Into the Impossible With Brian Keating

• Earth Growing an AI Brain? Planetary Computation Explained with Ben Bratton

  As a member of the Into the Impossible family, you get a special 20% discount on a subscription to The Economist. Visit their website at https://www.economist.com/Keating to get started. Pique is offering 20% off for life AND a free Starter Kit with your purchase—that's a rechargeable frother and glass beaker to make the perfect cup every time. Just go to http://piquelife.com/impossible Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/list to win a meteorite 💥 What is planetary computation, and why does it matter? Are humans and AI truly separate, or are we actually co-evolving? And how did we end up building a megastructure that’s quietly reshaping governance, knowledge, and power on a planetary scale? Here to shed light on our evolving technological reality is Ben Bratton, philosopher of technology and professor at UCSD. Ben is the Director of Antikythera, a research program at the Berggruen Institute focused on the future of planetary computation. The program explores five core areas: planetary computation, synthetic intelligence, recursive simulations, hemispherical stacks, and planetary sapience. He is also the author of The Stack, a groundbreaking book that introduced the term “planetary computation” and mapped its political, social, and philosophical implications. In our wide-ranging conversation, Ben explains how computation has evolved far beyond servers and algorithms to become an organizing force of the planet itself. We also dive into the future of AGI, the ethics of machine valence, terraforming Earth as a philosophical imperative, non-biological life, and how speculative design and planetary sapience might reframe humanity’s role in the cosmos. — Key Takeaways:  00:00 Intro  01:02 Antikythera and planetary computation  07:50 AI and the limits of computation  18:04 Terraforming and the future of humanity  19:55 The role of language in AI  31:01 Planetary data centers and future energy needs 34:00 Techno signatures  39:10 Science and philosophy  41:09 The Stack: On Software and Sovereignty 45:52 Outro — Additional resources:  ➡️ Learn more about Ben Bratton:  💻 Website: https://bratton.info/  📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benjaminbratton  ✖️ X: https://x.com/bratton  📚 The Stack: https://amzn.eu/d/j80ENZW ➡️ 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. Make sure to follow so you never miss an episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Cosmology, Cosmic Inflation & Nobel Prizes | Dr. Brian Keating on Know Time

  Prof. Brian Keating talks about the origins of the universe, the Big Bang, cosmic microwave background radiation, cosmic inflation, BICEP & POLARBEAR experiments, the Simons Array and the Nobel Prize! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Can Future Telescopes Solve Dark Matter Mysteries? | Bob Kirshner

  Bob Kirshner and Brian Keating explore the future of the TMT and GMT telescopes in studying dark energy and exoplanets. They also consider recent controversies in cosmology regarding dark energy and the potential for astronomical measurements of neutrino mass. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Christof Koch Exposes the Fatal Flaw in AI Consciousness [Ep. 484]

  Pique is offering 20% off for life AND a free Starter Kit with your purchase—that's a rechargeable frother and glass beaker to make the perfect cup every time. Just go to http://piquelife.com/impossible Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/list to win a meteorite 💥 What is consciousness? Will we ever be able to create digital twins of ourselves that are conscious? And can artificial intelligence ever truly experience consciousness? Here today to enlighten us on these elusive yet fascinating topics is Christof Koch! Christof is a renowned neuroscientist and one of the leading figures in the field of consciousness. He is best known for his work in exploring the neural bases of consciousness, particularly in relation to the brain's structure and function. A key proponent of Integrated Information Theory, Christof is also about to release his new book, Then I Am Myself the World, an essential read for anyone seeking to understand humankind and the future we are creating. Join Christof and me as we delve into the mystical and mysterious world of consciousness. — Key Takeaways:  00:00 Intro  00:43 Judging a book by its cover 03:03 Defining consciousness  05:55 Progress in understanding consciousness  07:43 Integrated information theory  12:42 Consciousness in non-human systems  15:58 Meditation, psychedelics and dancing  17:58 AI scientists and digital twins  26:56 The perception box  31:43 Quantum mechanics and consciousness 38:25 How to calculate phi  44:01 Quantum computers and consciousness 48:00 Audience questions  52:49 Outro   — Additional resources:  ➡️ Learn more about Christof Koch: 💻 Website: https://christofkoch.com/  📚 Then I Am Myself the World: https://a.co/d/agleHRB  ➡️ 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. Make sure to follow/subscribe so you never miss an episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Proving the Big Bang Happened on Fraser Cain

  Prof. Brian Keating and Fraser Cain discuss the evidence for the Big Bang and the impact of the James Webb telescope on our current understanding of the Universe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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