Best Shawn Coyne Podcasts (2024)

1
Why ChatGPT Can’t Tell Compelling Stories (Yet) w/ John Vervaeke and Shawn Coyne (#402) 1:08:32

26d ago1:08:32

1:08:32

Join my mailing list https://briankeating.com/list to win a real 4 billion year old meteorite! All .edu emails in the USA 🇺🇸 will WIN! “What is it about Artificial Intelligence driving tech giants like Elon Musk, Marc Andreessen, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, and Sam Altman? Why are they racing to develop and own these thinking machines while unsure…

1
Daniel Dennett: Do We Have Free Will? 1:27:58

1h ago1:27:58

1:27:58

Join my mailing list https://briankeating.com/list to win a real 4 billion year old meteorite! All .edu emails in the USA 🇺🇸 will WIN! Welcome everyone to a fascinating deep dive with the late Daniel Dennett! In our interview, we tackled fascinating problems like free will, human consciousness, ethics, and the philosophy of science. He also explain…

1
What do agents do? 48:04

2h ago48:04

48:04

This bonus episode was prompted by a chat I saw on Threads. It started with the question, what excites you most about having an agent? Offline, Melanie and I began to literary agents and what they do. We decided to hit record and share what we know with you. Enjoy! - V. REGISTER FOR THE 2024 SPRING WEBINAR SERIES For access to writing templates and…

1
Our Best Advice: left-brained stories 23:37

3d ago23:37

23:37

Left-brained stories (mysteries, crime thrillers, spy stories) are among the highest selling books on the market today. Readers can't get enough of them, and that means the bar for authors is really high because we have to create a puzzle that our readers haven't seen before. Add to this the fact that the fundamentals of storytelling work in a slig…

1
Does Time Really Exist and How Can We Measure It w/ Chad Orzel (#406) 52:10

4d ago52:10

52:10

Join my mailing list https://briankeating.com/list to win a real 4 billion year old meteorite! All .edu emails in the USA 🇺🇸 will WIN! Today on Into the Impossible, we’re exploring the fascinating realm of time with none other than the timekeeper himself – Chad Orzel. Chad is a professor of physics and science communicator renowned for his popular …

1
The Sixth Sense: the art of the gotcha ending 36:43

10d ago36:43

36:43

Are you planning to use a twist at the end of your story? Have you ever wondered how M. Night Shyamalan pulled off this famous gotcha ending? If so, this episode is for you! Melanie does a deep dive into story twists and surprises so that you can craft an ending that delights your reader. I focused on the Central Dramatic Question which is a key pa…

1
The Science and Wonder of Solar Eclipses: 4/8/24 (#405) 11:49

10d ago11:49

11:49

Join my mailing list https://briankeating.com/list to win a real 4 billion year old meteorite! All .edu emails in the USA 🇺🇸 will WIN! On April 8th, 2024, the USA will be treated to a rare celestial phenomenon—a total solar eclipse. During a total solar eclipse, the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, casting a shadow that temporarily darken…

1
How Our Moon Shaped the Course of Human History and Humankind w/ Rebecca Boyle (#404) 41:36

11d ago41:36

41:36

Join my mailing list https://briankeating.com/list to win a real 4 billion year old meteorite! All .edu emails in the USA 🇺🇸 will WIN! Today on Into the Impossible, we're joined by the renowned cosmic journalist Rebecca Boyle. As a lifelong lunar enthusiast, Rebecca has extensively studied how the Moon has shaped human history and life on Earth. Re…

1
Breakout Books v. Words on a Page 6:39

12d ago6:39

6:39

To be a career author, you must have a breakout book. And, a breakout book is one that contains a story that works. In this episode, I tell you the story of an author who didn't know the difference between a breakout book and words on a page. What happened to him will make your jaw drop. REGISTER FOR THE 2024 SPRING WEBINAR SERIES For access to wri…

1
How to Write a Breakout Book 2:27

15d ago2:27

2:27

I just attended a training session with a literary agent who said that failure to write a breakout book is one of the most common mistakes writers make. Well sure, that's fine to say, but (1) what is a breakout book and (2) how do you write one? Well, believe it or not, that's exactly what I'm covering in the How Stories Work webinar on April 9. Ma…

1
The Last of Sheila: soooo good 44:15

16d ago44:15

44:15

Now this is the epitome of a left-brained story. THE LAST OF SHEILA has puzzles within puzzles, an intricate plot that has been expertly set up, and a cast of characters who aren't who they seem to me. There are so many amazing things about it, I hardly know which of them to highlight for you here so I'll give you a bit of trivia: this movie was Ri…

1
How do stories work? 5:11

17d ago5:11

5:11

If you're writing a novel or memoir, you're writing a story. Sounds obvious, right? That may be, but most authors don't know how to tell a story that works. If you don't believe me check out the stats: 97% of the books sent to literary agents are rejected, of the books that get published 0.08% hit a bestseller list. Those who choose to self-publish…

1
Chris Hayward: Lerner and Gupta Are WRONG About the Big Bang (#403) 51:19

18d ago51:19

51:19

Join my mailing list https://briankeating.com/list to win a real 4 billion year old meteorite! All .edu emails in the USA 🇺🇸 will WIN! When the JWST captured the first images of the earliest galaxies in our universe, scientists were shocked. The galaxies appeared to be way too bright, way too big, and way too mature to have formed so soon after the…

1
Gosford Park: did he deserve it? 35:04

25d ago35:04

35:04

This film offers two hugely valuable lessons to writers of all genres. The first is about the inciting incident and when it needs to happen. The second is about unlikeable characters and how to handle them. In Gosford Park, it's the victim who is unlikeable and that adds an interesting dimension to the murder mystery storyline. -V. "Notice where yo…

1
One Line Writing Secret You Need to Know 8:51

26d ago8:51

8:51

In our last episode about our most embarrassing literary moments, Melanie and I said that line writing (or prose writing) means learning to write a narrative. We also said that there are specific techniques involved in writing a narrative, but we didn't say what any of them are. So that's the purpose of this little mini episode. We reveal a line wr…

1
Our Most Embarrassing Literary Moments 29:17

28d ago29:17

29:17

No one is born knowing how to write great prose. Like any other kind of specialized writing (ex., newspapers, academia, web, etc.), writing prose is a particular skill that can, and must, be learned. While Melanie and I were meeting to discuss our upcoming webinar about line writing, we started to share (horror) stories from the early days of our o…

1
A Most Wanted Man: why now? 35:25

30d ago35:25

35:25

Readers are on a need to know basis. That means that, as storytellers, we only tell them what they need to know, and only when they need to know it. In this adaptation of John le Carre's novel, the filmmakers could have told us everything we needed to know about Issa in the first few minutes. Instead, they sprinkled the details a little bit at a ti…

1
THIS is how your novel gets noticed! 6:02

1M ago6:02

6:02

There are two ways to write great stories. The first involves at least 20 years of reading, writing and being rejected. The second, which is much faster, involves learning story theory. (Big shocker that I'm saying that, right?) If option number two sounds good to you, then check out the Story Nerd Spring Webinar Series, which kicks off on March 28…

1
Sam Harris: God Did NOT Write the Bible! (#401) 3:21:36

1M ago3:21:36

3:21:36

Join my mailing list https://briankeating.com/list to win a real 4 billion year old meteorite! All .edu emails in the USA 🇺🇸 will WIN! Today’s guest needs no introduction… Meet Sam Harris. Neuroscientist, philosopher, New York Times best-selling author, host of Making Sense, creator of Waking Up, and one of the most thought-provoking intellectuals …

1
The Good Liar: surprise v twist 41:57

1M ago41:57

41:57

The movie had both me and Valerie on the edge of our seats. When we come across a masterful movie we pull out as much as we can for you. This episode is chock-a-block full of info about point of view, narrative drive, clues, and liars. We also examine how the twist in The Good Liar is set up and pulled off. I continue to track the clues and motives…

1
Why Are People Protesting Against a Telescope? | Robert Kirshner (#400) 1:04:19

1M ago1:04:19

1:04:19

Join my mailing list https://briankeating.com/list to win a real 4 billion year old meteorite! All .edu emails in the USA 🇺🇸 will WIN! Today, we’re joined by a real hero of mine and mentor to millions around the world – dr. Robert Kirshner! Robert is an astronomer of great renown. He is the Clowes Research Professor of Science at Harvard University…

1
See How They Run: wasted potential 39:44

2M ago39:44

39:44

A comedic take on a murder mystery had so much potential, but unfortunately, the creators of SEE HOW THEY RUN wasted it with what can only be described as lazy writing and lazy editing. This is what happens when the writers of murder mysteries aren't also superfans of the genre, or when they try to cut corners. This week, Valerie discusses the unfo…

1
Cal Newport: Want to Be More Productive? Do LESS (#399) 1:57:59

1M ago1:57:59

1:57:59

Join my mailing list https://briankeating.com/list to win a real 4 billion year old meteorite! All .edu emails in the USA 🇺🇸 will WIN! What if I told you that you could be more productive… by doing less? Sounds crazy, but as per today’s extraordinary guest, it’s true! Meet Cal Newport, associate professor of computer science at Georgetown Universit…

1
My conversation with Elon Musk: Cosmology, AI, and Dying on Mars (#398) 12:38

2M ago12:38

12:38

Join my mailing list https://briankeating.com/list to win a real 4 billion year old meteorite! All .edu emails in the USA 🇺🇸 will WIN! Katherine Brodsky recently hosted an interview with the one and only Elon Musk. I had the privilege of joining them and used my opportunity to confront Elon about Starlink, AI, and his plan to colonize Mars! Enjoy. …

1
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: when did Smiley know? 57:08

2M ago57:08

57:08

It's a long episode this week because there's a whole lot to talk about in this excellent adaptation of John le Carre's bestselling novel. Melanie gives her top tips for writing mysteries and Valerie discusses the type of protagonist we usually find in left-brained stories. One question lingered for them both: When did George Smiley discover who th…

1
Bringing Astrophysics to Life Through Art with Kip Thorne and Lia Halloran (#397) 1:41:20

2M ago1:41:20

1:41:20

Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/list to win a meteorite 💥 What do you get when you combine the minds of a Nobel Prize-winning theoretical physicist and an outstanding artist? The Warped Side of Our Universe by Kip Thorne and Lia Halloran! A remarkable book that explores Thorne's astrophysical discoveries through poetic v…

1
What Is Dark Matter Really Made Of? (#396) 19:01

2M ago19:01

19:01

Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/list to win a meteorite 💥 Remastered from our interview in 2022. There are few concepts in physics as frequently discussed but as poorly understood as dark matter. After all, we don’t even know what it’s made of! However, there are many potential candidates, and I had the pleasure of expla…

1
The Game: why endings are important 38:22

2M ago38:22

38:22

By the time we get to the end of our manuscript, we can feel drained creatively. The temptation to phone it in looms large. But be careful. No matter how good the rest of your story is, if the ending is weak, the novel/film will fail to impress. This is just one of the lessons that Valerie and Melanie learned this week. "What I mean by a left-brain…

1
Why There’s No Such Thing as Free Will w/ Robert Sapolsky (#395) 1:15:05

2M ago1:15:05

1:15:05

Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/list to win a meteorite 💥 Whether or not there is free will has tortured scientists from many fields since philosophers in ancient Greece started wondering about it. But for one scientist, there’s no question about it… Meet neuroendocrinology researcher, bestselling author, and Stanford Un…

1
The Dry: an introduction to outback noir 37:06

2M ago37:06

37:06

This week Valerie and Melanie continue their study of left-brained stories. They step into the outback to discover how Australian crime writers create an atmosphere of isolation by combining plot and setting. Melanie is tracking clues, motives, and murderers' actions to discover the techniques used to raise questions and divert attention in the sto…

1
Should We BELIEVE In Science? DemystifySci & Brian Keating (#394) 47:37

2M ago47:37

47:37

Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/list to win a meteorite 💥 Should we believe in science? Is there any room to scrutinize the scientific method? And does Eric Lerner have a point? Recently, my dear colleagues, Dr. Anastasia Bendebury and Dr. Michael Shilo DeLay joined me at UCSD to discuss how scientists come to conclusion…

1
Michael Saylor: The Thermodynamics of Bitcoin EXPLAINED (2021) (#393) 1:47:41

2M ago1:47:41

1:47:41

Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/list to win a meteorite 💥 Remastered from our interview in 2021. There is a lot of talk about how to make money with Bitcoin… But how does it actually work? What are the physics behind it? And can Bitcoin replace the US dollar? Here today to answer all of these questions and more is Michae…

1
Crooked House: left-brained stories 40:51

3M ago40:51

40:51

It's time for a brand new season of the show and this time around, Valerie and Melanie are studying the same topic: left-brained stories. Never heard of it before? Don't worry. Valerie made up the term to describe any story that has a puzzle of some kind and invites the reader/audience to try to solve the puzzle before the author reveals the soluti…

1
Discover the Joy of Science w/ Jim Al-Khalili (#392) 44:38

3M ago44:38

44:38

Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/list to win a meteorite 💥 Remastered from our interview in 2022. What can science learn from poetry? Can you teach someone to become a scientist? And what’s the biggest source of hype in science right now? In 2022, I had the pleasure of discussing these topics with the amazing Jim Al-Khali…

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