StarTalk Radio

Cosmic Queries – Quantum Consciousness with Charles Liu

February 13, 2026

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  • The Big Rip scenario, which involves tearing apart quarks, is contingent on dark energy being 'phantom energy,' a condition currently contradicted by the lack of observed negative energy particles. 
  • Recent data from the Dark Energy Survey suggests the cosmological constant may not be constant over time, implying that Einstein's general relativity might be missing a component regarding dark energy's physical nature. 
  • If consciousness is fundamentally quantum, it cannot be perfectly digitized or copied (as in uploading consciousness), because the act of reading the quantum state destroys the original information, leading to imperfect copies. 
  • The philosophical concept of simulating consciousness, exemplified by a thought experiment involving Einstein's brain, can be explored without invoking quantum uncertainty. 
  • Widespread scientific ignorance, particularly regarding the safety and efficacy of vaccines, is a deeply saddening issue that causes needless harm, contrasting with the success of scientific advancements like vaccination. 
  • The ability to admit ignorance ("I don't know") is a fundamental strength in scientific inquiry, and cultivating this humility is crucial for intellectual growth and combating misinformation. 

Segments

Big Rip and Quark Catastrophe
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(00:06:21)
  • Key Takeaway: The Big Rip scenario requires phantom dark energy, which implies the creation of negative energy particles that have never been observed.
  • Summary: A question was posed regarding whether the Big Rip tearing apart quarks would lead to a new Big Bang, suggesting a cyclical universe. Charles Liu clarified that the Big Rip depends on phantom energy, which would generate negative energy particles that are not observed. Furthermore, if tidal forces break down a quark, it may decay into different particles rather than simply forming new quarks.
Cosmological Constant Changes
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(00:11:32)
  • Key Takeaway: The Dark Energy Survey suggests the cosmological constant might not be constant, indicating general relativity may be incomplete.
  • Summary: New data from the Dark Energy Survey, analyzing 15 million galaxies, suggests the cosmological constant ($\Lambda$) is changing over time. If $\Lambda$ is time-dependent, it implies that Einstein’s initial inclusion of it as a constant in his equations was merely a mathematical placeholder for something physical. This variability suggests dark energy is a dynamic component of the universe, not a fixed value.
Relativity vs. Quantum Mechanics
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(00:20:21)
  • Key Takeaway: General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics remain mathematically incompatible, though hypotheses like Jacob Berendis’s attempt to bridge them using statistical physics exist.
  • Summary: The fundamental incompatibility between General Relativity (macroscopic space/time) and Quantum Mechanics (microscopic matter/energy) means their mathematics do not easily reconcile. Light acts as a linchpin where both theories must apply, but a unified theory is missing. One hypothesis suggests that statistical physics and chaos theory might provide a mathematical bridge to unite the two frameworks.
Block Universe and Retrocausality
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(00:26:28)
  • Key Takeaway: The concept of a ‘block universe’ suggests the entire timeline (past, present, future) already exists, but this remains a mathematical possibility not yet confirmed by experiment.
  • Summary: The path integral formulation and two-state vector formalism suggest quantum mechanics can be written with boundary conditions at both ends of time, implying a deterministic, four-dimensional block universe. If true, this means all trajectories are predetermined, leading to questions about retrocausality. No experiment has yet confirmed this block structure, though future experiments involving quantum entanglement might offer insight.
Quantum Entanglement and Higher Dimensions
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(00:33:10)
  • Key Takeaway: Invoking an extra spatial dimension to explain entanglement’s apparent non-locality is a mathematical strategy, but it requires justification for the dimension’s effect on the rest of the universe.
  • Summary: The question explored whether quantum entanglement’s instantaneous correlation occurs via a higher spatial dimension, bypassing the 3D speed limit. While adding dimensions can mathematically explain faster-than-light correlation, this hypothesis requires explaining the nature and influence of that extra dimension. Current understanding of entanglement suggests no physical connection exists between the particles other than their initial entanglement.
Quantum Consciousness and Free Will
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(00:40:40)
  • Key Takeaway: The link between quantum uncertainty and free will is speculative, as consciousness itself remains undefined, though some theories tie it to quantum effects in the brain.
  • Summary: The question of whether consciousness results from quantum physics is often invoked to explain free will, suggesting quantum uncertainty allows for non-determined actions. Philosophers suggest consciousness must have agency to be meaningful, unlike a soccer ball’s low-level awareness. The persistence of consciousness despite cellular turnover suggests a non-physical or quantum persistence mechanism might be at play.
Simulating Einstein’s Brain
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(01:01:09)
  • Key Takeaway: A philosophical thought experiment involving mapping Einstein’s brain suggests consciousness simulation is conceivable in principle without requiring quantum uncertainty.
  • Summary: The book Gödel, Escher, Bach contains a thought experiment where Einstein’s brain is mapped and simulated to speak back in response to questions. This simulation relies on mapping neurosynaptic connections responding to auditory input. The principle of such a simulation was deemed convincing even without incorporating quantum uncertainty.
AI and Being Alive
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(01:02:44)
  • Key Takeaway: The play Marjorie Prime explores the ethical and personal value of maintaining a simulated presence of a deceased loved one via AI.
  • Summary: The play Marjorie Prime uses AI interaction with a deceased spouse to question what it means to be alive. The benefit of such a simulation is primarily for the living, offering comfort or perceived continuity, rather than for the simulated entity itself. The value proposition depends on whether the comfort outweighs the artificiality for surviving family members.
Scientific Ignorance Examples
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(01:05:09)
  • Key Takeaway: Misconceptions like penguins in Greenland or bears in the Antarctic demonstrate common scientific ignorance, but vaccine denial causes the most significant real-world harm.
  • Summary: Examples of public scientific ignorance include believing penguins exist in the Arctic and bears in the Antarctic (the word Arctic means bear, implying no bears in the Antarctic). The most saddening example cited is the denial of vaccine safety, which has led to preventable deaths, such as the measles outbreak in Samoa following anti-vaccine rhetoric.
Success Breeds Complacency
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(01:08:35)
  • Key Takeaway: The eradication of diseases like polio is a victim of its own success, as modern generations lack memory of the historical danger, leading to complacency regarding preventative measures like vaccination.
  • Summary: The success of scientific vaccinations has made diseases like polio rare, leading people to forget the historical context of childhood mortality. This lack of memory fosters an environment where scientific achievements are dismissed as fake or unnecessary. This phenomenon is compared to using dandruff shampoo when one does not have dandruff, illustrating reliance on a solution when the problem is no longer visible.
Evidence for Round Earth
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(01:09:23)
  • Key Takeaway: Observing the sunset time difference between the East and West Coasts during a football game provides simple, observable evidence that the Earth is round.
  • Summary: When watching a West Coast football game while on the East Coast, the sun is still up in the West when it has already set in the East due to the time zone difference. This differential sunset time serves as direct, observable evidence supporting a spherical Earth model. This simple observation contrasts with other forms of scientific denial, such as Flat Earth theories.
Combating Ignorance and Expertise
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(01:10:25)
  • Key Takeaway: The core problem is not ignorance itself, but the assertion of knowledge by those unaware of their own ignorance, often fueled by superficial research like 20-minute YouTube videos.
  • Summary: Everyone is subject to ignorance, and the scientific method thrives on acknowledging what is unknown. The challenge arises when individuals assert knowledge without checking reliable sources, often after consuming brief, non-expert content online. Scientists’ greatest power is the ability to state, “I don’t know,” which is fundamental to discovery.
Collective Movement and Oneness
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(01:14:36)
  • Key Takeaway: Synchronized group movement, whether by monks or soldiers, demonstrates a powerful human capacity for coordinated action that mimics a singular entity, distinct from a literal single organism.
  • Summary: The constant energy observed in groups like peace walkers suggests strong communication and synchronization of pace, allowing many individuals to move as one unit. This ability to move in unison is a genetically ingrained human trait, evidenced by historical migrations. Experiences like singing in a chorus or using psychedelics can induce a feeling of oneness with others or the universe, achieved through focused connection rather than inherent biological unity.