,870 --> 02:26:12,479 to the science 3267 02:26:16,710 --> 02:26:14,880 but then if you say okay tell me a 3268 02:26:20,150 --> 02:26:16,720 credible plan 3269 02:26:23,190 --> 02:26:20,160 for actually getting to zero emissions 3270 02:26:26,550 --> 02:26:23,200 and not having a disaster 3271 02:26:29,830 --> 02:26:26,560 according to you well 3272 02:26:33,030 --> 02:26:29,840 they can't but they also don't want you 3273 02:26:33,590 --> 02:26:33,040 to let that cat out of the bag hey shut 3274 02:26:37,910 --> 02:26:33,600 up 3275 02:26:39,750 --> 02:26:37,920 we'll get we'll get some level of 3276 02:26:41,670 --> 02:26:39,760 compliance now and then we'll we'll get 3277 02:26:45,110 --> 02:26:41,680 a little more in the future 3278 02:26:46,630 --> 02:26:45,120 and if we like told people the truth the 3279 02:26:49,030 --> 02:26:46,640 the ones that are honest will say if we 3280 02:26:53,030 --> 02:26:49,040 told people the truth 3281 02:26:56,469 --> 02:26:53,040 they would be too um afraid 3282 02:26:56,950 --> 02:26:56,479 well that's [\h__\h] and lying to people 3283 02:26:58,950 --> 02:26:56,960 just 3284 02:27:00,830 --> 02:26:58,960 doesn't help the situation that's why no 3285 02:27:03,429 --> 02:27:00,840 one has believed this 3286 02:27:05,110 --> 02:27:03,439 right so 3287 02:27:07,830 --> 02:27:05,120 anyway so to those people i say we'll 3288 02:27:09,349 --> 02:27:07,840 listen to the science 3289 02:27:11,110 --> 02:27:09,359 because the science is actually very 3290 02:27:14,550 --> 02:27:11,120 very clear 3291 02:27:17,110 --> 02:27:14,560 that we don't have any natural way 3292 02:27:18,870 --> 02:27:17,120 to take co2 out of the atmosphere 3293 02:27:21,750 --> 02:27:18,880 quickly 3294 02:27:23,590 --> 02:27:21,760 and the science is very clear that at 3295 02:27:26,070 --> 02:27:23,600 any point in time 3296 02:27:30,070 --> 02:27:26,080 we have another 100 years of warming 3297 02:27:32,710 --> 02:27:30,080 that's already baked in the cake 3298 02:27:33,510 --> 02:27:32,720 so if you think that 100 years of 3299 02:27:35,349 --> 02:27:33,520 warming 3300 02:27:36,790 --> 02:27:35,359 and sorry that 100 years how much of an 3301 02:27:38,950 --> 02:27:36,800 increment is it 3302 02:27:40,550 --> 02:27:38,960 a couple degrees and that's 3303 02:27:42,230 --> 02:27:40,560 significantly for sure because different 3304 02:27:46,550 --> 02:27:42,240 models will say different things but 3305 02:27:47,030 --> 02:27:46,560 okay it you'll get people to say we 3306 02:27:49,590 --> 02:27:47,040 can't 3307 02:27:50,710 --> 02:27:49,600 possibly allow another one more degrees 3308 02:27:52,469 --> 02:27:50,720 c 3309 02:27:53,990 --> 02:27:52,479 mm-hmm but it's going to happen 3310 02:27:54,950 --> 02:27:54,000 regardless that's three degrees c no 3311 02:27:57,270 --> 02:27:54,960 matter what 3312 02:27:58,550 --> 02:27:57,280 yes yes yes number one number two if you 3313 02:28:01,750 --> 02:27:58,560 think 3314 02:28:05,030 --> 02:28:01,760 it's bad if your proposition 3315 02:28:08,469 --> 02:28:05,040 is that three degrees c will 3316 02:28:10,230 --> 02:28:08,479 you know unleash hell on earth well 3317 02:28:11,990 --> 02:28:10,240 let's start working on it because it's 3318 02:28:15,190 --> 02:28:12,000 common no matter what 3319 02:28:16,870 --> 02:28:15,200 we do okay so this seems to me like 3320 02:28:18,150 --> 02:28:16,880 people who are on the side that say well 3321 02:28:19,510 --> 02:28:18,160 let's just get to zero emissions and 3322 02:28:19,990 --> 02:28:19,520 that should solve it that they don't 3323 02:28:21,429 --> 02:28:20,000 actually 3324 02:28:22,630 --> 02:28:21,439 care about the saving of the earth 3325 02:28:24,150 --> 02:28:22,640 because if they did they would pursue 3326 02:28:24,630 --> 02:28:24,160 some of the geoengineering solutions as 3327 02:28:26,150 --> 02:28:24,640 well 3328 02:28:27,670 --> 02:28:26,160 so what is it that they care about do 3329 02:28:29,349 --> 02:28:27,680 they just dislike capitalism they 3330 02:28:32,469 --> 02:28:29,359 dislike the fact that we in the west 3331 02:28:33,830 --> 02:28:32,479 okay there's definitely people like that 3332 02:28:36,469 --> 02:28:33,840 and then there's definitely people who 3333 02:28:39,190 --> 02:28:36,479 are not like that you know when 3334 02:28:43,110 --> 02:28:39,200 you to people who are true 3335 02:28:44,469 --> 02:28:43,120 environmentalists or conservationists 3336 02:28:47,349 --> 02:28:44,479 they'll say what you mean we can 3337 02:28:53,510 --> 02:28:47,359 actually avoid destroying earth 3338 02:28:56,870 --> 02:28:55,750 the people who are the ones that are 3339 02:28:58,630 --> 02:28:56,880 most against it 3340 02:29:01,429 --> 02:28:58,640 i think are the ones that view this 3341 02:29:04,469 --> 02:29:01,439 mostly as a political struggle 3342 02:29:07,510 --> 02:29:04,479 and as something of a struggle 3343 02:29:09,429 --> 02:29:07,520 of capitalism versus 3344 02:29:10,630 --> 02:29:09,439 something they don't really propose an 3345 02:29:13,910 --> 02:29:10,640 alternative right 3346 02:29:17,270 --> 02:29:13,920 right but uh for those people 3347 02:29:18,150 --> 02:29:17,280 they would say hey you capitalist greedy 3348 02:29:21,429 --> 02:29:18,160 bastards 3349 02:29:25,910 --> 02:29:21,439 sinned against the environment this is 3350 02:29:28,070 --> 02:29:25,920 your fire and brimstone just cause 3351 02:29:30,230 --> 02:29:28,080 and don't go telling people you can make 3352 02:29:33,349 --> 02:29:30,240 it better 3353 02:29:35,270 --> 02:29:33,359 inventions 3354 02:29:36,710 --> 02:29:35,280 but then i say look if are you saying 3355 02:29:37,110 --> 02:29:36,720 it's going to destroy the environment 3356 02:29:40,309 --> 02:29:37,120 well 3357 02:29:43,270 --> 02:29:40,319 why don't we try not to destroy it 3358 02:29:44,950 --> 02:29:43,280 but he's near that oh it's going to kill 3359 02:29:47,349 --> 02:29:44,960 millions of people how about this let's 3360 02:29:50,550 --> 02:29:47,359 try not to kill millions of people 3361 02:29:53,429 --> 02:29:50,560 why is that not a good idea 3362 02:29:56,469 --> 02:29:53,439 we don't know how bad global warming 3363 02:29:59,750 --> 02:29:59,110 we have a bunch of models the models 3364 02:30:01,190 --> 02:29:59,760 predict 3365 02:30:03,990 --> 02:30:01,200 different amounts of temperature 3366 02:30:07,990 --> 02:30:04,000 increase in different time scales 3367 02:30:10,870 --> 02:30:08,000 at some point it'll be very bad 3368 02:30:13,030 --> 02:30:10,880 we don't know exactly which point and we 3369 02:30:16,630 --> 02:30:13,040 also don't know exactly which 3370 02:30:21,270 --> 02:30:18,630 so if people say i don't want to start 3371 02:30:23,349 --> 02:30:21,280 doing geoengineering today 3372 02:30:24,550 --> 02:30:23,359 i say fine don't start it today but 3373 02:30:28,469 --> 02:30:24,560 let's research 3374 02:30:29,830 --> 02:30:28,479 the hell out of it nathan what in your 3375 02:30:33,270 --> 02:30:29,840 eyes are the most efficacious 3376 02:30:36,150 --> 02:30:33,280 geoengineering prospects 3377 02:30:36,870 --> 02:30:36,160 well currently the one i like best is 3378 02:30:39,270 --> 02:30:36,880 something that 3379 02:30:41,670 --> 02:30:39,280 that goes on the rubric of solar 3380 02:30:43,910 --> 02:30:41,680 radiation management this means 3381 02:30:44,950 --> 02:30:43,920 you reflect a tiny amount of light from 3382 02:30:48,870 --> 02:30:44,960 the sun 3383 02:30:51,510 --> 02:30:48,880 way in the upper atmosphere um way less 3384 02:30:52,630 --> 02:30:51,520 light than i mean you could never 3385 02:30:55,429 --> 02:30:52,640 visually determine 3386 02:30:56,630 --> 02:30:55,439 exactly exactly it's imperceptible but 3387 02:30:58,790 --> 02:30:56,640 it would be enough 3388 02:31:01,429 --> 02:30:58,800 to stop global warming and it would be 3389 02:31:03,670 --> 02:31:01,439 with sulfur dioxide or some other method 3390 02:31:04,870 --> 02:31:03,680 well then you can get in then you go 3391 02:31:06,469 --> 02:31:04,880 down into the weeds 3392 02:31:07,990 --> 02:31:06,479 of a hundred different engineering 3393 02:31:09,990 --> 02:31:08,000 trade-offs 3394 02:31:12,070 --> 02:31:10,000 and people should study all those 3395 02:31:15,349 --> 02:31:12,080 different trade-offs 3396 02:31:18,469 --> 02:31:15,359 um sulfur dioxide has the 3397 02:31:20,630 --> 02:31:18,479 advantage that we know it works because 3398 02:31:23,429 --> 02:31:20,640 volcanoes do it 3399 02:31:24,870 --> 02:31:23,439 and we know that although sulfur dioxide 3400 02:31:27,990 --> 02:31:24,880 is not something we want 3401 02:31:30,150 --> 02:31:28,000 enormous amounts of in our world 3402 02:31:31,750 --> 02:31:30,160 we know that we're tolerant the 3403 02:31:35,030 --> 02:31:31,760 environment is currently tolerant of 3404 02:31:37,590 --> 02:31:35,040 quite a bit that comes from volcanoes 3405 02:31:39,830 --> 02:31:37,600 and the extra amount we would need is a 3406 02:31:43,190 --> 02:31:39,840 very small fraction above 3407 02:31:45,910 --> 02:31:43,200 what's coming from volcanoes so 3408 02:31:48,230 --> 02:31:45,920 there's a plausible argument that it's 3409 02:31:50,950 --> 02:31:48,240 the safest 3410 02:31:51,590 --> 02:31:50,960 there's lots of people who immediately 3411 02:31:53,910 --> 02:31:51,600 try as 3412 02:31:54,950 --> 02:31:53,920 hard as they can to see a problem with 3413 02:31:59,110 --> 02:31:54,960 that 3414 02:32:00,550 --> 02:31:59,120 and hey fair enough they they should 3415 02:32:02,389 --> 02:32:00,560 do that research and publish those 3416 02:32:03,830 --> 02:32:02,399 papers but other people should also be 3417 02:32:07,030 --> 02:32:03,840 saying let's try to figure out how to 3418 02:32:10,870 --> 02:32:09,110 because current course and speed we're 3419 02:32:15,030 --> 02:32:10,880 not doing [\h__\h] 3420 02:32:18,630 --> 02:32:16,870 nathan thank you so much for being 3421 02:32:20,469 --> 02:32:18,640 extremely generous with your time 3422 02:32:22,469 --> 02:32:20,479 please hopefully you recover from your 3423 02:32:24,150 --> 02:32:22,479 your kovid i wrote down that 3424 02:32:25,670 --> 02:32:24,160 other they're classically trained chefs 3425 02:32:27,670 --> 02:32:25,680 like gordon ramsay and someone i watch 3426 02:32:28,710 --> 02:32:27,680 plenty of his shows and he says that the 3427 02:32:31,670 --> 02:32:28,720 most important 3428 02:32:32,630 --> 02:32:31,680 aspect of any recipe is the ingredients 3429 02:32:34,550 --> 02:32:32,640 being fresh 3430 02:32:36,230 --> 02:32:34,560 i always wondered is that true or is 3431 02:32:38,230 --> 02:32:36,240 there something else like can you take 3432 02:32:40,309 --> 02:32:38,240 unfresh ingredients from walmart let's 3433 02:32:41,830 --> 02:32:40,319 say and create a wonderful meal 3434 02:32:44,790 --> 02:32:41,840 with some of your technologies tell me 3435 02:32:46,950 --> 02:32:44,800 your position on cheese 3436 02:32:49,429 --> 02:32:46,960 exactly yeah right cheese is very old 3437 02:32:53,670 --> 02:32:52,389 wine well that's kind of old spoiled 3438 02:32:56,870 --> 02:32:53,680 grape 3439 02:33:00,309 --> 02:32:56,880 um you know aged beef 3440 02:33:04,830 --> 02:33:00,319 uh so i agree 3441 02:33:07,510 --> 02:33:04,840 with uh him that you want high quality 3442 02:33:11,190 --> 02:33:07,520 ingredients high quality does not 3443 02:33:16,309 --> 02:33:11,200 mean necessarily mean that 3444 02:33:19,110 --> 02:33:16,319 it's all got to be absolutely fresh 3445 02:33:20,630 --> 02:33:19,120 there's enormous numbers of dishes made 3446 02:33:26,309 --> 02:33:20,640 with dried 3447 02:33:29,110 --> 02:33:26,319 pulses or beans or lentils or grains 3448 02:33:31,510 --> 02:33:29,120 and that stuff is dried and it doesn't 3449 02:33:34,870 --> 02:33:31,520 have to be fresh 3450 02:33:36,790 --> 02:33:34,880 so there are some foods where 3451 02:33:40,950 --> 02:33:36,800 the freshness of the ingredients is 3452 02:33:45,510 --> 02:33:44,469 there's other foods where aging the 3453 02:33:49,190 --> 02:33:45,520 ingredient 3454 02:33:51,910 --> 02:33:49,200 is absolutely paramount and most things 3455 02:33:55,910 --> 02:33:51,920 are somewhere in the middle 3456 02:33:58,870 --> 02:33:55,920 and it it's also 3457 02:34:00,309 --> 02:33:58,880 you know the a chef who is cooking for 3458 02:34:04,070 --> 02:34:00,319 other people 3459 02:34:07,349 --> 02:34:04,080 ought to do the best they can 3460 02:34:10,630 --> 02:34:07,359 but not every little restaurant 3461 02:34:11,510 --> 02:34:10,640 in the middle of the country can get 3462 02:34:15,590 --> 02:34:11,520 access 3463 02:34:18,309 --> 02:34:15,600 to diver caught scallops 3464 02:34:18,950 --> 02:34:18,319 and so then you have this dilemma does 3465 02:34:20,950 --> 02:34:18,960 that mean you 3466 02:34:22,710 --> 02:34:20,960 never serve scallops and some people 3467 02:34:25,670 --> 02:34:22,720 would say yes there was a scallops and 3468 02:34:27,110 --> 02:34:25,680 good for them but i think it's a little 3469 02:34:29,030 --> 02:34:27,120 bit elitist 3470 02:34:30,710 --> 02:34:29,040 to say oh no you can never serve a 3471 02:34:33,910 --> 02:34:30,720 frozen 3472 02:34:36,389 --> 02:34:33,920 piece of fish because you know the 3473 02:34:40,389 --> 02:34:36,399 fact is the middle of continents have a 3474 02:34:43,750 --> 02:34:40,399 very hard time getting fresh ocean fish 3475 02:34:49,750 --> 02:34:43,760 they can get it sometimes a huge expense 3476 02:34:53,990 --> 02:34:52,469 thank you thank you so much you gotta go 3477 02:34:55,910 --> 02:34:54,000 i appreciate your time man 3478 02:34:57,270 --> 02:34:55,920 thank you you're one of my idols have a 3479 02:34:58,710 --> 02:34:57,280 great one no i mean that man 3480 02:34:59,750 --> 02:34:58,720 i want to even ask you like how are the 3481 02:35:00,790 --> 02:34:59,760 pyramids made because i feel like you 3482 02:35:02,870 --> 02:35:00,800 have an answer for everything 3483 02:35:03,910 --> 02:35:02,880 and apparently there's a mystery there i 3484 02:35:05,990 --> 02:35:03,920 know actually a friend of mine has 3485 02:35:08,469 --> 02:35:06,000 figured that out 3486 02:35:10,630 --> 02:35:08,479 okay geologist friend of mine has really 3487 02:35:12,070 --> 02:35:10,640 figured out how they built the pyramids 3488 02:35:13,670 --> 02:35:12,080 you you can just reference the name so i 3489 02:35:14,550 --> 02:35:13,680 can search it unless you want to explain 3490 02:35:17,590 --> 02:35:14,560 it i know you gotta go 3491 02:35:21,110 --> 02:35:17,600 it's in a bunch of nova uh uh 3492 02:35:24,150 --> 02:35:21,120 videos um i'll email you the stuff 3493 02:35:24,630 --> 02:35:24,160 what's his name though i'm blanking on 3494 02:35:27,510 --> 02:35:24,640 it 3495 02:35:29,190 --> 02:35:27,520 okay i'll post the name all right man 3496 02:35:30,550 --> 02:35:29,200 there were a panoply of questions that i 3497 02:35:31,190 --> 02:35:30,560 had written down that i didn't get a 3498 02:35:32,790 --> 02:35:31,200 chance to 3499 02:35:35,110 --> 02:35:32,800 bring up during the interview but i 3500 02:35:37,510 --> 02:35:35,120 emailed him so here are two extra 3501 02:35:39,670 --> 02:35:37,520 questions 3502 02:35:41,670 --> 02:35:39,680 one i wanted to know what is his opinion 3503 02:35:43,030 --> 02:35:41,680 on the latest news regarding ufos and 3504 02:35:45,190 --> 02:35:43,040 even bob lazar 3505 02:35:46,630 --> 02:35:45,200 who claims to have worked on spacecraft 3506 02:35:48,309 --> 02:35:46,640 he said 3507 02:35:49,750 --> 02:35:48,319 i think it's arrogant to believe we are 3508 02:35:50,550 --> 02:35:49,760 the only intelligent beings in the 3509 02:35:52,550 --> 02:35:50,560 universe 3510 02:35:54,309 --> 02:35:52,560 that said i don't think that the hard 3511 02:35:56,950 --> 02:35:54,319 evidence for ufos is currently 3512 02:35:59,270 --> 02:35:56,960 sufficient to say that ufos are in fact 3513 02:36:01,510 --> 02:35:59,280 aliens visiting the planet the u in the 3514 02:36:02,309 --> 02:36:01,520 ufos is unidentified and that remains 3515 02:36:04,710 --> 02:36:02,319 the case 3516 02:36:06,070 --> 02:36:04,720 i don't know about mr lazar's claims so 3517 02:36:07,670 --> 02:36:06,080 i can't comment 3518 02:36:09,750 --> 02:36:07,680 okay the other question i had was about 3519 02:36:11,990 --> 02:36:09,760 consciousness do you think consciousness 3520 02:36:13,670 --> 02:36:12,000 emerges from a physical basis that is a 3521 02:36:14,950 --> 02:36:13,680 physical substrate like the materialists 3522 02:36:17,830 --> 02:36:14,960 might say 3523 02:36:19,349 --> 02:36:17,840 or not and why in other words what's 3524 02:36:21,190 --> 02:36:19,359 your opinion on the hard problem of 3525 02:36:23,590 --> 02:36:21,200 consciousness 3526 02:36:25,030 --> 02:36:23,600 nathan says our brains are physical so 3527 02:36:27,030 --> 02:36:25,040 yes i think that consciousness 3528 02:36:28,469 --> 02:36:27,040 originates in a physical organ 3529 02:36:30,550 --> 02:36:28,479 i think that a lot of consciousness 3530 02:36:33,190 --> 02:36:30,560 discussion goes away with 3531 02:36:35,110 --> 02:36:33,200 an obsession on human exceptionalism 3532 02:36:37,670 --> 02:36:35,120 animal experiments to show that a 3533 02:36:39,510 --> 02:36:37,680 number of species have a concept of self 3534 02:36:40,309 --> 02:36:39,520 have mirror neurons which model what 3535 02:36:43,190 --> 02:36:40,319 others think 3536 02:36:45,110 --> 02:36:43,200 and so forth while these traits may not 3537 02:36:46,230 --> 02:36:45,120 rise to the level of full human 3538 02:36:48,830 --> 02:36:46,240 consciousness 3539 02:36:53,830 --> 02:36:48,840 i think it's likely that they are 3540 02:36:58,550 --> 02:36:56,550 okay i hope you enjoyed this podcast if 3541 02:36:59,030 --> 02:36:58,560 you enjoyed it please consider donating 3542 02:37:00,710 --> 02:36:59,040 to 3543 02:37:02,550 --> 02:37:00,720 the patreon supporting this channel 3544 02:37:03,510 --> 02:37:02,560 because right now i'm pretty much doing 3545 02:37:05,910 --> 02:37:03,520 it pro bono 3546 02:37:07,030 --> 02:37:05,920 it takes up almost all of my time and it 3547 02:37:08,710 --> 02:37:07,040 would be great if i could 3548 02:37:11,590 --> 02:37:08,720 somehow manage to keep up the level of