Sean Carroll

You know, when I walk into a beautiful cathedral or hear really good church music, it is emotionally affecting. Why wouldn't it be? Forget about the existence of God. These things, these cathedrals, these pieces of music were designed by human beings to evoke an emotional response, right? That's why they were designed the way they were.

So I have no trouble believing that the physical trappings of a church or the aesthetic trappings of the art or the music, or for that matter, the sort of ritualistic trappings of the steps you go through when you're at a church service, have important resonance to us.

So I have no trouble believing that the physical trappings of a church or the aesthetic trappings of the art or the music, or for that matter, the sort of ritualistic trappings of the steps you go through when you're at a church service, have important resonance to us.

That is as unsurprising to me as saying, oh, I went to a music, a rock concert, and a bunch of people seem to be having a really good time and dancing around. Isn't that surprising? It's not really surprising to me. Robert Grenise says, when the universe reaches maximum entropy, heat death, does time end as well? With no more entropy, the arrow of time would cease to have meaning, wouldn't it?

That is as unsurprising to me as saying, oh, I went to a music, a rock concert, and a bunch of people seem to be having a really good time and dancing around. Isn't that surprising? It's not really surprising to me. Robert Grenise says, when the universe reaches maximum entropy, heat death, does time end as well? With no more entropy, the arrow of time would cease to have meaning, wouldn't it?

Well, as I've said many times before, but it's been a while so I'll say it again, time is separate from the arrow of time. Just like space exists without an arrow of space, time can exist without an arrow of time. Time, as we conceptualize it in physics, can absolutely be part of the best description of the universe while not having a directionality one way or the other.

Well, as I've said many times before, but it's been a while so I'll say it again, time is separate from the arrow of time. Just like space exists without an arrow of space, time can exist without an arrow of time. Time, as we conceptualize it in physics, can absolutely be part of the best description of the universe while not having a directionality one way or the other.

So just like there is a distance between me and the sun, even if there are not a bunch of rulers or meter sticks lying between me and the sun to actually measure it, there will be time in the universe once you reach thermal equilibrium.

So just like there is a distance between me and the sun, even if there are not a bunch of rulers or meter sticks lying between me and the sun to actually measure it, there will be time in the universe once you reach thermal equilibrium.

If I have, you know, a glass of water and there's an ice cube in it and the ice cube melts, and the water is now more or less in equilibrium at room temperature with the room around it, I can still sensibly talk about how long it's been there. Time is still passing. DI says, how does one stay realistically optimistic within the next four years in the United States?

If I have, you know, a glass of water and there's an ice cube in it and the ice cube melts, and the water is now more or less in equilibrium at room temperature with the room around it, I can still sensibly talk about how long it's been there. Time is still passing. DI says, how does one stay realistically optimistic within the next four years in the United States?

Any suggestions for small yet socially meaningful actions each one of us can take? Short answer is not really. I mean, I have suggestions, but I don't necessarily think my suggestions are very good. Different people will respond differently. Different people are going to have different ways of coping. Some people are going to be happy about the next four years.

Any suggestions for small yet socially meaningful actions each one of us can take? Short answer is not really. I mean, I have suggestions, but I don't necessarily think my suggestions are very good. Different people will respond differently. Different people are going to have different ways of coping. Some people are going to be happy about the next four years.

But if you're the kind of person who is concerned, worried, anxious about the next four years... I do think that it's important to mix trying to do something about it with also trying to live the rest of your life, as I said at the beginning in the intro of the podcast. Doing something about it means politics one way or the other.

But if you're the kind of person who is concerned, worried, anxious about the next four years... I do think that it's important to mix trying to do something about it with also trying to live the rest of your life, as I said at the beginning in the intro of the podcast. Doing something about it means politics one way or the other.

It could mean campaigning or something like that, but it also could just mean talking to people. You know, at the end of the day, democracy is not just about putting up more posters. It's about changing people's minds to agree with you. You know, you have to actually communicate with people and give them the sales pitch that your point of view is better.

It could mean campaigning or something like that, but it also could just mean talking to people. You know, at the end of the day, democracy is not just about putting up more posters. It's about changing people's minds to agree with you. You know, you have to actually communicate with people and give them the sales pitch that your point of view is better.

I think that people on both sides of the divide are not very good at that. But if you could talk to some people who are not closed-minded and not just insult them for not agreeing with you, but actually provide them reasons that it would be better to agree with you, then you've done a little bit to make the country a better place. Meanwhile, take care of yourself. Learn interesting things.

I think that people on both sides of the divide are not very good at that. But if you could talk to some people who are not closed-minded and not just insult them for not agreeing with you, but actually provide them reasons that it would be better to agree with you, then you've done a little bit to make the country a better place. Meanwhile, take care of yourself. Learn interesting things.

Listen to good podcasts. Keep trying to get better ourselves at understanding the world, both in political ways and in scientific ways. It's an ongoing process. We're not going to declare victory and like, okay, now the world is good. We're going to try to keep on, in little tiny ways, making it better.