Podcast: when thought experiments go wrong

Created by Magdalena Kersting using Canva
© 2025 Magdalena Kersting Licensed under CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

What happens when seemingly brilliant ideas lead us down the wrong path? In my latest episode with the team from Sag mal du als Physiker, we explore the “darker” side of thought experiments (in German).

The episode serves as a follow-up to our previous discussion about revolutionary thought experiments. This time, we acknowledge that even the most brilliant minds can construct scenarios that mislead rather than illuminate.

We examine three particularly noteworthy examples: Maxwell's demon and its challenge to thermodynamics, the twin paradox in relativity, and Heisenberg's microscope thought experiment in quantum physics. Each of these thought experiments seemed reasonable at first glance but led physicists down rabbit holes of confusion before eventually being resolved or properly understood.

In other news: Season 12 of the podcast brings a new format – you can now binge all episodes at once. Perfect for everyone who likes to keep the momentum going 😉