The Sean Carrolls Explain the Universe

This is the tale of two Sean Carrolls. Nautilus brought the two scientists together for the fun reason that they share a name. And their conversation is filled with humor and camaraderie. And brilliance. The Sean Carrolls bring their perspectives from physics and evolutionary biology to bear on timeless questions about the origin of life, the possibilities of life on other planets, the tension between science and religion, the fate of Earth, and how they first got enchanted by science as kids.

Sean Carroll, the evolutionary biologist, is the former vice president for science education at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, where he championed research and the role of science as a human endeavor rich with drama and beauty. His books include A Series of Fortunate Events about the chance occurrences that shaped life on Earth and The Serengeti Rules, which traces the invisible rules that govern ecosystems. His writing is rich in personal narratives that uncover the mechanisms of biological order and collapse.

Sean Carroll, the physicist, is a distinguished theoretical physicist celebrated for his contributions to quantum mechanics, cosmology, and the philosophy of science. He holds the position of Homewood Professor of Natural Philosophy at Johns Hopkins University. His most recent books are part of a series, The Biggest Ideas in the Universe, in which he brings readers “up to speed with exactly what professional physicists are talking about, with an emphasis on established knowledge rather than speculation.” His other books include From Eternity to Here, which explores the concept of time; The Big Picture, discussing the origins of life and the universe; and Something Deeply Hidden, focusing on quantum mechanics.

As the two Sean Carrolls sat down together in a conference room at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Maryland, the first thing they had to talk about was mistaken identity.

Sean Carroll, physicist
It’s so good to talk to you in person. I’ll start with my little story. When I was in graduate school, still in that early stage of your scientific career—who knows where you’re going?—I was walking down Harvard Square by the magazines, and Time magazine was coming out with an issue with 40 scientists under 40 who are going to change the world. And jokingly I said to myself, “Oh, I bet I’m in there.” So I pick it up and I’m in there! There’s my name. But I realized they made a terrible mistake. They had the wrong Sean Carroll. This guy was doing evolutionary biology, not cosmology at all. And that’s when I realized there was another Sean Carroll lurking out there in nature.

Sean Carroll, evolutionary biologist
And the confusion persists. The most common is when I’m giving a talk on a campus and the poster for the talk is illustrated with your books. People bring me your books to sign and I explain the confusion and they’re like, “Will you sign it anyway?” I say, “Maybe you can get both of us to sign it.”

The only one that hurt was when I was invited to a ritzy conference in the hills of Tuscany at a villa. I accepted and