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

By: Sean Carroll | Wondery
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  • Summary

  • 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.
    © Sean Carroll 2018
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Philosophy Physics Science Social Sciences
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Episodes
  • 312 | Thomas Levenson on the Mutual History of Humans and Germs

    312 | Thomas Levenson on the Mutual History of Humans and Germs
    Apr 21 2025

    The germ theory of disease is a crowning achievement of science, up there with modern physics, continental drift, and evolution via natural selection. (Even if there will always be cranky skeptics.) But the road to widespread acceptance isn't always an easy one. Why did it take so long between Anton van Leeuwenhoek seeing "animalcules" in a microscope (1670s) to Louis Pasteur's work on pasteurization and vaccination (1860's)? Thomas Levenson is the author of a new book exploring this fascinating history: So Very Small: How Humans Discovered the Microcosmos, Defeated Germs--and May Still Lose the War Against Infectious Disease.

    Blog post with transcript: https://www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2025/04/21/episode-312-thomas-levenson-on-the-mutual-history-of-humans-and-germs/

    Support Mindscape on Patreon.

    Thomas Levenson received a B.A. in East Asian Studies from Harvard University. He is currently Professor of Science Writing and director of the graduate program in science writing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is the author of numerous books and has written and produced a number of science documentaries for television.

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    1 hr and 31 mins
  • 311 | Annaka Harris on Whether Consciousness is Fundamental

    311 | Annaka Harris on Whether Consciousness is Fundamental
    Apr 14 2025

    Questions about consciousness range from the precise and empirical -- what neurons fire when I have some particular experience -- to the deeply profound -- does consciousness emerge from matter, or does matter emerge from consciousness? While it might be straightforward to think that consciousness arises from the collective behavior of atoms in the brain, Annaka Harris and others argue that consciousness could be the fundamental stuff from which matter arises. She talks with a variety of experts in her new audio series, Lights On: How Understanding Consciousness Helps Us Understand the Universe.

    Blog post with show notes and transcript: https://www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2025/04/14/311-annaka-harris-on-whether-consciousness-is-fundamental/

    Support Mindscape on Patreon.

    Annaka Harris received a BFA from New York University. She is the author of Consciousness: A Brief Guide to the Fundamental Mystery of the Mind. She is a co-founder of Project Reason.

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    1 hr and 10 mins
  • AMA | April 2025

    AMA | April 2025
    Apr 7 2025

    Welcome to the April 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 number -- based primarily on whether I have anything interesting to say about them, not whether the questions themselves are good -- and sometimes group them together if they are about a similar topic. Enjoy!

    Blog post with questions and transcript: https://www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2025/04/07/ama-april-2025/

    Support Mindscape on Patreon.

    A couple of links relevant to the intro:

    • Tariff formula (Snopes)
    • Tufts student nabbed by ICE (plus video)


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    3 hrs and 30 mins
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What listeners say about Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas

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Profile Image for Isai Mathias

The Ultimate Podcast for the Curious

Sean may not be widely popular perhaps because he dwells not in hypes and elusive ambitious statements - a trait most of his colleagues are known for. Here Professor Carroll leads the curious mind to explore many disciplines from "working" experts in the fields. No other science popularization and education podcast compares to Mindscape.

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Profile Image for Nathan Simmons

Best Podcast

This is the best podcast In its space!

Sean has a brilliant mind and he does an amazing job of navigating conversations with those whom he didn doesn’t agree with.

Great for fans of Skeptics Guide or Sam Harris’ Making Sense (but w/out Sam’s particular set of biases). More science and philosophy, less pushing a set agenda.

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Foundation of ideas

Sean Caroll is an amazing figure. He is a good moderator that is well-articulated with a sense of humor, humble that some popular science communicators lack (e.g. Neil deGrasse Tyson), not to mention his intelligence, and actively listens with a genuine sense of interest in ideas. Moreover, it seems that he can grasp the gist of ideas foreign to him in a short time, and, meanwhile, ask questions that audience a la laypeople egaer to know the answers thereof. A big bonus to me is that he loves philosophy and invites philosophers on the show. As for the content? The topic of each episode speaks for itself -interesting! No need to worry about the quality. But I don't recommend binge listening even though the series is arresting because rich and complex thoughts take time to sink in.

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Profile Image for E Raabe

My favorite podcast

I've been following the podcast for a while on Spotify, and was thrilled to find it here on Audible while looking for his books. Sean Carroll's ability to walk a lay audience through a wide range of difficult ideas is truly Asimovian.

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Profile Image for Miguel Taco

Came here for Robert Sapolsky ...

Stayed for Sean Carroll. I’m enjoying more than 70% of these podcasts. 3 more words needed.

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The Very Best

The very best of academia interviewed by one of the deepest thinkers of our time.

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more sociology than game theory.. wonders

more sociology than game theory wonders from topic. should rel'llabel titlte or stick to subject not very good

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Loves to talk about himself

This guy is a bore in the true sense of the word. Spends more time than enough talking about himself, ego driven.

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