RECORDED ON MAY 31st 2021. Dr. Chiara Marletto is Postdoctoral Research Assistant in the Department of Physics at Oxford University. Her research interests include Quantum Theory of Computation, Foundations of Physics, Condensed-Matter Physics and Quantum Biology. She is the recipient of numerous awards including the "Graduate Prize Scholarship" at Merton College, 2012; "Optime" Award for Academic Excellence, offered by Unione Industriale di Torino, 2011; and the "Ing. Vittorino Pollo e Dott.Ssa Zita Pollo" Award for Academic Excellence, offered by Fondazione Giovanni Agnelli, 2010. She is the author of The Science of Can and Can't: A Physicist's Journey through the Land of Counterfactuals. In this episode, we focus on The Science of Can and Can’t. We start by defining “counterfactual”, and we ask what it means for something to be designed. We get into how to get a new explanation of work and heat through the science of counterfactuals. We talk about counterfactuals in quantum systems, and the quantum theory of information. We ask what knowledge is from this perspective. We discuss biology, and how concepts like “catalyst” and “resilience” can help us better understand it from a Physics perspective, and how knowledge applies in that domain. We talk about psychological phenomena, and reductionist explanations. We ask how we could unify quantum mechanics and general relativity. We talk about the implications for epistemology and science. Finally, we ask if the Universe is predetermined. Time Links: 00:00 Intro 00:25 What is a “counterfactual”? 04:42 Design 09:01 Other Universes 11:49 Work, and heat 16:39 Counterfactuals in quantum systems 21:05 Knowledge 24:37 Catalysts, resilience, and biology 30:59 Psychological phenomena, and reductionist explanations 35:52 Unifying quantum mechanics and general relativity 38:30 Implications for epistemology and science 46:41 How can we know what is possible? 48:48 Is the Universe predetermined? 51:40 Follow Dr. Marletto’s work! -- Follow Dr. Marletto’s work: Our first interview: https://youtu.be/9y5q7i9E1vU Oxford page: https://bit.ly/3iGLFWu Constructor Theory website: https://bit.ly/3cjTm2B Personal website: https://bit.ly/3c1y8Yf ResearchGate profile: https://bit.ly/3iGzWXW The Science of Can and Can’t: https://amzn.to/32JMngd -- A HUGE THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS/SUPPORTERS: KARIN LIETZCKE, ANN BLANCHETTE, PER HELGE LARSEN, LAU GUERREIRO, JERRY MULLER, HANS FREDRIK SUNDE, BERNARDO SEIXAS, HERBERT GINTIS, RUTGER VOS, RICARDO VLADIMIRO, CRAIG HEALY, OLAF ALEX, PHILIP KURIAN, JONATHAN VISSER, JAKOB KLINKBY, ADAM KESSEL, MATTHEW WHITINGBIRD, ARNAUD WOLFF, TIM HOLLOSY, HENRIK AHLENIUS, JOHN CONNORS, PAULINA BARREN, FILIP FORS CONNOLLY, DAN DEMETRIOU, ROBERT WINDHAGER, RUI INACIO, ARTHUR KOH, ZOOP, MARCO NEVES, COLIN HOLBROOK, SUSAN PINKER, THOMAS TRUMBLE, PABLO SANTURBANO, SIMON COLUMBUS, PHIL KAVANAGH, JORGE ESPINHA, CORY CLARK, MARK BLYTH, ROBERTO INGUANZO, MIKKEL STORMYR, ERIC NEURMANN, SAMUEL ANDREEFF, FRANCIS FORDE, TIAGO NUNES, BERNARD HUGUENEY, ALEXANDER DANNBAUER, OMARI HICKSON, FERGAL CUSSEN, YEVHEN BODRENKO, HAL HERZOG, NUNO MACHADO, DON ROSS, JONATHAN LEIBRANT, JOÃO LINHARES, OZLEM BULUT, NATHAN NGUYEN, STANTON T, SAMUEL CORREA, ERIK HAINES, MARK SMITH, J.W., JOÃO EIRA, TOM HUMMEL, SARDUS FRANCE, DAVID SLOAN WILSON, YACILA DEZA-ARAUJO, IDAN SOLON, ROMAIN ROCH, DMITRY GRIGORYEV, TOM ROTH, DIEGO LONDOÑO CORREA, YANICK PUNTER, ADANER USMANI, CHARLOTTE BLEASE, NICOLE BARBARO, ADAM HUNT, PAWEL OSTASZEWSKI, AL ORTIZ, NELLEKE BAK, KATHRINE AND PATRICK TOBIN, GUY MADISON, GARY G HELLMANN, SAIMA AFZAL, ADRIAN JAEGGI, NICK GOLDEN, PAULO TOLENTINO, AND JOÃO BARBOSA! A SPECIAL THANKS TO MY PRODUCERS, YZAR WEHBE, JIM FRANK, ŁUKASZ STAFINIAK, IAN GILLIGAN, SERGIU CODREANU, LUIS CAYETANO, TOM VANEGDOM, CURTIS DIXON, BENEDIKT MUELLER, VEGA GIDEY, AND NIRUBAN BALACHANDRAN! AND TO MY EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS, MICHAL RUSIECKI, ROSEY, JAMES PRATT, AND MATTHEW LAVENDER!