
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 | 434 | Founded | 8 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | PhysicsScience | |||

Modern life has, in many ways, removed us from the environments in which our ancestors lived and adapted. Not only do we spend time looking at screens, but we spend time indoors, or outdoors but in urban spaces. How does this affect how we think and ... more
The cosmological constant, as discussed last episode, provides a perfectly good (thus far) explanation for why we observe the universe to be accelerating. But it might not be the right explanation, and demonstrating that would be yet another foundati... more
The most surprising discovery in fundamental physics during my career as a scientist was undoubtedly the acceleration of the universe, announced in 1998. The most straightforward explanation for these observations is a positive cosmological constant,... more
Messenger RNA (mRNA) plays a literally central role in the functioning of life as we know it, shuttling information back and forth between the DNA where it is stored to the ribosome where it is used to produce proteins. RNA may even have been the fir... more
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Ideas, theories and thoughts should not end with the word”right”making the listener agree with you rather than letting one decide if something is right or wrong or needs more time to think. Stop ending your sentences with the word -right. You are not always right.
Great content and a great show, but the new ad inserts kill everything good about it. Nothing like trying to unwind and listen to a nice talk and then have someone randomly start screaming into your ears about airfare or whatever. The ad volume alone is like 40x the volume of the podcast. How dare you, Sean…
Exceptional podcast. SC is providing a much needed service to modern culture by engaging a diverse group of intellectuals and broadcasting their ideas.
The dynamic ads are making it virtually unbearable for me to listen to episodes. I no longer care for the AMAs; the solo episodes are not properly structured; and the main episodes are almost all book promotion, the host having almost never actually done his homework beforehand. Carroll doesn’t need my money and the quality doesn’t make it worth it to pay for the ad free version.
Thank you for taking the time to do this podcast! I found you thru Brian Greene’s World Science Fest and your guest appearances in Startalk! I am so intrigued and awed by the topics you explore ! Thank you again! 🙏💎🤗
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 | #24 | |
Apple Podcasts | #2 | |
Apple Podcasts | #19 | |
Spotify | #24 | |
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Apple Podcasts | #2 |
Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.
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The show combines deep science, philosophy, and culture through long-form conversations with prominent thinkers. Episodes span quantum physics, cognitive science, economics, biology, law, and the history of science, often exploring how big ideas intersect with everyday life, society, and technology. Listeners likely appreciate rigorous inquiry tempered by accessible explanations, with occasional debates about politics and public policy that reflect the host's broad curiosity. A standout hook is the blending of technical depth with clear storytelling, drawing in both specialists and general audiences who enjoy thinking critically about science and its broader implications.
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1. The Quanta Podcast
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3. The Origins Podcast with Lawrence Krauss
4. Into the Impossible With Brian Keating
5. Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
this podcast launched 8 years ago and published 434 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. Jeff Coller
2. Andrea Wulf
3. Christian List
4. Alvin Roth
5. Bing Brunton
6. J. Eric Oliver
7. Daniel Harlow
8. Jessica Riskin
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