Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas
Sean Carroll | Wondery
335 | Andrew Jaffe on Models, Probability, and the Universe
About This Episode
Science has an incredibly impressive track record of uncovering nonintuitive ideas about the universe that turn out to be surprisingly accurate. It can be tempting to think of scientific discoveries as being carefully constructed atop a rock-solid foundation. In reality, scientific progress is tentative and fallible. Scientists propose models, assign them probabilities, and run tests to see whether they succeed or fail. In cosmologist Andrew Jaffe's new book, The Random Universe, he illustrates how models and probability help us make sense of the cosmos.
Blog post with transcript: https://www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2025/11/10/335-andrew-jaffe-on-models-probability-and-the-universe/
Support Mindscape on Patreon.
Andrew Jaffe received his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Chicago. He is currently a professor of astrophysics and cosmology and Director of the Imperial Centre for Inference and Cosmology at Imperial College, London. His research lies at the intersection of theoretical and observational cosmology, including the Planck Surveyor, Euclid, LISA, and Simons Observatory collaborations.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Listen to Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas in Podtastic
Podcast Listening Magic
More Episodes
344 | Adam Gurri on Liberal Democracy and How to Fight For It
343 | Tom Griffiths on The Laws of Thought
AMA | Feb 2026
SummaryIn this February 2026 installment of the Mindscape Podcast, Sean Carroll hosts an Ask Me Anything episode that bridges the gap between contemporary political anxiety and deep scientific inquiry. Carroll opens the session by addressing the current climate in the United States, expressing his concern regarding the shift toward authoritarianism under the second Trump administration. Despite his personal feelings of despair regarding recent domestic tragedies and the global impact of administrative policy, he encourages listeners to remain active and optimistic, grounding his hope in the resilience of those fighting for justice. Transitioning to scientific and philosophical topics, Carroll fields diverse listener questions. He analyzes recent data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument, explaining why current findings, while potentially challenging the standard Lambda-CDM model, do not necessarily support a Big Crunch scenario. He also discusses the inherent fragility and resilience of complex systems, such as the Earth's biosphere, and shares his perspective on the eventual global adoption of the metric system. Furthermore, he explores the complexities of emergent time, the moral status of potential artificial consciousness, and the appropriate boundaries for institutional political activism within universities.
342 | Rachell Powell on Evolutionary Convergence, Morality, and Mind
341 | Stewart Brand on Maintenance as an Organizing Principle
340 | Rebecca Newberger Goldstein on What Matters and Why It Matters
339 | Ned Block on Whether Consciousness Requires Biology
Holiday Message 2025 | The Romance of the University
AMA | December 2025
338 | Ryan Patterson on the Physics of Neutrinos
Related Podcasts
All podcast names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Podcasts listed on Podtastic are publicly available shows distributed via RSS. Podtastic does not endorse nor is endorsed by any podcast or podcast creator listed in this directory.