Videos

FQxI Events

What are Foundational Questions? David Sloan in conversation with Pinar Emirdag

LATEST VIDEO | April 24, 2025

David Sloan (FQxI’s Chief Scientific Officer) and Pinar Emirdag (FQxI Board Member) talk about the kinds of questions that don’t get answered in textbooks — the ones where even experts don’t agree. What is time, really? Why does math describe the universe so well? Where do our current theories stop making sense?

"The curiosity driven research of today will be the technology of tomorrow"–David Sloan

Please help support FQxI's research into the foundational questions surrounding space, time, AI and consciousness: Donate → here

FQxI Originals

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

LATEST VIDEO | April 24, 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

Meditation, psychedelics and the self - A neurophenomenological approach

LATEST VIDEO | April 24, 2025
This lecture will present several scientific projects focused on studying subtle selfless states with meditators in the MEG using a unique neurophenomenological setup. These studies investigated selfless states via the dissolution of the sense-of-boundaries, shedding new light on the multi-dimensionality and flexibility of embodied selfhood. Additionally, we used a neural visual mismatch-response paradigm testing for ‘death denial’ in meditators and ayahuasca veterans in a neurophenomenological setup, and showed contrasting effects on the brain’s defensiveness towards mortality. These findings provide empirical support for the hypothesis that the neural mechanisms underlying the human tendency to avoid death are amenable to mental training, and highlight the differences between meditation and psychedelics as a “spiritual path”.