Leading physicists clash on the early universe: Roger Penrose, Laura Mersini-Houghton, Carlo Rovelli

In a debate about while holes, Roger Penrose, Laura Mersini-Houghton and Carlo Rovelli go off topic to discuss the beginning of the universe, and whether untestable theories can still be called science. How did your universe begin? With a free trial, you can watch the full debate at https://iai.tv/video/white-holes-fact-or-fantasy?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=description After over a century of theoretical speculation based on Einstein’s general theory of relativity, the existence of black holes is now widely accepted, with supermassive black holes sitting at the centre of most galaxies. But some physicists now argue for the existence of white holes, an object that throws matter out rather than sucking it in, claiming that they solve deep puzzles about the internal workings of black holes, dark matter, and the origin of the Big Bang. But many argue such objects are fantasy. Critics say that white holes violate the second law of thermodynamics, and that there are multiple alternative theories to describe the inside of a black hole. Are white holes a mathematical fantasy? Or like black holes might we come to see them as an essential element of the universe? Detached from observational and empirical evidence, has contemporary cosmology become lost in theoretical imaginings, or is it in fact uncovering the very nature of the world? #universe #multiverse #cosmology #physics #earlyuniverse #bigbang #cosmology 00:00 Introduction 00:23 Carlo Rovelli 01:06 Roger Penrose on conformal cyclic cosmology (CCC) 07:00 Laura Mersini-Houghton on the quantum multiverse 10:53 Carlo Rovelli: Time will tell Carlo Rovelli is a leading theoretical physicist and the author of 'White Holes'. Laura Mersini-Houghton is a pre-eminent physicist at the University of North Carolina and the author of 'Before The Big Bang: The origin of the universe and what lies beyond'. Roger Penrose is a world-renowned mathematical physicist and philosopher of science. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2020 for his work on black holes. Hosted by Robert Lawrence Kuhn, creator of @CloserToTruthTV The Institute of Art and Ideas features videos and articles from cutting edge thinkers discussing the ideas that are shaping the world, from metaphysics to string theory, technology to democracy, aesthetics to genetics. Subscribe today! https://iai.tv/subscribe?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=white-holes-fact-or-fantasy For debates and talks: https://iai.tv For articles: https://iai.tv/articles For courses: https://iai.tv/iai-academy/courses