Welcome to a fascinating journey into the limits of imagination, geometry, and scientific discovery. In this premiere episode of "The Scientists," a new series on the Into The Impossible Podcast Network, host Brian Keating—Chancellor’s Distinguished Professor of Physics at UC San Diego—dives deep into the curious world of "Flatland," Edwin Abbott Abbott's mind-bending Victorian novel. But this isn't just dusty literature; it's a geometric allegory that shaped some of the greatest scientific minds, including Albert Einstein himself.
Alongside surprising social commentary and a critique of rigid hierarchies, Keating unpacks the power of imagination in science, showing how boundary-pushing thinkers moved from heresy to genius. Sit back as you journey through dimensions with Brian Keating—plus a special segment from science communicator Carl Sagan—inviting you to rethink your own perspective on the universe and the unseen realities that might lie just beyond.
Ready to challenge what you believe about reality? Stay curious and let’s step into the impossible together.
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Key Takeaways:
00:00 "Exploring Flatland's Timeless Influence"
06:26 "Dimensional Perception in Flatland"
09:45 "Exploring Influential Scientific Books"
13:11 "Revolutionary Thinking and Scientific Rebels"
15:54 "Flatland's Influence on Einstein"
20:44 "Flatland: Three-Dimensional Encounter"
24:38 Understanding the Tesseract's Dimensions
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Additional resources:
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✍️ Check out my blog: https://briankeating.com/cosmic-musings/
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18:55
The Scientists Ep. 0: Obsessive Geniuses
Welcome to the debut episode of "The Scientists," a captivating new series from the Into the Impossible Podcast Network, hosted by Brian Keating, Chancellor's Distinguished Professor of Physics at UC San Diego.
Each week, Brian takes us on a journey into the extraordinary minds behind history’s greatest scientific breakthroughs—not just exploring what these giants of science discovered, but delving deep into who they were, what drove their relentless curiosity, and the very human obsessions that shaped their careers and our world.
If you’re curious about the messy, intensely human reality behind monumental discoveries—and how these stories can reshape your worldview—tune in as we venture into the lives, the questions, and the obsessions that made science possible.
Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/list to win a meteorite 💥
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Key Takeaways:
00:00 Exploring Scientific Pioneers Podcast
06:08 Exploring Scientific Genius Insights
07:46 Visionary Inventors and Iconoclasts
12:48 Exploring Intellectual and Business Obsessions
14:35 Scientific Revolutions and Genius Insights
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Additional resources:
➡️ 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
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17:49
He Used Quantum Entanglement to Explain Where the Aliens Are
Consensus is the AI powered results engine I use every day in my research. Visit https://bit.ly/ConsensusApp and sign up for one year for *FREE* with code KEATING25 just for listeners of The INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE Podcast!
What if the best person to solve the mystery of alien communication isn't a SETI researcher or a radio astronomer, but instead a theoretical physicist trained in the deepest notions of physical law, symmetries, and quantum field theory?
Well, today, I’m joined by Latham Boyle, a renowned theoretical physicist exploring the fundamental symmetries of the universe and developing new ideas to understand how the universe began. But his research goes beyond that—he’s also tackling one of the greatest mysteries of all time: the Fermi Paradox. After explaining everything we need to know about symmetries, Latham shares his bold theory of a mirror universe, where the cosmos is symmetric across the Big Bang, and how that could explain the strange silence from the stars. We explore how this radical idea might reshape our understanding of dark matter, the origin of the universe, and why advanced civilizations might be using quantum signals we’re simply not equipped to detect.
What if we’re not alone, just looking in the wrong way?
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Key Takeaways:
00:00 Intro
02:29 Explaining symmetries and CPT symmetry
05:07 Theoretical framework and observational evidence
09:49 Symmetry violations
12:56 Possible alternative explanation of the early universe
40:55 Quantum entanglement and the Fermi Paradox
51:14 Technology of biological material?
56:29 Outro
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Additional resources:
➡️ 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
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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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1:01:23
Galileo: The Elon Musk of the Renaissance? | Dr. Brian Keating on Young Heretics with Spencer Klavan
Dr. Brian Keating joins Spencer Klavan to discuss one of the most brilliant, complicated, and misunderstood men in all of Western history. No, not Elon Musk. Galileo Galilei!
They cover Galileo's daring philosophy of science, his contributions to human knowledge, his devout Catholic faith, and his many, many mistresses and children.
Plus: what can believers learn from scientists, and vice versa?
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48:25
Mike Brown Lecture on Finding Planet Nine and his Journey to Redefine the Solar System
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Mike is an astronomer and professor of planetary astronomy at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). His groundbreaking discoveries of dwarf planets like Eris, Haumea, and Makemake shook up the astronomy world and led to the controversial redefinition of what constitutes a planet.
Why was Pluto actually demoted? And is there a hidden Planet Nine lurking in the outer solar system?
As a treat for all my members, Mike has graced us with a lecture on Finding Planet Nine and his Journey to Redefine the Solar System. Don’t miss out!
Check out our full interview: https://youtu.be/_uwEc48NI8E
Additional resources:
➡️ Learn more about Mike Brown:
💻 Website: https://mikebrown.caltech.edu/
📚 How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming: https://a.co/d/9jQp3nt
➡️ 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
This channel is dedicated to all those who want to explore the universe within and beyond the known.
Make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A podcast about how we understand the world, scientifically and as humans. Each conversation brings together visionaries from the worlds of arts, sciences, humanities, and technology discussing the nature of reality and how we collaborate to create the future. Hosted by Dr Brian Keating, Chancellor’s Distinguished Professor of Physics at UC San Diego. For show notes go to: https://briankeating.com/podcast
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