March 15, 2010
I cannot understate how much I approve of this show. In The Ethics of Progress Jon Spooner delivers an introduction to some concepts in quantum mechanics, and a few of their ethical and philosophical ramifications, with style and gusto. He does this in the form of an informal talk backed up with clear and appropriate video clips, and adds a good dash of humour to make sure that the potentially dry topic goes down smoothly. It all works very, very well.
The topic that Spooner concentrates on is that of teleportation. He explains, in a really simple and easy to follow way, how in the realm of the very small a thing can really be in two places at once (superposition), and how doing something to one thing might affect another thing even though they may be many miles apart (quantum entanglement). Once we accept these two concepts it is only a small leap of imagination to accepting that teleportation is real and possible.
The Ethics of Progress is so expertly written and delivered that it can be understood and enjoyed by a young layman audience while still amusing and engaging adults who have given some thought to these issues already. As someone with a keen interest in both philosophy and physics I was tempted to have children just so that I could take them to a show like this and share with them the wonder and thrill of these rewarding concepts. Basically, if you have either (a) children or siblings aged 14-17, or (b) don’t know much about quantum mechanics, then you really should give this a try. The only group who might consider giving it a miss are those who have already pursued an interest in the topics well above the level of a Wikipedia search.
Slick, smart and non-patronising The Ethics of Progress is proof positive that the art of the intellectual talk can be brought to the mainstream to enthuse and entertain, and can even sneak some education in through the back door.
The topic that Spooner concentrates on is that of teleportation. He explains, in a really simple and easy to follow way, how in the realm of the very small a thing can really be in two places at once (superposition), and how doing something to one thing might affect another thing even though they may be many miles apart (quantum entanglement). Once we accept these two concepts it is only a small leap of imagination to accepting that teleportation is real and possible.
The Ethics of Progress is so expertly written and delivered that it can be understood and enjoyed by a young layman audience while still amusing and engaging adults who have given some thought to these issues already. As someone with a keen interest in both philosophy and physics I was tempted to have children just so that I could take them to a show like this and share with them the wonder and thrill of these rewarding concepts. Basically, if you have either (a) children or siblings aged 14-17, or (b) don’t know much about quantum mechanics, then you really should give this a try. The only group who might consider giving it a miss are those who have already pursued an interest in the topics well above the level of a Wikipedia search.
Slick, smart and non-patronising The Ethics of Progress is proof positive that the art of the intellectual talk can be brought to the mainstream to enthuse and entertain, and can even sneak some education in through the back door.