Into the Impossible With Brian Keating

Latest Episodes:

Life's Catalyst: RNA with Thomas Cech [Ep. 423] Jun 04, 2024

Show notes

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How did life begin? What makes us human? Why do we get sick and grow old?

For more than half a century, we've searched for answers to these questions in DNA. But after a series of groundbreaking discoveries, attention has turned to RNA, the long-overlooked molecule that is now at the heart of biology's greatest mysteries.

Here today, to shed light on this topic, is none other than the Nobel laureate Thomas Cech. Thomas shared the 1989 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Sidney Altman for their discovery of the catalytic properties of RNA. He discovered that RNA could cut strands of RNA itself, suggesting that life might have started as RNA, and found that RNA can not only transmit instructions but also speed up the necessary reactions.

His upcoming book, The Catalyst, promises to bring years of pioneering research to the forefront, demonstrating how RNA holds the key to understanding life on Earth—from its very origins to our future.

Join us as we explore the most transformative breakthroughs in biology and beyond on this episode of Into the Impossible!

Key Takeaways:

00:00 Intro
01:17 What is life?
02:05 Judging a book by its cover
05:44 Does profit drive innovation?
10:51 The RNA breakthrough
14:40 Is DNA a one-trick pony?
24:54 Panspermia, DNA and RNA
29:25 RNA’s role in the end of life
37:01 CRISPR
42:09 Are DNA and RNA the only two informational molecules?
46:57 The future of education
51:38 The greatest thing humans have ever done
53:08 What Thomas has been wrong about
54:22 Outro

—

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➡️ Learn more about Thomas Cech:

💻 Nobel Prize: https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/1989/cech/facts/

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Is There Hope for Humanity? Marcelo Gleiser’s Case for Biocentrism [Ep. 422] Jun 02, 2024

Show notes

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Is there hope for humanity?

In light of the numerous challenges we face today, from political to environmental crises, it seems like there isn’t.

But according to today’s esteemed guest Marcelo Gleiser, there’s still hope! However, we need to shift our perspective, recognize our place in the universe, and rediscover our connection to the natural world.

These are topics he thoroughly explored in his most recent book: The Dawn of a Mindful Universe: A Manifesto for Humanity's Future. I used our interview to ask him a few questions that came to my mind when I was reading this wonderful book.

Tune in!

Key Takeaways:

00:00:00 Intro
00:03:11 Judging a book by its cover
00:09:44 Copernicus’ heliocentric model
00:15:57 The perfect cosmological principle
00:21:14 Crises in cosmology
00:26:38 Humans, the natural world, and biocentrism
00:38:05 But what about technological progress?
00:42:16 Information theory, panspermia, and exoplanets
00:55:33 The origins of life and unifying theories
01:00:39 On a more optimistic note
01:05:28 AI’s impact on education
01:11:30 Audience questions
01:26:21 Outro

—

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💻 Website: https://marcelogleiser.com/

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Why Do Physicists FIGHT Philosophers? Jun 01, 2024

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Why do physicists fight philosophers?

A couple of months ago, I was invited to Robinson Erhardt’s podcast to discuss the expansion and inflation of the universe, the relationship between theory and experiment in cosmology, gravitational waves, my brainchild, the BICEP experiment, and a lot more. Enjoy!

Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University. Join him in conversations with philosophers, scientists, weightlifters, artists, and everyone in between: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsxwneBx6apV1mQ7CbWKfXQ

Key Takeaways:

00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:15 Brian the Builder
00:07:15 The Theory of Cosmological Expansion?
00:23:48 The Origins of Inflation
00:31:47 On Theory and Experiment in Astrophysics
00:41:55 On Gravitational Waves and Inflation
00:58:27 BICEP Tech Specs
01:12:01 What Did BICEP Find?
01:26:46 The Simons Array
01:30:37 On Eric Weinstein’s Theory of Everything
01:36:44 Outro

—

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Eric Weinstein: Don't Call It A Conspiracy! [Ep. 421] May 31, 2024

Show notes

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Are experts failing us?

While there is no clear answer to this question, it is clear that there is a growing public distrust of experts and institutions, and even more clear that this has severe consequences for society and science.

Join me and my colleague Eric Weinstein as we explore this issue, dig deep into the reasons for this skepticism, from political pressures to historical deceptions, and hypothesize potential solutions!

Eric Weinstein is an American managing director of Thiel Capital, Peter Thiel's investment firm, a position he has held since 2015. Though not an academic physicist, he proposed a unified theory of physics in 2013. He and his brother Bret Weinstein coined the term Intellectual Dark Web to refer to an informal group of pundits. Eric is a vocal critic of modern academic hierarchies and advocates for advances in scientific theory over an emphasis on experimental results. We discuss funding, academic freedom, and theoretical vs experimental physics.

Key Takeaways:

00:00:00 Intro
00:00:33 Giving platforms to unorthodox thinkers
00:03:39 Eric on the collapse of institutional trust
00:06:25 The decline in the reputation of universities and their impact
00:11:49 Need for reconciliation over COVID-related lies
00:24:08 Dangers of misinformation
00:28:04 The complicated relationship between national security and science
00:40:57 Eric’s vision for re-establishing trust in the scientific community
01:08:14 Outro

—

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➡️ Connect with Eric Weinstein

✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/EricRWeinstein/

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🎉 250K Subscribers Q&A Special! 🚀✨ May 28, 2024

Show notes

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You know what's better than a 250k sub celebration?

Nothing!

I am immensely grateful for each and every one of you. Thank you so much for joining me on this journey. There is nothing I love more than engaging with all of you and sharing my passion for the impossible every day.

To celebrate and commemorate this crazy milestone, I've asked for questions on all my channels, and today, I'm going to answer them all!

So, without further ado, let’s get right Into the Impossible!

Key Takeaways:

00:00:00 Intro

00:01:37 Does time have any relationship with temperature?

00:07:18 On losing the Nobel Prize

00:14:07 How much do I get paid?

00:16:43 Why do we prioritize studying the minutiae?

00:22:35 How do we know that the CMB occurred 380,000 years after the Big Bang?

00:27:52 The greatest challenge of our educational system

00:36:04 Why I’m not convinced by determinism

00:41:52 The reality of podcasting and money

00:50:01 Is it time to stop taking Sam Harris seriously?

00:56:24 Problems in our educational system and the prestige of physics

01:08:30 How do I explain my work at cocktail parties?

01:11:56 Could gravity be massive?

01:15:00 Could the universe be an infinite multidimensional fractal?

01:24:43 Gravitational lensing

01:28:00 How many galaxies does the universe contain?

01:30:57 Joe Rogan’s mini-me?

01:36:37 Does dark matter even exist?

01:39:50 My favorite meteorites, Starlink and the Simons Observatory

01:43:29 Extra interdimensional beings?

01:48:30 Are there various ways to solve the Hubble tension?

01:54:50 Outro

Additional resources:

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Did This NEW Theory of Gravity Solve the Expanding Universe? Claudia de Rham [Ep. 419] May 26, 2024

Show notes

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The acceleration of the expansion of the universe is one of the fundamental questions in cosmology.

Scientists believe that dark energy is driving and accelerating the expansion; however, there is a discrepancy between the predicted amount of dark energy in the universe and our theoretical calculations based on the properties of fundamental particles.

To get to the bottom of this, today's guest, Professor Claudia de Rham, proposed a new theory of "massive gravity" that could solve this “impossible” riddle.

Claudia de Rham is a Swiss theoretical physicist at Imperial College London. She is known for her work at the intersection of gravity, cosmology, and particle physics. She won the 2020 Blavatnik Young Scientist Award for reviving the theory of massive gravity and has made significant contributions to understanding dark energy, dark matter, and gravity. Her research focuses on modified theories of gravity, including massive gravity and Galileon gravity.

Join us as we explore the true nature of gravity and the beauty of falling!

Key Takeaways:

00:00:00 Intro
00:01:19 Mass of the graviton
00:08:20 Judging a book by its cover
00:15:20 Could AI experience the joy of falling?
00:20:07 The speed of gravity
00:22:55 How would a breathing mode manifest itself?
00:34:08 Extra dimensions
00:40:00 Do we need a quantum theory of gravity?
00:45:00 Nothing happens at the Planck length
00:50:27 Quantum nature of gravity
00:55:34 Outro

—

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➡️ Connect with Claudia de Rham:

💻 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudia-de-rham-b2b4b3274/

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Brian Keating Discusses the Early Universe & Science Communication with Lawrence Krauss May 23, 2024

Show notes

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In this personal conversation with a long-time friend of the show, Lawrence Krauss, I talk about my origins, my passion for physics, how I started researching the CMB, the BICEP experiments, my relationship with religion and Judaism, and much more. Tune in!

Lawrence M. Krauss is a highly acclaimed theoretical physicist, commentator, bestselling author, President of The Origins Project Foundation, and host of the Origins Podcast. Among his many significant scientific contributions was the 1995 proposal that most of the Universe's energy resides in empty space.

Key Takeaways:

00:00:00 Intro
00:00:38 My origins
00:09:27 The importance of reading science and sci-fi
00:20:11 My passion for physics
00:30:49 On religion & my relationship with Judaism
00:49:35 Why I research the CMB
01:05:12 The BICEP experiments
01:17:39 The rush to publish
01:23:24 Inflation theory and the multiverse
01:35:52 Simons Array and Simons Observatory
01:51:37 Outro

—

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➡️ Check out Lawrence Krauss:

📚 The Edge of Knowledge by Lawrence Krauss: https://a.co/d/2Dtwy3x

💻 Website: https://lawrencemkrauss.com/

✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/LKrauss1

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Brian Keating On Black Holes, Wormholes and the Origin of Everything w/ James Altucher May 21, 2024

Show notes

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A couple of months ago, I had the pleasure of chatting with James Altucher. James is a serial entrepreneur, angel investor, bestselling author, and host of The James Altucher show.

In the first part of our interview, James wanted to learn more about black holes, wormholes, and the origin of the universe, so we explored these topics in detail. Enjoy!

Key Takeaways:

00:00:00 Intro
00:00:37 IQ and intelligence
00:01:40 History of the alphabet and Rosetta Stone
00:03:12 Recent JWST discoveries and black holes
00:07:19 The relationship between time and gravity
00:11:51 Falling into a black hole
00:23:39 Mathematics vs. physics
00:27:53 What happened with Mercury?
00:33:00 Why is there dark matter?
00:35:45 The concept of a wormhole
00:38:07 Limits of the speed of light and Einstein’s relativity
00:49:47 Outro

—

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➡️ Connect with James Altucher:

🔔 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheJamesAltucherShow

💻 Website: https://jamesaltucher.com/

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Into the Impossible with Brian Keating is a podcast dedicated to all those who want to explore the universe within and beyond the known.

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Exploring the Intersection of Philosophy and Physics w/ Bernardo Kastrup [Ep. 416] May 19, 2024

Show notes

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Ever wondered what happens when the realms of physics and philosophy collide?

You get an unparalleled intellectual odyssey that goes far beyond the limits of traditional discourse. Join me and the renowned philosopher and computer engineer Bernardo Kastrup as we explore the nature of reality, the mind-body problem, psychedelics, AI, and some of the most fundamental questions in cosmology.

Kastrup is the executive director of Essentia Foundation. His work has been leading the modern renaissance of metaphysical idealism, the notion that reality is essentially mental.

He has a Ph.D. in philosophy (ontology, philosophy of mind) and another Ph.D. in computer engineering (reconfigurable computing, artificial intelligence). As a scientist, Bernardo has worked for the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and the Philips Research Laboratories (where the ‘Casimir Effect’ of Quantum Field Theory was discovered).

Formulated in detail in many academic papers and books, his ideas have been featured in Scientific American, the Institute of Art and Ideas, the Blog of the American Philosophical Association, and Big Think, among others. Bernardo’s most recent book is The Idea of the World: A multi-disciplinary argument for the mental nature of reality. For more information, freely downloadable papers, videos, etc., please visit www.bernardokastrup.com.

Our thought-provoking conversation was led by Fidias Panayiotou, who took us on an exciting journey from empirical observations to abstract speculations.

Tune in!

Key Takeaways:

00:00:00 Intro
00:06:11 My thoughts on Bernardo’s theory
00:23:41 The true potential of AI
00:39:11 Spirituality and God
00:45:47 Bernardo’s experiences with psychedelics
00:55:51 How I discovered Galileo
01:02:42 The problem of fine-tuning
01:07:50 Getting lost in abstraction
01:15:05 Why I have a podcast
01:24:37 The case for idealism
01:33:25 Why you should be interested in astrophysics
01:37:14 Outro

—

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➡️ Connect with Bernardo Kastrup:

💻 Website: https://www.bernardokastrup.com/

➡️ Subscribe to the Fidias Podcast:

🔔 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@fidiaspodcast

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Into the Impossible with Brian Keating is a podcast dedicated to all those who want to explore the universe within and beyond the known.

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Brian Keating Discusses the Meaning of Life and Science With Eric Metaxas May 16, 2024

Show notes

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Join Eric Metaxas and me for a thought-provoking discussion on the origins of the Universe, the Big Bang theory, and the multiverse. I also share my personal experience of almost winning the Nobel Prize and how it changed my perspective on the pursuit of scientific knowledge.

Eric Metaxas is the #1 New York Times Bestselling author of Bonhoeffer and many other books, including Is Atheism Dead?, Martin Luther, Amazing Grace, and Letter to the American Church, which was made into a full-length documentary by the same name. Metaxas’s latest book is Religionless Christianity: God’s Answer to Evil. He has written over thirty children’s books, including the bestsellers Squanto and the Miracle of Thanksgiving and It’s Time to Sleep, My Love, illustrated by Nancy Tillman. His books have been translated into more than twenty-five languages. He hosts Socrates in the City and the nationally syndicated Eric Metaxas Radio Show — “The Show about Everything!” — which also airs as a weekly TV program on TBN.

Key Takeaways:

00:00:00 Intro
00:01:17 Losing the Nobel Prize
00:03:56 Looking into the past with telescopes
00:14:39 The origin of the universe
00:21:04 What happened before the Big Bang?
00:27:32 Does the standard model imply multiverses?
00:38:29 Faith, science, and the multiverse
00:48:34 Outro

—

Additional resources:

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➡️ Connect with Eric Metaxas:

💻 Website: https://ericmetaxas.com/

✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ericmetaxas/

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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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