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What if the secret to saving millions of lives was hidden for years—overlooked, dismissed, and even rejected?

That’s the story behind the groundbreaking mRNA technology used in COVID-19 vaccines.

Today’s remarkable guest, Dr. Katalin Karikó—a Nobel laureate whose persistence and vision changed the course of medical history—shares how she overcame countless setbacks to drive one of the biggest breakthroughs in modern medicine.

Discover how a humble butcher’s daughter from Hungary developed the foundation for the COVID-19 vaccine and why mRNA could hold the key to curing cancer and other deadly diseases.

Tune in to learn more about the mRNA revolution that almost didn’t happen!

Key Takeaways: 

• 00:00:00 Intro
• 00:01:06 Origin of the Hungarian phrase “Marslahok”
• 00:02:11 Judging a book by its cover
• 00:05:40 The definition of life and extraterrestrial life 
• 00:09:28 Katalin’s early life and scientific curiosity 
• 00:18:00 Understanding RNA and mRNA
• 00:24:43 Development of the COVID vaccine
• 00:28:44 The COVID vaccine controversy 
• 00:35:41 Overcoming adversity and advice for young scientists 
• 00:54:10 The future of mRNA research and dealing with pandemics 
• 01:01:08 What was Katalin wrong about?
• 01:02:15 Outro

Additional resources: 

📚 Get “Breaking Through: My Life in Science” by Dr. Katalin Karikó: https://a.co/d/cZjaFCw 

➡️ Follow me on your fav platforms:

✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating 

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✍️ Check out my blog: https://briankeating.com/cosmic-musings/ 

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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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Is Earth truly one of a kind? 

This question has fascinated humans for decades, and with today's advanced technology, we're finally able to explore it scientifically. In this episode, renowned astrophysicist Josh Winn joins us to discuss the fascinating world of exoplanets, planetary systems, and the quest to discover other habitable planets.

Josh shares the latest breakthroughs in exoplanet research, from unexpected discoveries like hot Jupiters to the ongoing efforts to detect Earth-like planets around distant stars. He also explores the challenges of studying planets light-years away and the exciting future missions that could reveal more about the universe beyond our solar system. 

Tune in to learn more about exoplanets and life beyond our solar system!

Key Takeaways: 

• 00:00:00 Intro
• 00:00:34 Rare Earth Hypothesis 
• 00:06:04 The role of stars in exoplanet habitability 
• 00:13:23 Judging a book by its cover 
• 00:16:50 Could aliens detect Tokyo? 
• 00:19:42 The Habitable Worlds Observatory 
• 00:22:06 Methods for detecting exoplanets 
• 00:25:21 The lazy method 
• 00:30:03 Avi Loeb and Oumuamua
• 00:36:08 The nuts and bolts of Josh's work 
• 00:44:29 The role of technology in detecting exoplanets 
• 00:52:48 Why should young people be interested in exoplanets?
• 00:57:22 Outro

Additional resources: 

📚 Get The Little Book of Exoplanets by Josh Winn: https://a.co/d/9PK4XFV 

➡️ Follow me on your fav platforms:

✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating 

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📝 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!

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Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/list to win a meteorite 💥

Have you ever looked up at the night sky and wondered if your eyes were enough to capture all it has to offer? Spoiler alert: They’re not!

While our eyes are absolutely amazing, they are also full of flaws. Nearsightedness, astigmatism, and even pesky floaters! But did you know these same flaws are mirrored in the world’s most advanced telescopes?

In this episode, I discuss common eye deficiencies and explain how they affect our ability to observe the stars. I compare them to the optical imperfections in telescopes, such as chromatic and spherical aberration. 

Tune in to learn more about nature’s first telescopes! 

This episode is part 2 of a series where we’ll uncover even more intriguing insights about the connections between our eyes and telescopes, so stay tuned!

Check out part 1: https://youtu.be/lSbyohV1XSE

Key Takeaways: 

• 00:00 Intro 
• 01:29 Deficiencies of the human eye
• 05:42 Deficiencies in telescopes 
• 13:59 Conclusion 
• 15:37 Outro

Additional resources: 

➡️ Follow me on your fav platforms:

✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating 

🔔 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DrBrianKeating?sub_confirmation=1 

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✍️ Check out my blog: https://briankeating.com/cosmic-musings/ 

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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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What are the leading theories of everything, and are we any closer to discovering the one true theory of everything?

In this 90-minute summit, some of the world’s top physicists—Max Tegmark, James Beacham, Stephon Alexander—go beyond the hype to explore the very heart of physics. 

Einstein began the monumental task of unifying quantum mechanics with general relativity, but will we ever succeed in unifying all the forces of the universe? Can it be done? If so, when?

Join us for this thought-provoking discussion and find out!

Key Takeaways: 

• 00:00:00 Intro 
• 00:00:45 What is a theory of everything?
• 00:05:25 State of the field and personal perspectives 
• 00:20:42 Experimental challenges 
• 00:34:13 Mathematical foundations, the multiverse, and theoretical beauty 
• 01:05:12 Where do we go from here?
• 01:14:23 Audience questions
• 01:25:35 Outro

Additional resources: 

➡️ Follow me on your fav platforms:

✖️ Twitter: https://x.com/DrBrianKeating

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📝 Join my mailing list: https://briankeating.com/list

✍️ Check out my blog: https://briankeating.com/cosmic-musings/

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✨ Member's only playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=UUMOmXH_moPhfkqCk6S3b9RWuw

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 subscribe so you never miss an episode!

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How can embracing mistakes, challenging common assumptions, and daring to be wrong lead to groundbreaking discoveries in cosmology?

Here to talk about why being wrong might actually be a good thing is the legendary astrophysicist Rocky Kolb. Rocky, a professor at the University of Chicago, is known for his work on the early universe and dark matter.

With decades of experience under his belt, Rocky explains the tricky balance between confidence and humility in science.

Tune in to learn more about the interplay of ego, humility, and science!

Key Takeaways: 

• 00:00 Intro 
• 01:55 Judging a book by its cover
• 04:29 Humility, ego and science
• 14:50 Controversies in cosmology
• 21:06 Neutrinos and dark matter
• 24:26 The role of data in cosmology
• 35:46 Ethics and responsibility in science 
• 43:48 Arthur C Clarke questions 
• 48:01 Outro 

Additional resources: 

➡️ Learn more about Rocky Kolb: 

📚 Blind Watcher Of The Sky: https://a.co/d/aw0qZDt 

➡️ 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!

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Have you ever wondered how your eyes compare to a telescope? 

The answer is more surprising than you might think! Today, we will look at the fascinating parallels between the human eye and one of the most powerful astronomical instruments - the telescope. 

From lenses and apertures to light detection and color vision, we will explore how these two systems, one biological and the other mechanical, have strikingly similar properties. 

Tune in to learn more about how nature's best telescope matches up with cutting-edge technology.

This episode is part 1 of a series where we’ll uncover even more intriguing insights about the connections between our eyes and telescopes, so stay tuned!

Key Takeaways: 

• 00:00 Intro 
• 01:29 How telescopes inspired me as a kid
• 06:24 Comparing the anatomy of the human eye to a telescope
• 12:51 Light sensitivity and resolution in the human eye 
• 17:23 Color vision and polarization 
• 21:03 Historical contributions and confirmation bias
• 25:41 How to improve our astronomical observations 
• 28:39 Outro

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 

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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Can science and religion be reconciled to provide a deeper understanding of the universe? How do modern scientific discoveries, like quantum mechanics and cosmology, relate to ancient religious texts? And what role do consciousness and language play in bridging the gap between scientific knowledge and spiritual belief?

Here today, to challenge conventional narratives about the relationship between science and religion is host of the Young Heretics podcast, Spencer Klavan! Spencer is an acclaimed author and scholar specializing in classics and literature. He is known for his work on cultural and political commentary, often focusing on the intersection of Western civilization, literature, and contemporary issues. 

Tune in to discover ancient wisdom, modern science, and the long-lost link between the two! 

Key Takeaways: 

• 00:00:00 Audio essay
• 00:24:31 Interview introduction 
• 00:26:10 Judging a book by its cover 
• 00:37:25 Reconciling the material with the immaterial 
• 00:43:31 The cosmological argument 
• 00:55:05 Is faith immune to falsifiability? 
• 01:05:31 Aristotle and modern science 
• 01:23:57 Audience questions 
• 01:34:26 Masculinity, conservatism and homosexuality 
• 01:41:16 Transgendarism, alchemy, and astrology 
• 01:52:44 Outro

Additional resources: 

➡️ Learn more about Spencer: 

✖️ Twitter: https://x.com/SpencerKlavan/ 

📚 Light of the Mind, Light of the World: https://a.co/d/fam2Tx5 

🔔 Young Heretics: https://www.youtube.com/@YoungHereticsShow 

➡️ 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!

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In 2022, I had the honor of delivering the commencement address at Brown University.

I used this incredible opportunity to talk about a personal hero of mine: Galileo Galilei. Galileo was a scientist like no other. He boldly challenged the status quo through his discoveries and relentlessly pursued the truth, even when persecuted for doing so. His journey offers timeless lessons for scientists today, especially for graduate students who will shape the future of science.

My goal with this lecture was to inspire the next generation of thinkers, and I hope it does the same for you.

Tune in to learn more about how Galileo set the gold standard for scientists.

Key Takeaways: 

• 00:00:00 Intro 
• 00:02:06 My early days at Brown University 
• 00:08:08 Galileo’s legacy 
• 00:24:18 Losing the Nobel Prize 
• 00:40:48 Interstellar dust and mistakes 
• 00:46:48 My motto 
• 00:48:29 Audience questions
• 01:03:39 Outro

Additional resources: 

➡️ Follow me on your fav platforms:

✖️ Twitter: https://x.com/DrBrianKeating

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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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What is the cosmic microwave background (CMB), and why is it essential in cosmology? What role do instruments like BICEP and the Simons Observatory play in studying the early universe? And is the multiverse real? 

I had the absolute pleasure of discussing these questions with Dr. Hugh Ross, astrophysicist and founder of Reasons to Believe. 

In our conversation, Hugh and I discuss my research on polarization signals in the cosmic microwave background (CMB), focusing on my work with the BICEP, POLARBEAR2, and Simons Array telescopes. These signals are key to understanding the inflationary event that shaped the early universe. We explore how ongoing data collection helps us learn more about the universe’s origins. I also share a brief overview of my spiritual journey, from a Catholic upbringing to atheism and now being a practicing Jew with agnostic beliefs.

Tune in to learn about the infant universe!

Key Takeaways: 

• 00:00:00 Intro
• 00:00:40 Understanding the cosmic microwave background (CMB) 
• 00:11:30 Cutting-edge technology, precision cosmology, and the inflation hypothesis
• 00:33:36 The biggest challenge with inflation 
• 00:45:58 The role of the Simons Observatory 
• 01:00:15 Presenting our data 
• 01:02:47 Neutrinos 
• 01:07:43 Outro 

Additional resources: 

➡️ Check out Reason to Believe:

🔔 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RTB_official 

🎙️ Website: https://reasons.org/

➡️ Follow me on your fav platforms:

✖️ Twitter: https://x.com/DrBrianKeating

🔔 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DrBrianKeating?sub_confirmation=1

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✍️ Check out my blog: https://briankeating.com/cosmic-musings/

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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.

Make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

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A few weeks ago, I released a video about whether string theory’s biggest competitor, Loop Quantum Gravity, might have suffered a fatal blow.

The video sparked a lively debate across YouTube, with creators like Sabine Hossenfelder and Phil Halpern making reaction videos and Carlo Rovelli even reaching out to me personally, asking me to take it down.

Now, I want to clarify the situation and share my perspective on whether Loop Quantum Gravity is truly on its last legs—or if there’s more to the story. 

Tune in to the Loop Quantum Gravity War!

Key Takeaways: 

• 00:00 Intro
• 01:02 My initial video on loop quantum gravity 
• 03:42 Quick recap of my correspondence with Carlo Rovelli
• 04:32 The problem with string theory and loop quantum gravity
• 09:25 Reacting to Sabine’s video 
• 13:11 My final thoughts 

Additional resources: 

➡️ Check out the videos referenced: 

🔔 Sabine’s video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlHvW6k2bcM 

🎙️ Phil’s video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5CzrLuCRS4

➡️ Follow me on your fav platforms:

✖️ Twitter: https://x.com/DrBrianKeating

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✍️ Check out my blog: https://briankeating.com/cosmic-musings/

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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.

Make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

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Discrepancies between different measurements of the Hubble constant have caused a major crisis in cosmology. 

Our guest today, the incredible Wendy Freedman, is at the forefront of efforts to resolve this tension. Known for her pioneering work on the Hubble Key Project and her important contributions to the measurement of the Hubble constant, Wendy is now using the James Webb Space Telescope to bring clarity to this debate. 

With decades of experience and a deep understanding of the complexity of cosmic measurements, there is no one better to shed light on this issue.

So, can the James Webb Space Telescope help solve one of the biggest puzzles in cosmology?

Tune in to this episode of Into the Impossible to find out!—

Key Takeaways: 

• 00:00 Intro 
• 01:18 The role of JWST in solving the Hubble tension 
• 04:01 Comparing different distance indicators
• 20:45 Standard sirens 
• 34:05 Accurate cosmology vs. precision cosmology 
• 36:35 Vera C. Rubin Observatory and Giant Magellan Telescope
• 42:50 Wendy’s take on dark energy 
• 45:32 Outro 

Additional resources: 

➡️ Learn more about Wendy Freedman: 

💻 Uni website: https://astro.uchicago.edu/people/wendy-l-freedman.php 

➡️ Follow me on your fav platforms:

✖️ Twitter: https://x.com/DrBrianKeating

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📝 Join my mailing list: https://briankeating.com/list

✍️ Check out my blog: https://briankeating.com/cosmic-musings/

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✨ Member's only playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=UUMOmXH_moPhfkqCk6S3b9RWuw

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 subscribe so you never miss an episode!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices