06 October 2025
From Pipe Bombs to Viagra: Nobel Prize Winner’s Secrets Revealed
Into the Impossible With Brian Keating
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Lou Ignarro went from building pipe bombs as a curious teen to winning the Nobel Prize for discovering how a gas—nitric oxide—regulates blood flow, fuels Viagra, and revolutionized cardiovascular medicine. In this explosive conversation, we trace how one molecule transformed sex, science, and the story of human health.
Key Takeaways:
00:00 Intro
00:55 The molecule that saves and kills
04:00 The invention of the X-ray
05:44 Nitroglycerin: explosive or life-saving drug?
11:07 Fine-tuning and Lou’s religious beliefs
14:38 Judging a book by its cover
16:56 The importance of curiosity
20:00 Thoughts on the Nobel Prize
24:58 What does Viagra do and how does it work?
32:10 The importance of collaboration in scientific research
35:15 Achieving the breakthrough discovery
41:02 What happens if a woman takes viagra?
42:55 Other applications of nitric oxide
47:57 Lou’s heart-healthy diet
52:41 Outro
Additional resources:
➡️ Follow Lou Ignarro:
✖️ Twitter: https://x.com/drignarro
📚 Dr. NO by Lou Ignarro: https://a.co/d/gSarIKX
➡️ My new book:
📖 Into the Impossible Volume 2: Focus Like a Nobel Prize Winner: Lessons from Laureates to Concentrate Your Creativity and Ignite Your Career: https://a.co/d/hi50U9U
➡️ Follow me on your fav platforms:
✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating
🔔 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DrBrianKeating?sub_confirmation=1
📝 Join my mailing list: https://briankeating.com/list
✍️ Check out my blog: https://briankeating.com/cosmic-musings/
🎙️ Follow my podcast: https://briankeating.com/podcast
—
Into the Impossible with Brian Keating is a podcast dedicated to all those who want to explore the universe within and beyond the known.
Make sure to follow/subscribe so you never miss an episode!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Lou Ignarro went from building pipe bombs as a curious teen to winning the Nobel Prize for discovering how a gas—nitric oxide—regulates blood flow, fuels Viagra, and revolutionized cardiovascular medicine. In this explosive conversation, we trace how one molecule transformed sex, science, and the story of human health.
Key Takeaways:
00:00 Intro
00:55 The molecule that saves and kills
04:00 The invention of the X-ray
05:44 Nitroglycerin: explosive or life-saving drug?
11:07 Fine-tuning and Lou’s religious beliefs
14:38 Judging a book by its cover
16:56 The importance of curiosity
20:00 Thoughts on the Nobel Prize
24:58 What does Viagra do and how does it work?
32:10 The importance of collaboration in scientific research
35:15 Achieving the breakthrough discovery
41:02 What happens if a woman takes viagra?
42:55 Other applications of nitric oxide
47:57 Lou’s heart-healthy diet
52:41 Outro
Additional resources:
➡️ Follow Lou Ignarro:
✖️ Twitter: https://x.com/drignarro
📚 Dr. NO by Lou Ignarro: https://a.co/d/gSarIKX
➡️ My new book:
📖 Into the Impossible Volume 2: Focus Like a Nobel Prize Winner: Lessons from Laureates to Concentrate Your Creativity and Ignite Your Career: https://a.co/d/hi50U9U
➡️ Follow me on your fav platforms:
✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating
🔔 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DrBrianKeating?sub_confirmation=1
📝 Join my mailing list: https://briankeating.com/list
✍️ Check out my blog: https://briankeating.com/cosmic-musings/
🎙️ Follow my podcast: https://briankeating.com/podcast
—
Into the Impossible with Brian Keating is a podcast dedicated to all those who want to explore the universe within and beyond the known.
Make sure to follow/subscribe so you never miss an episode!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices