by Lawrence M. Krauss
The Origins Podcast 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. lawrencekrauss.substack.com <br/><br/><a href="https://lawrencekrauss.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast">lawrencekrauss.substack.com</a>
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
6/8/2019
Email Addresses
1 available
Phone Numbers
0 available
March 26, 2025
<p></p><p>The Origins Podcast began with a bang, a Big Bang. Over the first month of our recording, we traveled to two continents, and 4 cities and recorded 16 episodes in 22 days. It was a whirlwind, and one of the most amazing experiences I can recall. While in London, we took advantage of the amazingly gracious acceptance by Ricky Gervais to appear on the podcast. It was a day I will always remember. </p><p>Ricky had appeared in our film, The Unbelievers, which followed me and Richard Dawkins around the world. Gus and Luke Holwerda, who directed and filmed that movie helped create The Origins Podcast, and for the first year, filmed all the episodes. Ricky graciously agreed to appear in front of their cameras one more time, and joined us at what was then New College of Humanities, where I was a visiting Professor. </p><p>From the moment he arrived, it was clear it was going to be great. As he had been when we filmed The Unbelievers Ricky claimed to be nervous and was worried he would appear ignorant. He needn’t have worried. Maybe that is one of the reasons he is so good at what he does, because he worries about rising to the challenge. </p><p>We discussed his early life, his love of science, his early interest in biology and then philosophy, then the science of comedy, the comedy of religion, and the need for free speech. He then proceeded to demand a mind-bending, personal science lesson from me. It was amazing. He was amazing. Enjoy this, our first rebroadcast of a classic Origins Podcast Episode that is worth watching once again. Enjoy. </p><p>As always, an ad-free video version of this podcast is also available to paid Critical Mass subscribers. Your subscriptions support the non-profit Origins Project Foundation, which produces the podcast. The audio version is available free on the Critical Mass site and on all podcast sites, and the video version will also be available on the Origins Project YouTube.</p> <br/><br/>Get full access to Critical Mass at <a href="https://lawrencekrauss.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4">lawrencekrauss.substack.com/subscribe</a>
February 28, 2025
<p>Elizabeth Weiss's recent book, On the Warpath, chronicles her efforts to keep anthropology from falling prey to ideology, even as she curated a collection of ancient skeletons at San Jose State University. She and I had a chance to discuss her new book, and some of the ridiculous ways in which myth and superstition, and modern PC nonsense are intruding on the scientific study of humans and their ancestry. These included having a session the sex of skeletons being cancelled from a meeting of the American Anthropological Association because its leadership now insisted sex isn’t binary, and the fact that the American Museum of Natural History warns visitors that certain artifacts have powerful supernatural characteristics. </p><p>Many of her efforts have been to fight inappropriate repatriation of ancient bones to groups whose genetic relationship to these distant hominid ancestors is tenuous at best. It was this that caused her to lose her curations position at her University and eventually to retire from academia.</p><p>It was a pleasure to talk common sense, and the importance of science for our understanding of the human condition with her. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. </p><p>As always, an ad-free video version of this podcast is also available to paid Critical Mass subscribers. Your subscriptions support the non-profit Origins Project Foundation, which produces the podcast. The audio version is available free on the Critical Mass site and on all podcast sites, and the video version will also be available on the Origins Project YouTube.</p> <br/><br/>Get full access to Critical Mass at <a href="https://lawrencekrauss.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4">lawrencekrauss.substack.com/subscribe</a>
February 10, 2025
<p></p><p>“Science is the only News” -Steward Brand</p><p>Steward Brand may have been exaggerating, but not by much. So Sabine Hossenfelder and I decided it is high time to take him at his word. </p><p>Sabine is one of the most watched science popularizers online, and a physicist I enjoy listening to and discussing science with. She is opinionated, as am I, and we don’t always agree, which makes things even more interesting. I am very happy that she has agree to collaborate on a new and exciting series for The Origins Podcast. </p><p>Once a month Sabine and I will pick 4-5 science stories that have been in the news, and discuss them. We will try and dispel hype, cut through confusion, and give a deeper context to stories that might otherwise simply end up as soundbites on major news networks. We agree on fundamentals, but we each have our own way of thinking about them. </p><p>What most people don’t realize is that science, including theoretical physics, is a social activity, with an active dialectic between scientists working at the forefront. Watch our real time discussions to get a sense of how different physicists approach outstanding problems, how we elaborate on them with each other, and how we sometimes differ on what approaches we think are likely to be fruitful. </p><p>Our first discussion both lively and illuminating, and got us off to a very good start for this new podcast segment that I high hopes for. From the recent hype about quantum computing and many worlds, to panspermia, commercial nuclear fusion, and the politics of climate change, hang on to your hats, and enjoy!</p><p>As always, an ad-free video version of this podcast is also available to paid Critical Mass subscribers. Your subscriptions support the non-profit Origins Project Foundation, which produces the podcast. The audio version is available free on the Critical Mass site and on all podcast sites, and the video version will also be available on the Origins Project YouTube.</p> <br/><br/>Get full access to Critical Mass at <a href="https://lawrencekrauss.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4">lawrencekrauss.substack.com/subscribe</a>
Sean Carroll | Wondery
Big Bang Productions Inc.
Michael Shermer
Quanta Magazine
Closer To Truth
Steven Strogatz, Janna Levin and Quanta Magazine
Theories of Everything
Robinson Erhardt
iHeartPodcasts
Richard Dawkins
Paul M. Sutter
Alex J O'Connor
The Royal Astronomical Society
Physics World
Pod Engine is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected with any of the podcasts displayed on this platform. We operate independently as a podcast discovery and analytics service.
All podcast artwork, thumbnails, and content displayed on this page are the property of their respective owners and are protected by applicable copyright laws. This includes, but is not limited to, podcast cover art, episode artwork, show descriptions, episode titles, transcripts, audio snippets, and any other content originating from the podcast creators or their licensors.
We display this content under fair use principles and/or implied license for the purpose of podcast discovery, information, and commentary. We make no claim of ownership over any podcast content, artwork, or related materials shown on this platform. All trademarks, service marks, and trade names are the property of their respective owners.
While we strive to ensure all content usage is properly authorized, if you are a rights holder and believe your content is being used inappropriately or without proper authorization, please contact us immediately at [email protected] for prompt review and appropriate action, which may include content removal or proper attribution.
By accessing and using this platform, you acknowledge and agree to respect all applicable copyright laws and intellectual property rights of content owners. Any unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or commercial use of the content displayed on this platform is strictly prohibited.