Think like a physicist. Wonder like a human. Into the Impossible is where Cosmic Conversations happen — uniting Nobel Prize winners, iconoclasts, authors, and technologists to explore reality’s deepest questions. From AI to aliens, from biophysics to the brain, from the cosmos to the multiverse, Brian Keating, Chancellor’s Distinguished Professor of Physics at UC San Diego covers it all.
If you’ve ever asked What’s out there? or What’s next?, this is where curiosity meets clarity.
Learn to think like this. 🎙 Full episodes, notes & more: briankeating.com/podcast
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Answer my survey to get a chance to win a $100 Amazon Gift Card! 👉 https://forms.gle/uWgVRCf3BC2xxR2Y7 Please join my mailing list to get FREE notes & resources from this show! Click 👉 http://briankeating.com/yt Will AI solve future math proofs? Every time you type a password, buy something online, or send an encrypted message, you’re trusting an assumption about prime numbers: that they don’t hide an exploitable pattern. Modern cryptography depends on primes behaving “randomly enough,” ye...
Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/yt to win a meteorite 💥 From the electrifying environment of high-speed particle collisions to the challenge of sifting signals from heaps of experimental noise, you'll hear how Prof Whiteson and his team are pushing boundaries. They discuss bold new algorithms capable of spotting non-standard tracks—think wild trajectories that defy classical expectations and could reveal surprises nature has kept hidden. Practical questions about de...
Brian Keating sits down with Matt Gray for a wide-ranging, thoughtful, and entertaining conversation that explores the intersection of cosmology, philosophy, and mysticism. Together, they tackle some of the universe’s biggest mysteries—from the origins of the cosmos and the mechanics of the Big Bang, to the challenges and philosophy behind scientific discovery. Timestamps: 00:00 "Science, Nobel Near-Miss, and Humor" 07:26 "Passion for Science and Sharing" 12:00 "Chasing a Nobel-Worthy Discovery"...
Please join my mailing list to get FREE notes and resources from this show, plus your chance to win a real meteorite: http://briankeating.com/yt Join us LIVE with Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb for the final verdict on the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS, the third confirmed visitor from beyond our solar system. We examine the newly proposed 14th anomaly: the remarkably rare alignment of 3I/ATLAS’s rotation axis within about 8 degrees of the sunward direction at distances greater than 5 AU, a conf...
Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/yt to win a meteorite 💥 Pilgrimage mode: kilt on, chapeau secured, and I’m standing outside 14 India Street, Edinburgh — the birthplace of the physicist I’d nominate as the quiet GOAT: James Clerk Maxwell. In this solo vlog, I walk the neighbourhood where Maxwell grew up, try (and fail) to get into the small museum without a reservation, and connect the dots from Maxwell’s equations to the modern world: Wi-Fi, GPS, power grids, and ye...
Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/list to win a meteorite 💥 Sixty-six million years ago, a single asteroid ended the reign of the dinosaurs—and Govert Schilling says the next one could be headed for us. In this episode, we uncover the science of cosmic threats, extinction risks, and whether humanity stands a chance when the sky turns deadly. Key Takeaways: 00:00 Intro 00:33 Is Earth particularly sensitive to impacts? 03:24 The role of cosmic impacts in human existence...
WANTED: Developers and STEM experts! Get paid to create benchmarks and improve AI models. Sign up for Alignerr using our link: https://alignerr.com/?referral-source=briankeating Today’s guest Bret Weinstein takes us on a fascinating journey to discover the next evolution of mankind. KEY TAKEAWAYS 00:00 "Universal Principles of Evolution" 08:14 "Soma, Germline, and Senescence" 12:34 "Life Cycle Adaptation Patterns" 17:46 "Hybrid Creatures, Not Resurrections" 24:01 "Biology, Ancestry, and Modern P...
Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/yt to win a meteorite 💥 In this special crossover episode, Brian Keating joins Julian Dorey to celebrate Julian's impressive milestone of reaching 1 million subscribers. Together, they take a deep dive into the latest theories shaking up our understanding of the universe—from fresh debates surrounding the Big Bang, new discoveries about dark matter and dark energy, to the powerful technology transforming how we explore the cosmos. Key...
Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/yt for your chance to win a meteorite 💥 What connects a 5,000-year-old stone circle to the most ambitious radio telescope ever built? In this episode, we travel from Stonehenge to Jodrell Bank and the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) to trace humanity’s obsession with the sky — from lifting megaliths to catching whispers of the Big Bang. We start at Stonehenge, a Neolithic “star clock” aligned with the solstices, then fast-forward through...
If you want to think sharper, feel stronger, and perform better — visit www.tonum.com/IMPOSSIBLE and use code IMPOSSIBLE for 10% off your first order. Try Shortform, the invaluable app that helps me prepare for every conversation I have! Get $50 off the annual plan at https://shortform.com/impossible Today, I'm speaking with Jaron Lanier, a pioneer in VR, about where it will take us next to expand human consciousness. In this wide-ranging conversation, Jaron Lanier explores how technology reshap...
James sits down with astrophysicist Brian Keating for a candid, useful tour through three hot zones: how to think about AI (and where it actually helps), what’s broken in higher ed and admissions right now, and why outsourcing your mood to politics is a losing strategy. You’ll hear first-hand stories (from UC San Diego classrooms to New York City politics), specific ways James and Brian really use AI daily, and a simple framework for protecting your attention and happiness—even when everything f...
What happens when a government abruptly cuts off the lifeline of pure science? Imagine canceling Albert Einstein just before he published [E = mc². Terence Tao, the “Mozart of Mathematics,” was one of the unlucky researchers hit when the Trump administration suddenly terminated his federal research funding. Today, I walk and talk with Tao at UCLA to understand how America’s greatest living mathematician found himself blindsided by a bureaucratic earthquake — and what it means for the future of d...
Become a channel member to ask questions! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmXH_moPhfkqCk6S3b9RWuw/join Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb returns to break down the newest data on 3I/ATLAS, the interstellar object captivating the world — and triggering fierce debate among scientists. In this extended conversation, Loeb responds directly to recent public criticism from Brian Cox, Jason Wright, and others, clarifies what the data actually show, and explains why humility and open inquiry remain essent...
Get my book Focus Like a Nobel Prize Winner: https://www.amazon.com/Into-Impossible-Laureates-Concentrate-Creativity/dp/1544548850 Imagine the day that aliens arrive not with a death ray, but with a rug and a new understanding of physics. Daniel Whiteson's new book opens with a wild question what if aliens show up with a better understanding of physics, we can't even recognize that's what they're offering. How would you react? This is his hope that aliens might carry the product of millions, bil...
Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/yt to win a meteorite 💥 In this episode of Real Talk, Brian Keating sits down with PragerU CEO, Marissa Streit, for a riveting conversation that explores some of the most intriguing—and controversial—questions about our universe. Key Takeaways: 00:00 Paid to Explore the Universe 06:36 Galileo's Awe Through Telescopes 13:29 "Discovering Big Bang's Cause" 16:38 "Stellar Origins of Iron" 24:23 "Life Lessons, Not Science" 31:11 "Predictin...
Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/yt to win a meteorite 💥 My response to Moon landing denial claims by Kim Kardashian, Candace Owens, and Bart Sibrel I answer all the big questions: ⇨ Why did the flag move with no wind? ⇨ Is there really no gravity on the moon? ⇨ Why haven't we gone back? ⇨ How did the astronauts survive the Van Allen radiation belts? ⇨ Why the boot prints don't match & more! - Join this channel to get access to perks like monthly Office Hours: ht...
Win EXTRATERRESTRIAL METAL - a real meteorite💥 enter at briankeating.com/yt 💥 What happens when 3I/ATLAS dives toward the Sun? One signature could expose interstellar origins, hidden composition, and non-gravitational forces at play. Loeb pinpoints what to watch: abrupt brightening vs. erosion, outgassing asymmetry, and dust-to-gas shifts that defy textbook comets. If it flares the “wrong” way, the implications are seismic—on formation models, radiation-driven activity, even interstellar visit...
Geneticist David Reich explores how ancient DNA extraction and analysis rewrite human history, revealing that 90% population replacements were common and that "ghost populations" vanished without archaeological trace. He delves into the technological breakthroughs that allow scientists to reconstruct human migration patterns and uncover our shared ancestry, showing how all non-African humans trace back to a small founding group 70,000 years ago. Reich also discusses the profound implications of these findings for understanding human diversity, identity, and the ethical considerations of genetic research.
Get started with 1 month free of Superhuman today, using my link: https://try.sprh.mn/briankeating What if cells from your own trachea sitting in a petri dish right now, could spontaneously organize into swimming robots that heal brain tissue? What if frog skin cells with no genetic modification whatsoever, could build copies of themselves from spare parts lying around? This isn't science fiction. This is the work of Michael Levin at Tufts University and is completely rewriting the rules of biol...
Brian Keating explores the enduring mystery of dark matter with Professor Kaixuan Ni, discussing the DAMA/LIBRA experiment's unconfirmed claims versus the sophisticated liquid xenon detectors used at UCSD. The discussion covers the precision required to detect rare events like solar neutrinos and ultra-rare nuclear decays, and how these detectors, initially designed for cosmology, are now being repurposed for crucial real-world applications in monitoring nuclear reactors and promoting global peace.
Get started with 1 month free of Superhuman today, using my link: https://try.sprh.mn/briankeating Today's guest made bacteria immune to every virus that exists. This breakthrough could revolutionize medicine by creating virus proof cell therapies and potentially extending this protection to human cells. Also demonstrating that we can fundamentally rewrite the language of life itself, something that was previously thought impossible. George Church is a Harvard Medical School genetics professor a...
Astrophysicist Avi Loeb debates the nature of Oumuamua, challenging a recent Nature paper's "dark comet" theory by highlighting flaws in its energy conservation. He elaborates on his "light sail" hypothesis and provides updates on the Galileo Project's mission to recover fragments of the first interstellar meteor (IM1) to analyze its unusual material strength. Loeb passionately advocates for scientific integrity, public engagement, and robust funding for research into extraterrestrial technology, contrasting it with funding for established but unproven theories.
Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/list to win a meteorite 💥 Brian Keating and James Altucher have an unfiltered talk on humility, arrogance, and the strange mix of traits needed to achieve great things. From the wisdom of the Talmud to the Dunning–Kruger effect, they explore why even Nobel Prize winners wrestle with imposter syndrome. James shares how writing books requires a mix of blind confidence and humility, while Brian connects scientific resilience to obsession...
Boost your productivity 🧠 Start your 30-day free trial of Todoist today: https://get.todoist.io/q8k9tr 📝 Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/list to win a meteorite 💥 Astronaut and bestselling author Chris Hadfield joins me to discuss his new Cold War thriller Final Orbit and the real history behind it—UAPs, Operation Paperclip, and the exiled genius who built China’s rocket program. Along the way, we debate the moon landing hoax, the cost of the ISS, and why humans—n...
Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/list to win a meteorite 💥 Lou Ignarro went from building pipe bombs as a curious teen to winning the Nobel Prize for discovering how a gas—nitric oxide—regulates blood flow, fuels Viagra, and revolutionized cardiovascular medicine. In this explosive conversation, we trace how one molecule transformed sex, science, and the story of human health. Key Takeaways: 00:00 Intro 00:55 The molecule that saves and kills 04:00 The invention of t...
Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb details new observations of the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS by the HiRISE camera on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, revealing its unusual mass, trajectory, and chemical composition. He discusses potential links to the historic Wow! Signal, proposes a global UN response for future interstellar visitors, and critiques scientific dogmatism that hinders discovery. The conversation also touches on the geopolitical race for extraterrestrial life, particularly China's Mars missions, and the ethical considerations of communicating with alien intelligence.
Get started with 1 month free of Superhuman today, using my link: https://try.sprh.mn/briankeating Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/list to win a meteorite 💥 Is AI our partner in evolution, or is it a harbinger of our downfall? In this episode of Into the Impossible, I sit down with two brilliant minds to explore the current and future relationship between artificial intelligence, human evolution, and creativity. Blaise Agüera y Arcas, a leading AI researcher, and Be...
Delve into the life and groundbreaking work of Lord Kelvin, from his pioneering concept of absolute zero and the Kelvin temperature scale to his early academic success and lasting legacy at the University of Glasgow. The episode also critically examines his scientific misjudgments, such as his famous clash with Darwin over Earth's age, later resolved by radioactivity. Discover his extensive inventions in telecommunications and early electric lighting, showcasing his dual role as a brilliant physicist and astute businessman.
Get 3 months off the annual plan and start learning faster at shortform.com/impossible In this episode, Steven Pinker unpacks how common knowledge shapes everything from why rational people can’t agree to disagree to why markets boom and bust. We explore the risks of falsifying expert claims, the power of social norms, and whether civilization is held together by truths—or by the fictions we all agree to share. — Key Takeaways: 00:00 Intro 00:58 When common knowledge is wrong 02:37 The role of c...
Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/yt to win a meteorite 💥 Brian Keating sits in the guest chair on Julian Dorey's podcast. This fascinating conversation dives deep into the heart of science, skepticism, and the culture wars swirling around them. Together, Brian and Julian tackle everything from wild theories about NASA, the South Pole, and the moon landing, to the challenges of scientific gatekeeping, the allure of conspiracy thinking, and the importance—and limitatio...
