Into the Impossible With Brian Keating

  Part 2 of Brian Keating’s conversation with Eric Weinstein on the INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE podcast pivots from faith & family to the course catalog at “Weinstein University” (fictional, for now!) which would combine scholarship with wonder. We also contemplate the notion of legacies, not just for our actual children, but for our ideological children as well. Show notes and, by popular demand, Eric’s slides from his famous 2013 “Geometric Unity” lecture at Oxford are available when you join my mailing list: http://briankeating.com/mailing_list.phpHighlights: 00:12:18 A place for the rituals of religion in an atheist’s life. 00:19:26 Crisis of faith versus crisis of reason. 00:25:20 Eric Weinstein’s parenting philosophy. 00:33:05 Resolving dualities in human lives and behaviors. 00:36:05 Rapid fire questions about God and aliens. 00:40:26 Eric’s legacies in space and time. Eric Weinstein has a Ph.D. from Harvard in mathematical physics. He is the managing director of Thiel Capital. Weinstein hosts the podcast The Portal Watch part 1 of this interview with Eric Weinstein here. Buy your own Klein bottle: here https://amzn.to/3e2apWPFind Eric Weinstein on the web: https://ericweinstein.org and Twitter: https://twitter.com/EricRWeinstein‍♂️ Find Brian Keating on Twitter at https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeatingFind Brian Keating on Instagram at https://instagram.com/DrBrianKeating Buy Brian’s book LOSING THE NOBEL PRIZE: http://amzn.to/2sa5UpASubscribe for more great content https://www.youtube.com/DrBrianKeating?sub_confirmation=1✍️Detailed Blog posts here: https://briankeating.com/blog.php️Please subscribe, Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  Physicist, jazz musician, & President of the National Society of Black Physicists, Stephon Alexander is this week’s guest on the INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE podcast. He discussed the foundations of the cosmos, his advice for balancing academic and creative pursuits, and his book “The Jazz of Physics.”Support the National Society of Black Physicists: https://nsbp.org/support-nsbp/support-usShow notes and resources for this episode are available: simply join my mailing list: http://briankeating.com/mailing_list.php and you’ll also get information to enter giveaways to win my guest’s books! Our next giveaway will be Stephon’s phenomenal THE JAZZ OF PHYSICS! 00:14:20 Balancing the creative pursuits of research, jazz, and writing. 00:28:46 Which came first – theoretical or experimental physics? 00:40:30 Creativity and intuition have a role in science. 00:46:48 How legacy and John Coltrane inspired Alexander to write his book. 00:57:18 The power (and limits) of analogies to explain science. 01:07:34 Journal articles and musical films – what’s next from Stephon Alexander. 01:17:08 Questions INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE asks all authors. Stephon Alexander is a physics professor at Brown University, which is where he earned his Ph.D. He is President of the National Society of Black Physicists and a National Geographic Explorer. He served as a scientific consultant on the 2018 movie A Wrinkle in Time.Buy Stephon Alexander’s book “The Jazz of Physics” here: https://amzn.to/3cZekmU Watch Alexander’s Tedx Talk here: https://youtu.be/v9_ZzY99-6UWatch Alexander on NOVA’s documentary series The Secret Life of Scientists and Engineers: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/stephon-alexander/ Find Stephon Alexander on Twitter: https://twitter.com/stephstemPlease subscribe, rate, and review the INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE Podcast on iTunes for a chance to win a copy of Alexander’s book: ‍♂️ Find Brian Keating on Twitter at https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  Sarah Frier is a prolific technology reporter for Bloomberg. Her new book, “No Filter: The Inside Story of Instagram,” is both a compelling account of Instagram’s history and a record of the social media platform’s impact on society. Professor Brian Keating’s interview with Frier covers a range of topics, including the inspiration to research and write the book, the role of augmented technology, and how social media will be changed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Show notes and resources are available here: https://briankeating.com/blog.phpTimestamps links 00:07:39 The meanings behind the title and cover of “No Filter.” 00:14:45 Social media moguls as humans and not just characters in the story. 00:22:15 How to tell a story when everyone knows the ending. 00:31:15 Anyone can be an Instagram celebrity. 00:41:00 Will a new platform emerge during the pandemic? 00:47:51 Technological advances keep Instagram relevant. 00:53:11 Questions INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE asks all authors. Sarah Frier is a technology reporter for Bloomberg News and Businessweek. She earned a journalism degree from the University of North Carolina. Her articles on social media have won awards from The San Francisco Press Club and other organizations. Buy Sarah Frier’s book here: https://amzn.to/2X6rurs Read Frier’s articles on Bloomberg here.  Listen to Frier’s interview on the podcast Recode Decode:  Find Frier on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahfrier/ and Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahfrier Please subscribe, rate, and review the INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE Podcast on iTunes for a chance to win a copy of Frier’s book. ‍♂️ Find Brian Keating on Twitter at https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeatingFind Brian Keating on Instagram at https://instagram.com/DrBrianKeating Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Jud Brewer is a mindfulness expert, using his background in addiction psychiatry to help people around the world. In this interview with Brian Keating, on INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE, Brewer talks about his book, “The Craving Mind: From Cigarettes to Smartphones to Love – Why We Get Hooked and How We Can Break Bad Habits.” Show notes and resources are available here: https://briankeating.com/blog.php 00:08:53 The effects of nature versus nurture on cravings. 00:17:04 Are some cultures resistant to psychotherapy and meditation? 00:26:16 How technology can enhance mindfulness. 00:37:04 How to help our kids develop good habits. 00:44:03 Incorporating artificial intelligence & human empathy in healthcare. 00:49:38 Anxiety is rampant in academia. What can be done? 01:04:45 Questions INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE asks authors. I’ve used Brewer’s teaching in my own life and work. Mindfulness practices can help achieve higher efficiency and happiness at work, and moderate stress of all varieties, including the anxiety that comes with a global pandemic. Jud Brewer, M.D. Ph.D. is the Director of Research and Innovation at Brown University’s Mindfulness Center, as well as an associate professor in psychiatry. His company MindSciences develops mindfulness apps, including Eat Right Now, Craving to Quit, Breathe, and Unwinding Anxiety.Buy “The Craving Mind” Brewer puts Anderson Cooper’s mindfulness to the test on 60 Minutes: https://youtu.be/PRjTWWuRanYWatch Brewer’s TED Talk here: https://youtu.be/-moW9jvvMr4Find Jud Brewer on the web: https://drjud.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/judbrewer and YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DrJudPlease subscribe, rate, and review the INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE Podcast on iTunes for a chance to win a copy of Brewer’s book: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/into-the-impossible/id1169885840?mt=2 ‍♂️ Find Brian Keating on Twitter at https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating Find Brian Keating on Instagram at https://instagram.com/DrBrianKeating Subscribe for more great content https://www.youtube.com/DrBrianKeating?sub_confirmation=1 ✍️Detailed Blog posts here: https://briankeating.com/blog.php Join my mailing list: http://briankeating.com/mailing_list.php Join my Facebook Group: https://facebook.com/losingthenobelprize ️Please subscribe, rate, and review the INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE Podcast on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/into-the-impossible/id1169885840?mt=2 Into The Impossible is a Production of the http://imagination.ucsd.edu/ Director, Erik Viirre Co-Director, Brian Keating Associate Director, Patrick Coleman Produced By Stuart W. Volkow (P.G.A.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  Part 1 of Brian Keating’s fascinating interview with mathematician & economist Eric Weinstein on the INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE Podcast. Topics include Eric’s provocative new ideas on physics and science culture. Weinstein is a vocal critic of modern academic hierarchies and advocates for advances in scientific theory over an emphasis on experimental results. Keating’s own issues with what he calls the “academic Hunger Games” leads to a lively debate about funding, academic freedom, and theoretical vs experimental physics. Find show notes and resources are available here: https://briankeating.com/blog.php 00:11:09 Is there middle ground between cranks and peer review? 00:20:23 The value of Weinstein’s approach to communicating science. 00:30:50 The ethics of attribution. 00:41:26 Surviving the academic Hunger Games. 00:54:24 Theoretical physicists can save human life by getting us off Earth. 01:11:52 “Great science is whatever people have done to make major advances.” 01:22:00 Experiments are only the last step, theory is the bulk of science. 01:29:15 The logic behind questioning accepted theories on April Fool’s Day. Eric Weinstein has a Ph.D. from Harvard in mathematical physics. He is the managing director of Thiel Capital. Weinstein hosts the podcast The Portal  Find Eric Weinstein on the web: https://ericweinstein.org and Twitter: https://twitter.com/EricRWeinstein Watch Weinstein’s “April Fool’s” episode of The Portal, where he explains his theory of Geometric Unity Watch Weinstein’s latest interview on The Joe Rogan Experience  ️Please subscribe, rate, and review the INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE Podcast on iTunes ‍♂️ Find Brian Keating on Twitter at https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  #TechShabbat #character #neuroscience Filmmaker, and author Tiffany Shlain discusses her life, films and her book 24/6, about the neuroscience of how technology reshapes our brains and how the practice of turning off all screens 24 hours each week can make us healthier and more creative. http://tiffanyshlain.com https://twitter.com/tiffanyshlain Get the book   This practice of turning off all screens for twenty-four hours each week, which she’s done for over a decade with her husband and kids (sixteen and ten), has completely changed their lives, giving them more time, productivity, connection, and presence. She and her family call it “Technology Shabbat”, which has become a worldwide movement. Learn more about it at https://www.24sixlife.com/ Drawn from the ancient ritual of Shabbat, living 24/6 can work for anyone from any background. With humor and wisdom, Shlain shares her story, offers lessons she has learned, and provides a blueprint for how to do it yourself. It has become even more important recently, in wake of the worldwide pandemic that has made so many of us reliant on screens for work, shopping, socializing, even exercise. COVID-19 has changed how we use the Web in some beneficial ways, but it has also made us even more dependent on screens for our every need. We are now spending almost all day online, and many of us are finding that it’s just too much. Turning off screens now feels like it provides double resilience for the soul. Having a much-needed boundary and separation — a day unlike the others, a day dedicated to being present, reflecting, resting, and connecting with those around me — helps us make sense of this unusual way we are living, where time seems to blur between days and between work and family and life. Because that’s what Shabbat is all about — carving out time to appreciate and find joy in what’s right in front of you, and focus on what truly matters. As Heschel calls it, it’s creating a “Palace in Time.”Watch Tiffany’s award-winning, provocative short films discussed in this interview:The Adaptable Mind https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.letitripple.org/adaptable_mind__;!!Mih3wA!WZVDrv6-nVu20ycjHqIolC9bGENbbVxnJmwlaU513fzuzNLlBUFhv4BFELjEqiFx$ The Science of Character  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  Sasha Sagan’s stirring debut book, “For Small Creatures Such As We: Rituals for Finding Meaning in Our Unlikely World,” is the topic of this week’s episode of INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE. Sagan is the daughter of late astronomer/author Carl Sagan and writer/producer Ann Druyan.Show notes and resources are available here: https://briankeating.com/blog.phpHighlights: 00:10:02 The power of secular rituals versus relying on habits and willpower. 00:23:48 Rituals span the distinction between belief through evidence, faith, and philosophy. 00:27:01 Poetry for Physicists: Brian Keating reads poems by Walt Whitman and Richard Feynman 00:34:42 Academic rituals and how to share wonder through education. 00:44:34 Generational learning and how we’re influenced by family. 00:56:45 Would Carl Sagan have given up the search for extraterrestrial life by now? 01:01:46 Questions INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE asks of all authors. On this Mother’s Day episode, Sagan discusses her own upbringing and how becoming a mother inspired her to research rituals from around the world and throughout history. Her interview with Dr. Brian Keating also touches on her secular upbringing and the intersection of science and religion. Sasha Sagan studied literature at NYU and has worked as a producer, filmmaker, and editor. Her essays, many about the lessons she learned from her parents, have been published in literary magazines. Buy Sasha Sagan’s book here Read Sagan’s essays, including one that inspired her book here Listen to Sagan’s interview on The Powerful Ladies podcast here Learn more about Moxie the robot here Find Sasha Sagan on the web: https://www.sashasagan.com and Twitter: https://twitter.com/SashaSaganPlease subscribe, rate, and review the INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE Podcast on iTunes for a chance to win a copy of Sagan’s book.Find Brian Kea Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

   Peter Diamandis is a remarkable entrepreneur, and futurist, best known as the Founder & Executive Chairman of XPRIZE Foundation. His new book, written with Steven Kotler, is “The Future is Faster Than You Think: How Converging Technologies Are Transforming Business, Industries, and Our Lives.” Already a bestseller, it is both timely and important. In this discussion with Brian Keating, Diamandis shares his vision for technological and educational advances over the next decade and how COVID-19 has accelerated the timeline.Show notes and resources are available here.  04:49 How COVID-19 will change what the next ten years look like. 13:02 The Tricorder XPRIZE and how Star Trek inspired Diamandis. 18:19 Artificial intelligence and human intelligence need to work together. 27:03 “For the first time ever, the human race has a singular enemy.” 36:46 Should universities offer lifelong subscriptions? 45:28 Technology marches forward; make it a force for good. 50:30 Arthur C. Clarke supported Diamandis’ early pursuits. It may have taken a global pandemic for many people to understand exponential growth, but Diamandis has used it for years to explain technological advancement. Understanding Diamandis’ 6 D’s – digitization, deception, disruption, demonetization, dematerialization, and democratization – can help entrepreneurs make an impact. Diamandis is a graduate of MIT and Harvard Medical School. While still in school himself, he co-founded The International Space University which boasts multiple astronauts as alumni. He also co-founded the weightless flight company Zero G that provides training flights for NASA. He is an advisor and friend of the Arthur C. Clarke Center for Human Imagination at UC San Diego. Diamandis and Steven Kotler have written three bestselling books together. He co-hosts the podcast Exponential Wisdom with Dan Sullivan.Buy books by Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler: The Future is Faster Than You Think  BOLD: How to Go Big, Create Wealth and Impact the World  Abundance: The Future Is Better Than You Think  Learn more about the Tricorder XPRIZEListen to Peter Diamandis on a previous episode of INTO THE IMPOSSIBLEWatch the documentary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  Mario Livio is a renowned astrophysicist & best-selling author. His new book “Galileo and the Science Deniers” is the gripping first biography of Galileo Galilei written by an astronomer. Though Galileo’s quest to prove that Earth orbits the sun was correct, he eventually recanted his belief as punishment for heresy. Livio describes parallels to our modern world where, even 400 years later, some people assail science when it conflicts with their ideology.Show notes and resources are available here. An interview with Dr. Livio and Steve Mirsky on Scientific American’s “Science Talk’ podcast is available here. His research into whether Galileo actually said “And yet it moves!” is here.  00:05:37 Galileo’s quest for intellectual freedom wasn’t an attack on religion. 00:12:15 Telescopes are tools that allow augmented senses. 00:15:44 The importance of Galileo’s discoveries supporting Copernicanism. 00:20:48 Why ideological bias does a disservice to both science and religion. 00:25:51 Galileo was only human — some of his findings were wrong. 00:32:30 Denying science can be dangerous and even deadly. 00:39:15 Did an unconvincing preface lead to Galileo’s arrest? 00:44:12 Do authority figures have an obligation to keep the peace? 00:49:39 Why Galileo was sentenced to house arrest instead of prison. 00:54:43 What was Galileo like as a father? 01:01:12 Teaching ‘the controversy’ can liven up science lessons. 01:06:33 Lessons from Galileo for the COVID-19 pandemic. 01:10:44 5 questions INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE asks all authors. Livio is now retired from the Space Telescope Science Institute, which operates the Hubble Space Telescope. He is a Fellow at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and has published over 400 articles, both in peer-reviewed scientific journals and popular science magazines: www.mario-livio.com/articles Livio is also Science Advisor to the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, collaborating on the world’s first VR music experience, The Hubble Cantata.In this discussion with Dr. Brian Keating, Livio recounts Galileo’s prolific Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  Science journalist and author Sarah Scoles talks about her new book “They Are Already Here: UFO Culture and Why We See Saucers”, a study of UFO culture and its critics. What makes people believe intelligent alien life has visited the Earth? Fresh off this week’s news that the Pentagon has declassified and released three videos of UFOs (or UAPs Unidentified Aerial Phenomena as the government prefers to call them), Scoles talks about why some people are more prone to believe than others. And, for an alternate explanation, we refer you to Mick West, a popular skeptic, who analyzed the Nimitz #UFO / #UAP video last year. Show notes and resources are available here.And a worksheet for this episode can be found here. 03:20 How a New York Times article about UFOs led to inspiration. 06:00 Why don’t astronomers see UFOs? 10:30 Confirmation bias for fans of the X-Files. 14:10 Why people believe the government, and even astronomers, are hiding something. 18:10 Could UFO investigations benefit from the scientific peer-review process? 18:35 MUFON is crowdsourcing the search for extraterrestrial life [https://www.mufon.com] 20:30 Why are millionaires & billionaires like Tom DeLonge and Robert Bigelow willing to spend so much money on this pursuit? 29:40 Earth may already host alien life in a shadow biosphere. 31:30 5 questions INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE asks all authors. Sarah Scoles is a freelance science writer, a contributing author at WIRED, and a contributing editor at Popular Science. See her impressive list of bylines here: http://www.sarahscoles.com Sarah previously worked as an associate editor at Astronomy magazine and an educational tour guide at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank, West Virginia. In this discussion with Brian Keating, Scoles relates that she never planned to write a second book about space, but research and imagination demanded it. Her first book, 2017’s “Making Contact,” is a biography of Dr. Jill Tarter of the SETI Institute, who provided inspiration for Carl Sagan’s protagonist in his book “Contact.”Buy Sarah Scoles’ books here: They Are Already Here: https://amzn.to/3fcofXp Making Contact: https://amzn.to/3fc644o Find Brian Keating on Twitter: twitter.com/DrBrianKeatingFind the Arthur C. Clarke Center for Human Imagination on Twitter: twitter.com/imagineUCS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices