Into the Impossible With Brian Keating
Big Bang Productions Inc.
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
Episodes
Mentioned books
Apr 7, 2026 • 42min
Genius Philosopher: The Law of Physics That Explains Why Your Life Falls Apart
Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, philosopher, novelist, and MacArthur 'Genius' Fellow, links meaning to physics. She explores why humans crave to matter. Short takes cover thermodynamics and Boltzmann's tragedy, four ways people seek significance, fame and millennial attention, depression as entropic collapse, life as resistance to entropy, and whether AI can ever share our mattering instinct.
13 snips
Apr 4, 2026 • 50min
You're full of SHIT! Piers Morgan & Brian Keating take down Moon Landing Denier
William Shatner, actor and recent spaceflyer, reflects on the emotional awe of human spaceflight. Charlie Duke, Apollo lunarwalker and experienced astronaut, shares firsthand moon memories and practical advice. Bart Sibrel, controversial conspiracy proponent, argues the landings were staged. Brian Keating, astrophysicist and science communicator, pushes back with physics and historical context. Tense debates on Van Allen belts, photos, and mission authenticity ensue.
7 snips
Apr 3, 2026 • 25min
The Dark Energy Mystery: What We Learned at the Royal Observatory Edinburgh
Marcos Pellejero, a cosmologist working on large-scale structure, simulations, and DESI analyses. He tours the Royal Observatory, explains baryon acoustic oscillations as a cosmic ruler, dives into N-body simulations and machine-learning emulators, and discusses whether DESI hints that dark energy may not be constant.
Mar 30, 2026 • 34min
Are the Van Allen Belts Deadly? Debunking the Biggest Moon Landing Hoax!
James Altucher, entrepreneur, author, and podcaster, joins to probe moon-landing skepticism. They tackle claims about the Van Allen belts, radiation risks, the moving flag, and why photos and press behavior fuel doubt. Short, sharp discussions unpack technical rebuttals and why debunking these popular hoaxes matters.
9 snips
Mar 29, 2026 • 49min
Science Journalist: They Called Him Crazy Then The Death Rate Went to Zero
Matt Kaplan, science journalist and trained paleontologist at The Economist, tours the missteps of modern science. He tells the Semmelweis handwashing saga and why infection rates plunged. He contrasts Karikó's protection with Semmelweis's fate. He dives into the replication crisis, funding pressures, gatekeeping, and how journalism often mangles scientific process.
13 snips
Mar 23, 2026 • 1h 13min
There's a New Law of Nature — And It Changes Everything We Know About Life
Michael Wong, planetary scientist and astrobiologist at the Carnegie Institution, outlines the law of increasing functional information as a cross-disciplinary principle. He explains how functional information differs from Shannon entropy. They explore mineral evolution, biosignature detection, panspermia, cancer as an evolving system, and implications for AI, cosmology, and the Fermi paradox.
Mar 21, 2026 • 1h 54min
Did We Find Alien Technology? Avi Loeb Explains
Avi Loeb, theoretical astrophysicist and chair of the Galileo Project, advocates open scientific searches for technosignatures. He discusses puzzling interstellar objects, non‑gravitational motion, possible technosignatures like light sails and AI probes, tensions with scientific publishing, and why more intercepts and surveys could change everything.
Mar 20, 2026 • 1h 11min
Andy Weir Explains the Real Science of Project Hail Mary
Andy Weir, bestselling author of The Martian and Project Hail Mary, is a self-taught science enthusiast and tinkerer. He digs into the real physics and speculative biology behind Project Hail Mary. They discuss astrophage plausibility, interstellar travel limits, communicating with alien life, balancing scientific accuracy with storytelling, and adapting dense technical fiction for film.
50 snips
Mar 16, 2026 • 58min
Meta NeuroScientist SHOCKED Me: Scale Alone Won’t Create Consciousness!
David Sussillo, Meta Reality Labs research scientist and Stanford adjunct who built RNN training methods and brain-computer interfaces. He argues that scaling transformers alone will not produce consciousness. He contrasts RNNs and transformers, explains Meta’s EMG wristband work, and discusses the FORCE algorithm, lock-in to GPU/LLM paradigms, and why brain-inspired approaches may be needed.
Mar 9, 2026 • 1h 12min
What's The Real Value of Your Degree? Aswath Damodaran
Aswath Damodaran, NYU Stern finance professor and valuation guru, critiques academia and markets. He tackles why Nobel economists are not billionaires, explains how universities have lost their purpose, warns that most research is low value, and argues every major asset class looks overpriced. He also discusses valuation uncertainty, market wisdom, and where to put money when diversification fails.
