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

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

Sean Carroll | Wondery
Planets
Exoplanets
Quantum Mechanics
Earth
Neptune
Uranus
Saturn
Jupiter
Venus
Mars
Artificial Intelligence
Complex Systems
Nuclear Astrophysics
Standard Model
Seismology
STEM
Philosophy
Cosmology
Cognition
Higgs Boson

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

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes399Founded7 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Society & CultureSciencePhilosophyPhysics

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

Latest Episodes

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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Recent Guests

Dmitri Tymoczko
Musicologist, composer, performer, and professor at Princeton University
Princeton University
Episode: 332 | Dmitri Tymoczko on the Mathematics Behind Music
Petter Törnberg
Professor of computational social science with a background in physics
Episode: 330 | Petter Törnberg on the Dynamics of (Mis)Information
Steven Pinker
Cognitive psychologist, author, and professor known for his work in language and the psychology of human behavior.
Harvard University
Episode: 329 | Steven Pinker on Rationality and Common Knowledge
Mary Roach
A leading science writer and author of books like Replaceable You
Episode: 328 | Mary Roach on Replacing Parts of Our Bodies
Cass Sunstein
A well-known legal scholar and behavioral economics scholar, author of the book 'On Liberalism: In Defense of Freedom'
Episode: 327 | Cass Sunstein on Liberalism
Alvy Ray Smith
Co-founder of Pixar and pioneer in computer graphics
Pixar
Episode: 325 | Alvy Ray Smith on Pixar, Pixels, and the Great Digital Convergence
Elizabeth Mynatt
Dean of Computer Science and researcher in human-centered computing
Northeastern University
Episode: 324 | Elizabeth Mynatt on Universities and the Importance of Basic Research
Jacob Barandes
Physicist and Philosopher at Harvard University
Harvard University
Episode: 323 | Jacob Barandes on Indivisible Stochastic Quantum Mechanics
Philip Pettit
Distinguished philosopher and author, known for his work in political philosophy and social theory.
Princeton University and Australian National University
Episode: 322 | Philip Pettit on Language, Agency, Politics, and Freedom

Host

Sean Carroll
Host of engaging conversations with experts across multiple disciplines, focusing on science, philosophy, and culture.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 9.4k ratings
  • Top notch show

    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.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    mk6six
    United Statesa month ago
  • You will not find better; a thorough subject matter review by amongst the finest thinkers

    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.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Doberak
    United Statesa month ago
  • Excellent thought-provoking content

    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

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    namesAreHard65468
    United Statesa month ago
  • Outstanding

    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!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Lat60n
    United States2 months ago
  • USA was never meant to be a democracy but for the last 120years has being moving away from the republic that was envision

    Podcast Addict
    4
    fidel velez
    3 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Reviews note a mix of opinions on the political commentary, with some feeling it aligns well with scientific discourse and others finding it biased.
Some listeners appreciate the in-depth exploration of scientific topics, while others criticize ad volume and perceived political bias in certain discussions.
Listeners express appreciation for the deep and thought-provoking discussions, celebrating the diversity of guests.
Many commend the host's ability to make complex topics accessible while also encouraging critical thinking.

Chart Rankings

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

332 | Dmitri Tymoczko on the Mathematics Behind Music
Q: Are they good enough to do that? How precise is the distinction?
Musicians can get better than piano keyboard intervals by adjusting their playing, even if it involves complex tuning.
332 | Dmitri Tymoczko on the Mathematics Behind Music
Q: How conscious are you about music theory when you are playing or performing or improvising or even composing?
Improvisers often use music theory implicitly, but they know the theory without necessarily expressing it in theoretical terms.
332 | Dmitri Tymoczko on the Mathematics Behind Music
Q: Is there supposed to be a correct theory of music, like there is in physics?
There's an idea of music theory as a process of translation from physical embodied knowledge to conceptual descriptive knowledge.
329 | Steven Pinker on Rationality and Common Knowledge
Q: What's your big project with all of your technical work and books?
I'm interested in human nature and how we understand it, including the implications of our thought processes.
324 | Elizabeth Mynatt on Universities and the Importance of Basic Research
Q: How do you balance technology innovation with ethical concerns?
We need to consider the ethical dilemmas that arise regarding autonomy and control of information when deploying technology solutions.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About This Podcast

What is This Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

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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Which podcasts are similar to this podcast?

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

How many episodes of this podcast are there?

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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What guests have appeared on this podcast?

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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