When Cosmology Refuses to Do Physics – Dr. Brian Keating, DemystifySci #392
In this unedited, on-site conversation with cosmologist Dr. Brian Keating, we examine what counts as evidence in modern physics by pressing on one of cosmology’s most trusted observations: the cosmic microwave background. The discussion centers on a core tension between measurement and interpretation—specifically whether a near-perfect black body spectrum can reasonably be attributed to an early-universe plasma. As assumptions about the Big Bang, black body radiation, and material physics are questioned, the exchange becomes increasingly uncomfortable, revealing how deeply theoretical commitments shape scientific judgment. What emerges is not a verdict, but a rare, unfiltered look at how evidence, authority, and first principles collide in contemporary physics.PATREON https://www.patreon.com/c/demystifysciPARADIGM DRIFThttps://demystifysci.com/paradigm-drift-showHOMEBREW MUSIC - Check out our new album!Hard Copies (Vinyl): FREE SHIPPING https://demystifysci-shop.fourthwall.com/products/vinyl-lp-secretary-of-nature-everything-is-so-good-hereStreaming:https://secretaryofnature.bandcamp.com/album/everything-is-so-good-here00:00 Go! An emotionally charged take on physics00:06:00 Reexamining the Story We Tell About the Universe00:11:00 The Three Pillars of the Big Bang00:13:00 How the CMB Is Actually Measured00:16:00 The Surface of Last Scattering Explained00:18:00 Why the CMB Is Considered a Relic of a Hot Universe00:20:22 Measuring Expansion Without Direct Distance00:21:27 Atomic Simplicity and Early-Universe Conditions00:23:04 Is Science a Narrative or an Empirical Model?00:25:19 Historical Cosmology and Paradigm Shifts00:28:22 Why the CMB Is the Most Perfect Black Body Ever Measured00:33:30 What Produces Black Body Radiation in the Laboratory00:35:09 Can Gaseous Plasma Produce a Perfect Thermal Spectrum?00:36:58 When the Universe Became Transparent00:38:51 Expansion Assumptions and Acoustic Evidence00:39:34 Material Structure and Black Body Precision00:43:02 Measurement vs Interpretation in Cosmology00:44:11 Does the CMB Really Prove the Big Bang?00:47:00 Would Emissivity Errors Change Cosmology?00:50:02 Lab Black Bodies vs Cosmic Sources00:53:09 Are We Applying Earth Physics Correctly?00:56:26 Measuring Temperature vs Explaining Origins00:58:12 Emotional Attachment to Cosmological Models01:01:01 Gases Can't Radiate Planckian Spectra01:04:19 What Actually Makes a Black Body?01:05:56 How Cosmologists Use the CMB as a Thermometer01:08:32 Authority, Gatekeeping, and Scientific Credibility01:10:38 Would Alternative Models Change the Numbers?01:12:55 Could the CMB Be Local Rather Than Cosmic?01:16:11 Do Lattices Matter for Black Body Radiation?01:18:45 Precision, Agreement, and Cross-Checks01:20:22 A Philosophical Divide Over Evidence01:22:16 Peer Review, Outsiders, and First Principles01:24:07 Filtering Ideas and the Cost of Evaluation01:26:13 Expertise, Frustration, and Misalignment01:28:36 Who Bears the Burden of Proof?01:30:02 Expertise vs Novel Ideas in Physics01:31:25 Can Gases Ever Behave Like Black Bodies?01:33:42 The Sun is on Trial Too?#physics, #cosmology, #astrophysics, #quantummechanics , #bigbang, #cosmicmicrowavebackground, #philosophyofscience, #physicsfun , #theoreticalphysics, #spacetime , #fundamentalphysics , #longformpodcast, #physicspodcast, #philosophypodcast MERCH: Rock some DemystifySci gear : https://demystifysci-shop.fourthwall.com/AMAZON: Do your shopping through this link: https://amzn.to/3YyoT98DONATE: https://bit.ly/3wkPqaDSUBSTACK: https://substack.com/@UCqV4_7i9h1_V7hY48eZZSLw@demystifysci RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/2be66934/podcast/rssMAILING LIST: https://bit.ly/3v3kz2S SOCIAL: - Discord: https://discord.gg/MJzKT8CQub- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DemystifySci- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DemystifySci/- Twitter: https://twitter.com/DemystifySciMUSIC: -Shilo Delay: https://g.co/kgs/oty671