What should we expect from science—and where must we look beyond it? In this episode, Wade Fransson welcomes Alan Lightman for an hour-long journey through the frontiers of knowledge, awe, and responsibility. Drawing on his years as a physicist, novelist, and teacher at MIT, Lightman opens up about the curious intersection where theoretical physics meets philosophy and the search for meaning.The conversation ranges from star-filled nights on a quiet boat to the realities of climate change and the pandemic, exploring how science approaches—and sometimes collides with—the big questions of human existence. Lightman shares candid thoughts about the limits of scientific inquiry: the kinds of questions data can answer, and the mysteries that remain stubbornly outside its grasp. He also addresses the public’s growing skepticism around scientific authority, pointing toward the importance of humility, clear communication, and an honest admission of what we simply don’t know.Listeners will find themselves challenged to rethink “certainty,” and inspired to reclaim a sense of wonder. Whether science is your daily work or a distant headline, Alan Lightman’s perspective offers a refreshing space for doubt, discovery, and genuine curiosity. This episode is a rare reminder that the most important answers start with a willingness to wrestle with questions we cannot solve.