Welcome to Critical Mass

Articles, Podcast, dialogues, tutorials, and more...

I have big news to share.  Today I am launching Critical Mass on Substack.  All of my work will live here from now on, including long form written posts, video tutorials, dialogues, special presentations, guest contributions, and, importantly, the video subscriber version of The Origins Podcast, which is moving from Patreon to Substack.

Now more than ever society needs to be guided by reason and science, while allowing for free and open discourse across echo chambers. No subject should be taboo because only by open discussion can good ideas flourish and bad ideas fall by the wayside. Thanks to Substack’s resources, Critical Mass can provide a comprehensive resource in a single place to encourage all of these goals by incorporating every online tool possible, from written articles to online discussions. I promise that on these pages I, and my guest contributors, will try to enlighten, entertain, and if necessary, provoke. I look forward to interacting with the substack audience of subscribers to learn what issues matter, and to listen to different viewpoints. I hope all of you will be willing to do the same. Together we can hope to provide a bit more sanity in this crazy world.

From the time I first chose to reach out beyond my scientific research activities, I was guided by 4 goals: (1) To connect science and culture, (2) to promote science, reason, questioning, and the free expression of ideas, (3) To share my excitement about the wonders of the universe and (4) To provide opportunities for the broader public to participate in in this grand enterprise in order to better address the challenges of the 21stcentury. 

I have been fortunate in my life to be able to carry out these activities on a variety of fronts, from my research as a scientist, to my popular writing and speaking, appearing in various media including films, television, radio, and sometimes even music, and to the dialogues and projects that friends, colleagues, and other remarkable individuals have graciously agreed to participate in with me.  This includes of course The Origins Podcast, which my non-profit foundation, The Origins Project Foundation, produces.   

All of our existing Patreon subscribers will have automatically received 30 days free access to Critical Mass. There's nothing you have to do on your end. If you'd like to continue supporting the podcast again once your free period ends, there are subscribe links on this page.

I intend to keep most of the material on Critical Mass free and open for the general public.  Nevertheless, I hope you will consider purchasing a subscription to Critical Mass in order to support the goals I have espoused above.  Note that paid subscriptions will provide financial support necessary for The Origins Project Foundation to continue to produce The Origins Podcast. Subscriptions will also support the production of the additional material you will read, listen to, and watch on this site.  Finally, paid subscribers will have numerous opportunities each month to interact with me and other subscribers as we share information and perspectives with each other, as well as the opportunity to comment on every post that you read or listen to.

I look forward to the opportunity to interact with many of you over the coming months, and I hope the material you will see here will enlighten, entertain, and sometimes provoke. Here's a taste of what you will find in Critical Mass in coming days, weeks, and months:

(1)   Ad free video versions of The Origins Podcast, where I carry out dialogues with the most interesting people in the world on issues at the forefront of science, public policy, art, and literature 

(2)   Regular posts on timely social and science issues.

(3)   Dialogues, including “Current events with…”  Individuals who have agreed to carry out such conversations on a regular basis will range across the full spectrum of political and intellectual viewpoints, including Noam Chomsky, David Frum, and others.

(4)   Science videos and tutorials

(5)   A guide to interesting science article on the web

(6)   Guest posts and presentations.

(7)   And more…

I am excited about providing exciting new content here on a regular basis, and I hope that, in turn, you will join me regularly on these pages and support Critical Mass by subscribing.  Thanks very much.   

Lawrence M. Krauss