Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Why do you think the universe might last for trillions of years? And if it does last that long, what would that imply for the net informational history of the universe? Rick Rosner: It's likely far beyond just trillions of years. Depending on what we mean—whether it's heat death, proton decay, black …
Continue reading Ask A Genius 1324: Entropy, Information, and Cosmological Models
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What are the fundamental implications of quantum computing and information in informational cosmology? Rick Rosner: I do not know much about the mathematics of entangled computation. It involves working with highly entangled quantum states, which allow certain classes of problems to be solved more efficiently than with classical computers when used in quantum computers. …
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Do you think the U.S. will be at war with China? I do not mean economic war. Economic tariffs can be considered an act of war in certain contexts. So these actions—not only highly provocative and destabilizing, potentially shredding decades-long alliances—could be seen as acts of war, especially by countries that are …
Continue reading Ask A Genius 1322: U.S.–China Conflict, Cyber War, and the Rise of AI Power
Rick Rosner: So, Carole is a little nervous. She's been reading about people getting deported or denied entry for expressing pro-Palestinian views—which is disturbing. But we're not at the point where they're deporting citizens, at least not routinely. I told Carole to keep that in mind. We're not there yet. But if she thinks we …
Continue reading Ask A Genius 1321: The Impact of AI on Human Intelligence and Modern Entertainment
Rick Rosner: So, off-camera, I was saying, "Have you ever heard of the principle in media res?" I'm probably pronouncing it wrong, but it means to start in the middle of the action. The way it usually works is that you're writing a story—a book, a screenplay—and then someone who knows better than you looks …
Continue reading Ask A Genius 1320: Writing Murder In Media Res, Stephen King, and Storytelling
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: How should we think of the Pope in his valedictory period? Do we see him in the context of his history, or is it something else? Rick Rosner: I like him because he used to be a bouncer, and he seems like a cool guy. At the same time, he hasn’t been …
Continue reading Ask A Genius 1319: The Pope, Fascism, and Church-Adjacent Collectibles
Rick Rosner: One of the dogs turned 14. The other one turned 12—according to best estimates. You never know with dogs. The 14-year-old has a tumor growing off the top of her right rear leg. The vet thinks it might be a fibrosarcoma. But she’s 14. She’s happy. She’s doing well. It would cost $10,000 …
Continue reading Ask A Genius 1318: Dog Cancer, Senolytics, and Anomalies in Big Bang Cosmology
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: The idea is to get rid of or move what you originally thought was the beginning of your book—and instead start later, right in the middle of the action. Rick Rosner: That’s true for my book too. I begin with a murder. I wrote this quite a while ago, but I’ve been going through it, making …
Rick Rosner: So last night, I had—what was my fucking dream about? It’s usually that I’m back at fucking Jimmy Kimmel, and this time, I was at a Kimmel party. I always lose shit in my dreams, especially in Kimmel dreams. I forget where my car is. I couldn’t find my fucking car last night. …
Continue reading Ask A Genius 1316: Rick Had a Dream Tonight!
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: This is the off-the-cuff, funny-but-offensive stuff Trump says. He said he wouldn’t deport Prince Harry because “he’s got enough problems with his wife.” What do you think of that? He makes comments like this all the time. Rick Rosner: It has little impact other than bad soft-power usage. Trump has no decorum. …
Rick Rosner 