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Saul Perlmutter: Expanding the Universe, Scientific Thinking, and Global Challenges

The Origins Podcast 17,888 5 months ago
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Subscribe for exclusive content at https://lawrencekrauss.substack.com/ Learn more and support the foundation at https://originsproject.org/ A note from Lawrence: Saul Permutter won the Nobel Prize for his eventual role in the discovery of dark energy. In 1996 when I was lecturing at LBL he bet me that he would show dark energy didn't exist. His group had been measuring supernova distances for years, in hopes of determining the deceleration rate of the universe. Instead, after recalibrating some of his earlier data, his group and an independent group discovered the universe was actually accelerating. That is the beauty of science, it supersedes any individual prejudices, and scientists actually change their minds if the data requires it. This is one of the many important characteristics of science that Saul and his collaborators discuss in their recent book, Third Millennium Thinking. It is a good read, full of useful examples about how scientific thinking is important in the world beyond just science. Saul and I had a lively conversation about science, the scientific method, and his own experiences as a scientists. It was an enriching and enlightening discussion, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. 00:00 Introduction and Nobel Prize Overview 02:18 Saul Perlmutter's Childhood and Family Background 10:01 Early Discussions on Cosmology and the Universe 25:01 Applying Scientific Thinking to Modern Problems 46:17 How Scientific Inquiry Works 1:02:01 Understanding Uncertainty in Science 1:04:38 False Pulsar Discovery Story 1:13:06 How Science Breaks Down Complex Problems 1:39:41 Science's Role in Global Challenges 1:51:23 Future of Science and Society 2:16:13 Group Decision-Making: Wisdom vs. Mistakes 2:18:44 Can We Build a Sustainable World? 2:23:46 Final Thoughts and Future Outlook

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