My Favorite New Podcast of 2018
Sean Carroll's Mindscape podcast was launched in July of 2018 and it is my favorite new podcast of this year. I tend to enjoy two types of podcasts; educational, focusing on philosophy, science and culture and comedic. I have been listening to a variety of podcasts including The Joe Rogan Experience, Doug Loves Movies and Waking Up with Sam Harris and I am always looking out for the next great podcast. There are a lot out there but finding one that matches my interests, has an engaging host and is not overproduced can be difficult but Sean Carroll's podcast ticks off all the boxes.
I don't remember the first time I listened to Sean Carroll but I remember being immediately impressed by his intellect, calm rationality, and ability to speak about complex topics in a way that was accessible and engaging. Sean is a theoretical physicist and is very knowledgeable about topics such as cosmology and quantum physics but I have been more interested in his views on philosophical topics such as consciousness, morality, and the nature of reality. I rarely become excited when I find out that someone has a podcast but when I heard that Sean Carroll was starting one I couldn't wait.
With guest's like Carlo Rovelli talking about quantum mechanics, Megan Rosenbloom on the death positive movement, and, more recently, Lisa Aziz-Zadeh discussing embodied cognition the Mindscape podcast offers a wide spectrum of ideas delivered by very smart people that I would have never heard about otherwise. We all get to benefit from Sean's curiosity relating to the current state of science, philosophy, and culture and with his talent of explaining things in simplified and more accessible ways, we do not have to drown in industry-specific terminology and indiscernible abstract concepts, although I will admit that I do not grasp everything discussed. He reminds me of Richard Dawkins in that he is a great ambassador for scientific knowledge and rationality.
I appreciate that Sean does not talk down to the audience or to his guests and I really appreciate his demeanor. He speaks calmly without being monotone or boring. You can tell that he is genuinely excited about the topics at hand and that he is really listening to his guests speak. There are many scientific intellectuals but it is a rare gift to be able to speak about science in a way that is understandable and engaging and Sean does this exceptionally well. I think that it is important to continue to expand my own understanding of the universe and I am glad that I have found a source that packs so much of what I love into one place.
If you are curious about the world, appreciate intelligent conversations, and want to expand your mind I recommend that you check out Sean Carroll's Mindscape podcast. Also, its free so there's no good reason not to.
Click here: https://www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/ or look for it on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Youtube, Stitcher and most any place you can listen to media.