Sabine Hossenfelder, Paul Davies and Lee Smolin explore the laws of the universe and whether they are currently in flux.

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00:00 Introduction
02:20 Paul Davies opening pitch
05:26 Sabine Hossenfelder opening pitch
08:05 Lee Smolin opening pitch
11:24 What is scientific law?
17:52 Are unchanging laws necessary?
28:50 If laws aren't fixed, what does this mean for understanding of science?

From the outset of Western thought and Heraclitus' claim that 'everything changes', thinkers have argued about whether the world is fundamentally static or in flux. This is no mere philosophical debate. The extraordinary success of science has been founded on the notion that unchanging universal laws underlie everything and the fabric of nature remains constant. Yet now, based on the investigation of ancient quasar light and the X-ray properties of distant galaxies, leading scientists are challenging this central idea and proposing that the very laws of the universe might change.

Are unchanging laws the only way to understand the universe or do we need a radically new framework to make sense of a universe in flux? And, if we were to accept changing universal laws, would we not require unchanging laws that explain those changes themselves?

#SabineHossenfelder #PaulDavies #LeeSmolin

Physics professor Lee Smolin, theoretical physicist and author Sabine Hossenfelder and cosmologist and author Paul Davies thrash out the big questions about the nature of the universe. Hosted by renowned science writer, Phillip Ball.

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