Nature and Science Podcast

Don Murphy
  • 4.9 (10)
  • Nature
  • Updated Monthly

Our podcast explores nature and science by following the personal journeys of individuals who have dedicated their lives to nature and science.   We talk with theoretical physicists, park rangers, conservation biologists and anyone who loves nature and science. 

  1. Jul 23

    Looking Back at AI Scaling with Anthropic Co-Founder Jared Kaplan

    Send us Fan Mail "An archival 2023 interview with Anthropic co-founder Jared Kaplan discussing scaling laws, large language models, and the trajectory of artificial intelligence." "What is the universe? What is intelligence? What is the mind?" When theoretical physicist turned AI researcher Jared Kaplan shifted his focus to artificial intelligence, he wasn't just looking to build software—he was trying to answer fundamental questions about reality, perception, and thought itself. In this episode, we’re revisiting a 2023 conversation with Jared, co-founder of Anthropic, recorded just as he was joining the company. At the time, we sat down to discuss the physics of intelligence, scaling laws, large language models (LLMs), and where machine intelligence was heading. Looking back three years later, with tools like Claude and ChatGPT transforming the global landscape, listening to this snapshot offers an incredible look at how fast the field has evolved—and how much of today's reality was already taking shape in those early research models. We begin with Jared sharing the story of what first drew him from physics into the world of AI, driven by the ultimate quest to understand how mind and universe intersect. In This Episode, We Cover: From Theoretical Physics to AI: How foundational questions about the universe and human cognition led Jared from fundamental physics to machine intelligence.The Physics of Scaling Laws: Understanding the empirical patterns that predict how language models improve as computing power, data, and parameters expand.Large Language Models & Emergent Abilities: Early insights into how LLMs acquire complex reasoning behaviors.The Trajectory of AI Safety & Alignment: Why Anthropic was formed and the core challenges of building safe, cooperative frontier models. https:/natureandsciencepodcast.com

    Looking Back at AI Scaling with Anthropic Co-Founder Jared Kaplan

  2. Jul 23

    Looking Back at AI Scaling with Anthropic Co-Founder Jared Kaplan

    Send us Fan Mail "An archival 2023 interview with Anthropic co-founder Jared Kaplan discussing scaling laws, large language models, and the trajectory of artificial intelligence." "What is the universe? What is intelligence? What is the mind?" When theoretical physicist turned AI researcher Jared Kaplan shifted his focus to artificial intelligence, he wasn't just looking to build software—he was trying to answer fundamental questions about reality, perception, and thought itself. In this episode, we’re revisiting a 2023 conversation with Jared, co-founder of Anthropic, recorded just as he was joining the company. At the time, we sat down to discuss the physics of intelligence, scaling laws, large language models (LLMs), and where machine intelligence was heading. Looking back three years later, with tools like Claude and ChatGPT transforming the global landscape, listening to this snapshot offers an incredible look at how fast the field has evolved—and how much of today's reality was already taking shape in those early research models. We begin with Jared sharing the story of what first drew him from physics into the world of AI, driven by the ultimate quest to understand how mind and universe intersect. In This Episode, We Cover: From Theoretical Physics to AI: How foundational questions about the universe and human cognition led Jared from fundamental physics to machine intelligence.The Physics of Scaling Laws: Understanding the empirical patterns that predict how language models improve as computing power, data, and parameters expand.Large Language Models & Emergent Abilities: Early insights into how LLMs acquire complex reasoning behaviors.The Trajectory of AI Safety & Alignment: Why Anthropic was formed and the core challenges of building safe, cooperative frontier models. https:/natureandsciencepodcast.com https:/natureandsciencepodcast.com

    Looking Back at AI Scaling with Anthropic Co-Founder Jared Kaplan

  3. Jul 21

    Is The Earth Losing Its Balance?

    Send us Fan Mail Is The Earth Losing Its Balance and beginning to turn against us? Author Dominic Nessi explores that terrifying possibility in The Source, a gripping new science thriller that combines geophysics, political suspense and human survival in a story where Earth’s very stability begins to unravel. The first installment in a planned trilogy, The Source follows a team of brilliant women scientists racing to understand a growing series of magnetic disturbances, seismic irregularities and atmospheric anomalies that suggest the planet’s rotational balance may be shifting — with potentially catastrophic consequences for civilization. At the center of the story is Christina Whiting, a NASA geospace specialist whose discoveries challenge humanity’s understanding of the world beneath its feet. As governments react with denial, fear and escalating desperation, the race for answers becomes a global struggle defined as much by politics and survival as by science itself. The Source “The Source is ultimately about people,” Nessi says. “It’s about how ordinary individuals respond when systems fail, certainty disappears, and science collides with fear. I wanted the story to feel intellectually grounded, emotionally personal and frighteningly plausible.” Drawing inspiration from real scientific theories, archaeological mysteries and modern geopolitical tensions, The Source has been described by early readers as “Michael Crichton meets Hidden Figures,” combining large-scale disaster storytelling with a distinctly modern, female-centered perspective.   The book is expected to resonate strongly with readers of speculative thrillers, science-driven fiction, and book club audiences looking for stories that blend suspense with deeper philosophical questions about humanity’s future. www.sourcematrix.info https:/natureandsciencepodcast.com

    Is The Earth Losing Its Balance?

  4. Jun 5

    The Progenitor Field - A Pre Big Bang SciFI Novel

    Send us Fan Mail Host and Executive Producer of the podcast will discuss his latest science fiction novel, The Progenitor Field.   The novel tells the story of the experiment to reunite the seventeen known fields of physics and prove that the universe is conscious.   The experiment fails and plunges the world back into  primordial DARKNESS.  Ethiopian twins, endowed from birth with an enhanced genetic ability to connect to the Progenitor Field must act as a bridge between the fractured world of reality and the DARKNESS. You can now access excerpts of The Progenitor Field at our publisher's website: https://theprogenitorfield.com/home https:/natureandsciencepodcast.com

    The Progenitor Field - A Pre Big Bang SciFI Novel

  5. Mar 28

    DC Golf Course Restoration Threatens Affordable Access

    Send us Fan Mail Michael Williams joins us to discuss the proposed restoration of the golf courses in DC including Langston Golf Course and East Potomac.  We will explore the effects of the proposed restoration on future affordability and the restorations relation to the Act of 1897 and the history of public golf course development in the 20th century. In 2005, Mr. Williams launched his first radio show on FOX News Radio, "Sticks and Stones", a critically acclaimed show that covered golf, business and politics. Since that launch, Mr. Williams has established a reputation as a savvy broadcaster and as an incisive interviewer and writer.  An avid golfer himself, Michael has covered the game of golf and the golf lifestyle including courses, restaurants, business, travel and sports marketing for publications all over the world. In his first year as host of The 19th Hole Golf Radio Show on CBS Radio in Washington, D.C., Mr. Williams led the show to becoming the top-rated golf show in the 7th largest market in the United States and was named the recipient of the 2014 Middle Atlantic PGA Earle Hellen Award for the Outstanding Media Person of the Year. https:/natureandsciencepodcast.com

    DC Golf Course Restoration Threatens Affordable Access

  6. Feb 19

    The First Women Lifeguards: How Perseverance and Skill Overcame Obstacles

    Send us Fan Mail “Debbie Friedman adds a bouyant new element to history, introducing the strong and brave women who battled ocean waves and stinging sexism to become the first ocean lifeguards on the California coast. GUARDED combines tender memoir and heart-pounding rescue scenes. Friedman captures the salty grit of her fellow guards as they smash through boundaries and risk their lives.” —Elaine Weiss New York Times bestselling author of The Woman’s Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote The book is available here on Tower One Press and here on amazon. https:/natureandsciencepodcast.com

    The First Women Lifeguards: How Perseverance and Skill Overcame Obstacles

  7. Feb 18

    Sustainable Farming Brings Healthy Food To Your Table

    Send us Fan Mail Sustainable Farming Brings Healthy Food To Your Table is what this podcast is all about. Shawn and Lindsay and their three children work to provide you with healthy food through practicing permaculture and raising their farm animals in a humane way.  Their pigs are pastured raised meaning they are allowed to roam free and forage on the land.  They will tell the story of how they built their farm and business through a love for the land, a passion for farming and just plain hard work.  They now provide their products throughout the country of Ecuador while managing a large farmers market on Thursdays. https:/natureandsciencepodcast.com

    Sustainable Farming Brings Healthy Food To Your Table

  8. Feb 7

    One Ranger's Quest To Save His Beloved Desert

    Send us Fan Mail This is the story of how a young man fell in love with the beauty and mystery of the desert and translated that love into a career as ranger protecting that desert. Vic Maris began his career with California State Parks, working at Red Rock Canyon in 1974. He served throughout the State during his 30-year career working as a park ranger, supervising ranger, and superintendent. His favorite job was working as Superintendent of the Mojave Sector, protecting seven parks including Red Rock Canyon State Park. Vic has always been fascinated by the night sky. When he retired from State Parks, he founded Stellarvue, a telescope company that has been making world-class refractors for 27 years.   In his spare time, Vic has been writing a book about his 60-year love affair with Red Rock Canyon State Park.   https:/natureandsciencepodcast.com

    One Ranger's Quest To Save His Beloved Desert
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4.9
out of 5
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About

Our podcast explores nature and science by following the personal journeys of individuals who have dedicated their lives to nature and science.   We talk with theoretical physicists, park rangers, conservation biologists and anyone who loves nature and science. 

Information

  • Creator
    Don Murphy
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    84
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Nature and Science Podcast
  • Show Website
    Nature and Science Podcast

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