Into the Impossible With Brian Keating

Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/list to win a meteorite 💥 What is time? Is it just a ticking clock, or is it something more profound?  In this thought-provoking episode of Into the Impossible, Stephen Wolfram challenges everything we know about time, offering a revolutionary computational perspective that could forever change how we understand the universe. Stephen Wolfram is a computer scientist, physicist, and businessman. He is the founder and CEO of Wolfram Research and the creator of Mathematica, Wolfram Alpha, and Wolfram Language. Over the course of 4 decades, he has pioneered the development & application of computational thinking. He has been responsible for many discoveries, inventions & innovations in science, technology, and business. He argues that time is the inevitable progress of computation in the universe, where simple rules can lead to complex behaviors. This concept, termed computational irreducibility, implies that time has a rigid structure and that our perception of it is limited by our computational capabilities. Wolfram also explores the relationship between time, space, and gravity, suggesting that dark matter might be a feature of the structure of space.  Tune in to discover the true nature of time. Key Takeaways:  00:00:00 Intro 00:01:06 The true nature of time  00:24:57 The role of computational irreducibility in thermodynamics  00:30:07 The Ruliad and the nature of observers  00:53:40 The role of gravity in the computational universe 01:06:27 Dark matter and the discreteness of space  01:13:06 Paradigm shifts in science and technology 01:20:33 Exploring the cosmic microwave background (CMB)  01:31:47 Outro Additional resources:  ➡️ Check out Stephen Wolfram: 💻 Website: https://www.stephenwolfram.com/  ✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/stephen_wolfram ➡️ 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

Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/list to win a meteorite 💥 Can science, philosophy, and religion work together to address humanity's biggest questions? What lessons can the cosmos teach us about our place in the universe and the future of humanity? And how do we bring back that sense of curiosity that seems to have faded among professionals? Here today to invite us into her daring quest to decode the universe’s secrets is the brilliant Kelsey Johnson. Kelsey is an accomplished astronomer, professor, and science communicator known for her groundbreaking work in astrophysics and her unique approach to blending science with philosophy and existential inquiry. She is a faculty member at the University of Virginia, where she has made significant contributions to the understanding of starburst galaxies, molecular clouds, and magnetic fields in the universe. Kelsey also founded the Dark Skies, Bright Kids program, which introduces rural communities to the wonders of astronomy.  Tune in to learn more about curiosity, the intersection of science and philosophy, and the universe’s mysteries.  Key Takeaways:  00:00:00 Intro 00:13:06 What inspired Kelsey to write Into the Unknown  00:16:23 Why scientists lose their curiosity  00:18:33 Judging a book by its cover 00:24:18 Balancing science and philosophy  00:31:55 The role of religion in understanding science 00:37:21 The cosmic marshmallow test  00:47:04 Dark Skies, Bright Kids 00:50:53 The Fermi paradox and the search for extraterrestrial life 01:00:55 Changing perspectives in cosmology  01:05:48 Starburst galaxies 01:08:03 Molecular clouds and feedback  01:10:38 Magnetic fields  01:12:59 Arthur C Clarke’s three laws 01:19:31 Outro Additional resources:  ➡️ Learn more about Kelsey Johnson:  📚 Get Into the Unknown on Amazon: https://a.co/d/5XW0bmG  ✖️ Follow Kelsey on Twitter: https://x.com/ProfKelsey ➡️ 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

Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/list to win a meteorite 💥 Simulations today are powerful tools for exploring the mysteries of our universe, but how close can they come to replicating reality? Can we recreate everything through simulations, or are there limits we can’t overcome? And how do today’s powerful simulations shape our understanding of everything from galaxies to climate change? Here today, to answer all of these questions and more, is none other than Andrew Pontzen. Andrew is a cosmologist and professor known for his expertise in using computer simulations to understand the universe. He’s the author of The Universe in a Box, where he unpacks the complexities of cosmic simulations and their surprising limitations. Pontzen’s work is at the cutting edge of how we model and predict phenomena ranging from galaxy formation to climate change, bridging theoretical physics with practical, big-picture questions about reality. As we head toward an era where simulations and AI are central to scientific discovery, these questions are more important than ever.  Tune in to learn about the power and limitations of simulation!  Key Takeaways:  00:00 Intro 00:44 Is it possible to simulate reality?  04:49 Early simulation experiments  10:30 Fluid dynamics and weather simulations  13:51 Judging a book by its cover  16:01 End of the universe 19:13 Cosmic microwave background and spinning universes 24:11 Verification and validation 27:34 Big Bang controversy and the JWST 31:35 Galaxy simulations  42:23 Multiverse and quantum computing  48:58 Ethics and energy impact of high-performance computing 55:34 Outro Additional resources:  ➡️ Learn more about Andrew:  📚 Get The Universe in a Box: https://a.co/d/2V7vuFR  ✖️ Follow Andrew on Twitter: https://x.com/apontzen ➡️ 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

Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/list to win a meteorite 💥 Is reality fundamentally mathematical? Is our universe just one of many? And will we ever discover extraterrestrial life?  This week on Into the Impossible, I sit down with renowned physicist and machine learning expert Max Tegmark to discuss some of the most fundamental questions of our time! Tegmark has dedicated his career to uncovering the mathematical fabric of reality, proposing that our universe itself might be a vast mathematical structure and that we could be living in a multiverse of endless possibilities. His work goes beyond physics to tackle the transformative power and ethical challenges of artificial intelligence, an area where he believes humanity must tread carefully. In the first part of this mind-bending interview, we discuss his mathematical universe hypothesis, the search for extraterrestrial life, and AI’s role in science. Tune in! Key Takeaways:  00:00 Intro 00:49 The multiverse and mathematical structures  02:33 Theory of inflation and the multiverse 06:52 Levels of multiverses and mathematical structures  11:19 Quantum mechanics and classical mechanics 14:21 The relationship between theory and experiment   21:48 The search for extraterrestrial life  37:15 UFOs and military surveillance technology  41:19 Outro Additional resources:  📚 Our Mathematical Universe by Max Tegmark: https://a.co/d/03qjhLD  ➡️ 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