Into the Impossible With Brian Keating

Is reality real, or are we actually just living in a simulation? How did Galileo influence modern thinking about reality? And are there any drug experiences that you simply can't come back from?  Here today to discuss this with me is renowned philosopher, famous TED talk speaker, cognitive scientist, and deep thinker Donald Hoffman!  Donald is a professor in the Department of Cognitive Science at the University of California, Irvine, and the author of the provocative book The Case Against Reality. So, there is really no one better out there to discuss reality with! Tune in and join us as Donald presents his case against reality.  Key Takeaways:  Intro (00:00) Judging a book by its cover: The Case Against Reality (01:15) How Galileo influenced modern thinking about reality (06:41) Can biology predict how consciousness emerges? (18:30) What is panpsychism? (22:50) Is reality just a linguistic construction? (31:53) How are humans supposed to interact with the “real” world? (42:53) Is consciousness a unique filter into reality? (46:27) Can computers be conscious? (49:44) Are there drug experiences that you can't come back from? (55:45) Outro (1:02:33) — Additional resources:  🥗 Thanks, HelloFresh! Go to HelloFresh.com/50impossible and use code 50impossible for 50% off plus 15% off the next 2 months. 📝 With a MasterClass annual membership, you can take one-on-one classes from the world’s best for $10 a month with your annual membership, get unlimited access to every class — and even better, right now, as an Into The Impossible listener, you can get 15% off when you go to MASTERCLASS.com/impossible. 🧑‍💻 Visit LinkedIn.com/IMPOSSIBLE to post your job for free! 🎤 Join me and ⁦Lawrence Krauss for an Onstage Dialogue ⁦at the San Diego Air & Space Museum Tuesday, Oct 17, 2023 at 7:00 PM: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/live-onstage-dialogue-brian-keating-lawrence-m-krauss-tickets-699430514497 📚 The Case Against Reality by Donald Hoffman: https://a.co/d/dy3tfCc  ➡️ 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/mailing_list  ✍️ Check out my blog: https://briankeating.com/blog.php  🎙️ 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 follow so you never miss an episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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! “What is it about Artificial Intelligence driving tech giants like Elon Musk, Marc Andreessen, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, and Sam Altman? Why are they racing to develop and own these thinking machines while unsure of the harm they could cause us? Can we trust nation-states and NGOs to use their totalitarian strategies when they don’t truly understand the problems we face?” Here today to discuss this with me are John Vervaeke and Shawn Coyne, two extraordinarily bright minds in the field of artificial intelligence.  John Vervaeke is a renowned philosopher and cognitive scientist. He is an associate professor and award-winning lecturer at the University of Toronto, teaching in the Department of Psychology. His work and research are far-ranging, including topics such as human intelligence, rationality, wisdom, and AI. Shawn Coyne is a writer, editor, and publisher with over 30 years of experience. He has analyzed, acquired, edited, written, marketed, agented, or published 374 books, including dozens of bestsellers in all genres, generating more than $150,000,000 in revenue. John and Shawn recently published Mentoring the Machines, a book in which they discuss the issues that others like to sweep under the rug. In today's episode of Into the Impossible, we'll tackle these issues with them! Tune in.  Key Takeaways: 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:31 Judging a book by its cover  00:08:20 Psychology, alignment, and embodiment  00:16:20 AI’s impact on editing and publishing 00:20:39 Knowledge and wisdom  00:30:08 The true Turing test  00:37:05 Conscious machines  00:44:26 AI’s impact on education  00:53:30 Tailored audiobooks for kids  00:58:12 Promising intersections of AI and psychology 01:04:04 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 😀 ! 📚 Get Mentoring the Machines: https://www.mentoringthemachines.com/  ✍️ Check out Storygrid: https://storygrid.com/  🔔 Check out John’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@johnvervaeke  ➡️ 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

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, 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

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! 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

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

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

Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/list to win a meteorite 💥 Whether or not there is free will has tortured scientists from many fields since philosophers in ancient Greece started wondering about it. But for one scientist, there’s no question about it… Meet neuroendocrinology researcher, bestselling author, and Stanford University professor – Robert Sapolsky! Sapolsky’s journey has led him from studying stress and neuronal degeneration in wild baboons in Kenya to exploring the relationship between schizotypal disorders and the emergence of shamanism and the major Western religions. But more recently, Sapolsky has plunged into philosophical waters, studying free will, or rather the lack thereof, to come up with A Science of Life Without Free Will. Today, he’s here to present his case! Tune in. Key Takeaways: 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:27 How can we understand free will without understanding consciousness?  00:04:30 Panpsychism  00:07:25 Quantum indeterminacy and free will  00:15:17 Do baboons have free will? 00:19:36 Are there levels of determinism?  00:30:46 The neuroscience of free will 00:37:42 Free will, ethics, and a criminal justice reform  00:45:58 Punishment and justice in Judaism  00:54:37 God’s omniscience and free will  01:01:16 What can we learn from baboons?  01:05:26 The most magical discovery 01:08:11 What did Robert change his mind on?  01:10:08 Outro — Additional resources: 📚 Get Determined by Robert Sapolsky on Amazon: https://a.co/d/csNwICN  📝 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

Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/list to win a meteorite 💥 Should we believe in science? Is there any room to scrutinize the scientific method? And does Eric Lerner have a point? Recently, my dear colleagues, Dr. Anastasia Bendebury and Dr. Michael Shilo DeLay joined me at UCSD to discuss how scientists come to conclusions about the world, the role of belief in science, and what we can learn from modern controversies in cosmology. Dr. Anastasia Bendebury and Dr. Michael Shilo DeLay are scientists and explorers who host the weekly podcast DemystifySci. Each week, they interview a new theorist about the ideas that will rewrite our understanding of nature.  Join us as we explore the complexities of science and the scientific method! Key Takeaways: 00:00:00 Should we believe in science?  00:07:07 The nature of science and truth  00:11:31 What is the scientific method?  00:17:17 Controversies in modern cosmology 00:33:27 Does Eric Lerner have a point? 00:35:08 On paradigm shifts 00:41:01 Back to the scientific method 00:43:09 Outro — Additional resources: ➡️ Check out DemystifySci: 💻 Website: https://demystifysci.com/  ✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/demystifysci 📝 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 favorite platforms: ✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating 🔔 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DrBrianKeating?sub_confirmation=1 📝 Join my mailing list: https://briankeating.com/mailing_list ✍️ Check out my blog: https://briankeating.com/blog.php 🎙️ 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

Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/list to win a meteorite 💥 Remastered from our interview in 2021.  There is a lot of talk about how to make money with Bitcoin…  But how does it actually work? What are the physics behind it? And can Bitcoin replace the US dollar? Here today to answer all of these questions and more is Michael Saylor. Michael J. Saylor is an American entrepreneur and business executive who co-founded and led MicroStrategy, which provides business intelligence, mobile software, and cloud-based services. Saylor authored the 2012 book The Mobile Wave: How Mobile Intelligence Will Change Everything. He is also the sole trustee of Saylor Academy, a provider of free online education. As of 2016, Saylor has been granted 31 patents and has 9 additional applications under review. MicroStrategy added $175 million of Bitcoin to its holdings in September 2020 and another $50 million in early December 2020. On December 11, 2020, MicroStrategy announced that it had sold $650 million in convertible senior notes, taking on debt to increase its Bitcoin holdings to over $1 billion worth. On December 21, 2020, MicroStrategy announced their total holdings, including 70,470 bitcoins purchased for $1.125 billion at an average price of $15,964 per bitcoin. Saylor, who controls 70% of MicroStrategy's shares, dismissed concerns by observers that the move is turning MicroStrategy into a Bitcoin investment firm or exchange-traded fund (ETF). Key Takeaways: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:39 Judging a book by its cover 00:04:59 What's the next (6th?) technology wave? 00:08:52 The next megatrend: Virtualization 00:17:01 Why are there ridges on coins? 00:19:20 Where does gold come from, and can virtual currencies replace real ones? 00:32:41 Why is blockchain so great now? 00:37.53 Risk management in science and all things. 00:57:16 The physics of Bitcoin  01:33:35 What is your ethical will? 01:38:54 What would you put on your billion-year monument? 01:40:59 What mystified you as a 20-year-old that has come to pass? — Additional resources: ➡️ Check out Michael Saylor: 💻 Website: https://www.michael.com/  ✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/saylor/  📝 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 favorite platforms: ✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating 🔔 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DrBrianKeating?sub_confirmation=1 📝 Join my mailing list: https://briankeating.com/mailing_list ✍️ Check out my blog: https://briankeating.com/blog.php 🎙️ 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

Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/list to win a meteorite 💥 Remastered from our interview in 2022.  What can science learn from poetry? Can you teach someone to become a scientist? And what’s the biggest source of hype in science right now? In 2022, I had the pleasure of discussing these topics with the amazing Jim Al-Khalili. Jim is a theoretical physicist at the University of Surrey, where he holds a Distinguished Chair in physics as well as a university chair in the public engagement in science. He received his Ph.D. in nuclear reaction theory in 1989 and has published widely in the field. His current interest is in open quantum systems and the application of quantum mechanics in biology. Tune in to discover the joy of science with us!  Key Takeaways: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:18 Judging a book by its cover 00:03:28 What can science learn from poetry?  00:07:17 What does the phrase “follow the science” mean to you?  00:10:10 What do you think about Karl Popper's philosophy and the falsification rule?  00:17:58 How can you teach someone to be a scientist?  00:25:17 On science communication and popularization  00:29:07 What is the biggest source of hype in science now?  00:30:57 The self-correcting essence of science  00:35:10 What have you changed your mind about? 00:37:27 What's the most exciting area of physics? 00:39:47 How do you explain the difference between electricity and electromagnetism? 00:41:49 Outro — Additional resources: ➡️ Check out Jim Al-Khalili: 📚 Get The Joy of Science on Amazon: https://a.co/d/c4v0iLE  💻 Website: https://jimal-khalili.com/  ✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/jimalkhalili 📝 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 😀 ! 👉 Want to stay fully informed on breaking news, compare coverage, and avoid media bias? Go to https://www.ground.news/drbrian and sign up through my link for 30% OFF unlimited access! 📰 📢 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 favorite platforms: ✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating 🔔 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DrBrianKeating?sub_confirmation=1 📝 Join my mailing list: https://briankeating.com/mailing_list ✍️ Check out my blog: https://briankeating.com/blog.php 🎙️ 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

Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/list to win a meteorite 💥 If there's one key factor securing America's economic prosperity and military superiority, it's not oil; it's chips. No, not the chips we all love to snack on during movies, but highly efficient computer chips. Chips that power pretty much everything from our military machinery to our iPhones. The United States held the top spot in crafting the fastest chips on Earth for a long time. But countries like Taiwan and China are catching up fast. This unfolding race that will determine our future has been thoroughly chronicled by today's guest, Chris Miller, in his book Chip War.  Wanna know what he found out during his research? Then tune in to this exciting episode of Into the Impossible!  Key Takeaways: 00:00:00 Intro 00:00:58 Judging a book by its cover  00:03:36 Moore’s law and the history of semiconductors 00:11:28 The challenges of developing chips 00:17:50 Communism vs. capitalism  00:23:48 The importance of military funding  00:25:52 Chip manufacturing and geopolitics  00:36:16 China’s demographic and economic challenges  00:41:21 Bitcoin mining and energy efficiency  00:48:02 Outro — Additional resources: 👉 Are you hungry for knowledge? Visit https://www.brilliant.org/DrBrianKeating and try everything Brilliant has to offer —free—for a full 30 days. The first 200 of you will get 20% off Brilliant's annual premium subscription! 🤓 📝 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 ➡️ Check out Chris Miller: 📚 Chip War by Chris Miller: https://a.co/d/5hh45IW  💻 Website: https://www.christophermiller.net/ ➡️ Follow me on your favorite platforms: ✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating 🔔 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DrBrianKeating?sub_confirmation=1 📝 Join my mailing list: https://briankeating.com/mailing_list ✍️ Check out my blog: https://briankeating.com/blog.php 🎙️ 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

Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/list to win a meteorite 💥 Will AI destroy humanity? Can we bring the dead back to life? And is there any convincing evidence for intelligent design?  Joining me today to explore these fascinating topics is none other than Mo Gawdat! Mo is the founder of the non-profit organization One Billion Happy and host of the #1 mental health podcast Slo Mo. He is the author of the bestselling books Solve for Happy and Scary Smart and used to work as chief business officer at Google X.  Mo has profoundly shaped my perspectives on artificial intelligence, fatherhood, happiness, and the biggest questions in the universe. I’m sure he will have the same impact on you, so without further ado, let’s jump right into the episode!  Tune in.  Key Takeaways: 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:31 Judging two books by their covers  00:07:34 Can a computer be happy?  00:17:08 Mo’s timeline for AGI  00:24:40 What it was like to work for X, Google's top-secret moonshot factory 00:31:37 WIll programmers forget how to code?  00:35:25 Elon Musk’s new AI  00:39:46 Our generations y2k problem  00:48:35 The Keating test 00:55:05 Bringing the dead back to life  01:06:36 The case for intelligent design  01:16:51 How to be happy during challenging times 01:29:36 The coolest thing ever invented  01:37:41 Outro — Additional resources: ➡️ Check out Mo Gawdat: 💻 Website: https://www.mogawdat.com/  ✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/mgawdat 👉 Want to stay fully informed on breaking news, compare coverage, and avoid media bias? Go to https://www.ground.news/drbrian and sign up through my link for 30% OFF unlimited access! 📰 📢 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 favorite platforms: ✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating 🔔 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DrBrianKeating?sub_confirmation=1 📝 Join my mailing list: https://briankeating.com/mailing_list ✍️ Check out my blog: https://briankeating.com/blog.php 🎙️ 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

Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/list to win a meteorite 💥 Has the second law of thermodynamics finally been proven? The second law of thermodynamics has been shrouded in mystery for a century and a half. Now, after building on the recent breakthroughs in the foundations of physics, Stephen Wolfram has finally provided a resolution to the mystery.  Stephen Wolfram is a computer scientist, physicist, and businessman. He is the founder and CEO of Wolfram Research and the creator of Mathematica, Wolfram Alpha, and Wolfram Language. Over the course of 4 decades, he has pioneered the development & application of computational thinking. He has been responsible for many discoveries, inventions & innovations in science, technology, and business. In this in-depth interview, he shares his findings, shines a light on some of the most misunderstood concepts in physics, and answers some of our most pressing questions about the nature of the second law, entropy, and the dark side of the universe.  Tune in! Key Takeaways: 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:27 Judging a book by its cover 00:11:28 Proving the second law of thermodynamics  00:15:00 What is time?  00:18:20 What is temperature?  00:28:20 The role of the observer  00:43:08 What do we know about dark matter so far? 00:52:16 Black hole entropy  01:01:25 Classical mechanics vs. quantum mechanics  01:13:35 The consequences of dimension fluctuations in physics  01:21:55 Questions from the audience  01:32:55 Outro — Additional resources: 📢 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 favorite platforms: ✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating 🔔 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DrBrianKeating?sub_confirmation=1 📝 Join my mailing list: https://briankeating.com/mailing_list ✍️ Check out my blog: https://briankeating.com/blog.php 🎙️ 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

Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/list to win a meteorite 💥 Watch the video of this conversation and see the presentation here; https://youtu.be/QFLgyCkfYCA Imagine a scenario in which the Big Bang happened twice. Imagine a scenario in which it happened numerous, maybe even an infinite number of times. Imagine a scenario in which it never even happened at all. It may sound crazy, but all these scenarios are possible.  Recently, several astronomers and physicists have called into question the universe’s age and whether the Big Bang even happened. They argue that the Big Bang is contradicted by recent evidence from the James Webb Space Telescope and that there is a better explanation for why our universe appears the way it does. Some alternative theories suggest the universe isn’t expanding at all, or if it is, the age of the cosmos is perhaps twice as large as previously thought. A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of dissecting these different scenarios at the Thinking Beyond webinar series featuring renowned physicists Paul Davies, Sara Walker, and Maulik Parikh from the Beyond Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science at Arizona State University. Tune in!  Key Takeaways: 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:05 Brief run-through of modern cosmology  00:09:55 The expansion rate of the universe and what it tells us 00:17:35 Did the Big Bang happen more than once?  00:23:25 Cosmic origins and the BICEP experiment  00:33:32 Q&A with Paul Davies & Maulik Parikh — Additional resources: 📢 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 favorite platforms: ✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating 🔔 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DrBrianKeating?sub_confirmation=1 📝 Join my mailing list: https://briankeating.com/mailing_list ✍️ Check out my blog: https://briankeating.com/blog.php 🎙️ 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

Remastered from our interview in June 2023.  Have you ever wondered why people become preppers? Well, you're in luck because today you're going to find out from one of the most famous preppers in the world, Nate Polson, also known as the Canadian Prepper!  Canadian Prepper is an educational YouTuber who talks about self-defense, survival, and all things preparedness. He analyzes current events, reviews innovative equipment, and theorizes about the demise of civilization as we know it. In this interview, we talk about preparedness and living in a post-apocalyptic world.  Tune in! Key Takeaways: 00:00:00 Balancing preparedness, perspicacity, and cheerfulness 00:04:14 Why Canadian Prepper stays prepared  00:15:03 Is it worth living in a post-apocalyptic world?  00:20:19 Appreciation of what we have Additional resources:  ➡️ Check out Canadian Prepper: 💻 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CanadianPrepper ➡️ 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/mailing_list  ✍️ Check out my blog: https://briankeating.com/blog.php  🎙️ 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 follow/subscribe so you never miss an episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get 30% off unlimited access to Ground News, giving you full coverage of breaking news and allowing you to navigate media bias seamlessly 👉 https://www.ground.news/drbrian It may sound like science fiction, but it's true. Biologists are already creating synthetic life from scratch. Of course, this raises many questions: what is life? What are the possible applications? And are we on to something here, or are we just playing God? Here today, to answer all of these questions and more is one of the most influential biologists in the world, Craig Venter!  Craig Venter is a world-renowned biotechnologist known for his groundbreaking contributions to genomics. He had a pivotal role in leading the first draft sequence of the human genome and assembling the pioneering team that achieved the transfection of a cell with a synthetic chromosome. Later in his life, he and his research team created the world’s first synthetic organism from scratch, demonstrating the potential of synthetic biology to engineer life at the molecular level. In our lively interview, we dive deep into the world of synthetic biology, biological warfare, and engineering synthetic life. Tune in!  Key Takeaways: 00:00:00 Intro  00:01:36 What is life?  00:08:03 Mapping the human genome  00:21:03 DNA durability and extraterrestrial life 00:26:49 The dangers of synthetic biology 00:34:27 The next frontier for synthetic biology  00:46:47 The race to sequence the human genome 01:06:15 The Voyage of Sorcerer II — Additional resources:  📢 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 ➡️ Check out Craig’s institute: https://www.jcvi.org/  ➡️ Follow me on your favorite platforms: ✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating  🔔 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DrBrianKeating?sub_confirmation=1  📝 Join my mailing list: https://briankeating.com/mailing_list  ✍️ Check out my blog: https://briankeating.com/blog.php  🎙️ 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 follow so you never miss an episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is the purpose of the Universe? Why do we exist? And does the truth lie beyond traditional religion and secular atheism?  Here today, to discuss all these fascinating questions with me is leading philosopher of mind and returning guest Philip Goff! Philip is a British author, renowned philosopher, and professor at Durham University.  In his recently published book, "Why? The Purpose of the Universe", he explores meaning and purpose beyond Western thought, which is precisely what we’re doing today in this insightful interview. Tune in!  Key Takeaways: 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:27 Judging a book by its cover 00:03:46 What is panpsychism? 00:09:35 Consciousness and its relationship with physical reality  00:14:39 What’s wrong with God?  00:20:32 Agnosticism, free will, and addressing the problem of evil  00:28:09 Is antinatalism a slippery slope?  00:35:37 Fine-tuning and the inverse gambler's fallacy paradox 00:47:14 Do we have a use for purpose?  00:50:18 Outro Additional resources:  ➡️ Check out Philip Goff:  📚 Books: https://philipgoffphilosophy.com/books  💻 Website: https://philipgoffphilosophy.com/  🔔 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MindChat   ➡️ 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/mailing_list  ✍️ Check out my blog: https://briankeating.com/blog.php  🎙️ 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 follow/subscribe so you never miss an episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The James Webb Space Telescope is a monumental step forward in our pursuit of understanding the Universe and its origins. Here today, to answer the most frequently asked questions about the telescope, is the senior project scientist himself, John Cromwell Mather!  John is an astrophysicist and cosmologist of the highest rank. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on the Cosmic Background Explorer Satellite COBE along with his colleague George Smoot. Now, he’s exploring the early Universe via the JWST.  Tune in! Key Takeaways: 00:00:00 Intro  00:01:13 James Webb Space Telescope  00:04:16 Why are people so fascinated with space exploration?  00:07:07 Does Webb have the potential to see small rocky planets close to us? 00:09:45 Can Webb rule out or comment on the uniformity of the universe?  00:12:14 Will the TRAPPIST-1 system be viewed by Webb? 00:14:39 Will future projects self-assemble and self-replicate? 00:15:56 Can we look at Europa?  00:20:53 Rapid fire questions  00:24:30 Advice for aspiring students  00:25:24 Outro — Additional resources:  ➡️ Learn more about John Mather: https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/2006/mather/biographical/ ➡️ Follow me on your favorite platforms: ✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating  🔔 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DrBrianKeating?sub_confirmation=1  📝 Join my mailing list: https://briankeating.com/mailing_list  ✍️ Check out my blog: https://briankeating.com/blog.php  🎙️ 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 follow so you never miss an episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Remastered from our interview in October 2021.  In this otherworldly edition of Into the Impossible, I talk to renowned astrophysicist and astrobiologist Dr. Sarah Rugheimer about microscopic aliens, the Fermi paradox, the origin of life, the Drake equation, and much more! Dr. Rugheimer is a Glasstone Research Fellow and a Hugh Price Fellow at Jesus College Oxford. Her research interests are modeling the atmosphere and climate of extrasolar planets with a particular focus on atmospheric biosignatures in Earth-like planets as well as modeling early Earth conditions. Her Audible Exclusive book Searching for Extraterrestrial Life reveals through 10 amazing lectures what we know about detecting life on other planets.  Tune in!  Key Takeaways:  Intro (00:00) 00:00:46 Sarah’s thoughts on the private sector space race 00:04:18 Should we look for intelligent ET or microbial life in the Universe?  00:05:56 How did you get interested in astrobiology?  00:11:28 What would be the impact of finding microbial ET? 00:15:49 What do we do about the risk of error in science?  00:20:12 What is the possibility of alternative forms of life? (not carbon-based)  00:27:34 The future and Sarah's career 00:30:14 What do you think of Avi Loeb's theories about Oumuamua?  00:40:41 The Drake Equation (Happy 60th anniversary)  00:44:45 Outro — Additional resources:  📢 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 favorite platforms: ✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating  🔔 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DrBrianKeating?sub_confirmation=1  📝 Join my mailing list: https://briankeating.com/mailing_list  ✍️ Check out my blog: https://briankeating.com/blog.php  🎙️ 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 follow so you never miss an episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I had the pleasure of interviewing the one and only Donna Theo Strickland for our Think Like a Nobel Prize Winner series. Donna Theo Strickland is a renowned Canadian physicist widely recognized for her groundbreaking contributions to the field of pulsed lasers. She was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics in 2018 with her colleague Gérard Mourou for the practical implementation of chirped pulse amplification.  In this fun discussion between two experimental physicists, we talked about the Nobel Prize, the experimental minimum, why physics you can see is the coolest physics, lasers, pedagogy, and much more! Tune in.  Key Takeaways:  Intro (00:00) How does Donna approach pedagogy? (01:00) What is the experimental minimum? (04:30) How did Donna reach her scientific breakthroughs? (06:26) What discovery won her the Nobel prize? (07:56) Laser technology (11:28) Gender inequality in science (15:46) Do scientists have a moral obligation to communicate science? (19:21) Final four existential questions (22:53) — Additional resources:  📢 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 favorite platforms: ✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating  🔔 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DrBrianKeating?sub_confirmation=1  📝 Join my mailing list: https://briankeating.com/mailing_list  ✍️ Check out my blog: https://briankeating.com/blog.php  🎙️ 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 follow so you never miss an episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices