David Wallace
Showing 1–2 of 2 transcripts.
- 80,000 Hours3h 10m
The many-worlds theory of quantum mechanics & its implications | David Wallace (2021)
This comprehensive overview examines the foundational debates of quantum mechanics, highlighting the Everett Interpretation (Many-Worlds) as a mathematically parsimonious solution to the measurement problem that avoids the undefined observer requirements of the Copenhagen view. The analysis addresses persistent objections regarding probability assignment and branching structure through the lens of decoherence and decision theory, while simultaneously evaluating the ethical implications of acting within a multiverse. Finally, the discussion contextualizes these theoretical advances within the current stagnation of empirical particle physics, advocating for a revitalized focus on cosmology, quantum information, and methodological rigor in both research and academic admissions.
- Milken Institute1h 2m
Outsmarting Superbugs: What Are the Alternatives?
Margaret Hamburg, Matthew Hepburn, Peter Jackson, Nancy Knight, Jeanette Mucha, Peter Piot, Peggy Hamburg, David Wallace, Lance Price
Global leaders and organizations including the WHO, CDC, and the U.K. government are coordinating a multi-faceted response to antimicrobial resistance, which threatens to cause 10 million annual deaths by 2050 and mimic the 2008 financial crisis through massive economic losses. Innovative initiatives such as the CDC's AMR Challenge, Carb-X's $80 million funding for 40 development projects, and the U.K.'s "pull incentive" trial aim to revitalize the antibiotic pipeline by supporting SMEs and rewarding disease prevention rather than sales volume. Despite these advances, experts warn that rigid intellectual property laws, inadequate wastewater treatment, and capital gaps in microbiome startups hinder the deployment of new therapies needed to combat untreatable superbugs like drug-resistant tuberculosis.