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

Weekly conversations on science, philosophy, culture and big ideas AI summary

Sean Carroll Visit website › Science · EN · 452 episodes · latest 2026-11-09

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What it is about

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.

Publisher’s own description, taken unchanged from the podcast feed.
© Sean Carroll 2026

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Latest episodes

Aak Me Anything | November 2026

2026-11-09 · 4 hr 7 min

Welcome to the November 2026 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…
373 | Colin Camerer on the Neuroscience of Economic Thinking

2026-11-02 · 1 hr 28 min · Episode 373

Economics often starts with an assumption that people are rational maximizers of their own self-interest; but it doesn't stop there. Economists do understand that sometimes people are irrational, altruistic, or just…
372 | Erik Winfree on DNA Computers and Robots

2026-10-26 · 1 hr 18 min · Episode 372

When we think of computers, we think of machines running on some kind of silicon chips. But the idea is more general: at heart, a computer is any object that takes in input, processes information, and produces output.…
371 | Kyle Harper on How Humans Have Shaped Life on Earth

2026-10-19 · 1 hr 25 min · Episode 371

Humanity is merely one species out of millions living on Earth, but we have a disproportionate impact on the rest of the biosphere. Recent transformations have accelerated that impact, but in fact it stretches back to…
Ask Me Anything | October 2026

2026-10-12 · 3 hr 32 min

Welcome to the October 2026 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…
370 | Daniel Akerib on a Faint Hint of Dark Matter

2026-10-03 · 1 hr 16 min · Episode 370

One reason it's been so hard to directly detect the dark matter is that we're not sure what it is. But for a long time, a leading candidate has been "Weakly Interacting Massive Particles" (WIMPs), so an impressive…
369 | Gregg Caruso on Living Well Without Free Will

2026-09-28 · 1 hr 24 min · Episode 369

The worry about debates over free will is that they degenerate into semantics -- what do you mean by "free will," really? But there are important substantive issues that shouldn't be ignored. Do people deserve blame for…
368 | Elizabeth Alexander on Why Democracy Needs Imagination

2026-09-21 · 1 hr 8 min · Episode 368

In all sorts of ways, the modern world makes it difficult to nurture our individual humanity and connect with the humanity of others. The disciplines that try to do so are, naturally enough, the humanities. Poet…
Mindscape Ask Me Anything, Sean Carroll | September 2026

2026-09-14 · 3 hr 52 min

Welcome to the September 2026 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…
367 | Jared Diamond on the Course of History and the Role of leaders

2026-09-07 · 1 hr 17 min · Episode 367

The course of history is affected by many things, including the political and social situations of large groups of people, their biological and physical abilities, and their geographical and environmental contexts.…

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Publisher details

Oldest episode in feed: 07/2018 · over 8 years
Typical length: 1 hr 41 min
Format: Episodic Newest first, episodes stand alone

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