Kevin Knuth

Dr. Knuth is a Professor of Physics at the University at Albany (SUNY) and the Editor-in-Chief of the journal Entropy (MDPI). He is a former NASA research scientist having worked at NASA Ames Research Center in the Intelligent Systems Division designing artificial intelligence algorithms for astrophysical data analysis. His current research interests include the foundations of physics, quantum information, autonomous robotics, the search for and characterization of extrasolar planets, and unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP). He has published over 100 peer-reviewed scientific publications and has been invited to give over 100 presentations in 18 countries.

Describing the Universe… some thoughts

When faced with seemingly “impossible” events, we find ourselves struggling with understanding asking, “What is the universe actually like?”  Such events often evoke dismissive reactions from the “hard” sciences, which promote a materialist worldview that cannot accommodate such events, and apologetic reactions from the “soft” sciences, who appeal for relevance because of the experiential nature of such events.  What is not widely appreciated is the fact that the sciences, both “hard” and “soft”, are engaged in the act of description rather than identifying ontological aspects of reality, as they sometimes claim.  This perspective not only closes the gulf between the “hard” and “soft” sciences but also brings clarity to both.  When viewed this way, the laws of physics come into sharp focus, and the relevance and importance of the humanities become clear.