You haven't seen any new hardcore physics posts entering this blog in recent weeks. Reason is a new role in my professional life, combined with a new science project that I have started in my spare time (if successful, you will definitely read more about the latter here). Both activities currently consume a lot of my time, and as there are only 1015 inches in a day, something has to give.
However, with more free time in view around year end, I promise you some physics coming out of the hammock soon. In the meantime, you might want to read the recent interview with me at Philosophy-To-Go. I do not consider myself in any way a philosopher, so when the folks at Philosophy-To-Go asked me for an interview, I was somewhat surprised and puzzled. Would I have anything meaningful to contribute to an Internet magazine on philosophy? However, a visit to their site made it clear that Philosophy-To-Go is very much focused on the interface where philosophy meets physics. The editors are establishing a track record of capably interviewing physicists, with their most recent interview at that time being an interview with Martin 'Big Bounce' Bojowald.
So I agreed.
The interviewer, Eduard Arroyo, clearly had read my recent articles here at Science 2.0, and came with some well-prepared questions. A few of these ('is free will an illusion?') forced me into areas that I am as much intrigued by as anyone else, but feel I have little tangible to contribute to (but who really have?). Other questions dealt with subjects I discussed here before, and my answers should not surprise any of the regulars here. All these questions combined in one interview nicely hint at a common question and probably a red thread to my blog: "what is reality?" I don't have the answer, but some exciting clues (the holographic principle, entropic effects, emergent gravity, etc.) have recently emerged that provide enough material to fill a physics blog with, and that allowed my in this interview to come across less clueless than I really am.
So if this blog renders me the title 'hammock physicist', then surely this interview at Philosophy-To-Go will allow me to add 'armchair philosopher' to my qualifications.
Have a look yourself: PhilosophyToGo.
