Into the Impossible With Brian Keating

By: Big Bang Productions Inc.
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  • 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. 719843
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Episodes
  • The Scientists Ep. 1: Flatland -- Einstein's Muse

    The Scientists Ep. 1: Flatland -- Einstein's Muse
    May 8 2025
    Welcome to a fascinating journey into the limits of imagination, geometry, and scientific discovery. In this premiere episode of "The Scientists," a new series on the Into The Impossible Podcast Network, host Brian Keating—Chancellor’s Distinguished Professor of Physics at UC San Diego—dives deep into the curious world of "Flatland," Edwin Abbott Abbott's mind-bending Victorian novel. But this isn't just dusty literature; it's a geometric allegory that shaped some of the greatest scientific minds, including Albert Einstein himself. Alongside surprising social commentary and a critique of rigid hierarchies, Keating unpacks the power of imagination in science, showing how boundary-pushing thinkers moved from heresy to genius. Sit back as you journey through dimensions with Brian Keating—plus a special segment from science communicator Carl Sagan—inviting you to rethink your own perspective on the universe and the unseen realities that might lie just beyond. Ready to challenge what you believe about reality? Stay curious and let’s step into the impossible together. Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/list to win a meteorite 💥 Key Takeaways: 00:00 "Exploring Flatland's Timeless Influence" 06:26 "Dimensional Perception in Flatland" 09:45 "Exploring Influential Scientific Books" 13:11 "Revolutionary Thinking and Scientific Rebels" 15:54 "Flatland's Influence on Einstein" 20:44 "Flatland: Three-Dimensional Encounter" 24:38 Understanding the Tesseract's Dimensions - Additional resources: ➡️ 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    19 mins
  • The Scientists Ep. 0: Obsessive Geniuses

    The Scientists Ep. 0: Obsessive Geniuses
    May 8 2025
    Welcome to the debut episode of "The Scientists," a captivating new series from the Into the Impossible Podcast Network, hosted by Brian Keating, Chancellor's Distinguished Professor of Physics at UC San Diego. Each week, Brian takes us on a journey into the extraordinary minds behind history’s greatest scientific breakthroughs—not just exploring what these giants of science discovered, but delving deep into who they were, what drove their relentless curiosity, and the very human obsessions that shaped their careers and our world. If you’re curious about the messy, intensely human reality behind monumental discoveries—and how these stories can reshape your worldview—tune in as we venture into the lives, the questions, and the obsessions that made science possible. Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/list to win a meteorite 💥 - Key Takeaways: 00:00 Exploring Scientific Pioneers Podcast 06:08 Exploring Scientific Genius Insights 07:46 Visionary Inventors and Iconoclasts 12:48 Exploring Intellectual and Business Obsessions 14:35 Scientific Revolutions and Genius Insights - Additional resources: ➡️ 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    18 mins
  • Can Quantum Entanglement Explain Where All the Aliens Are?

    Can Quantum Entanglement Explain Where All the Aliens Are?
    May 4 2025
    Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/list to win a meteorite 💥 What if the best person to solve the mystery of alien communication isn't a SETI researcher or a radio astronomer, but instead a theoretical physicist trained in the deepest notions of physical law, symmetries, and quantum field theory? Well, today, I’m joined by Latham Boyle, a renowned theoretical physicist exploring the fundamental symmetries of the universe and developing new ideas to understand how the universe began. But his research goes beyond that—he’s also tackling one of the greatest mysteries of all time: the Fermi Paradox. After explaining everything we need to know about symmetries, Latham shares his bold theory of a mirror universe, where the cosmos is symmetric across the Big Bang, and how that could explain the strange silence from the stars. We explore how this radical idea might reshape our understanding of dark matter, the origin of the universe, and why advanced civilizations might be using quantum signals we’re simply not equipped to detect. What if we’re not alone, just looking in the wrong way? — Key Takeaways: 00:00:00 Intro 00:03:11 Explaining symmetries and CPT symmetry 00:06:12 Theoretical framework and observational evidence 00:11:39 Symmetry violations 00:15:09 Possible alternative explanation of the early universe 00:49:14 Quantum entanglement and the Fermi Paradox 00:59:51 Technology of biological material? 01:07:12 Outro — Additional resources: ➡️ 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/subscribe so you never miss an episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 1 min
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What listeners say about Into the Impossible With Brian Keating

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Profile Image for COSMOS

Great Guests, great topics

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!

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Profile Image for starling01

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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Profile Image for Tony

Insightful & An Awesome Listen For Anyone

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!

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Profile Image for Mike

Must Have Science Podcast

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

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Profile Image for Azriella

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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Profile Image for Anonymous User

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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Profile Image for Amazon Customer

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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Profile Image for Christian Ruiz

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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Profile Image for Philip Greenspun

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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Profile Image for Dex Doomsday

Science unveiled!

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

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