Max Tegmark – Why the ‘Unreasonable Effectiveness’ of Mathematics?
In 1960, the physicist Eugene Wigner published an article, "The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics in the Natural Sciences," which has attracted great interest and controversy. Is math’s effectiveness, especially in physics, indeed “unreasonable,” a mystery with no rational explanation? Or is such effectiveness more apparent than real, a kind of selection bias: you see what you look for, or you only pay attention when it works? Does mathematics convey deeper meaning?
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Max Tegmark is Professor of Physics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He holds a BS in Physics and a BA in Economics from the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden. He also earned a MA and PhD in physics from University of California, Berkeley.
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Closer to Truth presents the world’s greatest thinkers exploring humanity’s deepest questions. Discover fundamental issues of existence. Engage new and diverse ways of thinking. Appreciate intense debates. Share your own opinions. Seek your own answers.
In 1960, the physicist Eugene Wigner published an article, “The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics in the Natural Sciences,” which has attracted great interest and controversy. Is math’s effectiveness, especially in physics, indeed “unreasonable,” a mystery with no rational explanation? Or is such effectiveness more apparent than real, a kind of selection bias: you see what you look for, or you only pay attention when it works? Does mathematics convey deeper meaning?
Free access to Closer to Truth’s library of 5,000 videos: http://bit.ly/376lkKN
Watch more interviews on the unreasonable effectiveness of math: https://bit.ly/3D0aZ48
Max Tegmark is Professor of Physics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He holds a BS in Physics and a BA in Economics from the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden. He also earned a MA and PhD in physics from University of California, Berkeley.
Register for free at CTT.com for subscriber-only exclusives: http://bit.ly/2GXmFsP
Closer to Truth presents the world’s greatest thinkers exploring humanity’s deepest questions. Discover fundamental issues of existence. Engage new and diverse ways of thinking. Appreciate intense debates. Share your own opinions. Seek your own answers.
