Into the Impossible With Brian Keating

Addressing the Biggest Controversies in Modern Cosmology with George Efstathiou [Ep. 436]

Jul 7, 2024

Join George Efstathiou, astrophysicist, and Brian Keating as they discuss cosmic acceleration, Hubble tension, inflation theory, BICEP2, and more in the world of modern cosmology. Dive into unresolved tensions and controversial theories with brilliant minds in this engaging episode.

59:59

Episode guests

George Efstathiou

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Addressing controversies in modern cosmology requires tackling baseless claims and Hubble tension.

Exploring inflation theory and BICEP2 highlights the complexity of cosmological models and existential questions.

Deep dives

Cosmology Mysteries and Dark Matter Exploration

Cosmology presents mysteries that continue to grow as we delve deeper into the field. Challenges include understanding dark matter's elusive nature, the persistent Hubble tension, and the puzzle of baryonic symmetry. The enigmatic dark energy's role in the universe's accelerated expansion remains a focal point. George of Stadio, a prominent cosmologist, shares insights, touching on fundamental questions and challenges within cosmology.

Intro

4min

Challenging Cosmological Controversies

9min

Exploring Brilliant Minds and Encouraging Subscription with a Sponsor Mention

59sec

Challenges in Modern Cosmology: Analyzing the Hubble Tension and Sigma -a -tension

24min

Controversy Surrounding Inflation and Negative Curvature in Cosmology

5min

Implications of Anomalies on Large Scales in Cosmology

14min

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!

Modern cosmology is full of controversies, challenges, and unresolved tensions. This can, of course, be very frustrating. But it’s also extremely fun!

Especially if we approach these challenges with brilliant minds who aren’t afraid to tackle them head-on.

One such luminary is the renowned George Efstathiou. George is a British astrophysicist and Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Cambridge. He was the first Director of the Kavli Institute for Cosmology at the University of Cambridge from 2008 to 2016.

George joins me today for a cosmological episode in which we look at cosmic acceleration, Hubble tension, Sigma-8 tension, inflation theory, BICEP2, Planck collaboration, and more.

Tune in!

Key Takeaways:

00:00:00 Intro
00:04:25 Baseless claims in cosmology
00:13:57 Solving the Hubble tension
00:23:11 Axion-like early dark energy
00:28:03 Primordial magnetic fields
00:30:36 Solving the Sigma-8 tension
00:38:37 Inflation and the Multiverse
00:48:30 BICEP2
00:54:50 Existential question
00:56:42 Outro

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➡️ Learn more about George Efstathiou:

💻 Website: https://people.ast.cam.ac.uk/~gpe/

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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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