Into The Impossible

Guido W. Imbens, along with David Card and Joshua Angrist, shared the 2021 Nobel Prize in Economics for “methodological contributions to the analysis of causal relationships”. In 2017 he received the Horace Mann medal at Brown University. An honor shared by your host Professor Brian Keating. He is The Applied Econometrics Professor of Economics at the Stanford Graduate School of Business since 2012, and has also taught at Harvard University, UCLA, and UC Berkeley. He holds an honorary degree from the University of St Gallen. He is also the Amman Mineral Faculty Fellow at the Stanford GSB.  Imbens specializes in econometrics, and in particular methods for drawing causal inferences from experimental and observational data. He has published extensively in the leading economics and statistics journals. Together with Donald Rubin he has published a book, "Causal Inference in Statistics, Social and Biomedical Sciences”. He is a fellow of the Econometric Society, the Royal Holland Society of Sciences and Humanities,

Join me and Fraser Cain (https://www.youtube.com/c/universetodayvids) for a wide-ranging romp through the Universe of ideas! We'll take questions and hopefully answer a few. Don't miss this chance to chat with a legend! @FraserCain  Space and astronomy news comes fresh three times weekly from Fraser Cain, publisher of Universe Today and co-host of Astronomy Cast. If you're a fan of space, sci-fi, and pop culture, you'll love his Guide to Space. These short videos come out every Monday and Thursday and answer a burning question that astronomy fans want to know. We talk about black holes, galaxies, the Universe, and the search for aliens. If you want the latest news in space and astronomy, Fraser records the Weekly Space Hangout live every Friday afternoon at 12:00pm. Join the live broadcast and ask your questions to his team of space journalists and special guests.He's had astronauts, science fiction authors, and space scientists on the show. Watch the video with slides here: https://youtu.be/q1cPyE9rAD4 Conn

In his acclaimed latest book, The Primacy of Doubt: From Quantum Physics to Climate Change, How the Science of Uncertainty Can Help Us Understand Our Chaotic World, Professor Timothy Palmer argues that embracing the mathematics of uncertainty is vital to understanding ourselves and the universe around us. Whether we want to predict climate change or market crashes, understand how the brain is able to outpace supercomputers or find a theory that links quantum and cosmological physics, Palmer shows how his vision of mathematical uncertainty provides new insights into some of the deepest problems in science. The result is a revolution—one that shows that power begins by embracing what we don’t know. The Primacy of Doubt on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Primacy-Doubt-Quantum-Uncertainty-Understand/dp/1541619714 Timothy Palmer is the Royal Society Research Professor in Climate Physics, and a Senior Fellow at the Oxford Martin Institute at the University of Oxford. He is a mathematical physicist who has spent most

Welcome to my first AMA! Let me know If I should do a part 2! Jay Yow asks Will

NIST Fellow William D. Phillips received the 1997 Nobel Prize in Physics “for development of methods to cool and trap atoms with laser light.” He shared the honor with Steven Chu and Claude Cohen-Tannoudji. Their work combined to create some of the most important technologies of modern atomic physics, which thousands of researchers worldwide employ today for a wide variety of applications. Today, he joins us to discuss time keeping throughout history and breakthroughs on the way to the best clocks ever made! Phillips began his experiments with laser trapping and cooling shortly after he arrived in 1978 at the National Bureau of Standards (the agency that became NIST), with the intent of creating a more accurate atomic clock. Several of his innovations in the following years became landmarks in the field. These included a device using a laser along with a magnetic field to decelerate and cool an atomic beam (the “Zeeman slower”); demonstrating the first device that trapped electrically neutral atoms (a magneti

Be sure to watch the video version of this episode with slides here: https://youtu.be/F3P1ZtLZd9s Genesis & The Big Bang “If You Can Count the Stars, A Jewish Astronomer’s Journey! Think back to the late-night dorm room discussions from your college days. We are going to talk about cosmology, the Big Bang, and more from two perspectives, from the perspective of an astrophysicist and the perspective of a Torah observant Jew and ask what they may have in common, and how they differ. How can you reconcile when one seems to be in conflict with the other? I think it's very, very crucial for modern people, secular or religious, to confront. It is said the signature of God is truth. So if something isn't true, then it can't be found to be resonant with notions of eternal truth and perhaps ultimate truth. I'll take you on my Jewish journey which will take us around the planet, and, and maybe beyond. And then I'm going to have some interesting confluences between the study of what we do in cosmology and also somethin

How many Multiverses are there? Featuring @davidBrin & the late, great Andy Friedman, colleague of the 2022 co-recipient of the @NobelPrize, Anton Zeilinger. Let me know your favorite takeaway from this chat about the profligate nature of the Multiverse. Find Andy's website here https://asfriedman.physics.ucsd.edu Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/9oahwWBcg1A Connect with me:

Renowned physicist Neil Turok, Holder of the Higgs Chair of Theoretical Physics at the University of Edinburgh, joins me to discuss the state of science and the universe. Neil Turok has been director emeritus of the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics since 2019. He specializes in mathematical physics and early-universe physics, including the cosmological constant and a cyclic model for the universe. He has written several books including Endless Universe: Beyond the Big Bang and The Universe Within: From Quantum to Cosmos. Topics Include: Discussion of Niels Books The life and discoveries of James Clerk Maxwell and Michael Faraday What's wrong with physics today? Fundamental laws of the Universe in equations. Existential Questions on the meaning of life, advice to his former self, and things he's changed his mind on.  Make sure to watch the video for Neil’s PowerPoint slides here:  Connect with Brian Keating:

A conversation from the vault, back in Spring 2022. As relevant as ever, hear Eric's thoughts on sundry topics such as: The twin nuclei and the unleashing of great power Harry Truman vs Kamala Harris. The problems with our leadership. Distinguishing between "complicated" and "complex". Keating's pedagogy. What happened on September 12th, 2001? Are we in a death spiral? The acceleration of science and the role of engineering. What new fundamental theories should we focus on? Do a few people wield too much power? Games countries and the ultrawealthy play, and how to prevent the collapse of civilization. The argument for academic freedom. Questions from The Metaphoric Mind: Can the sacred, intuitive, and rationale co-exist? How can a new scientific paradigm be encouraged to emerge? What is the key datum you would need to pick the best-unified theory? Eric's current views on bitcoin and crypto. Connect with me:

Newly released photos from the James Webb Space Telescope have allowed scientists to view farther into space, and farther into the past, than ever before. The images emerging are raising questions about the origins of our universe. One viral article from independent scientist Eric Lerner made the rounds on social media in recent weeks with its provocative claim that the Big Bang never happened. We speak to UC San Diego Professor of Cosmology Brian Keating about what the images show, and what we can and can’t conclude from them. Get the facts first on Morning Wire. Connect with Brian Keating:

Sean Carroll joins me to discuss his magnificent new book, The Biggest Ideas In the Universe. Sean is an American theoretical physicist and philosopher who specializes in quantum mechanics, gravity, and cosmology. He is the Homewood Professor of Natural Philosophy at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. He has been a contributor to the physics blog Cosmic Variance, and has published in scientific journals such as Nature as well as other publications, including The New York Times, Sky & Telescope and New Scientist. He is known for atheism, critique of theism and defense of naturalism. He has appeared on the History Channel's The Universe, Science Channel's Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman, Closer to Truth (broadcast on PBS), and Comedy Central's The Colbert Report. Carroll is the author of Spacetime And Geometry, a graduate-level textbook in general relativity, and has also recorded lectures for The Great Courses on cosmology, the physics of time and the Higgs boson. He is also the author of four oth

Fraser Cain, science youtuber and publisher www.universetoday.com interviews Dr. Brian Keating. They discussed the evidence for the Big Bang and the impact of James Webb Space Telescope on our current understanding of the Universe. See the video version here. www.universetoday.com Connect with me:

Brian is interviewed by Abhijit Chavda. Abhijit is a theoretical physicist, technologist, writer and host of the #AskAbhijit podcast and youtube channel. His work in theoretical physics involves research on the topics of dark matter, dark energy, black hole physics, quantum gravity and physical cosmology. He has authored and co-authored several research papers on these topics. He discusses a variety of eclectic topics including: Indian & world history, science, geopolitics, power, culture, art, education, technology, philosophy, the future of humanity, and everything in between and beyond. Abhijit Chavda Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/abhijit-chavda-podcast/id1583307621 https://twitter.com/AbhijitChavda https://www.youtube.com/c/AbhijitChavda Connect with me:

Nick Bostrom is a Swedish-born philosopher at the University of Oxford known for his work on existential risk, the anthropic principle, human enhancement ethics, superintelligence risks, and the reversal test. In 2011, he founded the Oxford Martin Program on the Impacts of Future Technology and is the founding director of the Future of Humanity Institute at Oxford University. In 2009 and 2015, he was included in Foreign Policy's Top 100 Global Thinkers list. Bostrom is the author of over 200 publications, and has written two books and co-edited two others. The two books he has authored are Anthropic Bias: Observation Selection Effects in Science and Philosophy (2002) and Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies (2014). Superintelligence was a New York Times bestseller, was recommended by Elon Musk and Bill Gates among others, and helped to popularize the term "superintelligence". Bostrom believes that superintelligence, which he defines as "any intellect that greatly exceeds the cognitive performance of

There's been speculation in the popular press, primarily by Eric Lerner ( @LPPFusion ), claiming the Big Bang never happened. Supposedly, new data from the James Webb Space Telescope presents a 'crisis' for an old universe that emerged from a hot dense plasma, in favor of a much more ancient cosmology -- a plasma cosmology. Prof. Lewis and I will present flaws in Eric Lerner's article, loosely based on his 30-year-old book of nearly the same name, "The Big Bang Never Happened", and evidence that contradicts his claims about the so-called crisis. Slides will be posted to my mailing list briankeating.com/list Yet the underpinnings of the Big Bang are more solid than ever, thanks in large part to the fossil evidence astrophysicists have found of primordial nucleosynthesis, also called BBN. Join us for a deep dive into the physics of the formation of the elements, the redshift distance relation, and the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation -- perhaps the most indisputable evidence for the hot Big Bang there is.

Mordehai "Moti" Milgrom is an Israeli physicist and the Isidor Rabi Professor Emeritus of Physics in the department of Particle Physics and Astrophysics at the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot, Israel. He received his B.Sc. degree from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1966. Later he studied at the Weizmann Institute of Science and completed his doctorate in 1972. In 1981, he proposed Modified Newtonian dynamics (MOND) as an alternative to the dark matter and galaxy rotation curve problems. Milgrom suggests that Newton's Second Law be modified for very small accelerations. In the academic years 1980–1981 and 1985–1986 he was at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. Before 1980 he worked primarily on high-energy astrophysics and became well-known for his kinematical model of the star system SS 43. Connect with me:

By popular demand, I'll present 10 reasons why I believe Eric Lerner's article, based on his 30 year old book of nearly the same name, "The Big Bang Never Happened" is wrong, as well as some legitimate claims he raises. Join me for some live questions and maybe some answers. Along the way, I'll provide insight into how I review such claims and how you can too even if you're not a professional cosmologist to judge for yourself Resources: https://iai.tv/articles/the-big-bang-didnt-happen-auid-2215 UCLA Professor Ned Wright: Errors in the "The Big Bang Never Happened": https://www.astro.ucla.edu/~wright/lerner_errors.html Watch my deep dive into the physics of the Big Bang nucleosynthesis: https://youtu.be/XLT05w79c64 T There's been lots of speculation in the popular press claiming the Big Bang never happened. Supposedly, new data from the James Webb Space Telescope presents a crisis for an old universe that emerged from a hot dense plasma, in favor of a much more ancient cosmology -- a plasma cosmology.

There's been lots of speculation in the popular press claiming the Big Bang never happened. Supposedly, new data from the James Webb Space Telescope presents a crisis for an old universe that emerged from a hot dense plasma, in favor of a much more ancient cosmology -- a plasma cosmology. Yet the underpinnings of the Big Bang are more solid than ever, thanks in large part to the fossil evidence astrophysicists have found of primordial nucleosynthesis, also called BBN. Join me for a deep-dive into the physics of the formation of the elements, perhaps the most indisputable evidence for the hot Big Bang there is. 00:00 Intro 00:01 Pillars of the Big Bang Theory 05:40 I meant to say hydrogen makes up 60-70% of the body by atoms, not by mass 08:00 Time vs. temperature in the early universe 10:00 Planck's Law 19:00 Deuterium 20:20 What does Neil think? Connect with me:

Astrophysicist and folklorist Dr. Moiya McTier channels The Milky Way in this approachable and utterly fascinating autobiography of the titular galaxy, detailing what humans have discovered about everything from its formation to its eventual death, and what more there is to learn about this galaxy we call home. After a few billion years of bearing witness to life on Earth, of watching one hundred billion humans go about their day-to-day lives, of feeling unbelievably lonely, and of hearing its own story told by others, The Milky Way would like a chance to speak for itself. All one hundred billion stars and fifty undecillion tons of gas of it. It all began some thirteen billion years ago, when clouds of gas scattered through the universe's primordial plasma just could not keep their metaphorical hands off each other. They succumbed to their gravitational attraction, and the galaxy we know as the Milky Way was born. Since then, the galaxy has watched as dark energy pushed away its first friends, as humans mytho

From renowned physicist and creator of the YouTube series “Science without the Gobbledygook,” a book that takes a no-nonsense approach to life’s biggest questions, and wrestles with what physics really says about the human condition Not only can we not currently explain the origin of the universe, it is questionable we will ever be able to explain it. The notion that there are universes within particles, or that particles are conscious, is as scientific, as is the hypothesis that our universe is a computer simulation. On the other hand, the idea that the universe itself is conscious is difficult to rule out entirely. According to Sabine Hossenfelder, it is not a coincidence that quantum entanglement and vacuum energy have become the go-to explanations of alternative healers, or that people believe their deceased grandmother is still alive because of quantum mechanics. Science and religion have the same roots, and they still tackle some of the same questions: Where do we come from? Where do we go to? How much