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FQxI Events

Let’s Talk Time, Space & AI｜XPANSE 2024

LATEST VIDEO | April 2, 2025
What happens when you mix cosmology, AI, and a dash of existential curiosity? Physicist Anthony Aguirre (Co-Founder of FQxI) sits down with Founding Circle Member of the World Experience Organization, Heather Gallagher, to untangle the weirdest questions at the edge of modern science. From “Can AI help us rethink time?” to “What will the future look like as humans and AI begin to integrate further?”. Recorded live at XPANSE 2024, the conversation speaks to how AI might reshape physics, why the universe’s biggest puzzles still baffle us, and what it all means for the future of human knowledge. Love this stuff? Help keep these conversations alive. FQxI is a nonprofit that backs bold, curiosity-driven science—the kind that asks “What is reality, anyway?” Donate here → https://fqxi.org/support-our-work/don...

FQxI Originals

Hipparchus | Julian Barbour | FQxI's "My Favourite" Ep 3

LATEST VIDEO | April 2, 2025

Welcome back to the FQxI "My Favourite" series, where our members explore their most cherished scientific ideas.

In episode three, Julian Barbour takes us back to 150 BC to uncover the revolutionary insights of Hipparchus, the great ancient astronomer. Hipparchus developed one of the first dynamical equations to describe the Sun's motion across the ecliptic, laying the foundation for the entire field of dynamics. He introduced the concept of relating time to the Sun’s position, relying on precise ratios and geometric reasoning.

This theory explained the non-uniformity in the Sun's motion and established a paradigm that has helped shape physics for millennia. Hipparchus’s legacy reminds us of the deep connections between observation, mathematics, and the quest to understand the cosmos.

Support FQxI

Help us continue to explore and share foundational scientific ideas. Your donation makes a difference. Stay tuned for the next episode, where another FQxI member shares their favourite scientific inspiration.

Member Seminars

From Wormholes to Hollywood Movies: Jim Al-Khalili Meets Kip Thorne

LATEST VIDEO | April 2, 2025

Physicist Jim Al-Khalili of the University of Surrey and a member of FQxI's Scientific Advisory Council recently recorded a conversation with Nobel Laureate Kip Thorne, in front of an audience of 400 people at the Royal Institution in London. Thorne won the Nobel prize in physics for his work on LIGO and the detection of gravitational waves. He also worked with Christopher Nolan on the movie Interstellar. An edited version of the conversation was broadcast as part of Al-Khalili's BBC series The Life Scientific. This is the full version.

Explore more:

  • Listen to Jim Al-Khalili on the FQxI Podcast.
  • Hear more about the detection of gravitational waves on the FQxI Podcast.