
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 t... more
| Publishes | Weekly | Episodes | 399 | Founded | 7 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | Society & CultureSciencePhilosophyPhysics | |||

Why are people wrong all the time, anyway? Is it because we human beings are too good at being irrational, using our biases and motivated reasoning to convince ourselves of something that isn't quite accurate? Or is it something different -- unmotiva... more
Music is math that you can dance to. The fact that certain notes sound good when played together, or in succession, is related to the mathematical properties of the frequencies to which they correspond, an idea that goes back as far as Pythagoras him... more
Welcome to the October 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 numb... more
Certain features of our universe seem unnatural to us. These include "constants of nature" such as the cosmological constant and the mass of the Higgs boson, as well as features of the initial conditions like the curvature of space and the initial en... more
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The convergence of physics, society, and philosophy is the most interesting thing there is to me. It’s not that I see nearly everything in the same way Sean does, but that Sean and his typical guest display mental and emotional integrity at all times. He has great guests you don’t hear everywhere as well.
You are invited into Sean’s classroom while he brings the great educators and thinkers into focus with the rigor of scientific interrogation. A quick listen will assuage any concerns obvious troll reviewers have left. This is how you can become more aware of the modern understanding of classical and new ideas.
It’s funny reading reviews that criticize Sean for mentioning politics (a comment or two per show), while supporting a political movement that vilifies Sean, his profession, and education in general. *His* research and grad students and university are literally being defunded by an administration, and he’s supposed to not have thoughts about it? Nevermind the fact that he’s also a citizen of the country whose politics he’s discussing, and that his comments are always stated as clearly his opinio... more
This man is a national treasure.
Really great discussions. Top of the class for this type of long format science and philosophy show. Thank you Mr Carroll!
USA was never meant to be a democracy but for the last 120years has being moving away from the republic that was envision
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.
Spotify | #27 | |
Apple Podcasts | #2 | |
Apple Podcasts | #24 | |
Spotify | #30 | |
Apple Podcasts | #1 | |
Apple Podcasts | #1 |
Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.
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Engaging a wide range of thought leaders, the content features conversations that explore the intersection of science, philosophy, and culture. Topics often revolve around complex themes, including neuroscience, quantum mechanics, artificial intelligence, and the arts, inviting listeners to ponder profound questions about existence, morality, and the universe. The podcast is known for its thought-provoking discussions, showcasing guests from diverse fields such as physics, economics, and philosophy, reflecting a commitment to challenging conventional wisdom and exploring innovative ideas.
One notable aspect is the host's ability to connect intricate scientific concepts with broader societal implications, making abstract ideas accessible to... more
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These podcasts share a similar audience with this podcast:
1. Why This Universe?
2. The Origins Podcast with Lawrence Krauss
3. The Quanta Podcast
4. Into the Impossible With Brian Keating
5. Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal
this podcast launched 7 years ago and published 399 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
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Recent guests on this podcast include:
1. Dmitri Tymoczko
2. Petter Törnberg
3. Steven Pinker
4. Mary Roach
5. Cass Sunstein
6. Alvy Ray Smith
7. Elizabeth Mynatt
8. Jacob Barandes
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