356 | Andrea Wulf on Enlightenment, Nature, Romanticism, and Modernity
In this episode, historian Andrea Wulf discusses her recent trilogy of books that trace the birth of modernity through the lives of Alexander von Humboldt, the Jena Circle of Romantic thinkers, and the traveler George Forster. She highlights how these figures pioneered the idea that nature is an interconnected living system and championed a humane view of diverse cultures, challenging the prevailing racial hierarchies of the 18th century. Wulf argues that ideas arise from the personal experiences and social networks of their creators, showing how Forster’s peripatetic upbringing fostered his radical egalitarianism. The conversation underscores the relevance of these Enlightenment and Romantic insights for today’s environmental and social challenges.
350 | J. Eric Oliver on the Self and How to Know It
In this episode, Sean Carroll talks with political scientist J. Eric Oliver about the nature of the self, drawing on philosophy, neuroscience, Buddhism, and modern science. Oliver argues that the self is not a fixed essence but a dynamic, multi‑layered...
349 | Daniel Harlow on What Quantum Gravity Teaches Us About Quantum Mechanics
In this episode Sean Carroll talks with MIT physicist Daniel Harlow about the current landscape of quantum gravity research and how it forces us to rethink the foundations of quantum mechanics. Harlow explains why gravity’s universal coupling makes it a...