692. Ruth Kastner

Ruth E. Kastner earned her M.S. in Physics and Ph.D. in History and Philosophy of Science from the University of Maryland. Since that time, she has taught widely and conducted research in Foundations of Physics, particularly in interpretations of quantum theory. She was one of three winners of the 2021 Alumni Research Award at the University of Maryland, College Park. She is the author of 3 books: The Transactional Interpretation of Quantum Theory: The Reality of Possibility (Cambridge University Press, 2012; 2nd edition just published, 2022), Understanding Our Unseen Reality: Solving Quantum Riddles (Imperial College Press, 2015); and Adventures In Quantumland: Exploring Our Unseen Reality (World Scientific, 2019). She has presented talks and interviews throughout the world and in video recordings on the interpretational challenges of quantum theory, and has a blog at transactionalinterpretation.org. She is also a dedicated yoga practitioner and received her 200-Hour Yoga Alliance Instructor Certification in February, 2020. Website: ruthekastner.org Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group Transcript and summary of this interview Interview recorded October 21, 2023. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:04:03 - The Importance of Physical Fitness and Yoga 00:08:00 - Discovering the Transactional Interpretation 00:11:58 - The Connection between Consciousness and Spirituality 00:16:28 - The Yin-Yang Nature of Quantum Theory 00:21:50 - The Reality of Quantum Possibilities 00:26:08 - The Blind Men and the Elephant 00:29:38 - The Measurement Problem and Consciousness 00:36:21 - The Orthodox Position on Dark Matter and Dark Energy 00:41:10 - Events and the Illusion of Space-Time 00:44:08 - The Analogy of Enlightenment and the Game of Life 00:47:10 - The Shimmering Intelligence in Every Particle of Creation 00:53:15 - Pathology and the Neglect of Yin 00:55:34 - The Taboo of Passivity and Eastern Wisdom 00:58:00 - The Debate on Free Will 01:00:39 - The Ad hoc Nature of the Feynman Propagator 01:01:21 - The Flatland Analogy 01:04:48 - Mr. Flatland and the Sphere 01:08:16 - The Controversy Surrounding the Term "Consciousness" 01:11:50 - Volition and Symmetry Breaking in Nature 01:15:01 - The Relationality of Charged Particles 01:18:22 - Understanding outcomes in the transactional picture 01:21:52 - Mastery over the Laws of Nature 01:24:56 - The Holographic Principle and its Significance 01:29:23 - Quantum Theory and the Physical World 01:33:25 - The Power and Limitations of Physical Science 01:43:30 - The Interconnectedness of String Theory 01:49:12 - The Flow of Time and Phenomena 01:54:24 - The Cosmos: Conscious Being or Product of Chance and Necessity

Om Podcasten

The implication of the title - Buddha at the Gas Pump - is that ordinary people are experiencing higher states of consciousness once thought to be rare and difficult to attain. People everywhere are undergoing a shift or awakening to their true nature. For some, this shift has been abrupt and dramatic. For others, it has been so gradual that they may not have realized it has occurred. Such shifts, or awakenings, are not new: Christ spoke of the Kingdom of Heaven within, Buddhists speak of Nirvana, Zen masters of Satori, Hindus of Moksha, but these traditions generally regard these states as rare and difficult to attain. Many people are therefore skeptical of claims of higher states of consciousness. They find it hard to believe that apparently ordinary friends and neighbors might be experiencing something extraordinary. Maybe they expect Enlightenment to look as remarkable on the outside as it is reputed to be on the inside. This show will attempt to dispel skepticism and misconceptions by week after week, allowing otherwise ordinary people to relate their experience of spiritual awakening. The terminology is tricky, because there are no universally agreed upon definitions to describe this experience. So please forgive us if we use some unfamiliar terms. We will try to clarify our definitions as we go along. Perhaps, after a while, those listening will become convinced that genuine and permanent spiritual awakenings are not just a pipe dream, but are real and are becoming relatively commonplace. These podcasts are the audio track of a weekly interview show which may be seen as videos on our YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/buddhaatthegaspump). Also see the main site: https://batgap.com. For search purposes, I will add the following to this description - batgap, Buddha at the Gaspump, Buddah at the Gas Pump.