《隐藏力量》第19集中，主持人Demetri Kofinas与理论物理学家Geoffrey West对话，探讨了他对生物系统、基础设施和城市社会经济的研究。West博士关注物理学基本问题，特别是关于基本粒子、相互作用和宇宙学意义。他现任圣塔菲研究所杰出教授，曾任该所所长。West博士在洛斯阿拉莫斯国家实验室创立了高能物理小组，并著有《规模》一书，本期节目将探讨其内容和理论。

🔍 Geoffrey West博士的研究涉及生物系统、基础设施和城市社会经济，他的工作为理解生命起源、需求和极限提供了模型。

💡 West博士提出，随着生物体大小/质量的增加，其代谢率会降低，这一现象对理解自然界的设计具有重要意义。

🌍 他探讨了物理系统和网络在地球物理空间内的规模增长问题，以及与之相关的普遍成本和城市韧性。

🔬 West博士的工作还涉及人类对能量的渴望与自然界的关系，以及我们在宇宙不可逆熵增过程中的角色。

⏳ 他提出了关于增长极限、人类时间偏好和自然关系等问题的思考，引发了对生命意义的深刻反思。

In Episode 19 of Hidden Forces, host Demetri Kofinas speaks with theoretical physicist Geoffrey West about his work studying biological systems, infrastructure, and the socioeconomics of cities. Dr. West's primary interests have been in fundamental questions in physics, especially those concerning the elementary particles, their interactions, and cosmological implications. Geoffrey West currently serves as distinguished professor at the Santa Fe Institute, where he served as President from July 2005 through July 2009. Prior to joining SFI Dr. West was the leader, and founder, of the high energy physics group at Los Alamos National Laboratory. He is also the author of SCALE, a remarkable, and timely book, whose substance and theory we explore today.

In today’s conversation, we explore some of the most remarkable insights coming out of the field of computational biology. This is an interdisciplinary cohort consisting of theoretical physicists, biologists, and mathematicians who are all working together to create models that explain the origins, requirements, and limits of life. What do our models tell us about nature’s design for humanity? Are there limits to growth? What accounts for the decrease in metabolic rate as size/mass increases? How do physical systems and networks scale in size within the confines of the Earth’s physical space? What are the universal costs associated with our cities and our lifestyles? What accounts for their resilience? What is the significance of our thirst for more power as defined by the amount of work we do over time? What can interest rates and human time preferences tell us about our relationship to nature? What role do we play in the universe’s inexorable procession towards entropy? How much time do we have left?

Producer & Host: Demetri Kofinas

Editor & Engineer: Stylianos Nicolaou

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