Into the Impossible With Brian Keating By cover art

Into the Impossible With Brian Keating

By: Big Bang Productions Inc.
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  • Summary

  • A podcast about how we understand the world, scientifically and as humans. Each conversation brings together visionaries from the worlds of arts, sciences, humanities, and technology discussing the nature of reality and how we collaborate to create the future. Hosted by Dr Brian Keating, Chancellor’s Distinguished Professor of Physics at UC San Diego. For show notes go to: https://briankeating.com/podcast
    © 2023 Big Bang Productions Inc.
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Episodes
  • Exploring the Scientific Validity of the Multiverse Theory w/ Paul Halpern

    Exploring the Scientific Validity of the Multiverse Theory w/ Paul Halpern
    Apr 28 2024
    Join my mailing list https://briankeating.com/list to win a real 4 billion year old meteorite! All .edu emails in the USA 🇺🇸 will WIN! The multiverse has captured the imagination of scientists and thinkers for centuries, sparking debates in physics, philosophy, and beyond. But is it a valid scientific theory or just science fiction? I’ve had the pleasure of exploring this issue with the leading expert in this field, physicist and author Paul Halpern. Halpern is a professor of physics at Saint Joseph’s University and the author of eighteen popular science books, including Flashes of Creation, The Quantum Labyrinth, Einstein's Dice, Schrodinger's Cat, and Synchronicity. He is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and is a Fellow of the American Physical Society. Halpern recently published The Allure of the Multiverse: Extra Dimensions, Other Worlds, and Parallel Universes, which tells the epic story of how science became besotted with the multiverse and the controversies that ensued. Today, we’re going to dive headfirst into this fascinating investigation! Tune in. Key Takeaways: 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:17 Judging a book by its cover 00:06:39 Bruno’s speculations about exoplanets 00:11:20 Why is the multiverse such a controversial theory? 00:16:54 Richard Feynman And John Wheeler 00:23:31 Can we falsify the multiverse? 00:30:30 Has anyone ever written a biography of Bob Dickey? 00:39:11 Inflationary models, multiverse and cyclic cosmology 00:45:36 Evidence of bubble collisions in the CMB? 00:57:45 String theory and the multiverse 01:01:41 Outro — Additional resources: 📝 Get one month of Snipd Premium for free with this link: https://get.snipd.com/Cx7S/brianSnipd Snipd lets you take Smart Notes 🧠 with AI 💡 — it’s my favorite podcast player 😀 ! ➡️ Follow me on your fav platforms: ✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating 🔔 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DrBrianKeating?sub_confirmation=1 📝 Join my mailing list: https://briankeating.com/list ✍️ Check out my blog: https://briankeating.com/cosmic-musings/ 🎙️ Follow my podcast: https://briankeating.com/podcast Into the Impossible with Brian Keating is a podcast dedicated to all those who want to explore the universe within and beyond the known. Make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 5 mins
  • Daniel Dennett: Do We Have Free Will?

    Daniel Dennett: Do We Have Free Will?
    Apr 21 2024
    Join my mailing list https://briankeating.com/list to win a real 4 billion year old meteorite! All .edu emails in the USA 🇺🇸 will WIN! Welcome everyone to a fascinating deep dive with the late Daniel Dennett! In our interview, we tackled fascinating problems like free will, human consciousness, ethics, and the philosophy of science. He also explained why he’s sounding the alarm on AI! Shortly after our interview, Daniel sadly passed away at the age of 82. He was a renowned philosopher, thought-provoking writer, brilliant cognitive scientist, and vocal atheist. He was the co-director of the Center for Cognitive Studies, the Austin B. Fletcher Professor of Philosophy at Tufts University in Massachusetts, a member of the editorial board for The Rutherford Journal, and a co-founder of The Clergy Project. Known as one of the "Four Horsemen" of New Atheism, he was at the forefront of discussions on consciousness, free will, and the impact of Darwinian evolution on religious belief. Dennett's works, including "Breaking the Spell" and "Consciousness Explained," have provoked both admiration and controversy, challenging readers to reconsider deeply held beliefs about the mind and its relationship to the physical world. Needless to say, I was thrilled to have Dan on the show! The world has truly lost an extraordinary soul and a groundbreaking thinker. RIP Key Takeaways: 00:00:00 Intro 00:09:27 Judging a book by its cover 00:12:29 Dan's critique of Sam Harris's position on free will 00:21:43 The evolutionary advantage of music 00:29:01 Language, nonverbal communication, and artificial intelligence 00:34:33 Are brains computers? 00:46:04 Sounding the alarm on AI 00:51:38 Bioengineering and bioethics 00:57:21 Philosophy of physics 01:02:47 The evolution of academia 01:09:08 Audience questions 01:23:10 Outro — Additional resources: 📝 Get one month of Snipd Premium for free with this link: https://get.snipd.com/Cx7S/brianSnipd Snipd lets you take Smart Notes 🧠 with AI 💡 — it’s my favorite podcast player 😀 ! ➡️ Follow me on your fav platforms: ✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating 🔔 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DrBrianKeating?sub_confirmation=1 📝 Join my mailing list: https://briankeating.com/list ✍️ Check out my blog: https://briankeating.com/cosmic-musings/ 🎙️ Follow my podcast: https://briankeating.com/podcast Into the Impossible with Brian Keating is a podcast dedicated to all those who want to explore the universe within and beyond the known. Make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 28 mins
  • Does Time Really Exist and How Can We Measure It w/ Chad Orzel (#406)

    Does Time Really Exist and How Can We Measure It w/ Chad Orzel (#406)
    Apr 14 2024
    Join my mailing list https://briankeating.com/list to win a real 4 billion year old meteorite! All .edu emails in the USA 🇺🇸 will WIN! Today on Into the Impossible, we’re exploring the fascinating realm of time with none other than the timekeeper himself – Chad Orzel. Chad is a professor of physics and science communicator renowned for his popular science books, How to Teach Quantum Physics to Your Dog, Breakfast with Einstein, and How to Teach Relativity to Your Dog. He is also a regular contributor to Forbes.com. In his most recent book, A Brief History of Timekeeping, Chad revisits the delicate negotiations involved in Gregorian calendar reform, the intricate and entirely unique system employed by the Maya, and how the problem of synchronizing clocks at different locations ultimately required us to abandon the idea of time as an absolute and universal quantity. From sundials to sandglasses and mechanical clocks, this sharp and engaging story isn't just about the science of timekeeping—it's a riveting tale encompassing politics, philosophy, and the very essence of space and time. Tune in! Key Takeaways: 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:07 Judging a book by its cover 00:05:07 Galileo’s telescope helmet 00:10:23 The connection between time and astronomy 00:13:11 Why is longitude so hard to measure? 00:15:32 The relativity of simultaneity 00:22:12 The future of education after COVID 00:25:55 The standard definition of time 00:31:19 Attosecond clocks 00:36:33 Why time is so much more perplexing than space 00:40:23 How to teach students new things 00:43:14 On education 00:49:05 Outro — Additional resources: 📝 Get one month of Snipd Premium for free with this link: https://get.snipd.com/Cx7S/brianSnipd Snipd lets you take Smart Notes 🧠 with AI 💡 — it’s my favorite podcast player 😀 ! ➡️ Learn more about Chad Orzel: ✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/orzelc/ 📚 Website: https://chadorzel.com/ ➡️ Follow me on your fav platforms: ✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating 🔔 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DrBrianKeating?sub_confirmation=1 📝 Join my mailing list: https://briankeating.com/list ✍️ Check out my blog: https://briankeating.com/cosmic-musings/ 🎙️ Follow my podcast: https://briankeating.com/podcast Into the Impossible with Brian Keating is a podcast dedicated to all those who want to explore the universe within and beyond the known. Make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    52 mins
Natural History Physics
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What listeners say about Into the Impossible With Brian Keating

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Profile Image for COSMOS

Great Guests, great topics

Greatest guests, Great topics. Thoughtful discussions with guests at the top of their fields. For listeners who crave pioneering into subjects that extend to the edges of what humanity knows, this is the podcast for you. Thanks Brian!

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Profile Image for starling01

Great Podcast!

I've just started listening to Brian Keating's podcasts and I know I'm going to binge them. So entertaining, and so thought provoking, and so clear. I hesitated to listen to the September 6 with Steven Koonin since I thought, no way am I going to spend time with a climate change denier. I'm glad I trusted Brian though and gave him a chance. The podcast may not have changed my mind but the time spent hearing the science, the statistical model, and Brian's careful and respectful presentation was a total pleasure. Very highly recommended!

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Profile Image for Tony

Insightful & An Awesome Listen For Anyone

Even if you're not an expert of the cosmos (like me) this podcast is very easy to digest and super interesting. The big question of "How did the universe begin?" is not an easy one to answer, but it's a super cool topic to dive into. Dr. Keating takes you on a journey with other scientists to tackle this question and other intriguing phenomena throughout time and space. I love these deep dives and even if we never really find out how it all began I'll keep going into the impossible to learn more about our universe.

Highly recommend!

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Profile Image for Mike

Must Have Science Podcast

If you like interesting discussions on today’s hot science topics, then Brian’s podcast should be part of your weekly listening routine.

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Content Accessible and Enjoyable

The personalities of each guest quite down to earth in their human discussions of esoteric concepts.
The thought process fascinating.
Have recommended highly to everyone!

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Fascinating and often inspiring

I have been binging this podcast recently, here and on other platforms. There have been many great episodes but the ones with Shep Doeleman, Heino falcke, Rai Weiss and Barry Barish really resonated with me for both the depth of the technical discussion, passion and interest from both the guests and Dr. Kearting, and the unguarded nature with which they answered the more personal questions.

Going through the history of the podcasts, I think Dr. Keating has grown as an interviewer becoming stronger in the follow-up to guest responses and striking a good balance in the science topics explored. Not to say early episodes were weak. For me, the content of the episodes and passion of the discussions are the main appeal, and those stood out for their excellence right from the beginning.

I would like to thank Dr. Keating for putting these out there. I hope you are able to continue for as long as people keep doing science,

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Manna for the mind

If your goal is to comprehend the universe on a larger scale or explore the properties of celestial bodies. These podcasts will help you in your goal.

Dr. Keating’s personal insights on a wide range of topics, coupled with such highly respected guest are manna for the mind.

From the beginning of my goal to learn about how this wonderful universe works or at least as an observer trying to understand how I believe it might work through my lens jump started by reading Wrinkles In Time by Smoot and Davidson. Then years later finding myself bored with yet another rendition of the double slit experiment I searched for podcasts by physicist near me. Finding the Into the Impossible podcast has never once been disappointing. As a fellow San Diegan I am thrilled with the likelihood that I’ll be lucky enough someday to meet Dr. Keating in person.

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Amazing podcast

Engaging, interesting, and very informative.
I really like professor Brian’s enthusiasm at explaining science.

By the way, the audio quality is simply great

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Superconducting brain expansion

My brain is conducting information very slowly indeed, but I enjoyed the superconducting podcast! (The robot-inserted commercial interruptions are confusing, though. Maybe Audible can make its software as smart as the people interviewed on this podcast.)

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Science unveiled!

A positively thought provoking podcast, whether or not you're a serious fan of science!

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