philosophy

Why does time only ever move in one direction? We talk to philosophers of physics Jeremy Butterfield and David Wallace, as well as the eminent Roger Penrose about the puzzle time poses to physicists and what it has to do with the Big Bang and the second law of thermodynamics.

Is the Universe finite or infinite? Is there infinity inside a black hole? Is space infinitely divisible or is there a shortest length? We talk to philosophers and physicists to find out.

Acknowledging that life is going to go on for a little while yet throws a different light on how we make decisions in a crisis.

Is the Universe digital, just like the world of computers? Discuss!

Modern theories suggest that the Universe really is unimaginably large — perhaps it's infinite, but even if it's not, it's so large it may as well be. But does this sheer scale affect how we reason about cosmology? In this video interview, we talk to David Wallace to find out more.

Some uncomfortable problems in our understanding of life.

The 19th century experienced a geometrical revolution. Find out how the new geometries that were discovered shaped philosophy, science, culture and art.

Do we live in a matrix? What does physics tell us about reality? Are reality and information one and the same? Do things only exist if they are perceived? Find out some the answers to these fascinating questions.

This article explores how Euclid's ancient geometry interacts with all aspects of human thought and life.

Can simple equations really describe the complex world we live in?

How understanding why something is impossible can often lead to deeper understanding, contemplations of philosophy and even new mathematics.

There's no doubt that maths is very good at describing the world around us. Could this be because the Universe we live in is itself a mathematical structure? We talk to Max Tegmark.