The Big History of Modern Science | Hannu Rajaniemi | TEDxDanubia
Summary
TLDRThis script explores the paradox of human understanding, from the vastness of the universe to the minuscule atomic level. It delves into how our comprehension of the cosmos and the quantum world has evolved, touching on pivotal discoveries and their implications, such as Einstein's theory of relativity and the development of quantum mechanics. It also addresses the burgeoning complexity of our modern world, from technological advancements to the intricate systems we've created, which present both challenges and opportunities. The speaker advocates embracing this complexity while seeking simplicity, suggesting collective intelligence and innovative technologies as pathways to navigate our increasingly interconnected and complicated existence.
Takeaways
- 🌌 Our understanding of the universe has dramatically increased in the past century, shifting from thousands of stars visible to the naked eye to billions of galaxies each containing billions of stars.
- 🔭 Telescopes and scientific advancements have allowed us to perceive the universe as much larger and more complex than previously thought, challenging our comprehension of its scale.
- 💫 The discovery of galaxies and the expansion of the universe, supported by Hubble's observations and Einstein's theory of relativity, has led to the understanding that the universe began from a singularity, the Big Bang.
- ⚛️ Einstein's famous equation, E=mc², highlights the immense energy contained within even the smallest amounts of matter, fundamentally impacting our understanding of both large and small scales.
- 🌡️ The exploration of atoms and subatomic particles has unveiled the complex inner workings of matter, with quantum mechanics explaining the behavior of particles at these scales.
- 🔋 The invention of the transistor and the subsequent development of digital computers have exponentially increased our capacity to process information and understand complexity.
- 🧬 Advances in genetics have revealed the intricate complexity within a single cell, with non-coding DNA playing a significant regulatory role, far more complex than initially believed.
- 🌐 The interconnectedness of modern systems, such as the internet and financial markets, has led to an increase in complexity and the potential for rapid, widespread effects from failures or disruptions.
- 🌳 The complexity of natural systems, exemplified by climate change, requires a comprehensive understanding of multiple interconnected fields to address effectively.
- 💡 The potential for harnessing collective intelligence, such as through crowdsourcing and gaming, offers new avenues for tackling complex problems that surpass individual capabilities.
- 🛠️ Embracing complexity and seeking simplicity where possible is a balanced approach to navigating and leveraging the intricate systems we are a part of and continue to create.
Q & A
What is the main theme of the speaker's discussion?
-The main theme of the speaker's discussion is the understanding of the universe, from the very small to the very large, and the increasing complexity of the world in between, which we are discovering and creating.
What is the significance of the town IESA in Finland mentioned in the script?
-IESA in Finland is significant because it is where the speaker grew up and where their interest in stars and the universe began, influenced by the long nights and the opportunity to observe the stars.
How did the understanding of the universe change with the use of telescopes?
-With the use of telescopes, astronomers were able to see over a million stars, which was a significant increase from the 10,000 visible to the naked eye, and eventually led to the discovery of galaxies beyond our own.
What was the role of 'human computer' Henrietta Swan Leavitt in the study of stars?
-Henrietta Swan Leavitt analyzed photographic plates of stars and discovered a pattern in their brightness that allowed her to calculate the distances to stars, which was a significant contribution to the field of astronomy.
Who is credited with the discovery that spiral nebulae were actually galaxies?
-Edwin Hubble is credited with the discovery that spiral nebulae were actually galaxies, using the method developed by Henrietta Swan Leavitt.
What does the speaker mean by 'the world in between the big and the small'?
-The 'world in between the big and the small' refers to the scale of things that we interact with daily, which is becoming increasingly complex due to our continuous discovery and creation of new complexities.
How did Einstein's theory of relativity contribute to our understanding of the universe?
-Einstein's theory of relativity provided equations that describe how space changes when matter and energy move around in it, which helped us understand the expanding universe and the concept of the Big Bang.
What is the famous equation E=mc^2 and what does it imply about the relationship between energy and mass?
-E=mc^2 is Einstein's mass-energy equivalence formula, where 'E' is energy, 'm' is mass, and 'c' is the speed of light. It implies that a small amount of mass can be converted into a large amount of energy.
What is the significance of the discovery of the atomic nucleus?
-The discovery of the atomic nucleus revealed that atoms are not the smallest particles but are composed of a nucleus of protons and neutrons with electrons orbiting around it, leading to the development of quantum mechanics.
How did the understanding of atoms and their components lead to the development of the atomic bomb?
-The understanding of atoms and the potential for matter to be converted into energy, as suggested by quantum mechanics, led to the idea of a chain reaction where the splitting of atoms could release vast amounts of energy, which was harnessed in the creation of the atomic bomb.
What is the connection between the development of the transistor and the understanding of quantum mechanics?
-The transistor, which is a fundamental component of digital computers, is based on quantum mechanics principles, specifically the ability of certain materials to conduct electricity under certain conditions, providing the binary '1' and '0' states necessary for computation.
How has the increase in complexity due to technology affected our daily lives and systems?
-The increase in complexity due to technology has made our daily lives and systems more interconnected and potentially fragile. It has allowed for the creation of more advanced and complex systems, but also increased the risk of cascading failures and rapid spread of problems.
What is the potential solution the speaker suggests for dealing with the complexity of modern systems?
-The speaker suggests embracing and accepting complexity, and finding ways to simplify systems where possible. This includes decentralizing systems like energy and finance, and using collective intelligence through platforms that allow many people to contribute to problem-solving.
How does the speaker relate the understanding of the universe's vastness to the complexity of the systems we create?
-The speaker relates the understanding of the universe's vastness to the complexity of the systems we create by drawing parallels between the rapid expansion of our knowledge of the cosmos and the exponential growth in the number of transistors and interconnected devices, highlighting the challenges and opportunities presented by such complexity.
Outlines
🌌 Understanding the Cosmos and Our Place Within It
The speaker begins by discussing the vastness of the universe and the smallness of the individual components that make up our existence. They argue that while we have made significant strides in understanding both the macro and micro scales of the universe, it is the complexity of the world in between that remains elusive. The speaker's background in physics and cosmology is introduced, along with a personal anecdote about growing up in IESA, Finland, and being inspired by the stars to understand the universe's scale. The historical progression of astronomical knowledge, from naked-eye observations to the use of telescopes, is highlighted, culminating in Edwin Hubble's discovery of galaxies beyond our own and the realization of the universe's expansion. The speaker emphasizes Einstein's theory of relativity and its role in explaining the universe's dynamics, as well as the Big Bang theory, which posits a tiny, primordial origin for the cosmos.
🔬 Delving into the Small: Atoms, Energy, and Quantum Mechanics
This paragraph delves into the world of the very small, starting with Einstein's famous equation, E=mc^2, which highlights the immense energy potential within even the smallest amounts of matter. The speaker discusses the discovery of the atom's structure, including the nucleus and electrons, and the development of quantum mechanics as a field of study. The historical narrative includes Marie Curie's work with radium and its implications for understanding atomic energy, as well as the discovery of the atomic nucleus by Ernest Rutherford. The potential applications and dangers of atomic energy are briefly touched upon, with references to nuclear power and weapons. The paragraph concludes with the invention of the transistor, a pivotal development in digital computing and a testament to the practical applications of understanding quantum mechanics.
🤖 The Explosion of Technological Complexity and Its Impact
The speaker explores the rapid growth of complexity in technology, particularly in the field of computing, where the number of transistors has increased exponentially since the invention of the first transistor. They provide a vivid comparison between the number of transistors and the grains of sand on Earth to illustrate this point. The paragraph discusses how advancements in computing have allowed us to uncover and understand the complexity within biological systems, such as the human cell and its DNA. The speaker also addresses the challenges that come with increased complexity, such as the fragility of interconnected systems and the potential for cascading failures, using examples like the 2008 financial crisis and the 2010 flash crash. The complexity of modern systems is contrasted with the need for resilience and the potential for decentralized solutions.
🌱 Embracing Complexity and Seeking Simplicity in an Interconnected World
In the final paragraph, the speaker reflects on the challenges and opportunities presented by complexity, both in the natural world and in human-made systems. They suggest that by embracing and accepting complexity, we can find new ways to simplify and improve our systems, such as through decentralized technologies like solar power and Bitcoin. The potential of collective intelligence, as demonstrated by crowdsourcing and gaming platforms, is highlighted as a means to tackle complex problems that require a multitude of perspectives. The speaker also touches on the importance of finding simplicity within complexity, referencing Einstein's philosophy and the idea of growing up as a time of reevaluating our understanding of the world. The conclusion encourages us to face the complexity with a sense of adventure and the spirit of discovery.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Universe
💡Quantum Mechanics
💡Transistor
💡DNA
💡Complexity
💡Big Bang
💡Einstein's Equations
💡Cancer
💡Climate Change
💡Crowdsourcing
💡Resilience
Highlights
Understanding the scale of the universe from small to large, and the complexity in between.
The journey from comprehending stars to realizing the vastness of the universe through telescopes and Hubble's work.
The surprising discovery of galaxies beyond our Milky Way, challenging previous astronomical understanding.
Henry Norris Russell's method for determining the distance of stars, which was later recognized by Edwin Hubble.
Einstein's theory of relativity and its implications for understanding the expanding universe.
The Big Bang theory and the universe's initial tiny state, expanding to its current size over 13.8 billion years.
Einstein's famous equation, E=mc^2, and its significance for understanding energy and mass at the atomic level.
The discovery of the atomic nucleus by Ernest Rutherford, revealing subatomic particles like protons and neutrons.
Quantum mechanics and its role in explaining the structure of atoms and the conversion of matter into energy.
Leo Szilard's realization of the potential for a chain reaction in atomic energy, leading to atomic power and weapons.
The invention of the transistor and its foundational role in digital computing, based on quantum mechanics.
The exponential growth of transistors from the first one in 1947 to billions in modern devices like smartphones.
The complexity of biological systems, such as the human cell, and the recent discovery of the extensive role of 'junk' DNA.
The interconnectedness of complex systems and the potential for small failures to cause large-scale disruptions.
The challenges of understanding and solving complex global issues like climate change, which require multidisciplinary knowledge.
The potential of crowdsourcing and collective intelligence to tackle problems too complex for individuals, such as Foldit and Zooniverse.
The idea of embracing complexity and seeking simplicity where possible, as a strategy for innovation and problem-solving.
The analogy of growing up as a time of reevaluating what we know and the beginning of new adventures in understanding the world.
Transcripts
we are made from very small things and
we live in a very very big universe and
the small things are so small and the
big things are so big that you might
think we have no hope of ever
understanding them but I'm going to
argue that in fact we already understand
them quite well it's the world in
between the big and the small the world
we live in that we don't understand and
in fact that world is becoming harder
and harder to understand because we keep
discovering more complexity and creating
more complexity and that's something we
have to face if we want to solve our
biggest
challenges but let's start in the
beginning I want to tell you how we came
to understand the big that's my
background I studied physics and
cosmology and it also has to do with
where I grew up I grew up in a town
called IESA in Finland where you get
about 4 hours of daylight uh during the
day so when whenever I walked home from
school it would be dark and I would look
at the
stars and it's the stars that really
tell you how big the universe is stars
are very big as big or bigger as our sun
only very very far away and there are so
many of them even with the naked eye you
can see 10,000 stars now 10,000 is a big
number but it's still a comprehensible
number if each star was a grain of sand
10,000 would be about three teaspoons of
sand so that's not so bad but of course
we don't look at the stars with the
naked eye anymore we use telescopes and
already 100 years ago around 1900
astronomers had good telescopes and they
could see over a million stars now a
million stars is a lot but it's still a
comprehensible number it's about a
bucket of
sand and in fact uh those astronomers
were pretty sure that that was it that
there were about a million stars in the
Universe um except for these funny
smudges they kept seeing in their
photographs and they called them spiral
nebula and nobody knew what those were
and it took a computer to figure out
what those actually were a human
computer called Henry at the lit because
back then a computer was what you called
a woman doing calculations for
scientists now lit was paid $10 a week
to analyze photo phaps of stars and she
was deaf but she had a very very good
eye and she spotted a pattern in the
brightness of stars that gave her a new
way to actually figure out how far away
stars were and she died of cancer very
young but was able to publish her
finding uh but uh couldn't see it
applied and it was Edwin Hubble who
later said that levit should have really
won the Nobel Prize who used her method
to look at those spiral nebuli and what
he found was that they were much much
much further away millions of times
further away than any anyone had ever
thought in fact they were galaxies
galaxies just like our Milk Way systems
of hundreds of billions of stars and we
now know that the visible Universe has
hundreds of billions of galaxies so it's
not just a bucket of sand it's not a
million stars it's 7 * 10 to the power
of 22 stars now again if each star was a
grain of sand that would be all the sand
in all the deserts and beaches and sand
boxes on Earth times 10,000 10,000 Wells
of sand so in less than 100 years that's
how much our understanding of the
universe has grown from three teaspoons
to 10,000 Wells of
sand and actually it's even worse
because Hubble showed that the universe
is getting bigger and bigger all those
galaxies are moving away from each other
at tremendous speed so you may wonder
how could we ever figure out what was
going on and what what what where all
those stars came from now fortunately
Einstein came along and and Einstein
came up with a theory of relativity that
says that space is really just distances
between points and those distances
change depending on what you have
between those points he came up with
equations that tell us how space itself
changes when matter and energy move
around in it and these equations work
extremely well so well that all the
phones uh in your phones use GPS which
is based on Einstein's equations and
Einstein's equations predicted an
expanding unit universe and at first he
thought uh he'd made a mistake but then
he found out about Hubble's Discovery
and we now know that the Universe has
been expanding for 13.8 billion years
that means it actually started out very
very small smaller than an atom and we
call the moment the expansion started
the Big Bang now we still don't know
exactly what happened at the very
instant of the Big Bang but thanks to
Einstein we do know how the universe got
to be so big and we know that little
ripples tiny little ripples in that
early Universe grew with the universe
into seeds that became stars and
galaxies so we do know where stars came
from now one of Einstein's equations had
really big implications not just for big
things but also for small things and
that's his most famous equations E
equals mc^ s what does it mean well e
means energy m is mass and C squ is
speed of FL squared light travels very
very fast so C squ is an enormous number
almost as big as the number of all the
grains of sand in the world and that
means that even the tiniest amount of
matter even an atom has a tremendous
amount of energy so let's talk about
atoms and let's talk about small things
how small are atoms now if you remember
that tremendous number of stars in the
universe we have the same number of
atoms in just three drops of water so
it's quite amazing that we can
understand them all and for a long time
we thought atoms were the smallest thing
there
was but in 1898 Mary C
discovered an element called radium and
radium was constantly radiating so much
energy that it couldn't possibly come
from reactions between atoms and people
got really excited about radium science
fiction writer HD Wells thought that it
could be a source of infinite power for
a utopian society some people got maybe
a little bit too excited and too carried
away and started putting radium in
products like chocolate and face cream
and and other things something we now
know wouldn't wouldn't be a good idea
now Mary Cur uh something a bit better
she was able to use radium uh to treat
cancer so she pioneered radiation
therapy but she herself got exposed to
so much radiation that she eventually
died of anemia and even her cookbook to
this day is harmfully
radioactive but she lived long enough to
see what was really going on with radium
and she suspected that there might be
something going on inside atoms
something that was converting matter
into energy like Einstein's equation
implied and she was right in 1911 Ernst
ruford took some radium fired some of
radium's radiation at a gold leaf very
thin gold leaf and saw something really
weird the atoms were behaving like there
was something much smaller inside
something compared to the size of the
atom like a grain of sand in the middle
of a football field and he had
discovered the nucleus the nucleus of an
atom is made out of particles called
protons and neutrons orbited by a cloud
of electrons and to explain this
structure of the atom scientists had to
come up with a new Theory called quantum
mechanics and quantum mechanics predicts
that if you split the atom if you split
the nucleus some matter will be
converted into energy and that's what
was going on with radium but ruford
himself didn't think that atomic energy
would be of any practical use he
famously said that anyone who looks for
a s source of power inside an atom is
talking absolute
moonshine so of course there was a very
stubborn Hungarian who decided that it
had to be made to
work and he was called Leo card and he
was born right here in Budapest as a
young man he did a lot of work with
Einstein and they became close friends
what did they work on quantum mechanics
thermodynamics theoretical physics and
they also invented a new type of fridge
uh old-fashioned fridges used very
poisonous gases and a family in Berlin
died of of fumes coming coming from
those gases and Einstein got really
upset about it and he was certain that
there had be had to be a better way to
build fridges so he asked seart for help
to to invent a better one so they did um
it was a genius design obviously um but
uh too expensive and and too noisy to be
actually practical but in the end they
made some money by selling their patents
to Electrolux but sard kept inventing
and his next invention was something
much much
bigger in 1933 one morning in London he
was crossing the street at this spot and
just the moment when the traffic light
changed in a Flash he had a really
beautiful and a really terrible idea and
he called it the Chain Reaction if you
could split just one atom that would
release neutrons that would split more
atoms that release more neutrons that
would split more atoms and so on and so
on you could make Atomic power work and
you could also make a really terrible
weapon and that's exactly what happened
in Hiroshima and Nagasaki 12 years later
now sard himself was horrified he spent
the rest of his life campaigning against
nuclear weapons and he switched fields
from physics to biology and the atomic
bomb is a terrible thing it shows that
there is a dark side to our
understanding of the big in the small
but actually that same understanding
triggered an even bigger explosion
that's still going on
today and the trigger for that explosion
was this this is the first transistor
it's a device about this big it was
built by a team led by William shley in
Bell labs in 1947 and what it is is the
simplest building block of a digital
computer it can store a zero or a one
and like the atomic bomb it's based on
quantum mechanics in fact on equations
worked out by another Hungarian uh
called Eugene wigner who was one of zil
Art's friends as well and wigner showed
that there are some materials that can
be made to sometimes conduct electricity
and sometimes not so that gives you the
one and zero and one of those materials
is silicon and silicon is basically sand
so we make transistors out of sand and
we are now very very very very very good
at it here's a modern transistor it's
about 20 nanometers in size and to give
you an idea of how small that is all the
two billion transistors in an iPhone 6
can be made from just two grains of sand
so in 1947 there was just one trans
transistor today there are 3 * 10 to the
power of 21 transistors that's thousand
times all the sand grains in the world
and in just in 10 years there will be
more transistors than there are stars in
the known universe so we really have
started another big bang now think about
that for a minute that's a number that
applies not to atoms but machines that
we have made what does it mean it means
we can see things that we could never
see before the Henry at the lits of
today don't have to do it all by hand
computers are storing data and analyzing
it for us and just like telescopes
revealed a much much much bigger
Universe computers are revealing a world
that is much more complex than we
thought and that world is around us and
inside us let me give you an example
this is a human skin cell so it looks
pretty complicated but thanks to
computers we can now read the code that
runs it we can read its DNA and for a
long time scientists thought that only
about 2% of that DNA did anything useful
and the rest was junk but recently we
got much better at reading DNA and now
we know that that 98% is actually the
control system for the cell so in just a
few years we found out that the cell is
actually at least 50 times more complex
than we thought now to give you an idea
of what how big a leap that is let's
think about it in terms of computer
programs a small iPhone app like like
Candy Crush is about 50,000 lines of
code so what 50 times more code give you
it would give you the control system for
cern's large hadrin collider the most
complicated science instrument in the
world so basically we thought a cell was
like Candy Crush but it turns out to be
more like the large hatn collider in
terms of
complexity so that means it's much
harder to fix if something goes wrong so
it's no wonder that we are really far
still from curing cancer and maybe
that's because we've been looking at
that 2% we thought we understood and to
fix that we really need to tackle the
cell's full complexity it's not just
that we're just using transistors to
discover complexity we're using them to
build complexity we're putting them in
every single device we build and connect
them all together now look at the
internet in 1977 and then look at it in
2007 it's like a chain reaction the more
complex things we built the more complex
things they allow us to build and now
our transport networks our financial
systems our energy systems are much much
more complex than ever before and
there's a problem with that because very
complex systems can become fragile
adding a single grain of sand to a sand
pile can trigger an avalanche and those
Avalanches are happening faster and
faster we're all familiar with 2008
financial crisis but in 2010 competing
trading algorithms got locked into a
feedback loop that created a trillion
dollar stock market crash in 45 seconds
was called the flash crash of 2:45
p.m. connections also mean that problems
spread very very quickly three billion
people fly every year and that means
that the next pandemic we're going to
have is going to be truly Global in a
very complex system you can also get
cascading failures one thing failing
after another this is the electricity
grid of India and in 2012 just one power
line being overloaded crashed the entire
grid and left 600 million people without
power for 3 days and sometimes
connections can be very very hard to see
imagine a forest fire in Russia what
does it have to do with the Arab Spring
well forest fires in Russia led to the a
grain export ban which caused massive
Financial speculation on food prices
which caused food riots in North Africa
and ultimately to people deciding theyd
finally had
enough our most difficult problem s like
climate change involve both the
complexity of Nature and the complexity
we're creating to fix CL climate change
we need to understand Finance we need to
understand energy we need need to
understand soil and biology and the
atmosphere and and the oceans and
Quantum Mechanics for carbon and light
all of those things at the same time so
we live in a world where most of what we
think we know is wrong small things
breaking means that big things break and
when things break they break very
quickly everything is connected and we
can't see those connections and to
understand anything you have to
understand
everything so that's a little bit
scary but there's no reason to Panic
it's actually also quite exciting for
for me looking at all these complexity
is like looking at those Stars again and
that's why I did what Zar did and
switched from physics to biology there
are amazing New Opportunities if we can
learn to live with complexity and I
think we can and actually we now have
the means to make a lot of things much
simpler a lot of our systems like
finance and energy are fragile because
they have Central nodes like Banks and
power plants that are connected to
everything else so what if we took those
away think about Technologies like solar
power or Tesla's power wall again both
powered by transistors maybe we can have
power systems that are much less
centralized and much more resilient we
might be able to do the same thing for
finance Bitcoin is an example of a
platform that allows to have trusted
transactions without a central Authority
like a bank that verifies them but what
about the complexity of nature now
cancer and climate change are so
difficult problem that they might be too
much even for an Einstein but what about
a million Einstein all working together
where could we find those Einstein well
the chances are that a lot of those
Einstein are now playing computer games
and just all the hours spent on playing
Angry Birds actually would translate
into 12 wikipedias every year and
actually the best way to find the shape
of a biological molecule is already a
computer game called folded with 15
million players there are other
platforms like that like Z universe that
mean that anyone can now try to find
cancer mutations or new kinds of
galaxies in huge sets of data and we
might even be able to apply that
approach to politics Iceland recently
tried to crowdsource the drafting of the
Constitution via social media now you
might think that was a terrible idea but
actually worked out quite well uh so
there there are ways to make democracy
more transparent and have more brains
working on problems that no single
politician could ever understand it may
be that we have to give up some ideas
about systems that we have like the fact
that we we may not need to be able to
understand them nature evolves systems
without understanding them that might my
company Helix Nano we're trying to build
molecular machines that make writing
genetic code easier using machines that
we've evolved in a test tube and not
designed so in a way we can tackle
complexity by accepting it and embracing
it and maybe ultimately the systems we
build will merge with the systems of
nature until we can no longer tell where
one ends and one
begins Einstein said that things should
be as simple as possible but no simpler
and that's a good rule for us to follow
both as a species
and in our lives so let's Embrace
complexity where we must but find
Simplicity where we can and this is a
thought I'd like to leave you with
there's a name for the time in our lives
where everything we think we know turns
out to be wrong where everything is too
complex everything is too overwhelming
and we don't know what to do and it's
called growing up and that's when our
adventures really begin thank you very
much
関連動画をさらに表示
The Atomic Universe Theory | Universe Theories Episode 4
Quantum Entanglement Explained - How does it really work?
Roger Penrose: "Time Has No Beginning And Big Bang Wrong"
Where Did Dark Matter And Dark Energy Come From?
Introduction to Complexity: Introduction to the Study of Complexity
The history of our world in 18 minutes | David Christian | TED
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)