Mistaking the Map for the Territory in Physics - Dr. Jacob Barandes, Harvard, DemystifySci #344

The DemystifySci Podcast

Dr. Jacob Barandes is a professor of Physics at Harvard University who studies the foundations of physics. He has emerged as a leading skeptic of the idea that our universe is somehow fundamentally mathematical in nature, marking a full cycle of more than two thousand years of ink spilled about the nature of the universe. Barandes has found that there is a way of modeling the basement membrane of reality as being made of bodies with location, where everything from superposition to electricity and magnetism are a product of the motions of these bodies. Our conversation spans the basic principles that Barandes has used to arrive at this conclusion, the vital role that confusion over what constitutes a “measurement” plays in producing a highly paradoxical interpretation of nature, and the fact that this debate about the nature of the universe - substance versus mathematics - has been raging for more than two thousand years, with no end in sight. MAKE HISTORY WITH US THIS SUMMER:https://demystifysci.com/demysticon-2025PATREON https://www.patreon.com/c/demystifysciPARADIGM DRIFThttps://demystifysci.com/paradigm-drift-show00:00 Go!00:05:40 – What Are Hilbert Spaces?00:10:14 – Why Complex Numbers Matter in Quantum Mechanics00:12:45 – Abstraction vs. Clarity in Physics00:17:17 – The Particle Misconception in Quantum Theory00:22:10 – What's Missing in Quantum Textbooks00:25:28 – What Is a Measurement in Quantum Mechanics?00:32:08 – The Problem of Self-Reference in Quantum Theory00:35:31 – Understanding the Heisenberg Cut00:39:37 – Decoherence Isn’t Collapse00:49:47 – The Quantum Measurement Problem00:52:46 – Competing Interpretations of Quantum Mechanics01:00:00 – Toward a Real Quantum Reality01:06:25 – The Moral Responsibility of Scientists01:12:19 – Free Will and Physical Law01:16:01 – Material Science and Quantum Resonance01:20:01 – Aether, Electromagnetism, and Relativity01:27:21 – Why Scientific Progress Is Messy01:31:42 – The Limits of Scientific Explanation01:33:20 – Plato, Ethics, and the Modern World01:36:06 – Can Physics Define Good?01:39:14 – Why Physics Can’t Capture the Human Spirit01:45:04 – Building Community in Physics01:48:22 – Trying Matters More Than Winning#quantumphysics, #philosophyofscience, #quantummechanics, #freewill, #complexnumbers, #decoherence, #metaphysics, #theoreticalphysics, #natureofreality, #philosophypodcast , #sciencepodcast, #longformpodcast ABOUS US: Anastasia completed her PhD studying bioelectricity at Columbia University. When not talking to brilliant people or making movies, she spends her time painting, reading, and guiding backcountry excursions. Shilo also did his PhD at Columbia studying the elastic properties of molecular water. When he's not in the film studio, he's exploring sound in music. They are both freelance professors at various universities. PATREON: get episodes early + join our weekly Patron Chat https://bit.ly/3lcAasBMERCH: Rock some DemystifySci gear : https://demystifysci.myspreadshop.com/allAMAZON: Do your shopping through this link: https://amzn.to/3YyoT98DONATE: https://bit.ly/3wkPqaDSUBSTACK: https://substack.com/@UCqV4_7i9h1_V7hY48eZZSLw@demystifysciBLOG: http://DemystifySci.com/blog RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/2be66934/podcast/rssMAILING LIST: https://bit.ly/3v3kz2S SOCIAL: - Discord: https://discord.gg/MJzKT8CQub- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DemystifySci- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DemystifySci/- Twitter: https://twitter.com/DemystifySciMUSIC: -Shilo Delay: https://g.co/kgs/oty671