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Conversations on the Nature of Reality

Why is it that fundamental laws discovered through pure mathematics have been able to describe our physical world with such precision? Given that the universe is comprised of mathematical properties, some have posited that mathematics is the language of the universe, whose laws reveal what a hidden order in the natural world. Physicist S. James Gates, Jr. and science writer Margaret Wertheim explore the uncanny ability of mathematics to reveal the laws of nature.

Discovering the true nature of reality may ultimately hinge on grasping the nature of human understanding. What are the fundamental elements or building blocks of human cognition? And how will the rise of superintelligent machines challenge our ideas about cognition, reality, and the limits of human understanding? Logician/mathematician Roger Antonsen and computer science pioneer Barbara J. Grosz join Steve Paulson to break down the fundamental elements of human understanding and analyze what lies ahead on the horizon of AI.

The prevalent view in cognitive science is that we construct our perception of reality in real time. But could we be misinterpreting our perceptual experiences? Do our perceptions reflect the true nature of reality? Might evolution have shaped our perceptions to guide adaptive behavior, without enabling us to see reality as it is? Cognitive scientist Donald Hoffman and neurologist Suzanne O’Sullivan analyze the implications of these questions for our understanding of consciousness.

The Power of Wonder: Modern Marvels in a Scientific Age

From the macrocosm of the universe to the microcosm of the human body, our discoveries about ourselves and the natural world continue to spark our experience of awe and wonder. But how exactly does science define and explain the experience of awe and wonder? Social psychologist Michelle Shiota, writer Caspar Henderson, and astrophysicist Alex Filippenko unpack the emerging science behind the emotions of awe and wonder, including their role in our ongoing quest for understanding and knowledge.

Awe and wonder are powerful emotions that can inform and shape our attitudes toward ourselves and others, especially in relation to the larger meaning and purpose of our lives. What are the psychological underpinnings of these universal emotions? And do they lie at the root of the religious impulse in humans? Prof. of religious studies Lisa Sideris joins psychologists Jennifer Stellar and Piercarlo Valdesolo to explore how awe shapes our perspectives and views on everything from science to morality.

If the most incomprehensible thing about the universe is that it is comprehensible, as Einstein famously claimed, what then is the role of awe and wonder within the framework of contemporary science? How do awe and wonder inform scientists’ understanding of the phenomena they are researching? Physicist Marcelo Gleiser, experimental psychologist Tania Lombrozo, and physician Gavin Francis analyze the impact of awe and wonder on their own work and on the mindsets of their colleagues carrying out cutting-edge scientific research.