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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The response to our first What’s New in Science has been very strong. What was not clear however, is that in this new series, Sabine Hosenfelder is my co-host, not my guest. As a result, we have changed things up a bit, and we are thrilled with the results. Both Sabine and I separately chose three science news items, and we alternated introducing them. After the introduction we had a spirited discussion about each. The topics included, the buzz around topological quantum computers, search for water on the moon, a new Google AI scientist, new optimistic models suggest a major ocean current may not be near its tipping point due to Climate change, searching for quantum fluctuations in space and time with interferometers, and the purported discovery of the very first stars in the Universe. We had a spirited discussion of these developments, and then topped it off with a discussion about a video that Sabine had posted that went viral, about the present and future of particle physics.

Our discussion was exactly what I think is needed, and not present elsewhere on the internet, namely, in depth discussions of topics in the news where the details are fleshed out and the wheat separated from the chaff—no holds barred. In addition, the news is so topical that it changes between our recording, and the episode release. For example, on the day of our recording, a new private spacecraft had just successfully landed near the South Pole of the Moon to drill for evidence of water. We discussed why this is of interest, and it still is. However, the spacecraft isn’t. The day after our discussion it was announced that the spacecraft had since toppled over and its batteries had died. While this mission failed, the purpose of the mission remains important, and therefore the discussion we had can provide useful perspective to assess future mission claims.

We look forward to getting your feedback on our new format, and also encourage you to send us ideas for news items in our next podcast. With your support, I believe this new monthly addition to the Origins Podcast lineup may become one of the most valuable parts of our whole program. Enjoy!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

“Science is the only News” -Steward Brand

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

Jonathan Rauch is one of the clearest thinkers writing today about the philosophical and sociological interconnections between democracy and science, as detailed in his last book, The Constitution of Knowledge, about which we had a fascinating podcast discussion a year or two ago. When I heard his newest book was due to appear this month, I was eager to have him back on.

This new book, Cross Purposes, Christianity’s Broken Bargain with Democracy was released yesterday. It was a surprising take on the subject. Rauch is an atheist, a Jew, and homosexual, so one might have expected an attack on the failings of Christianity. Nothing could be further from the truth. Rauch argues that Christianity offers moral bases that mesh well with Madisonian democracy, and that it is necessary for the Christian community to tap into these if democracy in the US is to be resuscitated.

There is a lot to unpack there, and that is precisely what we did. He and I share atheist and Jewish roots, and we agree on many features of both philosophy and religion. But our perspectives on both the actual moral fabric of Christianity, and the extent to which society should give special treatment to religious teaching, and to what extent the positive aspects of Christian religious theology, including the theology of groups like the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, means that we should respect that theology, differ.

Because I respect Rauch as a writer and a thinker so much, I thought it would be useful to take time to explore these differences, in order to ascertain to what extent his thesis was viable, and also to allow listeners access to a thoughtful and respectful discussion of to what extent Christian religious teachings have a key role to play in the moral framework of a healthy democratic society in the United States.

As always, the discussion was educational, and illuminating. It is an important issue at the current time, and I am very happy we could have a deeper dive into it with someone so thoughtful and knowledgeable. I hope you enjoy the discussion, including the animated give and take at times, as much as both Jonathan and I did.

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.

As promised we are extremely excited to release our newest podcast, with acclaimed angel investor and silicon valley visionary, Cyan Banister. As I described in my last substack post, she is actually so much more. She found herself homeless in Northern Arizona at the age of 13, and undaunted, eventually became a self taught software engineer, and then moved on to become a legend in Silicon Valley.

We did a deep dive into her origins, from her early childhood, through abandonment at 13, homelessness as a teenager, the key developments that led her to become a self-taught software engineer, and eventually to have the opportunity to become an angel investor, leading her to become among the first investors in SpaceX, Uber, and many more companies, and then to her thoughts about nature, technology and the future. It was a remarkable discussion with a remarkable individual. Cyan defies any stereotype and we are very pleased that she regarded our 3.5 hr discussion as the most comprehensive and enlightening podcast she has done. We even made several discoveries together about how developments when she was young affected her approach to business and life today, and also how what she views as her purposes in life perhaps reflect key gifts that helped raise her up in her own story. And, in the true spirit of connecting science and culture that is at the heart of the Origins Podcast, we also explored how she actually approaches both life and business with a true scientific attitude—exploring, experimenting, letting nature and experience guide her, and a willingness to change her mind.

Everyone who has heard anything about Cyan’s story has been inspired. We feel that our dialogue, which takes her story to a whole new level, will touch anyone who has faced what seem to be insurmountable challenges, and inspire people to think more creatively about their own futures, and how what we can do to help people better achieve their aspirations, and of course better address the challenges of the 21st Century.

If it isn’t clear already, I think this podcast could, in the long run, be one of the most significant discussions we have ever done. Enjoy.

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.

Jennifer Doudna changed the world. She didn’t do it intentionally. She pursued her curiosity about the structure and functioning of RNA as a research scientist, one who had been trained by some of the most impactful geneticists at the time, including two Nobel laureates. In the process, however, she and her collaborators discovered a genetic tool that has dwarfed all others for its potential to change both the human condition, but also what it may mean to be human. I am referring of course to CRISPR, the tool that Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier helped develop and for which they were awarded the Nobel Prize.

In our in-depth conversation we covered the scientific origins of Jennifer’s discoveries, and some of their possible implications. In a time when there is a misplaced notion that support for scientific research needs to be applied directly for certain goal-oriented activities, it is refreshing to have such a clear example of the benefits of fundamental research for our society, along with the need to prepare our minds for the possibilities of the future. It is exactly what the Origins Podcast, and the Origins Project Foundation are designed to highlight—the joy, benefits, and challenges of human intellectual inquiry for our society and our future. It was a pleasure and privilege to spend 90 minutes discussing these issues with this world-renowned biochemist and advocate for science.

Our conversation was both a tutorial about modern genetics, and also an opportunity to discuss issues that society as a whole will have address as we come to grips with the new power of science in this century. With great power comes great responsibility, and I hope discussions such as the one I had with Jennifer will provoke and enlighten. Enjoy.

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.

A year ago, John Richards the head of the Atheist UK approached me about the idea of celebrating Christopher Hitchens with a Hitchmas event, near Christmas, and on or about the anniversary of Christopher’s death, on Dec 15, 2011. I realized that to do it right would require time and organization, and the proper panelists. I was thrilled that Christopher’s friends and mine, Stephen Fry, Richard Dawkins, and Douglas Murray agreed to be part of the event, and that the HowTo Academy, which organizes wonderful events in London, several of which I had done before, agreed to coordinate the logistics with The Origins Project Foundation. A year later, the sold-out event happened, and we decided in advance to record it appropriately, with 5 cameras, and to have Gus and Luke Holwerda, who directed and filmed The Unbelievers, and with whom I began The Origins Podcast, edit the final product.

As a special Holiday gift, we are making the advert free video version available to both paid and free subscribers here on Critical Mass. This post has the audio version for those who prefer that. If you want to watch the video, open the other Critical Mass post we are releasing this morning. Our YouTube channel will also host the video, and I encourage you to subscribe to that channel as well if you wish. No matter how you watch it, or listen to it (we will make the audio available on iTunes etc), we hope you find this set of reminiscences and the ensuing discussion a wonderful reminder of a remarkable man, and that it inspires you as much as Christopher inspired us. Happy Holidays to you all.

Lawrence M. Krauss

I had the privilege of welcoming my friend Jeffrey Sachs back to the podcast. Jeffrey joined me earlier this year, and given the unfolding crises around the world, I thought it was a good time to sit down again and talk current events. I expect our conversation will generate disagreements from many listeners. Open discussion of sensitive issues however is important and one of the things that both Critical Mass and The Origins Project Foundation defend and promote.

Jeffrey is one of the most incisive thinkers I know. His career has spanned academia, global governance, and public advocacy, and his work has had a profound impact on economics and diplomacy. As one of the youngest tenured professors in Harvard’s history, he established himself as a brilliant scholar early on. But he didn’t stay confined to academia. For nearly two decades, he was a senior advisor to the UN Secretary-General, tackling some of the world’s most complex challenges.

Our conversation this time focused on two hot-button topics dominating headlines: Ukraine and Gaza. On Ukraine, Jeffrey traces the roots of the conflict back to the U.S.’s decision to expand NATO eastward—a move he argues broke assurances given to Russia in the early 1990s. He described how this decision sowed mistrust and led to today’s crisis. Jeffrey believes diplomacy is the only viable solution and floated a bold idea: a direct negotiation brokered by none other than Donald Trump, to secure Ukraine’s neutrality and end the bloodshed. I presented to him the concerns of a Ukrainian journalist who has asked me to present Jeffrey with various questions. the concern that a diplomatic solution will embolden Russia to more dramatic land grabs is certainly real in the Ukraine.

On Gaza, Jeffrey’s criticism was equally sharp. He views the Israeli government’s policies toward Palestinians in the occupied territories as untenable and unjust, likening them to apartheid. He insists that a two-state solution, grounded in international law, is the only way forward—a sentiment shared by much of the international community but ignored by Israel’s leadership, which he argues is using the United States as its handmaiden to perpetuate policies designed to create an Israeli state encompassing much or all of the territory in dispute.. For Jeffrey, the failure to pursue this path perpetuates unnecessary suffering and cycles of violence.

We didn’t agree on everything. I’m skeptical about the practicality of some of his solutions, and the basis of some of his arguments about the obstacles to peace. Nevertheless, we agree on two things. Diplomacy is always preferable to war, and a two-state solution is the only solution that might, in principle provide long term stability in the Middle East—even if the practical route to get there and ensure Israeli security in the process is rife with obstacles . Whether we agree or disagree, our conversations are always rich, nuanced, and thought-provoking. Jeffrey’s willingness to address hard truths, even when they provoke controversy, is one of the reasons I value his perspective so much. That and his encyclopedic knowledge of history and economics.

In a world so polarized, reasoned dialogue is more essential than ever. My discussion with Jeffrey reaffirmed that respectful dialogue is not just possible but necessary if we are to make progress on the complex issues of our time. Once again, that is one of the purposes of our Foundation, and this podcast. I hope you find this conversation as stimulating as I did.

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.

Nicholas Christakis is a Renaissance Man, with whom I have wanted to have a conversation for some time. There was so much to talk about with him, and each item was so fascinating, that we barely scratched the surface, even in the lengthy discussion we had. This is a great Thanksgiving Day listen.. instead of football games! One can get a sense of the breadth of his activities by considering his positions at Yale University. He is Sterling Professor (the highest endowed chair at Yale) of Social and Natural History, as well as Director of the Yale Institute for Network Science, and Professor in the Departments of Statistics, Biomedical Engineering, Medicine, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and in the School of Management!

Nicholas’ personal history is almost as fascinating as his academic accomplishments. Born in New Haven to parents who were graduate students at Yale (his father was a student of the notorious Gregory Breit, about whom I heard many stories when years later I became a Professor in that same department, and his mother was a graduate student of Nobel Laureate Lars Onsager), he moved back to Greece when his father had to return for military service, so Nicholas’s first language was Greek. His parents moved back to the US several years later, and Nicholas grew up in the US, returning to Yale University to study biology. All throughout his childhood he grew up under the shadow of his mother’s fatal illness, and he and his brothers all became doctor’s in response. But while in medical school, the bug for scientific research caused him to pursue both a Masters degree in Public Health and eventually a PhD in Sociology.

Moving to the University of Chicago, Nicholas focused on caring for dying patients, and exploring how their partnerships affected their health as well as that of their partners. This began an eventual transition to studying not pairs of individuals, but networks of human beings. His laboratory has done groundbreaking experimental work studying how networks of humans operate and how one might improve their functioning. To understand human networks he has also studied networks of animals including our nearest cousins, Primates.

The results of his investigations informed his most recent remarkable book, Blueprint, focused on the notion that evolution has endowed us to create and function in ‘good’ societies. We spent time discussing all aspects of this work, from the impacts of evolutionary biology on both human and primate societies, artificial communities, and the strange mating rituals of both other animals, and humans, all of which are more diverse than one might otherwise imagine. The exceptions however, prove the rule that a ‘social suite’ of characteristics, including cooperation, love and partnership, leadership and other factors, can produce a successful society. Along the way we discussed topics that appear intuitively surprising, such as culture within animal groups, and how behavior can ultimate affect genetics, something that sounds Lamarckian , but is instead a wonderful example of natural selection. We discussed the philosophical question of the nature of ‘good’, and whether one can indeed get ‘ought’ from ‘is’, as David Hume famously questioned, and ended with a discussion of how AI will affect human societies.

It was truly a fascinating privilege to have this discussion, and whetted my appetite for further conversations with this lovely and remarkable man.

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.