The Problem With Uploading Your Consciousness | Cosmic Queries #105

Description

Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://www.shopify.com/startalk Is your consciousness a quantum phenomenon? Is the universe one predetermined block? Neil deGrasse Tyson and cohosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly answer grab bag questions about quantum theory, the cosmological constant, and retrocausality with astrophysicist Charles Liu. We explore a question about the Big Rip, quarks, and whether tearing the universe apart could spark a brand-new Big Bang. We break down why phantom energy would be required, what dark energy might be, and why current observations suggest the universe probably won’t rip itself to shreds even though we still don’t know what 95% of the cosmos actually is. Could the cosmological constant be changing over time? Can light help us reconcile relativity and quantum mechanics? We discuss the work of Jacob Barandes at Harvard and whether the "duality" of light is the lynchpin to a unified theory. Are today’s mathematical tools just placeholders for physical phenomena? Questions about retrocausality, block time, and whether the universe already exists in full spark reflections on science fiction, free will, and the experiments we can’t yet perform. Could extra dimensions provide a mathematical loophole for the laws of physics? We confront quantum consciousness head-on. Is consciousness rooted in quantum mechanics? Could it persist beyond physical change or even death? We explore philosophical perspectives on Penrose’s ideas, AI consciousness, digital copies of the self, and why “I don’t know” remains the most powerful phrase in science. Along the way: pseudoscience, vaccines, human ignorance, collective behavior, spiritual experiences, and a final reminder that curiosity is what moves us forward. Thanks to our Patrons Jules, Kelton Falls, Danielhero 11, Zaubergarden, Danilo Vieira Battistini, Brian Lacroix, Charles Baker, Matthew Krug, Chris A, Sandra Leduc, Rodney Schneider, Sir Sucknoramus, Dominik Zwahlen, Malachi Vanderpuye, Zac, Will Johnson, John DeGrey, Clum