390 episodes

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

Into the Impossible With Brian Keating Big Bang Productions Inc.

    • Science
    • 4.8 • 833 Ratings

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

    Sam Harris: God Did NOT Write the Bible!

    Sam Harris: God Did NOT Write the Bible!

    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’s guest needs no introduction…

    Meet Sam Harris. Neuroscientist, philosopher, New York Times best-selling author, host of Making Sense, creator of Waking Up, and one of the most thought-provoking intellectuals of our time. Known as one of the "Four Horsemen" of New Atheism, along with Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and Daniel Dennett, he fearlessly navigates even the most difficult of topics. 

    He’s a true advocate of reason and an explorer of the human condition. His ideas transcend boundaries, challenge our perceptions, and invite us to think deeply about the world around us. In our thought-provoking conversation, we wrestle with topics ranging from the existence of free will to psychedelic drugs, meditation, and religion. 

    Join us for an exploration of reason, morality, and consciousness like no other!

    Key Takeaways:


    00:00:00 Intro

    00:10:18 Judging a book by its cover

    00:13:37 Woke identitarian politics and recent developments in AI

    00:25:43 Making your mind into a friend

    00:30:52 Meditation and the nature of self 

    00:52:51 Slipping into psychopathy

    01:00:59 The psychedelic experience 

    01:18:52 Who Sam relies on for external advice

    01:25:42 On Trump’s narcissism 

    01:42:21 Musk’s ambition to colonize Mars

    01:59:14 Does Sam miss academia? 

    02:08:51 Free will, consciousness, and scientific experimentation

    02:52:32 Can AI have free will?

    02:54:38 Should we teach kids religion? 

    03:03:50 Barbaric beliefs in different religions 

    03:18:46 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 😀 !

    ➡️ Connect with Sam Harris:

    💻 Website: https://www.samharris.org/

    ➡️ 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!
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    • 3 hr 21 min
    Why Are People Protesting Against a Telescope? | Robert Kirshner

    Why Are People Protesting Against a Telescope? | Robert Kirshner

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    Today, we’re joined by a real hero of mine and mentor to millions around the world – dr. Robert Kirshner! 

    Robert is an astronomer of great renown. He is the Clowes Research Professor of Science at Harvard University and executive director of the Thirty Meter Telescope. This remarkable international scientific endeavor will radically change our understanding of the universe and our place within it. With its unprecedented design, the TMT will feature unique capabilities for exploring black holes, dark matter, and the possibility of life outside the solar system.

    Tune in to learn more about Robert’s monumental discoveries and the most controversial telescope on Earth.

    Key Takeaways:


    00:00:00 Intro

    00:01:27 Judging a book by its cover

    00:03:29 The discovery of cosmic acceleration 

    00:08:18 The history of cosmic expansion, dark energy, and the density of the universe

    00:22:51 Balancing confidence and humility in scientific research 

    00:25:21 Telescope technology and its applications in astronomy 

    00:35:05 Did the Big Bang never happen? 

    00:39:54 The most controversial telescope on Earth

    00:56:49 What would Robert do differently?

    01:00:21 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 😀 !

    ➡️ Check out Robert Kirshner: 

    💻 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-kirshner-3a740026
    📚 Get the Extravagant Universe on Amazon: https://a.co/d/cWvZRHk

    ➡️ 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

    • 1 hr 4 min
    Cal Newport: Want to Be More Productive? Do LESS

    Cal Newport: Want to Be More Productive? Do LESS

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    What if I told you that you could be more productive… by doing less?

    Sounds crazy, but as per today’s extraordinary guest, it’s true! Meet Cal Newport, associate professor of computer science at Georgetown University and bestselling author of Deep Work, Digital Minimalism, and other books that offer a refreshing departure from the hustle culture that pervades modern society.

    Instead of advocating for endless multitasking and shallow engagement, Newport champions the art of deep work – the ability to focus intensely on cognitively demanding tasks, producing results that are not only profound but also deeply satisfying. 

    Today, he presents his newest book, Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout. 

    Join us as we explore the potential beyond the constant hustle and bustle of modern life and discover what you can accomplish by doing not more but fewer things!

    Key Takeaways:

    00:00:00 Intro
    00:04:50 Judging a book by its cover
    00:07:48 The meandering path of productivity 
    00:13:54 The importance of time blocking
    00:17:47 Working on fewer things 
    00:26:48 Controlling time and scheduling
    00:31:02 Quality over quantity 
    00:45:31 Cal’s thoughts on writing books 
    00:53:37 Galileo’s scientific legacy and engaging with new ideas
    01:12:44 What’s your five-year plan? 
    01:22:06 The potentials and dangers of AI 
    01:33:45 The value of technology in education 
    01:54:14 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 😀 !

    📢 Ownership of your health starts with AG1. Try AG1 and get a FREE 1-year supply of Vitamin D3K2 and 5 FREE AG1 Travel Packs with your first purchase 👉 https://drinkag1.com/impossible

    ➡️ Connect with Cal Newport:

    💻 Website: https://calnewport.com/
    📚 Get Slow Productivity by Cal Newport: https://calnewport.com/slow/

    ➡️ 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

    • 1 hr 57 min
    My conversation with Elon Musk: Cosmology, AI, and Dying on Mars

    My conversation with Elon Musk: Cosmology, AI, and Dying on Mars

    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!

    Katherine Brodsky recently hosted an interview with the one and only Elon Musk. I had the privilege of joining them and used my opportunity to confront Elon about Starlink, AI, and his plan to colonize Mars! Enjoy. 

    Key Takeaways:

    00:00:00 Intro 
    00:04:44 Starlink and Cosmic Microwave Background Research
    00:06:57 A True Turing Test
    00:09:54 Can We Break Physics?
    00:11:24 Dying on Mars



    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 😀 !

    📢 Ownership of your health starts with AG1. Try AG1 and get a FREE 1-year supply of Vitamin D3K2 and 5 FREE AG1 Travel Packs with your first purchase 👉 https://drinkag1.com/impossible

    ➡️ 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

    • 12 min
    Bringing Astrophysics to Life Through Art with Kip Thorne and Lia Halloran

    Bringing Astrophysics to Life Through Art with Kip Thorne and Lia Halloran

    Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/list to win a meteorite 💥

    What do you get when you combine the minds of a Nobel Prize-winning theoretical physicist and an outstanding artist? 

    The Warped Side of Our Universe by Kip Thorne and Lia Halloran! A remarkable book that explores Thorne's astrophysical discoveries through poetic verse and otherworldly paintings. 

    Today, Kip and Lia will guide us through the process of creating their wonderful book. Tune in! 

    Kip Thorne is a theoretical physicist known for his contributions to gravitational physics and astrophysics. In 2017, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics along with Rainer Weiss and Barry Barish for decisive contributions to the LIGO detector and the observation of gravitational waves. 

    Lia Halloran is an award-winning painter and photographer. She received her BFA at UCLA and her MFA in Painting in Printmaking at Yale. She serves as Associate Professor of Art and Director of the Painting and Drawing Department at Chapman University in Orange, CA. 

    Key Takeaways:

    00:00:00 Judging a book by its cover
    00:04:46 What would Stephen Hawking make of the LIGO detector? 
    00:08:04 The color choices in the book 
    00:11:55 The origin story of their collaboration 
    00:21:33 The two cultures and the scientific revolution
    00:33:16 Teaching arts and physics
    00:44:42 Fermilab and the intersection of arts and science
    00:51:10 Is the Big Bang too good to be true?
    00:59:45 The criticisms of LIGO
    01:08:16 What motivates Kip and Lia?
    01:14:41 Kip’s bet with Stephen Hawking 
    01:15:54 Can human beings be replaced?
    01:21:28 Kip’s book Gravitation 
    01:25:20 The most magical human invention 
    01:29:14 What were Kip and Lia wrong about?
    01:34:05 Advice for their younger selves
    01:37:26 Outro



    Additional resources:

    📚 The Warped Side of Our Universe by Kip and Lia: https://a.co/d/4JttLua 

    📝 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 😀 !

    📢 Ownership of your health starts with AG1. Try AG1 and get a FREE 1-year supply of Vitamin D3K2 and 5 FREE AG1 Travel Packs with your first purchase 👉 https://drinkag1.com/impossible

    ➡️ 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

    • 1 hr 41 min
    What Is Dark Matter Really Made Of?

    What Is Dark Matter Really Made Of?

    Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/list to win a meteorite 💥

    Remastered from our interview in 2022. 

    There are few concepts in physics as frequently discussed but as poorly understood as dark matter. After all, we don’t even know what it’s made of! 

    However, there are many potential candidates, and I had the pleasure of explaining them in my interview with Arvin Ash. We also talked about the fascinating possibility of detecting gravitational waves from the polarization of the CMB and why it is very likely that there is, in fact, no life outside of Earth. 

    Tune in!

    Key Takeaways:

    00:00:00 Intro 
    00:00:37 What is the CMB?
    00:01:25 What is the polarization of the CMB?
    00:04:49 What is the evidence for cosmic inflation? 
    00:05:46 What is the leading contender for dark matter?
    00:11:51 There may be no other life in the universe!



    Additional resources:

    ➡️ Check out Arvin Ash:
    💻 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpMcsdZf2KkAnfmxiq2MfMQ 
    ✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/arvin_ash?lang=en

    📝 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 😀 !

    📢 Ownership of your health starts with AG1. Try AG1 and get a FREE 1-year supply of Vitamin D3K2 and 5 FREE AG1 Travel Packs with your first purchase 👉 https://drinkag1.com/impossible

    ➡️ 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

    • 19 min

Customer Reviews

4.8 out of 5
833 Ratings

833 Ratings

JR San Diego ,

Fantastic

Love how Dr. Keating makes science and cosmology accessible and fascinating.

mjdsearch ,

Recovering nuclear physicist.

Thoughtful insight on scientifically meaningful current events is my trademark for Brian’s podcast.

emperorrowdy ,

Started Good

Then it got crazy. Sad. At least it was entertaining, I guess.

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