What is scientific knowledge? How can it be relayed to the general public in our era of social media and fake information? What is the role of science in our society? To answer these questions, Pedro Pinto interviews Brian Cox in this episode of “It’s Not That Simple”, a podcast by the Francisco Manuel dos Santos Foundation.

A renowned experimental physicist, Brian Cox is the Professor of Particle Physics at Manchester University, The Royal Society Professor for Public Engagement in Science, and a key part of the ATLAS experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider.  He is also the presenter of the blockbuster TV shows Wonders of the Universe, The Planets, Wonders of Life, and Forces of Nature, each looking at the fundamental science behind everything from stars and planets to atoms and microbiology. Cox has also presented Stargazing, Space Hoppers, The Big Bang, and numerous editions of Horizon. His books accompanying the Wonders of... series have become huge bestsellers, as did his co-authored titles Why Does E=mc2? and The Quantum Universe. Cox also co-hosts Radio 4's comedy and science show Infinite Monkey Cage, and tours with a solo lecture show, Universal: Adventures in Space and Time.

In this episode, Cox explores the difference between reliable knowledge and opinion, as well as the challenges social media and its “noise” pose to scientists in communicating their findings to the general public. He discusses the issue of climate change and how astronomy shows us how both insignificant and special we are as a species. Cox also addresses the possibility of colonizing a “Planet B”, before explaining how remote the possibility of an Artificial Intelligence becoming sentient is. On the other, he warns of the very serious risks associated with letting AI making decisions for us. Cox also explains what black holes are and why he’s so fascinated by them. Finally, he considers the likelihood of extraterrestrial life, in a conversation well worth listening to.

More on this topic

• Why Does E=mc²? (And Why Should We Care?), Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw, 2009

• Wonders of the Solar System, Brian Cox and Andrew Cohen, 2010

• Wonders of the Universe, Brian Cox and Andrew Cohen, 2011

• The Quantum Universe (And Why Anything That Can Happen, Does), Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw 2011

• Wonders of Life: Exploring the Most Extraordinary Phenomenon in the Universe, Brian Cox and Andrew Cohen, 2013

• Human Universe, Brian Cox and Andrew Cohen, 2014

• Forces of Nature, Brian Cox and Andrew Cohen, 2016

• Universal: A Guide to the Cosmos, Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw, 2016

• Black Holes: The Key to Understanding the Universe, Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw, 2022

• A conversation with Brian Cox

• Brian Cox on how Physics can explain Life

• Brian Cox On The Multiverse And Life On Other Planets

• Brian Cox on “Our Place in the Universe”

• Brian Cox on “The Wonders of the Solar System”

•Brian Cox on Artificial Intelligence

• Podcast It’s Not That Simple “Cosmos”, with Vitor Cardoso

• A conversation about the Cosmos between Vítor Cardoso and fellow astrophysicists Michio Kaku and Carlo Rovelli

• Vítor Cardoso on black holes

• Vítor Cardoso on “black holes as engines of discovery”