Into the Impossible with Brian Keating

Brian Keating is a Chancellor's Distinguished Professor of Physics at UC San Diego who has spent his career working on cosmic microwave background radiation experiments. His podcast, Into the Impossible, pulls from that world-class research network to land guests most shows simply can't get. We're talking Fields Medalist Terence Tao, Avi Loeb on interstellar objects, and working physicists discussing everything from quantum gravity to the information paradox. The show's tagline is "Think like a physicist. Wonder like a human," and it captures the vibe well. Brian is genuinely enthusiastic about his guests' work, and his own research background means he can go technical when the conversation calls for it. Episodes run about an hour and drop weekly. The topics span AI, cosmology, quantum mechanics, and mathematics, so not every episode is quantum-specific, but the physics content is consistently strong. With 584 episodes and a 4.7-star average from over a thousand ratings, Into the Impossible has serious momentum. Brian also has a knack for making episodes about mathematical concepts feel surprisingly engaging. The show occasionally touches on broader cultural and philosophical topics too, which some listeners love and others skip past. For the quantum physics episodes specifically, Brian's ability to ask informed follow-up questions elevates the conversations well beyond the typical interview format.