Jordan B Peterson on Confronting Value, Meaning, & More | Jordan Peterson on The Origins Podcast The Origins Podcast 2021-12-18 | This exciting episode of the Origins Podcast features Jordan B Peterson along with host, Lawrence Krauss. They explore Jordan's upbringing and background, the nuances of meaning and value, as well as the difficulties and opportunities of doing research in our current cultural climate. Many viewers will enjoy seeing a unique side of Jordan B Peterson that shines through during this discussion and it is planned to be the first of many, so please consider subscribing and supporting the podcast to receive notifications of upcoming episodes!Watch Lawrence Krauss on Jordan B Peterson's podcast here: youtu.be/SF_SwujfiYkDr. Jordan B. Peterson is a clinical psychologist and professor emeritus at the University of Toronto. From 1993 to 1998 he served as assistant and then associate professor of psychology at Harvard. He spent fifteen years writing Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief (1999; released in June 2018 as a now bestselling author-read audiobook). Maps of Meaning is a scholarly investigation into the nature of narrative and religious thought, the structure of perception, the regulation of emotion, and the motivation for atrocity in the service of ideology. Dr. Peterson also penned the popular global bestsellers Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life & 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos, #1 for nonfiction in 2018 in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, the Netherlands, Brazil and Norway, both translated into some 50 languages. The latter book has sold more than five million copies; the former, released in mid 2021, 750,000.You can show your support and access exclusive bonus content at patreon.com/originspodcastThe Origins Podcast, a production of The Origins Project Foundation, features in-depth conversations with some of the most interesting people in the world about the issues that impact all of us in the 21st century. Host, theoretical physicist, lecturer, and author, Lawrence M. Krauss, will be joined by guests from a wide range of fields, including science, the arts, and journalism. The topics discussed on The Origins Podcast reflect the full range of the human experience - exploring science and culture in a way that seeks to entertain, educate, and inspire.Full Episodes Playlist:youtube.com/watch?v=qXLv1PHLilU&list=PL5R87nA_A7ijBql86ZL1_PAM8GDM1M_VC
Heather Mac Donald: When Race Trumps Merit and Reshapes Culture The Origins Podcast 2024-10-05 | Subscribe for exclusive content at lawrencekrauss.substack.comLearn more and support the foundation at originsproject.orgA note from Lawrence:Heather Mac Donald is never one to back down from controversy, and that’s exactly what makes our discussions so engaging. She’s sharp, opinionated, and unflinching when it comes to tackling issues many prefer to avoid—whether it’s race, culture, or the idea of meritocracy in modern society. This is the third conversation Heather and I have had for the show. With the release of her new book, When Race Trumps Merit, it felt like the perfect time to bring her back to explore how the focus on race and identity politics is reshaping standards across academia, the arts, and medicine.Of course, Heather and I don’t always see eye to eye. Throughout this episode, you’ll hear us wrestle with some points from very different perspectives. But that’s what makes these conversations so worthwhile. Origins isn’t just about interviews; it’s about true dialogue—exchanges where ideas are challenged, examined, and questioned from all angles.In our discussion, we span a wide range of topics, from Heather’s background in classical literature to the current culture wars affecting our institutions. And while our differences come through, it’s these disagreements that add depth and substance to the conversation. Especially now, when polarization is at an all-time high, having open, respectful dialogues is more important than ever.Whether you find yourself agreeing with Heather or not, I hope this discussion will inspire you to think more critically, challenge assumptions, and look more deeply at the issues shaping our culture today.00:00 Introduction: Heather Mac Donald's Return04:12 From Classical Literature to Critical Legal Studies10:30 The Shift from Academia to Journalism17:05 The Motivation Behind "When Race Trumps Merit"21:50 Understanding 'Disparate Impact'29:20 The Bias Battle: SATs, LSATs, and Education Standards33:45 Racial Disparities in Education & Merit38:40 Medicine and the Question of Racism46:56 The Cancel Culture in Medicine: JAMA Podcast Controversy50:00 Race-Based Policies and Drug Trials54:00 The Impact of Woke Culture on Classical Music01:05:00 Making Beethoven Woke: Rewriting Classics01:22:00 Controversies in Opera: Nixon in China and Yellowface01:28:37 The Changing Pedagogy at Juilliard01:38:20 The Art World: Dismantling Docent Programs at Chicago Institute01:46:00 Rewriting Art History: The Met and Fictions of Emancipation02:03:00 Bold Abstainers: Individuals and Organizations Pushing Back02:13:50 The Importance of Defending Western Traditions02:16:24 Closing Remarks and Outro
Saul Perlmutter: Expanding the Universe, Scientific Thinking, and Global Challenges The Origins Podcast 2024-09-18 | Subscribe for exclusive content at lawrencekrauss.substack.comLearn more and support the foundation at originsproject.orgA note from Lawrence:Saul Permutter won the Nobel Prize for his eventual role in the discovery of dark energy. In 1996 when I was lecturing at LBL he bet me that he would show dark energy didn't exist. His group had been measuring supernova distances for years, in hopes of determining the deceleration rate of the universe. Instead, after recalibrating some of his earlier data, his group and an independent group discovered the universe was actually accelerating.That is the beauty of science, it supersedes any individual prejudices, and scientists actually change their minds if the data requires it. This is one of the many important characteristics of science that Saul and his collaborators discuss in their recent book, Third Millennium Thinking. It is a good read, full of useful examples about how scientific thinking is important in the world beyond just science.Saul and I had a lively conversation about science, the scientific method, and his own experiences as a scientists. It was an enriching and enlightening discussion, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.00:00 Introduction and Nobel Prize Overview02:18 Saul Perlmutter's Childhood and Family Background10:01 Early Discussions on Cosmology and the Universe25:01 Applying Scientific Thinking to Modern Problems46:17 How Scientific Inquiry Works1:02:01 Understanding Uncertainty in Science1:04:38 False Pulsar Discovery Story1:13:06 How Science Breaks Down Complex Problems1:39:41 Science's Role in Global Challenges1:51:23 Future of Science and Society2:16:13 Group Decision-Making: Wisdom vs. Mistakes2:18:44 Can We Build a Sustainable World?2:23:46 Final Thoughts and Future Outlook
A Call For Support To Save A Family The Origins Podcast 2024-09-09 | PLEASE CONSIDER DONATING NOW TO SAVE THIS FAMILY!There are many tragedies in Afghanistan, and thousands of people who need help. We cannot right all the wrongs, but we can save these 8 people. We can save a woman who fought for human rights and now faces execution in Afghanistan if she were to return. We can save 5 young girls who have no access to education, or freedom if they were to return to Afghanistan. Already, during the past 2 years in Afghanistan, they have learned much English, and one of the young girls has been selected for a prestigious online scholarship to study at an English speaking Afghan University now run outside of that country. We can do something concrete and positive to help them.It isn’t everything, but it is something. I can tell you from my last experience of saving the life of a young girl from Afghanistan so she could study in the United States and eventually pursue and advanced degree that not a day goes by when I don’t think about how that feels to me like one of the most important things I have done.DONATIONS:The JIAS has kindly created two different direct PayPal donation links.The first is specifically linked to the family, and if for some horrible reason the family were not able to arrive in Canada under this program, all funds would be returned to donors. Because the funding relates to this family uniquely, any donations made to this site are not tax deductible for Canadian residents. This is the preferred site for all those who are not concerned about receiving a Canadian tax receipt for their donations.Here is the direct link: paypal.com/donate?campaign_id=VBKBGBFZ5G5FEThe second is a link to a fund which will provide for the family if they arrive, but if for some reason they cannot arrive, the funds will not be returned but will be allocated to others on the sponsor’s waiting list. Donations to this fund are however tax deductible for Canadian residents, and donors will receive a tax receipt.Here is the link: paypal.com/donate?campaign_id=H49YGR3E5QMBY
Helen Pluckrose on Social Justice, Lived Experiences vs. Data, & Countering Ideological Pressure The Origins Podcast 2024-09-04 | Subscribe for exclusive content at lawrencekrauss.substack.comLearn more and support the foundation at originsproject.orgA Note from Lawrence:Helen Pluckrose has been a formidable voice in the cultural and intellectual debates surrounding critical social justice, liberalism, and free speech. I've admired her work for some time, particularly her rigorous analysis of the philosophical underpinnings of these movements. In this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Helen about her new book, "The Counterweight Handbook," which offers practical strategies for those navigating the challenges posed by critical social justice ideologies in the workplace and beyond.As with all Origins Podcasts, we spent some time learning about Helen’s own origins, which are just as compelling as her work. From her early years, where she balanced a career in care with a passion for English literature, to her later involvement in the Grievance Studies Affair, which exposed the weaknesses in certain academic fields, Helen has consistently demonstrated a concern for the wellbeing of others and a commitment to liberal values and intellectual honesty.In our discussion, we covered the origins and evolution of critical social justice, the impact of postmodern thought on modern social theories, and the ongoing challenges of promoting free speech in an increasingly polarized world. Helen shared insights from her work with Counterweight, an organization she founded to support individuals facing ideological pressure in their professional lives. We worked through her new book, which provides remarkably useful guides for dealing with challenges that misplaced critical social justice pressures might impose upon you in the workplace and elsewhere.This conversation was both enlightening and engaging. It offers valuable perspectives for anyone interested in the intersection of culture, politics, and philosophy. Helen is a wonderfully clear thinker, a sympathetic presence and a powerful advocate for the principles of liberalism, and it was a pleasure to spend time discussing her work and writing. I hope you find this episode as insightful and useful as I did.00:00 Introduction and Overview04:24 Helen Pluckrose's Background and Upbringing07:22 Working as a Care Assistant and Returning to Education10:43 Early Interest in Reading and Writing13:22 Helen’s Academic Focus: Medieval Women and Church Narratives16:05 Transition to Writing and Cultural Commentary17:01 The Grievance Studies Affair: Origins and Execution18:58 Process and Challenges in Writing Grievance Papers21:31 Impact of the Grievance Studies Affair and Public Reception22:24 The Evolution and Critique of Critical Social Justice24:16 Founding Counterweight: Addressing the Impact of Critical Social Justice27:39 The Counterweight Handbook: Practical Strategies for Opposing Critical Social Justice29:19 Defining Liberalism and Its Importance in Today’s Context32:03 Understanding the Core Concepts of Critical Social Justice35:23 The True Meaning of "Critical" in Critical Social Justice38:50 Core Tenets of Critical Social Justice: A Detailed Breakdown43:42 The Linguistic Strategies of Social Justice Movements45:15 The Evolution of the Term "Woke" and Its Current Implications48:04 How to Critique and Respond to Critical Social Justice Claims51:40 Discussion on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and Their Implications55:12 The Role of Ideology in Modern Social Movements59:28 The Dangers of Ideological Thinking and Group Identity1:03:45 Addressing Misconceptions about Liberalism and Conservatism1:08:15 The Importance of Free Speech and Open Dialogue1:12:30 The Role of Academia in Promoting Critical Social Justice1:16:50 How Social Justice Movements Affect Workplaces and Institutions1:21:05 The Influence of Postmodern Thought on Modern Social Theories1:25:30 The Consequences of Adopting Critical Social Justice in Society1:30:45 How to Foster an Open and Inclusive Environment without Ideology1:35:12 The Future of Social Justice Movements and Their Impact on Society1:40:30 The Importance of Maintaining Individual Rights and Freedoms1:45:45 Strategies for Resisting Authoritarian Ideologies in Institutions1:50:20 Final Thoughts on Critical Social Justice and Liberalism1:55:35 Helen Pluckrose's Vision for the Future and Ongoing Projects2:00:50 The Evolution of Social Justice Terminology and Its Impact2:07:15 The Intersection of Critical Social Justice with Political Ideologies2:13:30 The Challenges of Promoting Liberal Values in a Divisive Climate2:19:45 Practical Steps for Advocating Free Speech and Open Discourse2:25:30 Closing Remarks and Reflections from Lawrence Krauss and Helen Pluckrose2:28:57 Conclusion and End of the Podcast
Unraveling the Universe: Hubble Constant, James Webb, & the Future of Astronomy with Wendy Freedman The Origins Podcast 2024-08-21 | Subscribe for exclusive content at lawrencekrauss.substack.comLearn more and support the foundation at originsproject.orgEpisode Chapters:00:00 Introduction and Overview03:52 Wendy Friedman's Early Life and Career Beginnings10:00 Graduate School Experience23:00 Joining Carnegie Observatories30:00 Transition to Observational Astronomy32:47 The Importance of Cepheid Variables40:54 Challenges in Measuring the Hubble Constant44:13 The Hubble Space Telescope Key Project52:00 Impact of Hubble’s Discoveries on Cosmology01:05:35 The James Webb Space Telescope and New Observations01:26:44 The Giant Magellan Telescope Project01:43:09 Future of Large Earth-Based Telescopes01:50:00 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsA note from Lawrence:Wendy Freedman, the former director of the Carnegie Observatories and now distinguished professor at University of Chicago, has been a leading figure in observational cosmology and astronomy for over 30 years. I have known her as a friend and colleague, and have learned much from her over the years, and was very excited to be able to snag her amidst her busy schedule to record a podcast a week or two before the release of a new blockbuster result her team had produced. I am very happy that Critical Mass listeners will be among the first to get the detailed lowdown on the likely resolution of a problem that has been plaguing cosmology for the past decade.In the 1990’s Wendy led a major international team of astronomers in carrying the Hubble Space Telescope Key Project. The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) was named in part because of this project, to establish the distance scale of the universe and measure its current expansion rate, a quantity not coincidentally called the Hubble Constant, first measured by Edwin Hubble in 1929.Since that time, different groups have measured this most important single observable in our universe and gotten widely different values. In the 1980’s and early 90’s two different groups got values that differed by a factor of 2, even though each claimed errors of less than 10%. In 2001, Freedman’s team published their result, truly accurate to 10%, and the value, perhaps not surprisingly, fell right in the middle between the previous two discrepant values.All was good, until inferences based on the Cosmic Microwave Background, the most precise observable in modern cosmology suggested that measurements at a time when the universe was 300,000 years old, when extrapolated forward using the best current theory of cosmology today, would give a value that different from the HST value. The difference was statistically significant, and as time proceeded, and error bars got smaller, the discrepancy between the HST (and then the James Web Space Telescope (JWST)) measurement, and the CMB measurement got more significant. Was our current model of cosmology simply wrong?Such was the claim in various places over the past few years. Most recently, Wendy led a team to measure cosmic distances in 3 different ways using JWST, and as she describes in our discussion, it looks like the problem may now be solved, although not without leaving other mysteries.We talked about a lot more than this though. Wendy’s background, what got her into astronomy, her experiences throughout her career, and her leadership in a new project building the Giant Magellan Telescope, what will be the largest telescope in the world in Chile. The discussion was as fun as it was exciting. Wendy is a wonderful popular expositor, and as always, I really enjoyed talking to her. Tune in to hear, for the first time, about the newest and most important recent result in cosmology from one of my favorite colleagues and a world class scientist.
Leonard Susskind: Strings, Quarks, Black Holes, and More. The Origins Podcast 2024-08-07 | Subscribe for exclusive content at lawrencekrauss.substack.comLearn more and support the foundation at originsproject.orgEpisode Chapters:00:00 Introduction and Overview04:02 Lenny Susskind's Early Life: Growing Up in the Bronx10:00 Discovering a Passion for Science and Mathematics14:34 Transition from Engineering to Physics22:14 The Influence of Mentors and Transition to Graduate School30:04 Discovering String Theory: Early Insights and Influences37:28 The Evolution of Theoretical Physics in the 1960s44:06 The Shift to Yeshiva University: Working with David Finkelstein51:04 Lattice Gauge Theory and Its Importance56:12 The Role of Asymptotic Freedom in Strong Interactions01:02:24 Technicolor: Attempting to Solve the Weak Interaction Puzzle01:11:06 The Intersection of Small and Large Scale Physics: Baryogenesis01:20:32 The Journey to Quantum Gravity and String Theory01:30:40 The Early Days of String Theory: From Strong Interaction to Gravity01:40:00 Reflecting on the Evolution of String Theory and Quantum Gravity01:50:45 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsI was very happy to finally have the opportunity to have an extended conversation for our podcast with renowned theoretical physicist Lenny Susskind. Lenny has been a friend and colleague for many years. I remember first attending a lecture he gave at a conference when I was an undergraduate and recognizing what a powerful intellect he was, and also how he combined mathematical sophistication within an intuitive framework that reminded me a bit of Richard Feynman. Years later, when I went jogging with him along a beach in California, I also discovered that, he strove for excellence in everything he did, and it nearly killed me to keep up with him. Lenny has been involved over the past 50 years in many of the forefront developments in particle physics, including string theory, the standard model, the matter-antimatter symmetry of the universe, and the mysteries of black hole physics and quantum gravity, to name just a few. It was enlightening to explore his own intellectual development, and also his perspectives on how these major developments in physics fit into our evolving understanding of the universe. Lenny is also an accomplished popularizer of science, something he turned to somewhat late in his career, and I learned something fascinating about what caused him to turn to writing. It was entirely unexpected. I am glad he was motivated, because his semi-popular books following The Theoretical Minimum, covering the essential ideas necessary for someone to have a grasp of modern theoretical physics, are, in my opinion classics. Anyone who is interested in understanding how we got to where we are today, and what the key outstanding questions in theoretical physics are, and where the likely answers may be found, will find our discussion enlightening, and, fascinating. I hope you enjoy this in depth discussion with one of the most accomplished theorists around today, and one of the most enjoyable and thought provoking scientists one might hope to have a conversation with.
Werner Herzog: Conversations on Art, Legacy, and the Human Experience The Origins Podcast 2024-07-24 | Subscribe for exclusive content at lawrencekrauss.substack.comLearn more and support the foundation at originsproject.orgA note from Lawrence:This is my second dialogue with filmmaker extraordinaire and force of nature, Werner Herzog. But after I read his amazing new memoire Every Man for Himself, and God Against All, which takes its name for the German title of his 1974 film The Enigma of Kasper Hauser, I had to have Werner back. I have known Werner for almost 20 years. We met when I was a judge at Sundance and we gave his film Grizzly Man an award, and Werner, his wife Lena, and I have been fast friends ever since. He even allowed me to be a villain in the movie Salt and Fire, which we shot in Bolivia with Michael Shannon and Veronica Ferres. So, after all of this time I thought I really had a good handle on him. I was wrong. So many people ask me about Werner, who has a reputation of being larger than life, and I always say what a kind, generous, pleasant man he is. All of that is true, but after reading his new autobiography, I realize that he IS larger than life!!If it weren’t Werner, I would never believe all of the amazing stories and events. That he is still alive is alone almost a miracle. For this dialogue I decided that rather than following his story chronologically, I would read him various quotes from the book and ask him to elaborate. What followed was a rollicking conversation that is one of the most amazing I have recorded to date, and that I think presents Werner has perhaps few other interviews ever had. In the process we covered territory from science to philosophy to history to religion and beyond. And in the end, what arose most clearly from our discussion was that while he is a world famous filmmaker, what he really is at heart, is a poet. And we are all lucky to have him. Enjoy!
This is The Way the World Ends. Nuclear War, with Annie Jacobsen The Origins Podcast 2024-07-10 | Subscribe for exclusive content at lawrencekrauss.substack.comLearn more and support the foundation at originsproject.orgA note from Lawrence:Many of you will have been waiting for this podcast after my brief review of Annie Jacobsen’s new book Nuclear War: A Scenario on Critical Mass. I took advantage of our discussion to flesh out some of the harrowing details of her remarkable fictional account of a plausible 72 minutes which began with the launch of a single nuclear missile from North Korea and concludes effectively with the end of modern civilization on the planet. As I indicated in my review, as former Chair of the Board of Sponsors of The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists for over a decade, the horrors of nuclear war were well-known to me, but the realization of how quickly a scenario such as Jacobsen envisages might actually play out was something I had never really imagined.Jacobsen is no stranger to thinking about defense issues and has penned numerous books on defense-related issues, including a history of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), that was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in history. She is also a seasoned fiction writer for television, penning three episodes of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan. Her new book combines her interest in nuclear war related issues, and interviews with a host of military officials involved in nuclear war planning over the past five decades, with her skill in framing a tense dramatic narrative. The result is compelling.I know from experience that most people would rather avoid thinking about the threat of nuclear war. But it is only by confronting it directly that the public might have a possibility of at least slowing the military juggernaut, powered by a combination of a huge bureaucracy that works effectively to maintain its existence, and a cold war mentality the drives efforts to continue to grow and modernize our nuclear weapons establishment—all the while in spite of the fact that everyone who has seriously thought about nuclear war knows it is unwinnable. As Einstein, who helped found the Bulletin’s Board of Sponsors said over 60 years ago, with the creation of Nuclear Weapons “Everything has changed, save the way we think”. My hope is that discussions like this one may help us change even that.
Mysteries of the Cosmos, From Dark Energy to the Big Bang: State of the Universe with Michael Turner The Origins Podcast 2024-06-26 | Subscribe for exclusive content at lawrencekrauss.substack.comLearn more and support the foundation at originsproject.orgA note from Lawrence:Michael Turner has been one of the leading pioneers in the emerging field of particle-astrophysics: the effort to understand the large scale properties of our universe by exploring the fundamental microphysics that ultimately governed the earliest moments of the big bang. It has been an area in which most of my own research has been focused, so it is not surprising that Michael I became on and off research collaborators starting about 40 years ago. In 1995 Michael and I published a paper arguing that 70% of the energy of the universe must reside in empty space if the data at the time were to be self-consistent. Three years later two groups confirmed our prediction, and were awarded the Nobel Prize in 2011 for that discovery. Michael later coined the term “dark energy” to describe this completely mysterious quantity.Michael is not only a leading scientist, he is also a leading expositor of astrophysics, having written one of the seminal books about the physics of the early universe, and he is frequently sought out by journalists to comment on current results, and by academic audiences for his popular lectures. He has a wry sense of humor, and over his more than 40 years of scientific research he has been involved in many of the key developments that have shaped astrophysics. He has also helped direct the national research effort itself, having been a deputy director of the National Science Foundation, and a former president of the American Physical Society. Mike and I sat down for a long overdue discussion of his own perspectives on the field. We discussed his personal history, motivations, and challenges as a young scientist, and then went on to discuss many of the key areas of progress in cosmology over the past 40 years, including some puzzles which remain today, and about which one often reads in the popular press. For anyone interested in cosmology, our discussion will shed a great deal of light on which problems are real, and which are not, and also give a new perspective for how far we have come over the last half century in unraveling many of the mysteries of the universe.
Jeffrey Sachs: Economics, Conflict, and Real-World Diplomacy The Origins Podcast 2024-06-12 | Subscribe for exclusive content at lawrencekrauss.substack.comLearn more and support the foundation at originsproject.orgA note from Lawrence:Jeffrey Sachs was the youngest tenured professor in Harvard’s history when he was promoted only a few years after receiving his PhD. And for good reason. He is one of the most remarkable intellects I know. I have always been amazed and the breadth of his reading and knowledge, and when I give him one of my physics books, he reads it in a day, and comes back with great questions.Jeffrey has not been content to stay within the confines of academia, and for 17 years served as a senior advisor to the head of the UN, and has worked, sometimes controversially, with numerous governments to help them out of economic hardships. His interest in world affairs has caused him to write a great deal about power politics, global conflict, and diplomacy, and I wanted to sit down and talk to him about two conflicts about which he has written recently, Ukraine and Gaza.But first, we talked about his own career, his interest in economics, and also his thoughts about the UN, an agency which of late has dropped considerably in my own estimation.I agree strongly with Jeffrey that only diplomatic solutions to military conflicts have any hope of lasting, and that nationalist politics that sustain military adventurism inevitably only causes the people within both warring countries undue hardship. But how to extricate countries from the cycle of violence is a difficult challenge, and Jeffrey doesn’t mince words in that regard. I have to say that I agree with him wholeheartedly about Ukraine. Not as completely on the Middle East, though our disagreements are subtle. We both agree that a two state solution in the middle east is essential, and detest many policies of the current Israeli government, especially on the west bank (although no more than I think we both detest the policies of the terrorist lunatics governing Gaza, who seem intent on inflicting as much or more hardship on their own populace as any external government does, most often to score political points on the world scene) I am less sanguine about the likelihood that UN troops and Arab nations could or would realistically and fairly implement and police such a situation, but I sympathize with his views that the UN may be the last resort.I expect I may read some angry feedback about some of Jeffrey’s suggestions, but once again, reasoned discussion, especially about disagreements, is essential if we are to make progress, in science, and in the real world. As a result I feel particularly lucky to have people like Jeffrey to have such discussions with. I hope you are as stimulated and educated by the discussion as I always am when I talk to him.
Mark Mattson: Building the Brain: Glutamate as Sculpture and Destroyer The Origins Podcast 2024-05-29 | A message from Lawrence:You’ve probably heard of Serotonin, or Dopamine. Those are the sexy neurotransmitters that get all the press. However, you have probably not heard of Glutamate. Which is a shame because it is probably the most important neurotransmitter in the brain, responsible in large part for its growth, and also its plasticity.Mark Mattson is a neuroscientist with a distinguished career as Director of the Laboratory of Neurosciences at the National Institute on Aging. While initially interested in developmental biology in animals, Mattson’s work in endocrinology led him to become to study the effect of hormones on the brain. Eventually he began to focus on the role of the Glutamate in neuroplasticity and Alzheimers disease. He realized how essential that neurotransmitter was for understanding the very formation of the brain, the growth of neurons, and the formation of axons and dendrites, as well as its key role in brain functions including learning and memory .I first got to know Mark when we co-organized a workshop on Pattern Processing in the Human Brain, where we invited well known neuroscientists as well as computer scientists and AI researchers to come together to discuss areas of joint interest. The idea was to explore key features that may underlie consciousness, and also to explore how to ensure how to avoid the error-prone brain functioning such as one finds in Schizophrenia as AI systems are developed. The public event associated with the workshop was entitled Creativity and Madness, and involved a dialogue between me and actor Johnny Depp.Most recently, Mark has written a fascinating book, entitled Sculptor and Destroyer, to describe and explain the importance of Glutamate in brain formation and functioning. We had a fascinating discussion about that, and also how he became interested in the brain after initially planning to become a veterinarian. I hope you find the discussion as enlightening as I did.
PSA: Up to two full Scholarships will now be awarded for our April 2025 Bhutan Experience The Origins Podcast 2024-05-22 | Apply now at originsproject.org/trip-scholarshipA Message From Lawrence:In April, I announced our Bhutan Travel Adventure was open for booking, and to our surprise, the expedition sold out in a single day. We had held back several berths for scholarship participants and announced at that time an opportunity to get half of the cost of the trip covered. I am incredibly pleased to announce now that due to the generosity of our donors, support has increased to cover the total $7100 cost of the Bhutan experience for up to two scholarship recipients. Successful applicants will still be responsible for their travel from home and return to Bangkok, where the expedition begins, plus travel insurance and incidentals. The foundation's mission is “To Encourage Curiosity About The World, Connect Science And Culture, Inspire Critical Exploration, And Facilitate Interactions With The People, Places And Ideas Associated With The Greatest Challenges Of The 21st Century.”. It is therefore particularly gratifying that we can now provide the opportunity to have this exciting educational experience—to spend 11 days traveling with an exciting group of fellow travelers while interacting with guest speakers Robert Sapolksy, Peter Singer, and Katarzyna de Lazari-Radek, as well as myself—to a broader set of individuals than could otherwise take advantage of it. To apply for the scholarships, go to originsproject.org/trip-scholarship and fill out the form by June 1. The board will inform successful candidates of its decision by mid-January. Good luck, and I hope to see you in Bhutan!
How To Be A Super Communicator | Charles Duhigg Gives Tips On Communication, FBI & Big Bang Theory The Origins Podcast 2024-05-15 | Subscribe for exclusive content at lawrencekrauss.substack.comLearn more and support the foundation at originsproject.orgA note from Lawrence:I admit I was somewhat intimidated when the prospect of hosting Pulitzer-prizewinning journalist Charles Duhigg on the podcast was raised. What caused my angst was the subject matter we would discuss: Communication.Hosting this podcast has been a learning experience, in so many ways. Since listeners are very free with advice, especially when they don’t like the conversational aspect of the dialogues, and would prefer an interview format, I have often had to come face to face with my own failures of communication. Charles had just completed a book, Supercommunicators, which has since become a New York Times bestseller about the tools that so-called ‘supercommunicators’ use to bring out the best in conversations. It includes interviews with, and stories about, people from a wide varieties of occupations and experiences, from a former FRB recruiter, to two people on opposite sides of the current gun-control debate, and even to the creators of Big Bang Theory, about how they achieved their goals of communication.The techniques revealed in the book, and in our conversation, are remarkably illuminating. Perhaps the most important tool, which sounds remarkably simple, but nevertheless is often absent in conversations is to decide in advance what type of conversation one is about to be engaged in: practical, emotional, or social. Without this recognition, the ultimate success of any subsequent conversation is unlikely to be profound.In our subsequent podcast discussion, I wanted to engage in all three types of conversations, with some clarity in advance about where we were going, beginning as always with what took Charles to the starting point of his writing, and concluding with what the impact on his own personal life had been by all he had learned when researching the book. Thinking about the skills he discussed certainly had an impact on my own efforts during the podcast, and I hope will improve discussions on all future podcasts. You, the listeners, will be the judges of course.Full Episodes Playlist:youtube.com/watch?v=qXLv1PHLilU&list=PL5R87nA_A7ijBql86ZL1_PAM8GDM1M_VC
Frank Wilczek | From Quarks to Galaxies: A tour through the forefront of modern physics | Full Video The Origins Podcast 2024-04-24 | Subscribe for exclusive content at lawrencekrauss.substack.comLearn more and support the foundation at originsproject.orgA note from Lawrence:I have had the privilege of working closely with Frank Wilczek for over 40 years, on and off, and we have written perhaps a dozen scientific papers together over that time. Our collaborations together were always a source of joy, and often of wonder, and I am pleased to say that a number of them had significant impact on our fields of study.While I have had the privilege of working with many talented scientists during my career, Frank is unique. He is one of the most broadly read, deep, and creative scientists I have known. To first approximation, he has read everything in science, and one of the characteristics of our own collaborations that has been so much fun is entering an entirely new field of study and learning how much is known about it, and how that knowledge might be used in new contexts.Frank is likely the most significant theoretical physicist of my generation, and along with Ed Witten, perhaps the intellectually most gifted. That he won the Nobel Prize for work performed as a graduate student with David Gross to develop the theory of one of the four known forces in nature is notable, but it just scratches the surface of his interests and accomplishments.While Frank and I have appeared onstage together on numerous occasions, I was waiting for the opportunity to sit down with him for an extended period to discuss his life in science, and the areas of study that reflect the most significant developments of recent times, and the outstanding challenges in our field. It was a pleasure to be able to do so for this podcast. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did, and that it inspires your interest in the world around us.Full Episodes Playlist:youtube.com/watch?v=qXLv1PHLilU&list=PL5R87nA_A7ijBql86ZL1_PAM8GDM1M_VC
Speaking Out in an Age of Outrage | Katherine Brodsky The Origins Podcast 2024-04-01 | Subscribe for exclusive content at lawrencekrauss.substack.comLearn more and support the foundation at originsproject.orgA note from Lawrence:I first stumbled upon the journalist Katherine Brodsky, who has been a commentator and writer for various media outlets, when I heard about her new book, No Apologies: How to Find and Free Your Voice in the Age of Outrage. The title intrigued me but I admit I was a bit skeptical. Having written and spoken about co-called cancel culture in the academic world, I expected I might find nothing new in her book, but I was wrong.Katherine was motivated to write her book after her own experience of being mobbed online after having defended a colleague in an online media group she helped moderate, for the crime of having posted a job opportunity at Fox News. While she had become aware of the growing social intolerance she was witnessing around her, it was her own experience that caused to make a crucial decision. These kind of experiences can be debilitating, as she had discovered, and she decided to explore the experiences of others, to see how they had recovered their voices, fought back against the mob, or otherwise moved on.The stories in No Apologies are poignant, and fascinating. Katherine is a clear and compelling writer, and an eloquent expositor, as I discovered during our discussion. We explored her own experience, her interests in journalism, and her own takeaways from the stories she explored as a journalist, which form the basis of the book. It was a fascinating and provocative discussion, and in many ways uplifting rather than depressing. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did, and that it helps others to deal with the a society that seems to be becoming increasing intolerant to free and open discussion about important issues.Full Episodes Playlist:youtube.com/watch?v=qXLv1PHLilU&list=PL5R87nA_A7ijBql86ZL1_PAM8GDM1M_VC
Irwin Shapiro: Scientist Extraordinaire from the Earth to the Stars, and at 94, still going strong The Origins Podcast 2024-03-17 | Subscribe for exclusive content at lawrencekrauss.substack.comLearn more and support the foundation at originsproject.orgA note from Lawrence:Irwin Shapiro is a remarkable human being by almost any standard. Following his education in physics at Cornell and Harvard, he had a job at MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory working on various problems in planetary dynamics, and radar ranging, when he went to a lecture and realized that a completely new phenomenon could occur in General Relativity that no one had proposed in the half-century since Einstein first proposed it. For objects traveling near a massive object like the Sun, the travel time to go from one point to another would be slightly longer than it would be if one simply divided the distance traveled by the speed of light. One might think this is simply due to the fact that light takes a curved trajectory near a massive object, rather than traveling in a straight line. But as Shapiro showed, there is an additional time delay, due to the fact that clocks tick somewhat slower in a gravitational field than they would otherwise.This effect, now known as the Shapiro Effect has become known as the 4th test of General Relativity, a test the theory passed when Shapiro and collaborators used the Haystack Observatory to carefully measure reception times for radar signal that passed near the sun.Irwin went from that triumph to Chair the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at MIT, and from there to Harvard to lead the Harvard Smithsonian Observatory. He remains at Harvard, where at 94 years old, as Timkin University Professor, he still teachers classes, is doing research in biology, and plays tennis several times a week!Besides all of this, Irwin is one of the most lovely and gentle scientists I have known in my career, which continued after my stint at Harvard largely because of encouragement he gave to me at a very difficult time for me. As a result, it was a pure delight to reconnect with him after many years, and have a conversation about his long career, the evolution of science in the 60 odd years that he has been doing it, and about life in general. I hope you enjoy it, and find it as intellectually and emotionally stimulating as I did.Full Episodes Playlist:youtube.com/watch?v=qXLv1PHLilU&list=PL5R87nA_A7ijBql86ZL1_PAM8GDM1M_VC
Jonathan Kay | Label-Defying Journalist, Senior Editor of Quillette, & More The Origins Podcast 2024-02-17 | Subscribe for exclusive content at lawrencekrauss.substack.comLearn more and support the foundation at originsproject.orgA note from Lawrence:I first became aware of Jonathan Kay through his writing for the online magazine, Quillette. And for full disclosure, I got to know him better because he is one of their editors, and he has edited several of my own pieces for that magazine. Before that, however, I had been a fan of his writing, and was happy to be able to have an extended conversation with him about writing, journalism, false news, and politics, to name a few of the topics we discussed.Our dialogue occurred shortly after the appearance of a comprehensive 15,000 word piece of investigative journalism piece by Kay about a supposed organized sex-ring in the Psychology Department at McMaster University in Canada. Outrageous claims had surfaced, which ignited the university, and the local media, destroying the careers of various faculty and others, all of which eventually turned out to be false. Kay carefully explored how the original story developed, what factors prompted the University to act, and how local media played up the salacious claims without much investigation. It was a typical example of how false news can propagate, and also an indictment of the way Universities handle such claims, and local media may promote them.The appearance of this story gave us the opportunity to talk about the state of journalism in general. Jonathan has had a unique career and background, which made him a particularly interesting dialogue partner about this issue. He actually was educated as a metallurgical engineer, and following that he pursued a law degree at Yale University, and was a tax lawyer before eventually becoming disenchanted and deciding to pursue a career in writing and journalism.He also defies easy labelling. While he was a founding editor of the conservative Canadian newspaper The National Post, he also helped Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau write his memoirs. It is Jonathan’s non-ideological bent, perhaps due to his early training as a scientist and engineer that makes his perspective on today’s news so refreshing. We discussed his own background, what got him into writing, his experiences, and stories including the recent claimed Indigenous Residential School scandal in Canada, and the controversy surrounding the naming of the James Webb Space Telescope in the U.S.When I contacted Jon this week to let him know the podcast is coming out, I learned that he had just completed a lengthy investigative piece about University of New Hampshire astrophysicist/gender studies social justice warrior Chanda Prescod Weinstein who, in the process of claiming victimization for herself and others, has apparently been bullying, harassing, and intimidating a host of others online, leading to complaints recently being filed at her institution. It coincidentally just came out yesterday, so this podcast is particularly timely. I hope you enjoy the discussion as much as I enjoyed talking to this fascinating man.Full Episodes Playlist:youtube.com/watch?v=qXLv1PHLilU&list=PL5R87nA_A7ijBql86ZL1_PAM8GDM1M_VC
Noam Chomsky on Donald Trump The Origins Podcast 2024-02-07 | Noam Chomsky on Donald Trump #noamchomsky #originspodcast #politics
Noam Chomsky on Donald Trumps dedication to destroying the environment The Origins Podcast 2024-02-06 | Noam Chomsky on Donald Trump's dedication to destroying the environment #noamchomsky #originspodcast #politics
Noam Chomsky on the fear mongering of Donald Trump The Origins Podcast 2024-02-06 | Noam Chomsky on the fear mongering of Donald Trump #noamchomsky #originspodcast #politics #america
Noam Chomsky on kids not knowing how to play anymore The Origins Podcast 2024-02-06 | Noam Chomsky on kids not knowing how to play anymore #noamchomsky #originspodcast #politics #childhood
Lawrence Krauss - Kids shouldnt be have to be uncomfortable The Origins Podcast 2024-02-05 | Lawrence Krauss - Kids shouldn't be have to be uncomfortable #noamchomsky #originspodcast #politics #childhood
Noam Chomsky on the striking features of American culture The Origins Podcast 2024-02-05 | Noam Chomsky on the striking features of American culture #noamchomsky #originspodcast #politics #america
Noam Chomsky - The crazy guy from the outfield gets in The Origins Podcast 2024-02-05 | Noam Chomsky - The crazy guy from the outfield gets in #noamchomsky #originspodcast #politics
Noam Chomsky speaks on shifting political parties The Origins Podcast 2024-02-04 | Noam Chomsky speaks on shifting political parties #noamchomsky #originspodcast #politics
(RECORDED LIVE ONSTAGE) Lawrence Krauss & Brian Keating Discuss Latest Science & Edge Of Knowledge The Origins Podcast 2024-02-03 | Subscribe for exclusive content at lawrencekrauss.substack.comLearn more and support the foundation at originsproject.orgIn 2023, the Origins Project Foundation hosted an event featuring a live onstage dialogue between renowned astrophysicist Brian Keating and acclaimed Theoretical Physicist Lawrence M. Krauss at the Air and Space Museum in San Diego. This live, non-profit event was a part of a series of public events in California, named our "Nights At The Museum".------------A message from Lawrence:In mid-October, the Origins Project Foundation ran two public events in California. The second event was held at the Air and Space Museum in San Diego. I had asked my colleague Brian Keating, who teaches at UCSD and is a Trustee of that museum, whether he might be interested in doing a public dialogue together that we could later both broadcast on our respective podcasts. He and I have each appeared before on each other’s podcasts, and I knew that we could have the kind of comfortable, informative, and fun conversation that might appeal to a live audience, which would make for a different kind of podcast.I am happy to present here the video record of that live-audience podcast, and the Q&A with the audience that was recorded right after it. Brian and I discussed many things, from forefront cosmology, to the nature of teaching and doing research, as viewed by an experimentalist and a theorist respectively, as well as broader questions associated with science in society today. The questions afterwards were equally interesting. I hope you enjoy both as you listen to or watch the podcast.------------About The Speakers:Brian Keating is a Chancellor’s Distinguished Professor of physics at the Center for Astrophysics & Space Sciences (CASS) in the Department of Physics at the University of California, San Diego. He is a public speaker, inventor, and an expert in the study of the universe’s oldest light, the cosmic microwave background (CMB), using it to learn about the origin and evolution of the universe. Keating is a writer and podcaster and the best-selling author of one of Amazon Editors’ ‘Best Non-fiction Books of All Time”, Losing the Nobel Prize.Connect with Brian Keating at:briankeating.comyoutube.com/DrBrianKeatingsandiegoairandspace.orgLawrence Krauss is an internationally known theoretical physicist and bestselling author. He is currently President of The Origins Project Foundation, and host of The Origins Podcast. His wide research interests have focused on the interface between elementary particle physics and cosmology, including the origin and evolution of the Universe and the fundamental structure of matter. Among his numerous important scientific contributions was the proposal, in 1995, that most of the energy of the Universe resided in empty space. Lawrence Krauss has held endowed professorships at numerous universities and most recently served as Director of Arizona State University’s Origins Project, and Foundation Professor for a decade from 2008-2018, and also as Chair of the Board of Sponsors of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists from 2006-2018. He has written over 600 publications and 12 popular books, including the international best-sellers, The Physics of Star Trek and A Universe from Nothing. His latest book, The Edge of Knowledge, was released in May 2023. Krauss has written for magazines and newspapers including, to name just a few, The New York Times, The Wall St. Journal, The Globe and Mail, The National Post, and the New Yorker, and appears regularly on radio, television and most recently in several feature films. Among his numerous awards are included the three major awards from all 3 US physics societies and the 2012 Public Service Award from the National Science Board for his contributions to the public understanding of science.Connect with Lawrence Krauss atlawrencemkrauss.comtwitter.com/LKrauss1
Jordan Peterson Considers a Political Career The Origins Podcast 2024-02-02 | Jordan Peterson Considers a Political Career #jordanpeterson #lawrencekrauss #originspod
The imposibilities of our perceptions The Origins Podcast 2024-02-02 | The imposibilities of our perceptions #jordanpeterson #lawrencekrauss #originspod
Community and Complex Rituals The Origins Podcast 2024-02-01 | Community and Complex Rituals #jordanpeterson #lawrencekrauss #originspod
Left wing ideologues dont take the issue of inequality seriously The Origins Podcast 2024-01-31 | Left wing ideologues don't take the issue of inequality seriously #jordanpeterson #lawrencekrauss #originspod
Jordan Petersons Origins The Origins Podcast 2024-01-31 | Jordan Peterson's Origins #jordanpeterson #lawrencekrauss #originspod
Respecting those you disagree with The Origins Podcast 2024-01-31 | Respecting those you disagree with #jordanpeterson #lawrencekrauss #originspod
The Road to Wigan Pier is a deadly book The Origins Podcast 2024-01-30 | The Road to Wigan Pier is a deadly book #jordanpeterson #lawrencekrauss #originspod
Thats your bloody attitude? The Origins Podcast 2024-01-30 | That's your bloody attitude? #jordanpeterson #lawrencekrauss #originspod
Reading Doesteyevsky The Origins Podcast 2024-01-30 | Reading Doesteyevsky #jordanpeterson #lawrencekrauss #originspod
Jordan Petersons Family Dynamics The Origins Podcast 2024-01-29 | Jordan Peterson's Family Dynamics #jordanpeterson #lawrencekrauss #originspod
Expectations from Jordan Petersons Father The Origins Podcast 2024-01-29 | Expectations from Jordan Peterson's Father #jordanpeterson #lawrencekrauss #originspod
On Jordan Petersons Father The Origins Podcast 2024-01-29 | On Jordan Peterson's Father #jordanpeterson #lawrencekrauss #fatherhood
The problem of censorship The Origins Podcast 2024-01-28 | The problem of censorship #jordanpeterson #lawrencekrauss #freespeech
You dont know what you dont know The Origins Podcast 2024-01-28 | You don't know what you don't know #jordanpeterson #lawrencekrauss #originspod
Jordan Petersons obsessive mind The Origins Podcast 2024-01-28 | Jordan Peterson's obsessive mind #lawrencekrauss #jordanpeterson #psychology
What is the virtue of science? The Origins Podcast 2024-01-27 | What is the virtue of science? #lawrencekrauss #science #neildegrassetyson
Neil deGrasse Tyson on the beauty of the moon landing The Origins Podcast 2024-01-27 | Neil deGrasse Tyson on the beauty of the moon landing #lawrencekrauss #moon #neildegrassetyson
The Beauty of Science The Origins Podcast 2024-01-27 | The beauty of science #lawrencekrauss #science #neildegrassetyson
Whats the most famous painting of George Washington? The Origins Podcast 2024-01-26 | What's the most famous painting of George Washington? #lawrencekrauss #washington #neildegrassetyson
Whats the most famous painting of George Washington? The Origins Podcast 2024-01-26 | Star-struck in a planetarium #lawrencekrauss #washington #neildegrassetyson
Star-struck in a planetarium The Origins Podcast 2024-01-26 | Star-struck in a planetarium #lawrencekrauss #astronomy #neildegrassetyson
Enriching children though varied experiences The Origins Podcast 2024-01-25 | How Neil DeGrasse Tyson's mom encouraged learning #lawrencekrauss #scicomm #neildegrassetyson
Neil degrasse tysons astronomical roots The Origins Podcast 2024-01-25 | Neil degrasse tyson's astronomical roots #lawrencekrauss #astronomy #neildegrassetyson
Universities are the sum of selfish conduct The Origins Podcast 2024-01-25 | Universities are the sum of selfish conduct #lawrencekrauss #academia #neildegrassetyson
