Curt Jaimungal: General Relativity Is NOT Deterministic (Here's the Proof)
3/12/202622 min
Many people think physics / reality is either guided by a probabilistic distribution or is “determined.” Actually, there’s a third, far‐more unsettling option. Curt Jaimungal explains why Einstein’s general relativity isn't actually deterministic. He discusses how Cauchy horizons and closed time-like curves break predictability, showing that math and physics don't always guarantee a set future for our universe. This is a solo deep‑dive. One that he's been meaning to make for a while. As a listener of TOE you can get a special 20% off discount to The Economist and all it has to offer! Visit https://www.economis...
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Curt Jaimungal· Host0:29
You've probably heard that Einstein's theory of general relativity, the theory of gravity, is a deterministic theory. Technically speaking, this is false. The reason is quite subtle, but many physicists, like Penrose and others that I've spoken to, know about this intimately. There's a severe failure of determinism in general relativity that cannot be taken lightly. Einstein's general theory of relativity is not a deterministic theory. There is a lack of predictability, and these go on and on, as you'll see and hear over the next few minutes. Today, we'll learn what precisely is GR, so general relativity, beyond the bowling ball on a rubber sheet, which is actually a circular argument, if you think about it. We'll also learn what is determinism precisely, which also has two subclasses, a local and a global determinism. And then also, what is this global hyperbolicity that you've heard about or may have heard about? It's not just over scrupulous, abstruse math. It's actually extremely important, and we'll