Lex Fridman Podcast: #279 – Alien Debate: Sara Walker and Lee Cronin
Starting from: 01:57:07

Episode webpage: https://lexfridman.com/alien-debate/

Media file: https://media.blubrry.com/takeituneasy/content.blubrry.com/takeituneasy/lex_ai_lee_cronin_sara_walker.mp3#t=7027
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this one wrinkled my brain. it takes me back to the idea from Don Hoffman (https://www.ted.com/speakers/donald_hoffman) that we generate our own reality.

As much as I've tried to acknowledge that I'm situated in the universe, so can't really observe objectively, at my core, I still cling to the idea of a Cartesian space that the objects of the universe are arranged within, where my body is a sort of avatar in the space, with my mind controlling it from "over here". Walker's conjecture on the nature of the big bang was very effective in pushing me outside that notion. I'll have to read more on their work (and, always, need to see more experimental results), but while I'm still clinging, I may have let a finger slip...

...which makes this sound rather dire😁 actually it's very exciting since I've been fascinated with questions about the nature of reality since I was a kid, but it's been some time since I've heard something that really changes how I think about it this deeply.