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Question Reality! Science, philosophy, a search for meaning

How much can we know of the physical world? Can we know everything? Or are there fundamental limits to how much we can explain? If there are limits, to what extent can we explain the nature of physical reality? RealityX investigates the limits of knowledge and what we can and cannot know of the world and ourselves.

We will trace the evolution of ideas about the nature of reality in philosophy and the natural sciences through the ages. Starting with the philosophers of Ancient Greece and ending with cutting edge theories about the universe, quantum physics, and the nature of consciousness.

Join world-renowned physicist and author Marcelo Gleiser and leading experts as we explore how philosophers and physicists from Plato to Einstein and many others have attempted to explain the nature of the world and of reality.

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What's inside

Three courses

Question Reality: Cosmos

This course explores reality and the physics of the sky. You will travel through the philosophies and worldviews of early civilizations to the time of early scientists such as Plato, Aristotle, and Copernicus, and learn how Galileo's findings with the telescope challenged the Aristotelian interpretation of the cosmos.

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Question Reality: Matter

In this course, you will explore the evolution of our understanding of matter from ancient Greece to the present day. You will learn about the atom, subatomic particles, and quantum mechanics. You will also visit the Large Hadron Collider at CERN and discuss the implications of quantum mechanics for our understanding of reality.

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Question Reality: Mind

This course explores questions about mathematics, nature, and perfection. You will learn about logic, computers, simulations, and different perspectives on the nature of human consciousness.

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Time

0 hours

Level

Introductory

Via

Coursera

Institution

Dartmouth College

Instructor

Marcelo Gleiser

Level

Introductory

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