Carlo Rovelli: Cosmic Mysteries and the Politics of Wonder

About this episode

Carlo Rovelli discusses his journey from consciousness exploration to becoming a leading physicist, emphasizing the intersection of science and politics.

Carlo Rovelli’s quest to understand the nature of reality began not in a physics lab, but in youthful experiments with consciousness, political protest and a restless hunger for meaning—years before he “fell madly in love with physics.” Today, Rovelli is famous for his bestselling books, including " Seven Brief Lessons on Physics " and " Reality Is Not What It Seems ," and his pioneering work on some of the biggest mysteries in physics, including black holes and quantum gravity. In a wide-ranging conversation, Steve Paulson talks with Rovelli about his early, profound experiences with LSD; his discovery of the "spectacular" beauty of general relativity and quantum mechanics; his lifelong search for purpose in both the cosmos and his own life; and why scientists need to be politically engaged. Carlo also tells us about the big idea that he’d put in our own wonder cabinet. This interview was recorded at the Island of Knowledge think tank in Tuscany, a project supported by Dartmouth College and the John Templeton Foundation. We also play a short excerpt from Anne Strainchamps’ earlier interview with Rovelli that originally aired on Wisconsin Public Radio’s To The Best Of Our…

People in this episode

Host: Steve Paulson

Guest: Carlo Rovelli

Topics covered

• physics
• consciousness
• political engagement
• quantum gravity
• general relativity
• meaning of life

Keywords

• Carlo Rovelli
• physics
• quantum gravity
• general relativity
• political engagement
• LSD
• meaning

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Dartmouth College, John Templeton Foundation, Wisconsin Public Radio

Books & works: Seven Brief Lessons on Physics, Reality Is Not What It Seems

Places: Island of Knowledge, Tuscany

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