Adam Brown – Einstein's happiest thought: General Relativity from scratch
Descripción del Episodio
Adam Brown is back!
General relativity is said to be the most beautiful idea the human mind has ever produced. Most of us will never get to fully appreciate its elegance by taking the 20-lecture graduate course Adam taught on it at Stanford. But in this episode, Adam distills the key idea at its heart so clearly and compellingly that even I could keep up lol.
At the core of general relativity, Einstein is trying to figure out the principle behind a particular coincidence: that the mass that resists acceleration and the mass that gravity pulls on just happen to be exactly the same. Adam then leads us through the path of insight which Einstein called his “happiest thought.”
Then Adam lectures on black holes. First, by showing how even under special relativity you could create a perpetual motion machine if black holes weren’t truly black. And then, by explaining why the observations of an infalling observer and a distant bystander to the black hole would be so radically different
Adam leads Blueshift, the team at Google DeepMind cracking science and reasoning, which gave us the opportunity to discuss at the very end how close we are to AIs that could rediscover general relativity from scratch. Stay till the close for some philosophy of science.
Watch on YouTube; read the transcript.
Sponsors
* Jane Street has traders from all sorts of different backgrounds. For example, I recently got to speak with Jed Thompson, a trader who started his career in particle physics. Jed told me how the habits he built as a physicist (like never running a calculation without first having a good guess at the answer) helped him build good trading intuition. So no matter what field you’re working in right now, your experience may be more applicable than you think. Check out open positions at janestreet.com/dwarkesh
* Crusoe gave me early access to their new serverless fine-tuning product, so I decided to try fine-tuning a Dwarkesh-style question generator. Crusoe made this really easy: I just turned my interview transcripts into training data and then kicked off a run – I never had to touch infra or tweak hyperparameters. After training was done, I ran a blind eval with my team: they preferred the fine-tuned model’s proposed questions over my own suggestions about 30% of the time. Serverless fine-tuning goes live next week. Learn more at crusoe.ai/dwarkesh
* Cursor’s iOS app lets me kick off real work no matter where I am. For example, recently I was at dinner with friends when I had an idea about how to investigate the past few years of progress in sample efficiency. I pulled out the Cursor app, dumped my thoughts into a voice note, and 15 minutes later, Cursor had cloned the relevant repo, done the necessary analysis, and written up its findings. And now I’m expanding that work into a full write-up. Without the Cursor app, the idea would’ve floated away. Check out the app now at cursor.com/dwarkesh
Timestamps
(00:00:00) – The coincidence that led Einstein to general relativity
(00:16:42) – Gravity is a consequence of curved spacetime, not a force
(00:31:46) – Why black holes prevent unlimited energy extraction
(00:47:12) – Black holes are the ultimate power plants
(01:13:50) – What falling into a black hole would actually feel like
(01:18:51) – The three ways we know black holes are real
(01:24:21) – The first time we saw gravity bend light
(01:29:33) – How far can AI get without experimental evidence?
Get full access to Dwarkesh Podcast at www.dwarkesh.com/subscribe
Episodios Recientes
Más podcasts de Sociedad y Cultura
Ver toda la categoría →
Prenderse Fuego: Las Voces de Pedro Lemebel
By shows
<p>Serie sonora y biográfica que recorre la vida, obra y legado de Pedro Lemebel a través de su voz. A partir de archivos radiales, entrevistas inéditas, testimonios íntimos y documentos personales, este viaje sonoro reconstruye al artista, narrador, cronista, performer y figura pública desde su registro más icónico: su forma de hablar, de relatar y de provocar. Cada episodio explora una etapa distinta de su vida, enfatizando en su voz —como herramienta estética y política— y cómo fue transformándose hasta el final de su vida.</p> <p>Prenderse Fuego es una coproducción de GAM y Podium Podcast Chile.</p>
Testigo Directo
By shows
Testigo Directo es un video podcast de periodismo investigativo que te sumerge en las historias más impactantes de Colombia y América Latina. Desde el narcotráfico y el crimen organizado, hasta casos de corrupción, desapariciones y luchas sociales, cada episodio revela verdades ocultas y voces silenciadas. Con una narrativa ágil, testimonios exclusivos y análisis de fondo, Testigo Directo va más allá de los titulares para mostrar lo que otros no cuentan. 🔍 Escucha. Cuestiona. Sé Testigo Directo.
Dan Carlin's Hardcore History
By shows
In "Hardcore History" journalist and broadcaster Dan Carlin takes his "Martian", unorthodox way of thinking and applies it to the past. Was Alexander the Great as bad a person as Adolf Hitler? What would Apaches with modern weapons be like? Will our modern civilization ever fall like civilizations from past eras? This isn't academic history (and Carlin isn't a historian) but the podcast's unique blend of high drama, masterful narration and Twilight Zone-style twists has entertained millions of listeners.
Mick Unplugged
By shows
Everybody talks about your WHY. Mick Hunt goes deeper. Mick Unplugged is the leadership and personal growth podcast built on one idea: your BECAUSE is the purpose underneath your purpose, and it is the most powerful force you own. Hosted by Mick Hunt, USA Today bestselling author and the voice of Modern Leadership, every episode sits across from a high performer, founder, athlete, or culture-shaper and asks the one question they cannot fake an answer to. What is your BECAUSE? Past guests include Shark Tank stars Daymond John and Kevin O'Leary, entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk, motivational legend Les Brown, Chef Robert Irvine, comedians Rickey Smiley and Earthquake, NFL Hall of Famer Jared Allen, hospitality mogul David Grutman, and World Series champion Jeremy Guthrie. No scripts. No surface-level fluff. Just the real fire behind why they refused to quit. If you are a leader, an entrepreneur, or someone who is done coasting on motivational quotes, this is your show. You will walk away every week with mindset shifts, leadership strategy, and the kind of straight talk that actually moves you forward. New episodes drop weekly. Follow Mick Unplugged on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube so you never miss one. Your BECAUSE is your Superpower. Go Unleash It.
Creators Inc. Podcast
By shows
Andy Bachman's Creators Inc. Podcast is an unfiltered podcast where top content creators talk honestly about how they grow, go viral, and make real money online. We break down strategies, mistakes, algorithms, and the behind-the-scenes moments nobody posts — plus personal stories, internet drama, and whatever wild shit is happening in their world. Smart, funny, and unscripted. Swear words included. If you’re building an audience or just want to know how the creator economy really works, this is creators thinking out loud.
Coffeez with Joe Shalaby
By shows
Hosted by Joseph Shalaby, Founder and CEO of E Mortgage Capital, this isn’t your typical business podcast. Each episode brings you inside the minds of high-level entrepreneurs, investors, athletes, celebrities, and cultural voices shaping today’s economy — not just what they do, but how they actually win. From raw origin stories and early struggles to the real mechanics behind how money is made, scaled, and sometimes lost, Joe cuts through the noise to get to what matters. No fluff. No surface-level answers. Set inside the world of Coffeez, every conversation unfolds with intention — how they started, how they built, what it cost them, and what separates them now. Whether you're building something, investing in something, or simply trying to understand how the game really works, Coffeez with Joe Shalaby delivers unfiltered insight from people who are actually in it.
Tomorrow, Today
By shows
What if humans lived 300 years? What if AI replaces friendships? What if consciousness could be uploaded?Tomorrow, Today is hosted by Shekhar Natarajan, founder and CEO of Orchestro.AI and former senior executive at American Eagle, Walmart, Target, and Disney, where he led global innovations in technology and supply chain. Having shaped how industries adapt to disruption, Shekhar now considers the questions that will define humanity’s next era.Blending cinematic storytelling, raw conversations, and unfiltered perspectives, Tomorrow, Today explores breakthrough ideas before they become mainstream. Each episode brings together world-class experts, cultural voices, and everyday people to unpack the opportunities and risks of a rapidly evolving future.The future is coming. Tomorrow, Today helps us decide what to do about it.
