Nothing is fixed in time or space. Everything – from quantum particles to people, planets and galaxies – is in constant motion, and part of a constellation of inextricably interwoven systems. That might seem like a strictly academic observation with little bearing on your day-to-day life, but, as Thomas Nail, a professor of philosophy at the University of Denver, argues in this short video, overlooking this fact can have real-world consequences. Instead of understanding the Universe in terms of inflexible objects, Nail proposes that we view our world in terms of processes subject to constant change. This, he argues, will lead to improvements in science, public policy and even interpersonal relationships.
Director: Thomas Nail
Animator: Ryan Rizzio
video
Engineering
Can monumental ‘ice stupas’ help remote Himalayan villages survive?
15 minutes
video
Virtues and vices
Why Bennie tried to disappear, and what happened when he was found decades later
16 minutes
video
Cognition and intelligence
A father forgets his child’s name for the first time in this poetic reflection on memory
4 minutes
video
Animals and humans
Join seabirds as they migrate, encountering human communities along the way
13 minutes
video
Art
Background music was the radical invention of a trailblazing composer
17 minutes
video
Biology
‘Save the parasites’ may not be a popular rallying cry – but it could be a vital one
11 minutes
video
Metaphysics
What do past, present and future mean to a philosopher of time?
55 minutes
video
Computing and artificial intelligence
Why large language models are mysterious – even to their creators
8 minutes
video
Spirituality
Through rituals of prayer, a monk cultivates a quietly radical concept of freedom
4 minutes