#370 – Edward Frenkel: Reality is a Paradox – Mathematics, Physics, Truth & Love

About this episode

<p>Edward Frenkel is a mathematician at UC Berkeley working on the interface of mathematics and quantum physics. He is the author of Love and Math: The Heart of Hidden Reality. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:<br /> &#8211; <b>House of Macadamias</b>: <a href="https://houseofmacadamias.com/lex">https://houseofmacadamias.com/lex</a> and use code LEX to get 20% off your first order<br /> &#8211; <b>Shopify</b>: <a href="https://shopify.com/lex">https://shopify.com/lex</a> to get free trial<br /> &#8211; <b>ExpressVPN</b>: <a href="https://expressvpn.com/lexpod">https://expressvpn.com/lexpod</a> to get 3 months free</p> <p><b>EPISODE LINKS:</b><br /> Edward&#8217;s Website: <a href="https://edwardfrenkel.com">https://edwardfrenkel.com</a><br /> Edward&#8217;s Book &#8211; Love and Math: <a href="https://amzn.to/40Bgxh0">https://amzn.to/40Bgxh0</a><br /> Edward&#8217;s Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/edfrenkel">https://twitter.com/edfrenkel</a><br /> Edward&#8217;s YouTube: <a href="https://youtube.com/edfrenkel">https://youtube.com/edfrenkel</a><br /> Edward&#8217;s Instagram: <a href="https://instagram.com/edfrenkel">https://instagram.com/edfrenkel</a></p> <p><b>PODCAST INFO:</b><br /> Podcast website: <a href="https://lexfridman.com/podcast">https://lexfridman.com/podcast</a><br /> Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://apple.co/2lwqZIr">https://apple.co/2lwqZIr</a><br /> Spotify: <a href="https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8">https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8</a><br /> RSS: <a href="https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/">https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/</a><br /> YouTube Full Episodes: <a href="https://youtube.com/lexfridman">https://youtube.com/lexfridman</a><br /> YouTube Clips: <a href="https://youtube.com/lexclips">https://youtube.com/lexclips</a></p> <p><b>SUPPORT &#38; CONNECT:</b><br /> &#8211; Check out the sponsors above, it&#8217;s the best way to support this podcast<br /> &#8211; Support on Patreon: <a href="https://www.patreon.com/lexfridman">https://www.patreon.com/lexfridman</a><br /> &#8211; Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/lexfridman">https://twitter.com/lexfridman</a><br /> &#8211; Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lexfridman">https://www.instagram.com/lexfridman</a><br /> &#8211; LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexfridman">https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexfridman</a><br /> &#8211; Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/lexfridman">https://www.facebook.com/lexfridman</a><br /> &#8211; Medium: <a href="https://medium.com/@lexfridman">https://medium.com/@lexfridman</a></p> <p><b>OUTLINE:</b><br /> Here&#8217;s the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.<br /> (00:00) &#8211; Introduction<br /> (05:54) &#8211; Mathematics in the Soviet Union<br /> (16:05) &#8211; Nature of reality<br /> (27:23) &#8211; Scientific discoveries<br /> (40:45) &#8211; Observing reality<br /> (56:57) &#8211; Complex numbers<br /> (1:05:42) &#8211; Imagination<br /> (1:13:33) &#8211; Pythagoreanism<br /> (1:21:28) &#8211; AI and love<br /> (1:34:07) &#8211; Gödel&#8217;s Incompleteness Theorems<br /> (1:54:32) &#8211; Beauty in mathematics<br /> (1:59:02) &#8211; Eric Weinstein<br /> (2:20:57) &#8211; Langlands Program<br /> (2:27:36) &#8211; Edward Witten<br /> (2:30:41) &#8211; String theory<br /> (2:36:10) &#8211; Theory of everything<br /> (2:45:03) &#8211; Mathematics in academia<br /> (2:50:30) &#8211; How to think<br /> (2:56:16) &#8211; Fermat&#8217;s Last Theorem<br /> (3:11:07) &#8211; Eric Weinstein and Harvard<br /> (3:18:32) &#8211; Antisemitism<br /> (3:38:45) &#8211; Mortality<br /> (3:46:42) &#8211; Love</p>