Do Cause and Effect Really Exist? (Big Picture Ep. 2/5) | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Cause and effect behave differently at a fundamental level in physics due to the directionless nature of time, with cause and effect only emerging at the macroscopic scale for larger collections of particles.

Key Insights

• 🥺 The underlying laws of physics do not care about the direction of time, leading to a different understanding of cause and effect at a fundamental level.
• 🍧 Cause and effect only emerge at the macroscopic scale, with time having a direction for larger systems.
• 💖 Tiny events, like a spark, can have significant leverage over the future, while small changes in the present can have a major impact on the past, referred to as "records" or "memories."

Transcript

The idea that certain things, events or people can “cause” other things to happen plays a huge role in human life. We constantly desire to know “why” things happen, in science, love, sports, philosophy, and so on. But because the underlying laws of physics don’t care about the direction of time, cause and effect don’t have the same meaning at a fun... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: How do particles behave at a microscopic level in terms of cause and effect?

At a microscopic level, particles don't follow a linear cause and effect relationship. Instead, their behavior is determined by patterns, and their past and future paths are equally knowable.

Q: Why do cause and effect only emerge at the macroscopic scale?

Cause and effect emerge at the macroscopic scale because time has a direction for larger systems. The interactions between larger collections of particles give rise to the concept of cause and effect.

Q: Are cause and effect fundamental to underlying physics?

No, cause and effect are not fundamental to underlying physics. They are concepts that make sense on a large scale due to the direction of time, but at a fundamental level, particles simply follow patterns without a strict cause and effect relationship.

Q: How does the concept of leverage relate to cause and effect?

Leverage refers to the influence that certain events, even small ones, have over future outcomes. When a small change in the present results in a significant change in the future, the small thing being changed is often considered a "cause."

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The concept of cause and effect is deeply ingrained in human life, but it doesn't have the same meaning at a fundamental level in physics.

• At a microscopic level, particles follow patterns rather than a linear cause and effect relationship.

• Cause and effect emerge at the macroscopic scale, with time having a direction for larger systems.