Roger Penrose: "I had this strange feeling of elation"

Transcript

hello hello this is adam smith speaking yes hello many many congratulations on the award of the nobel prize uh thank you so much it's much appreciated um how did the news actually reach you all a bit peculiar i'm not sure i want to go into it at all no i had a call from patrona who who received a message from the swedish academy and she wasn't sure... Read More

Summary

In this video, Adam Smith speaks about receiving the Nobel Prize and discusses his work on black holes. He shares how he came up with the idea of a collapse theorem for black holes and the significance of black holes in the second law of thermodynamics. Smith also talks about the visualization of black holes and his cosmology scheme. He concludes by mentioning his recent paper on the remnants of black holes in the previous eon and their presence in the current universe.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did the news of the Nobel Prize reach Adam Smith?

Adam Smith received a call from Patrona, who had received a message from the Swedish Academy. The communication was a bit peculiar as Patrona wasn't sure about the nature of the message. Smith was eventually informed about the award after a call back from the Swedish Academy.

Q: What were the initial observations and theoretical models of black holes?

In 1939, Oppenheimer and Schneider discussed a theoretical model of a collapse of a dust cloud, resembling a black hole. However, the model was not widely accepted due to the symmetrical nature and lack of pressure in the dust. Two Russian physicists, Lifshitz and Khalatnikov, published a paper suggesting that in the general case, singularities would not occur in black holes. Smith found their approach unconvincing and started thinking about the problem in a more geometrical way to produce his own arguments.

Q: Can Adam Smith share the story of how he had the crucial idea for the collapse theorem?

While crossing the road with his friend Ivor Robinson, Smith had a feeling of elation after reaching the other side and couldn't figure out why. He traced back his day's events and realized that the specific moment of crossing the street was when he had the idea of a trap surface, which formed the basis of his collapse theorem.

Q: Was Adam Smith able to identify the crossroads where he had the idea?

Smith has revisited the crossroads, but it has been ruined now, with new buildings at the other end of the road. He prefers not to disclose the exact location, as he hasn't had any good ideas revisiting that spot. However, he jokes that theoreticians might flock there for inspiration.

Q: How does Adam Smith feel about being portrayed in films like "The Theory of Everything"?

Smith finds it strange to be portrayed in films because he doesn't identify with the character presented. The concepts around black holes are captivating in popular imagination but don't necessarily align with the personal experiences of a physicist.

Q: Does Adam Smith visualize black holes? How does he think of them?

Yes, Smith visualizes black holes. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the four-dimensional space-time geometry rather than just three dimensions. As a visual thinker, he relies on mental images to comprehend the complex concepts of black holes.

Q: How are black holes related to the second law of thermodynamics?

Black holes play a crucial role in the second law of thermodynamics. They contribute to the universal increase in entropy and randomness over time. Smith has always been puzzled by the second law, and he explains that the majority of the universe's entropy is concentrated in black holes. According to Stephen Hawking, these black holes will eventually evaporate over extremely long periods.

Q: Can Adam Smith explain his cosmology scheme and the idea of the universe "forgetting" its size?

Smith proposes a cosmology scheme where the current universe, once devoid of all matter, forgets its size when observed from within. This idea seems crazy, but without any measurement reference, the universe effectively becomes the starting point for the next "eon" or iteration. Black holes from the previous eon would have evaporated, leaving behind remnants comprising a singularity or radiation. These remnants, referred to as "Hawking points," are believed to be observable regions in the sky and serve as evidence for Smith's cosmology scheme.

Q: How was the presence of Hawking points in the universe verified?

Smith collaborated with a group of colleagues and published a paper supported by data from the WMAP and Planck satellites. They claim that the regions in the sky, about eight times the size of the moon, show significant heating and are the remnants of black holes from the previous eon. The confidence level from the data is 99.98%, suggesting these signals are not random but real.

Q: How does Adam Smith view the connection between different universes in his cosmology scheme?

Smith presents a beautiful image of the previous universe leaving traces in the current universe, while the current universe might leave similar traces for the next one. It is an interconnected and continuous cycle of universes, which he refers to as "aeons." However, he doesn't elaborate further on the exact nature of this connection.

Takeaways

Adam Smith's groundbreaking work on black holes and his collapse theorem has earned him the Nobel Prize. He explains his thought process and the significance of black holes in the second law of thermodynamics. Smith visualizes black holes in terms of four-dimensional space-time geometry. He also shares his cosmology scheme, suggesting a connection between universes and presenting evidence for remnants of black holes. His ideas offer a unique and captivating perspective on the nature of the universe.