Into the Impossible With Brian Keating

How Our Moon Shaped the Course of Human History and Humankind w/ Rebecca Boyle (#404)


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Today on Into the Impossible, we're joined by the renowned cosmic journalist Rebecca Boyle. 


As a lifelong lunar enthusiast, Rebecca has extensively studied how the Moon has shaped human history and life on Earth. Rebecca's new book, aptly titled ‘Our Moon,’ explores the mysteries of the Moon, from its crucial role in stabilizing Earth's orbit and shaping our climate to its influence on the evolution of life itself. Furthermore, she sheds light on how ancient civilizations used the Moon's phases to measure time, laying the foundations for scientific observations that continue to this day. 


Today, she has kindly joined us to share her insights and discoveries. So, without further ado, let's dive right into this pure lunacy!


Rebecca Boyle is a journalist covering the cosmos, focusing on astronomy, space exploration, and history. She is a contributing editor at Scientific American, a contributing writer for Quanta Magazine and The Atlantic, and a frequent contributor at the New York Times, Popular Science, Smithsonian Air & Space, and many other publications. She has received numerous writing awards throughout her career, and her work has been anthologized multiple times in The Best American Science & Nature Writing. Boyle is a former newspaper reporter, a former Space Camp attendee, and a lifelong Moon enthusiast.


Key Takeaways:


  • 00:00:00 Intro
  • 00:01:24 Judging a book by its cover
  • 00:05:08 Rebecca’s personal connection to the Moon
  • 00:11:16 The Moon in occultism and modern science
  • 00:13:36 Women’s menstrual cycles and the Moon
  • 00:16:03 The Moon’s impact on climate change on Earth
  • 00:18:50 How Earth beat the odds
  • 00:22:58 Early life formation and the impact of the Moon
  • 00:26:48 Going back to the Moon and colonizing space
  • 00:35:53 Audience questions
  • 00:38:38 Outro


  • Additional resources:


    📝 Get one month of Snipd Premium for free with this link: https://get.snipd.com/Cx7S/brianSnipd Snipd lets you take Smart Notes 🧠 with AI 💡 — it’s my favorite podcast player 😀 !


    ➡️ Learn more about Rebecca Boyle:

    ✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/rboyle31 

    📚 Our Moon: https://t.co/dVkJ6HUZH8


    ➡️ Follow me on your fav platforms:

    ✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating 

    🔔 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DrBrianKeating?sub_confirmation=1 

    📝 Join my mailing list: https://briankeating.com/list 

    ✍️ Check out my blog: https://briankeating.com/cosmic-musings/ 

    🎙️ Follow my podcast: https://briankeating.com/podcast


    Into the Impossible with Brian Keating is a podcast dedicated to all those who want to explore the universe within and beyond the known.


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