Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas Podcast

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Sean Carroll | Wondery
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Physics #20 in Science Society & Culture Philosophy
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84.3K - 140.5K listeners Female/Male 4.8 rating 5621 reviews 379 episodes USA
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30s Ad: $2,473 - $2,811 60s Ad: $2,923 - $3,260 CPM Category: Science
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Ever wanted to know how music affects your brain, what quantum mechanics really is, or how black holes work? Do you wonder why you get emotional each time you see a certain movie, or how on earth video games are designed? Then you’ve come to the right place. Each week, Sean Carroll will host conversations with some of the most interesting thinkers in the world. From neuroscientists and engineers to authors and television producers, Sean and his guests talk about the biggest ideas in science, philosophy, culture and much more.

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  • The best way to reach me is by email.: se***@gmail.com
  • contact my speaking agents at UTA.: Se***@unitedtalent.com
  • contact Emily Canders at Dutton Books.: lc***@penguinrandomhouse.com
  • My book agent is Katinka Matson at Brockman Inc.: ma***@brockman.com
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  • contact Emily Canders at Dutton Books.: (212) 366-2264
  • My book agent is Katinka Matson at Brockman Inc.: (212) 935-8900 x200
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  • My mailing address is:: Bloomberg Center for Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218
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Recent Hosts, Guests & Topics

Here's a quick summary of the last 5 episodes on Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas.

Hosts

Previous Guests

Nicole C. Rust received her Ph.D. in neuroscience from New York University. She is currently a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. She is also a contributing editor at The Transmitter and an editor at BrainFacts.org. Among her awards are the Troland Research Award from the National Academy of Sciences.
Niayesh Afshordi received a Ph.D. in astrophysics from Princeton University. He is currently a professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Waterloo, and associate faculty in the cosmology and gravitation group at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics.
Phil Halper is a science communicator and a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society. His astronomy images have been featured in major media outlets including The Washington Post, the BBC, and The Guardian, and he has published several papers in peer-reviewed journals.
Branden Fitelson received a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is currently Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Northeastern University. He is a co-founder of the Formal Epistemology Workshop and was the winner of the 2020 Wolfram Innovator Award. His work focuses on formal epistemology, the logic and use of probability, and philosophical questions related to scientific reasoning.
Karen Lloyd is a scientist who has traveled around the world studying microorganisms that dwell deep below the Earth's surface. She received a Ph.D. in marine sciences from the University of North Carolina and is currently the Wrigley Chair in Environmental Studies and Professor of Earth Sciences at the University of Southern California. Among her accolades are a Sloan Fellowship, a Simons Early Career Investigator award, and a NASA Early Career Fellowship. She is the author of the book 'Intraterrestrials: Discovering the Strangest Life on Earth'.

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Episodes

Here's the recent few episodes on Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas.

0:00 1:14:50

317 | Nicole Rust on Why Neuroscience Hasn't Solved Brain Disorders

Hosts
Sean Carroll
Guests
Nicole Rust
Keywords
neuroscience brain disorders genes brain behavior neuroscientific research

The human brain is extremely complicated, but decades of careful neuroscientific research have revealed quite a bit about how it works, including how certain genes affect particular brain behaviors. Nevertheless, this progress has not led to quite as much improvement in the treatment of brain disorders as we might expect. I talk with neuroscientist Nicole Rust about why this is and how to improve the situation, as discussed in her new book Elusive Cures.

Blog post with transcript: https://www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2025/06/09/317-nicole-rust-on-why-neuroscience-hasnt-solved-brain-disorders/

Support Mindscape on Patreon.

Nicole C. Rust received her Ph.D. in neuroscience from New York University. She is currently a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. She is also a contributing editor at The Transmitter and an editor at BrainFacts.org. Among her awards are the Troland Research Award from the National Academy of Sciences.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

0:00 3:23:07

AMA | June 2025

Hosts
Sean Carroll
Keywords
science philosophy culture arts ideas neuroscience quantum mechanics black holes video game design

Welcome to the June 2025 Ask Me Anything episode of Mindscape! These monthly excursions are funded by Patreon supporters (who are also the ones asking the questions). We take questions asked by Patreons, whittle them down to a more manageable number -- based primarily on whether I have anything interesting to say about them, not whether the questions themselves are good -- and sometimes group them together if they are about a similar topic. Enjoy!

Blog post with AMA questions and transcript: https://www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2025/06/02/ama-june-2025/

Support Mindscape on Patreon.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

0:00 1:28:50

316 | Niayesh Afshordi and Phil Halper

Hosts
Sean Carroll
Guests
Niayesh Afshordi Phil Halper
Keywords
Big Bang cosmic origins general relativity quantum mechanics universe cosmology

Einstein's general theory of relativity, plus some reasonable assumptions about the universe and what it's made of, has a remarkable implication: that as we trace cosmic evolution into the far past, we ultimately hit a singularity of infinite density and curvature, the Big Bang. Did that really happen? Einstein's theory is classical, after all, and the world is quantum. And whose to say what assumptions are reasonable? Niayesh Afshordi and Phil Halper have written a new book, Battle of the Big Bang: The New Tales of Our Cosmic Origins, that surveys all of the mind-bending possibilities.

Blog post with transcript: https://www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2025/05/26/316-niayesh-afshordi-and-phil-halper-on-the-big-bang-and-before/

Support Mindscape on Patreon.

Niayesh Afshordi received a Ph.D. in astrophysics from Princeton University. He is currently a professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Waterloo, and associate faculty in the cosmology and gravitation group at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics.


Phil Halper is a science communicator and a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society. His astronomy images have been featured in major media outlets including The Washington Post, the BBC, and The Guardian, and he has published several papers in peer-reviewed journals.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

0:00 1:28:55

315 | Branden Fitelson on the Logic and Use of Probability

Hosts
Sean Carroll
Guests
Branden Fitelson
Keywords
probability science philosophy evidence confirmation

Every time you see an apple spontaneously break away from a tree, it falls downward. You therefore claim that there is a law of physics: apples fall downward from trees. But how can you really know? After all, tomorrow you might see an apple that falls upward. How is science possible at all? Philosophers, as you might expect, have thought hard about this. Branden Fitelson explains how a better understanding of probability can help us decide when new evidence is actually confirming our beliefs.

Blog post with transcript: https://www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2025/05/19/315-branden-fitelson-on-the-logic-and-use-of-probability/

Support Mindscape on Patreon.

Branden Fitelson received a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is currently Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Northeastern University. He is a co-founder of the Formal Epistemology Workshop, and winner of the 2020 Wolfram Innovator Award.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

0:00 1:09:18

314 | Karen Lloyd on the Deep Underground Biosphere

Hosts
Sean Carroll
Guests
Karen Lloyd
Keywords
deep underground biosphere microorganisms marine sciences nutrients electrons Intraterrestrials

There are living creatures dwelling deep below the surface of the Earth, as deep as we are able to drill. These hearty microorganisms are related to more familiar life forms on land and under water, but the operate and survive in ways that are quite different from what we're familiar with. They live off of nutrients that have penetrated from the surface, or sometimes off of pure electrons. Karen Lloyd is a scientist who has traveled around the world studying these organisms, as she explains in her new book Intraterrestrials: Discovering the Strangest Life on Earth.

Blog post with transcript: https://www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2025/05/12/314-karen-lloyd-on-the-deep-underground-biosphere/

Support Mindscape on Patreon.

Karen Lloyd received a Ph.D. in marine sciences from the University of North Carolina. She is currently the Wrigley Chair in Environmental Studies and Professor of Earth Sciences at the University of Southern California. Among her awards are a Sloan Fellowship, a Simons Early Career Investigator, and a NASA Early Career Fellowship.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ratings

Global:
4.8 rating 5621 reviews

USA

4.8 ratings 4000 reviews

Canada

4.8 ratings 582 reviews

UK

4.8 ratings 542 reviews

Australia

4.7 ratings 344 reviews

New Zealand

4.7 ratings 68 reviews

Ireland

4.4 ratings 41 reviews

South Africa

4.7 ratings 30 reviews

Singapore

5.0 ratings 14 reviews