Are the laws of physics real, or are they human inventions? This is one of many questions Brian Greene and Sean Carroll explore at the very edge of understanding, where physics meets philosophy. Carroll, a theoretical physicist at Johns Hopkins University, host of the Mindscape podcast, and a bestselling author, joins Greene for a wide-ranging conversation regarding the workings of the world at its deepest level.

Is mathematics discovered or invented? Why is there something rather than nothing? Do we have free will, and could an AI ever be conscious? Carroll makes his case for the Many Worlds theory of quantum mechanics, explains why he believes the other worlds genuinely exist, and defends the dramatic claim that the universe may be fully described by a quantum state in Hilbert space. They close with the surprising mathematical patterns connecting all mammals, and whether artificial intelligence will transform physics research itself.

Participant: Sean Carroll
Moderator: Brian Greene