Gerard 't Hooft: Why the Universe Is a Deterministic Machine
episodePreviously titled “The Nobel Laureate Who (Also) Says Quantum Theory Is "Totally Wrong"” — renamed by the publisher on Aug 3, 2026
Transcript
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Why does Gerard ’t Hooft claim quantum mechanics is fundamentally wrong?
Come with that expositions are totally wrong.
What blind spots in modern physics does he identify?
Picture reality as a cosmic pinball machine.
How does he propose hidden variables to truly explain reality?
Every ball follows a deterministic path, no exceptions. To Nobel laureate Professor Gerard Tuft, the fact that we can't track all these balls is why we invented quantum mechanics, effectively to handle our ignorance.
How does the cellular automaton model describe the universe?
This is quite a startling proposal, especially from the winner of the Nobel Prize in 1999 for his work on the election.
Why does he argue that real numbers don’t exist in physics?
Electraweak interaction. To the professor, there are no real numbers, there's no superposition, not even wave functions fundamentally.
How does superdeterminism defeat Bell’s theorem?
Instead, there are these discrete cellular automata, updating in quantized steps.
What is his radical view on quantum gravity and black‑hole information?
Today, we discuss why he thinks standard physics has it backward, particles don't exist in multiple states, cats aren't simultaneously dead and alive, the universe never plays dice. I'm Kurt Jaimungle, and in this conversation we tackle superdeterminism, why seemingly absurd theories get more support than ostensibly realistic ones, and how recognizing space-time quantum clones solves the problems of black holes.
What would you actually experience falling into a black hole?
Professor, when we were speaking off air, you mentioned to me that the crazier the proposal, the easier it is to get accepted. What did you mean by that?
Well it happens very often, rather surprisingly, if you come with a very simple theory or idea Then people have all sorts of complaints and uh objections. Then you come to something which clearly cannot be corrected directly And sounds like uh like uh uh really long distance uh approach. Then that gets much more support in in general. For example Uh I first ac uh encountered that when I was in heavy discussions with my advisor Veldman. About renormalization. And we agree that so one very important problem to be handled which was Can it all be done? consistently are the equations that you have not in y uh uh uh contradicting each other. And I s searched very hard and I had the idea of adding a fifth dimension to space and time.
It works but then it only worked for one loop diagrams and then it went wrong. So e eventually I said, Well, maybe Uh if if I take three point nine nine navenges or four point oh one, then everything is formally finite and calculable. And there are no contradictions. So all I have to do is take a limit They then go end the number of space time dimensions. Goes to four. But then I thought how I'm going to sp explain that to Feldman because he is very critical. So now I I said, Well I have this idea about changing the number of dimensions of space time, not by an integer but by a f small fractional number.
Uhhuh.
And my much to my surprise he got immediately as enthusiastic right away. And that was for other colleagues as well. They immediately accept such a wild idea. Which I thought was also rather crazy. Whereas in contrast if you talk about quantum mechanics and you suggest maybe quantum mechanics is just a uh a deterministic theory in disguise, in disguise because there's so much going on in this universe, you can't really check whether it's deterministic or not. But I thought this was a very natural sort of zero attitude you would have towards quantum mechanics. But again, then people come with lots of objections. But when you you propose to someone that there are two or uh many universes at the same time, some more real than the other, but they're all real, different realities.
I find that total nonsense. I can't understand how that works. But you v very rarely you hear objections against that. You you hear only alternatives which are equally crazy. But the idea that The world is just completely deterministic. Simple minded, just like grains of sand. If you play around in a bucket of sand then then that would be the easiest thing to assume. But then people come with all sorts of objections.
So why do you think that is? Do you think it's because our validation criteria is off, or do you think it's because the more fantastic idea, the more it appeals to people? Or is it the more fantastic idea the more difficult it is to find an error with it?
Yes, I think it is there that that uh with more fantastic ideas you can make noise, you can shout.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
Why does Gerard ’t Hooft claim quantum mechanics is fundamentally wrong?
0:00–0:04
2
What blind spots in modern physics does he identify?
0:04–0:07
3
How does he propose hidden variables to truly explain reality?
0:07–0:22
4
How does the cellular automaton model describe the universe?
0:22–0:29
5
Why does he argue that real numbers don’t exist in physics?
0:29–0:37
6
How does superdeterminism defeat Bell’s theorem?
0:37–0:43
7
What is his radical view on quantum gravity and black‑hole information?
0:43–1:12
8
What would you actually experience falling into a black hole?
1:12–1:30:34
Speakers
2 identifiedMore from Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal
Jim Al-Khalili: The Ontology of Time. We Had It Backwards
She Says Spacetime Points Are Just Where Fields Meet
Tanya Luhrmann: The Experience Is Real. But Is God?
Tim Maudlin: Quantum Nonlocality Explained FROM SCRATCH
Adrian Owen: Awake. Aware. Unable to Move.
Peter Godfrey-Smith: This Scientist Found Earth’s “Alien” Minds