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If people knew one thing about Steven Weinberg, it’d be a quote from one of his books: “The more the universe seems comprehensible, the more it also seems pointless.” In this video, I want to speculate about what he might have meant. Is the universe pointless?
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00:00 Intro
01:00 Intent and Purpose
02:33 Function and Teleology
06:15 Other Points
10:40 Can a Theory Explain Itself?
14:27 Summary
15:02 Learn Science With Brilliant
#science #philosophy
📝 Transcript
Transcribing... This may take a few minutes.
Top Comments
@SabineHossenfelder
This video comes with a quiz that lets you check how much you remember! https://quizwithit.com/start_thequiz/1695389291798x809222918507550800
84 likes
@rozzgrey801
I think George Carlin found the point of existence is plastic. The universe wanted plastic but couldn't make it itself so the Earth developed humans to create plastic.
2075 likes
@OhNoNotAgain42
The story so far: in the beginning the universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move. -Douglas Adams
1032 likes
@vonwux
I think it's pretty obvious the entire universe exists so I have somewhere to keep my stuff.
164 likes
@Scalonista-j5l
If the Universe is "All that exists" then it cannot have a purpose, since the purpose would be external to it.... 🤔
53 likes
@alangunn7254
Douglas Adams wrote of this.
“There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable.”
“Another theory suggests that this has already happened!”
322 likes
@PhysicsDaddy1
The point of the universe is to allow Sabine to ponder its point.
207 likes
@stufarnham
I suffered from severe, debilitating depression for a number of years. Underlying this was a feeling that I was not good enough, skilled enough, smart enough … . I took a one-year sabbatical and spent some time studying the history of physics and found thar the progression from Copernicus through Einstein and beyond showed that humans are not the point, that the universe is even-handedly oblivious to our species and our world. Rather than being distressed by this, I found it liberating. It told me that there is no point to the not-enough-ness that plagued me. This may not resonate for most, but being freed from the notion that there were objective standards by which I succeeded or failed allowed me to live with a level of tranquility and occasional joy that was previously inaccessible to me.
1123 likes
@BusinesssLover
The only wisdom you find on top of a mountain is the wisdom you bring up there
5 likes
@gordonbrown5901
Given how long (or short) humans have been around, trying to 'understand' the 'purpose' of the universe (a very human need?) is like trying to understand a 6 hour movie from 1 frame.
318 likes
@nolie1486
Because purpose is so central to our human lives, we project it onto everything (the universe or what we see of it).
133 likes
@edsdinosaurslive5262
I love your videos so much! I'm 63 and right now you are one of my favorite teachers. Some people explain things so they are easy to understand. A few rare individuals can explain things so that you feel them in the marrow of your bones. It feels so good to have things broken down like this. Thank you so much! I'm a total fan!
62 likes
@D1N02
My dog says the point of the universe is food
@myfriendscat
I feel Sabinepresents these ideas clearly, efficiently and rationally. I guess the only discovery I've made is that my personal universe was made for love-and that's enough for me. Sorry now, must tend to my garden. Have a nice day world. You deserve it.
58 likes
@williamtell5365
Purpose is a topic that both begins and ends inside your own head.