Into the Impossible With Brian Keating  By  cover art

Into the Impossible With Brian Keating

By: Big Bang Productions Inc.
  • Summary

  • A podcast about how we understand the world, scientifically and as humans. Each conversation brings together visionaries from the worlds of arts, sciences, humanities, and technology discussing the nature of reality and how we collaborate to create the future. Hosted by Dr Brian Keating, Chancellor’s Distinguished Professor of Physics at UC San Diego. For show notes go to: https://briankeating.com/podcast
    © 2023 Big Bang Productions Inc.
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Episodes
  • Why ChatGPT Can’t Tell Compelling Stories (Yet) w/ John Vervaeke and Shawn Coyne
    Mar 24 2024
    Join my mailing list https://briankeating.com/list to win a real 4 billion year old meteorite! All .edu emails in the USA 🇺🇸 will WIN! “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
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    1 hr and 9 mins
  • Sam Harris: God Did NOT Write the Bible!
    Mar 17 2024
    Join my mailing list https://briankeating.com/list to win a real 4 billion year old meteorite! All .edu emails in the USA 🇺🇸 will WIN! Today’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! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    3 hrs and 22 mins
  • Why Are People Protesting Against a Telescope? | Robert Kirshner
    Mar 10 2024
    Join my mailing list https://briankeating.com/list to win a real 4 billion year old meteorite! All .edu emails in the USA 🇺🇸 will WIN! Today, 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
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 4 mins

What listeners say about Into the Impossible With Brian Keating

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Fascinating and often inspiring

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

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

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

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Superconducting brain expansion

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

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Sensational Listen and Learning!

Kudos to Brian Keating & Eric Weinstein on a sensational and fascinating discussion.

I really do not have a lot of science and zero physics in me, but I have found myself learning and growing my critical thinking skills listening to Dr. Keating's and Eric's podcast.

For me, discussions like these are a big part of the awe amazing time we live in - that average people like myself are able to easily access some of the best thinking on earth, whether one agrees or disagrees with the various positions asserted.

Keep growing the good Brian and Eric.

Sam X Renick


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Manna for the mind

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

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

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

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Content Accessible and Enjoyable

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

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Great Podcast!

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

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A fun and exhilarating adventure into the cosmos,

I love this podcast. I am not a scientist or much of a science person. That said, I love pondering the mystery and wonder of the cosmos. Brian's podcast and YouTube channel are great fun for the laymen to be introduced to fascinating insights, exhilarating theories, and mind-expanding ideas. Brian has a knack for metaphor to help explain highly complicated concepts into much easier to digest ideas. In fact, this is the reason I listen to his podcast—I wouldn't bother if it was all over my head, and he helps me grasp topics that I have never personally studied as an adult. Most crucially to me, Into the Impossible is not only a place where free speech and the free exploration of ideas are welcome, but they are also wanted. I appreciate Brian's occasional foray into some of today's trickier topics. He always approaches such conversations with an open mind and in good faith—which more people could afford to do today.

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Don’t bother

The host lacks scientific integrity, being more driven by his own beliefs and skepticism, which is not the way of a scientist. He’ll make use of out-of-the-box thinkers (which he’s not) to help his podcast gain popularity only to later publicly claim to be skeptical about the people he has interviewed. As it is the case with many other academics, he expects his credibility and reputation to automatically make him right and admired (pretty much like Neil Tyson). There’s nothing about the impossible in this podcast, just the same old scientific faith and litany.

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Amazing podcast

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

By the way, the audio quality is simply great

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One of the most important podcasts

I would say this podcast is still seriously underrated. Brian Keating is one of the most genuine and honest scientists and overall thinkers out there. There are a lot of podcasts out there competing for your attention which gives rise to a problem about what to listen to with limited time. I believe the Into the Impossible podcast with Brian Keating does a great job at curating some of the most important voices in the world that people should be listening to.

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