Into the Impossible With Brian Keating Podcast By Big Bang Productions Inc. cover art

Into the Impossible With Brian Keating

Into the Impossible With Brian Keating

By: Big Bang Productions Inc.
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About this listen

 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. 719843 Natural History Nature & Ecology Physics Science
Episodes
  • How Black Holes Break Reality

    How Black Holes Break Reality
    May 19 2025
    Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/list to win a meteorite 💥 Could a black hole erase your past? Wipe out every memory, every detail, that makes you who you are? That’s just one of the crazy questions we explore as we encounter the insane paradoxes of black holes. Black holes don’t just trap matter. They trap information too. This is what makes them one of the greatest mysteries of our universe. They challenge our fundamental understanding of physics and our reality. Everything we know about our world breaks down when we confront their mystifying properties. Today's guest, Marcus Chown, has spent years tracing the history of black holes—not just the science, but also the brilliant scientists who gave us the knowledge and insight into these marvels. From equations scribbled in the trenches of WWI to a vanishing dark star in the 1970s, Marcus takes us on a journey from discovery to understanding…of all that we know so far. His latest book, A Crack in Everything, tells the astonishing story of how black holes went from absurd fantasy to perhaps the fundamental phenomenon that shapes our entire reality. — Key Takeaways: 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:09 The most terrifying object in the universe 00:03:05 Judging a book by its cover 00:05:10 Paradoxes and information in black holes 00:10:26 Historical figures and black holes 00:23:23 The future of black hole research 00:34:44 Are black holes responsible for our existence? 00:38:53 Do black holes create universes? 00:44:06 Human stories that didn’t make it into the book 00:59:37 Outro — Additional resources: ➡️ Learn more about Marcus Chown: 📚 A Crack in Everything: https://a.co/d/5KI9iZK ➡️ 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 follow 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
  • The Scientists Ep. 2: Pure Genius - The Feynman Method: How a Physicist Rewired the Way We Learn

    The Scientists Ep. 2: Pure Genius - The Feynman Method: How a Physicist Rewired the Way We Learn
    May 15 2025
    Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/list to win a meteorite 💥 This conversation explores the life and legacy of Richard Feynman, exploring his pivotal role in the Manhattan Project, his unique personality, and his innovative teaching methods. Feynman's contributions to physics and his playful approach to science are highlighted, alongside the complexities of his character and the lasting impact he has had on future generations of scientists. - Key Takeaways: 00:00 The Call to Arms: Feynman's Early Involvement in WWII 03:08 Los Alamos: The Birthplace of the Atomic Bomb 06:01 Feynman's Playful Genius: Safe-Cracking and Curiosity 08:52 The Personal and Professional: Feynman's Complex Life 12:13 Feynman's Iconoclastic Nature and Humor 15:07 The Legacy of Richard Feynman: A Lasting Impact 18:01 Feynman's Approach to Learning and Teaching 20:49 The Man Behind the Genius: Feynman's Flaws and Foibles - Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmXH_moPhfkqCk6S3b9RWuw/join 📚 Get a copy of my books: Think Like a Nobel Prize Winner, with life-changing interviews with 9 Nobel Prizewinners: https://a.co/d/03ezQFu My tell-all cosmic memoir Losing the Nobel Prize: http://amzn.to/2sa5UpA The first-ever audiobook from Galileo: Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems: Ptolemaic and Copernican https://a.co/d/iZPi9Un Follow me to ask questions of my guests: 🏄‍♂️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating 🔔 Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/DrBrianKeating?sub_confirmation=1 📝 Join my mailing list; just click here: http://briankeating.com/list ✍️ Detailed Blog posts here: https://briankeating.com/blog 🎙️ Listen on audio-only platforms: https://briankeating.com/podcast #universe #podcast #briankeating #intotheimpossible #science #astronomy #cosmology #cosmicmicrowavebackground #intotheimpossible #briankeating #richardfeynman #manhattanproject #atomicbomb #losalamos #physics #teaching #curiosity #legacy #science #nobelprize Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    25 mins
  • Can the West Survive Its Ideological Crisis? w/ Douglas Murray

    Can the West Survive Its Ideological Crisis? w/ Douglas Murray
    May 13 2025
    Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/list to win a meteorite 💥 What happens when a civilization begins to doubt its own foundations, dismissing facts, evidence, and even reason for not being woke enough? In an age where biology, history, warfare, and even science are increasingly shaped by ideology, what does it mean to defend truth at all? Douglas Murray, one of the most influential public intellectuals worldwide, has spent his career warning us that the West is in trouble, not because of external threats, but because we ourselves have begun to question the values that built our ideals, our history, our culture, our civilization, and our sense of identity. His latest work, “On Democracies and Death Cults,” which we’ll discuss today, applies this warning to one of the most politically and morally charged conflicts of all time. It also leads us into the fundamental question of the very purpose of Western civilization. At its core, Douglas Murray’s work explores a universal issue: the battle over what counts as truth. From journalism to biology, we continue to return to the most profound question: how do we guard and protect our most sacred truths in a world that no longer agrees on what reality itself is? — Key Takeaways: 00:00 Intro 01:25 My trip to Israel and death cults 06:09 Judging a book by its cover 12:35 Academic institutions and political activism 28:27 The impact of projection and guilt 34:46 Science, progress, and Western civilization 48:39 The possibility of peace in the Middle East 53:31 How to find courage 55:41 Outro — Additional resources: ➡️ Learn more about Douglas Murray: 📚 On Democracies and Death Cults: https://a.co/d/c7y845h 💻 Website: https://douglasmurray.net/ ➡️ 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 follow so you never miss an episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 3 mins
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All stars
Most relevant  
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!

Great Guests, great topics

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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!

Great Podcast!

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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!

Insightful & An Awesome Listen For Anyone

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

Must Have Science Podcast

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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!

Content Accessible and Enjoyable

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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,

Fascinating and often inspiring

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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.

Manna for the mind

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

By the way, the audio quality is simply great

Amazing podcast

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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.)

Superconducting brain expansion

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

Science unveiled!

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