Please join my mailing list here ? https://briankeating.com/list to win a meteorite ? The James Webb Space Telescope is a monumental step forward in our pursuit of understanding the Universe and its origins. Here today, to answer the most frequently asked questions about the telescope, is the senior project scientist himself, John Cromwell Mather! John is an astrophysicist and cosmologist of the highest rank. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on the Cosmic Background Explorer Satellite COBE along with his colleague George Smoot. Now, he’s exploring the early Universe via the JWST. Tune in! Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmXH_moPhfkqCk6S3b9RWuw/join Key Takeaways: 00:00:00 Intro 00:00:57 James Webb Space Telescope 00:04:00 Why are people so fascinated with space exploration? 00:06:51 Does Webb have the potential to see small rocky planets close to us? 00:09:29 Can Webb rule out or comment on the uniformity of the universe? 00:11:58 Will the TRAPPIST-1 system be viewed by Webb? 00:14:23 Will future projects self-assemble and self-replicate? 00:15:40 Can we look at Europa? 00:20:37 Rapid fire questions 00:24:14 Advice for aspiring students 00:25:08 Outro — Additional resources: ➡️ Learn more about John Mather: https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/2006/mather/biographical/ ➡️ Follow me on your favorite platforms: ✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating ? YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DrBrianKeating?sub_confirmation=1 ? Join my mailing list: https://briankeating.com/mailing_list ✍️ Check out my blog: https://briankeating.com/blog.php ?️ 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. Make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode! #intotheimpossible #briankeating #jwst ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8WkZG3_4dY

Was 2020 really the "worst year ever," as some would have us believe? Or are things getting better? Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker has shown that poverty, pollution and other challenges are on the wane and we're doing better now in every one of a host of important metrics compared with 30 years ago. Yet progress isn't inevitable, and it doesn't mean everything gets better for all humans all the time, Pinker says. Instead, progress is problem-solving, and we should look at things like climate change, pandemics, and the threat of war as problems to be solved, not inevitable apocalypses in waiting. "We will never have a perfect world, and it would be dangerous to seek one," he says. "But there's no limit to the betterments we can attain if we continue to apply knowledge to enhance human flourishing." Topics Discussed: * How his thinking on liberalism has changed in light of recent events * Presumably it's still the antidote, but what nuances should we keep in mind * For example, free speech is sacrosanct, but with today's technology, "lies get halfway around the world before the truth can tie its laces." * The gatekeepers to the public square are increasingly concentrated. * Technology/social media exacerbate this issue * What should we do? * Advice to young adults * How to navigate these dynamics * Career considerations * His thoughts on capitalism, e.g., Coca Cola, MLB, Delta protesting Georgia; Dr. Seuss; * What about our current situation reconfirms his views? What has caused a rethink? * What has he changed his mind about recently? * What does he believe that nobody else does? * What is he most hopeful about? Most concerned about? Get Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress https://amzn.to/3eV6Vs2 Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmXH_moPhfkqCk6S3b9RWuw/join 00:00:00 Introduction 00:05:31 Why are educated people so bad at making rational decisions? 00:08:20 Why are intellectuals so polarized and so wrong about other fields?: 00:14:08 Galileo, Feynman and the Dunning-Kruger effect. 00:18:33 In light of the pandemic, are you still optimistic about the future? 00:23:01 What is the for-profit media's role in societal polarization? 00:26:20 How will be judged in the future for some of our habits today? 00:30:23 How can we judge religious practices from many years ago? 00:33:46 Would you prefer many readers now or having a single reader 100 years from now? 00:36:35 What is the most precious commodity to you? 00:40:19 What is your take on solving societal problems by curtailing science? (And how to solve the climate crisis) 00:53:28 What's the best writing advice? What book do you give as a gift? 00:55:14 What’s in your Ethical Wil ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObuLujuthLo