From the Big Bang to God: The Universe’s Biggest Mysteries

The Michael Shermer Show

Michael Shermer

Dialogue, Science, Reason, Michaelshermer, Natural Sciences, Skeptic

4.4 • 921 Ratings

🗓️ 23 November 2024

⏱️ 99 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Journey to the frontiers of human knowledge with astrophysicist Kelsey Johnson as she explores mind-bending questions about the cosmos. Rather than just celebrating what we know, Johnson delves into the profound mysteries that remain unsolved—from the Big Bang to black holes—and examines how these uncertainties intersect with philosophy, theology, and human understanding.

Kelsey Johnson is a professor of astronomy at the University of Virginia, former president of the American Astronomical Society, and founder of the award-winning Dark Skies, Bright Kids program. She has won numerous awards for her research, teaching, and promotion of science literacy. She lives in rural Virginia with her family, including two very large dogs. Her new book is Into the Unknown: The Quest to Understand the Mysteries of the Cosmos.

Shermer and Johnson engage in a wide-ranging discussion covering fundamental questions about knowledge, existence, and the nature of our universe. Their conversation spans from the origins of the cosmos and the mysteries of dark matter to the possibilities of alien life and multiple dimensions. They explore philosophical concepts like free will, the mathematical nature of the universe, and the intersection of science with theology.

Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to's Michael Shermer.
0:26.8	It's time for another episode of the Michael Shermer show.
0:28.8	Brought to you, as always, by Skeptic Society and Skeptic Magazine.
0:31.8	Hey, here's the new issue on animal minds.
0:34.9	Can they think?
0:36.2	Well, of course they can think.
0:39.2	But what are they thinking? Well,
0:43.5	you have to read our issue to find out. You can go to skeptic.com slash magazine to order your latest issue, order a subscription one, two or three years, and order any of the back
0:47.5	issues all the way back to 1992. Yes, we've been in business for a long time. There's a lot of
0:52.3	bunk to be debunked. So, but we don't just do that.. There's a lot of bunk to be debunked. But we don't just do that.
0:56.1	We also do a lot of interesting scientific questions. So my guest today is Kelsey Johnson.
1:00.9	She's a professor of astronomy at the University of Virginia, former president of the American
1:05.8	Astronomical Society, and founder of the award-winning Dark Skies Bright Kids program.
1:12.3	She's won numerous awards for her research, teaching, and promotion of science literacy.
1:17.4	She lives in rural Virginia where their family, including two very big dogs.
1:21.3	I bet they're not as big as my dog.
1:22.5	I have a huge chocolate lab.
1:23.9	He's 125 pounds.
1:26.1	Okay, mine is 120, so I think that could, you know, it should be 120, but he's 125 pounds okay mine is 120 so i think you're close well mine should be 120 but he's
1:31.2	overweight because i give him i give him people food uh anyway but her new book here it is into the unknown
1:37.3	the quest to understand the mysteries of the cosmos and when i say that i mean the biggest ones
1:42.8	of all like why is there something rather than nothing what is the that, I mean the biggest ones of all. Like, why is there something
	...

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