Why This Universe? (Dan Hooper, Shalma Wegsman)

Today we attempt to break down the basics of quantum field theory - our deepest theory of physics yet.

For ad-free episodes and other exclusives, join us for $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverse

Special guest Dr. Diana Powell gives us the lay down on the field of exoplanet research, and on how these recent discoveries may shed light on the question of extraterrestrial life.

For ad-free episodes and other exclusives, join us for $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverse

Today we are rebroadcasting an earlier episode all about extra dimensions - How many dimensions of space are there? Could there be extra dimensions that are hidden from view?

For ad-free episodes and other exclusives, join us for $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverse

Here on Earth, we are constantly being showered by particles from outer space called cosmic rays. What do we know about where these particles really come from?

For ad-free episodes and other exclusives, join us for $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverse

A whirlwind of questions brings us to an odd conclusion: could reality be an illusion created by a quantum fluctuation of a brain?

For ad-free episodes and other exclusives, join us for $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverse

Today we explore different interpretations of quantum mechanics, from Copenhagen to the many-worlds hypothesis, in an attempt to uncover what quantum reality really is. This episode is a rebroadcast of one of our early favorites.

For ad-free episodes and other exclusives, join us for $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverse

When cosmology was still an infant science, a daring physicist wrote a theory of the beginning of time.  We revisit this theory and see what value we can still glean from it today.

Just like water changing to ice when it freezes, there were times in the universe's early history when reality changed in almost an instant. Today we dive into these cosmological phase transitions, and speculate about the strange objects these types of instant changes can create.

For ad-free episodes and other exclusives, join us for $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverse

On May 12, 2022 astronomers revealed an image of the supermassive black hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxy. Today we tell the story of what made this image possible.

Today's episode is sponsored by Wren. Sign up through https://www.wren.co/universe to make a difference in the climate crisis, and Wren will plant 10 extra trees in your name!

For ad-free episodes and other exclusives, join us for $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverse

For the past century, physicists have been building particle colliders as a way to learn about the fundamental laws of physics. Today we talk about why smashing particles together has proven to be such a powerful tool.

For ad-free episodes and other exclusives, join us for $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverse

We pick up last episode's theme of particle colliders and dive into the most exciting one running today - the LHC. What is it, how does it work, and what new physics can it still reveal?

For ad-free episodes and other exclusives, join us for $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverse

Quantum mechanics and general relativity are two of the most successful theories of science ever, but they don't necessarily fit together. Learn why physicists are trying so hard to discover a quantum theory of gravity, and why it's been such a challenge.

For ad-free episodes and other exclusives, join us for $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverse

Last time, we introduced the biggest open problem in theoretical physics - the problem of combining gravity with quantum mechanics. In this first part of a three-part series, we introduce the leading candidate for how to do that: String Theory.

For ad-free episodes and other exclusives, join us for $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverse

We pick up the story of string theory and explore the explosion of interest it experienced in the mid 1980s.

For ad-free episodes and other exclusives, join us for $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverse

We interrupt our regular episodes to cover the exciting new discovery that the IceCube Neutrino Observatory announced on November 3rd, 2022.

To support our show and get ad-free episodes and other exclusives, join us for $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverse

This episode will hurt your brain, or your money back.

To support our show and get ad-free episodes and other exclusives, join us for $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverse

In today's different type of episode, we talk about the risks of a subtle kind of scientific misinformation.

Special guest Katie Mack talks to us about how the universe might end.

To support our show and get ad-free episodes and other exclusives, join us for $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverse

Learn how extra dimensions of space might appear to us, and what physicists have done to try to find them.

To support our show and get ad-free episodes and other exclusives, join us for $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverse

Before the LHC turned on in 2008, many feared that it would create a dangerous black hole that would destroy the world. Were any of those fears well-founded, and how seriously did scientists take these claims?

Astronomers' newest telescope, JWST, just discovered galaxies that formed earlier than previously thought possible. What does this discovery mean for our understanding of the early universe?

To support our show and get ad-free episodes and other exclusives, join us for $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverse

A whirlwind of questions brings us to an odd conclusion: could reality be an illusion created by a quantum fluctuation of a brain? This is a rebroadcast of a past favorite.

For ad-free episodes and other exclusives, join us for $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverse

Can consciousness be explained by physics, or does it appeal to something beyond materialism? Philosopher guest star David Chalmers talks to us about how we can think about consciousness from a philosophical and scientific perspective.

To support our show and get ad-free episodes and other exclusives, join us for $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverse

The Big Bang is well accepted today as the leading theory of how our universe evolved over time - but in today's episode, we talk through all the very wrong theories that came before it.
To get ad-free episodes and other exclusives, join us for $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverse

Special guest Cari Cesarotti tells us why so many particle physicists are itching to build a whole new type of particle collider.

Shortly after the Big Bang, space was densely packed with enough stuff for sound to travel through it. What was producing sound in this era, and how can we hear it today?

Todays episode is sponsored by the International Space Station. Join the ISS National Laboratory this August in Seattle at the 12th annual ISS Research and Development Conference. Visit ISSconference.org to register now.

Special guest Alan Lightman takes us through a fascinating discussion of consciousness, and tells us how he reconciles spirituality with his materialist views.
Todays episode is sponsored by the International Space Station. Join the ISS National Laboratory this August in Seattle at the 12th annual ISS Research and Development Conference. Visit ISSconference.org to register now.

We are celebrating our 3 year anniversary with a throwback to one of our earliest episodes! Entanglement, wave-particle duality, and uncertainty - here's a breakdown of the weirdest and wildest things about quantum mechanics.

To support our show and access exclusive ask-us-anything segments and more, join us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/whythisuniverse.

Today we are debunking the recent paper that claims our universe is much older than previously thought.

For ask-us-anything segments and other exclusives, join us for just $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverse

For fun dinosaur facts and research, check out I Know Dino: The Big Dinosaur Podcast, on Apple or wherever you get your podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-know-dino-the-big-dinosaur-podcast/id960976813?ign-mpt=uo%3D4&mt=2

While physicists overwhelmingly agree about the existence of dark matter, a select group of people aren't convinced. Instead, they believe we must be wrong about gravity, and claim we need a theory of modified gravity (MOND) instead. Recent press releases have claimed "smoking gun" evidence for this underdog theory, should we take them seriously?

Did you know this episode was inspired by a Patreon question? For access to ask-us-anything segments and other exclusives, join us for just $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverse

CORRECTION: We misspeak about the time of the event in the episode, we are really on at 3-4 pm CST! Apologies!

Why This Universe is going live on October 3rd in Chicago, IL!

RSVP for *free* here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ucpn-podcast-festival-tickets-717455076447?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

Join us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/whythisuniverse

Why This Universe hosts it's first ever live episode taping featuring guests Daniel Holz and Diana Powell. We discuss the possibility of intelligent life out in the Universe, the existential risks faced by humans on Earth, and the chance the intelligent life can persist in the Universe.

This conversation took place during the University of Chicago Podcast Network festival.

For access to ask-us-anything segments and other exclusives, join us for just $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverse.

We tell the story of how the Universe developed large scale structure, starting from the Big Bang to today. It could have all turned out very differently, if not for some key players.

For ask-us-anything segments and other exclusives, join us for just $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverse

Where does the musical octave come from? What makes a C note a C? Why do different instruments sound different? Special guest Tim Cohen comes on to answer these questions and more.
For ask-us-anything segments and other exclusives, join us for just $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverse

Dan moderates a lively discussion on extraterrestrial life at the Chicago Humanities Festival.

Our new merch is available here: https://www.shalmawegsman.com/why-this-universe

For ask-us-anything segments and other exclusives, join us for just $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverse

Today we visit a turning point in the history of science: the discovery that the Earth is not at the center of the cosmos.

Our new merch is available here: https://www.shalmawegsman.com/why-this-universe

For ask-us-anything segments and other exclusives, join us for just $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverse

Learn how the geometry of space defies our intuition, and why it gave Einstein so much anxiety.

Our new merch is available here: https://www.shalmawegsman.com/why-this-universe

For ask-us-anything segments and other exclusives, join us for just $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverse

We hear two physicists describe their lives collecting data in remote locations, from deep underground in an active mine and from the South Pole.

Our new merch is available here: https://www.shalmawegsman.com/why-this-universe

For ask-us-anything segments and other exclusives, join us for just $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverse

Is the world around us real, or are we living in someone's computer program?

Our new merch is available here: https://www.shalmawegsman.com/why-this-universe

For ask-us-anything segments and other exclusives, join us for just $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverse

Quantum computing makes big promises, but how does it work? What is the real state of quantum computing today? Special guest Henry Lamm answers our questions.

Our new merch is available here: https://www.shalmawegsman.com/why-this-universe

For ask-us-anything segments and other exclusives, join us for just $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverse

What's it like bringing science to the most general public audiences? How do you distill complex results into short news-worthy articles without getting lost in clickbait? Today we hear the perspective of New York Times science journalist Katrina Miller.

For ad free episodes and other exclusives, join us for just $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverse

Our merch is available here: https://www.shalmawegsman.com/why-this-universe

Learn more about the co-hosts, what this podcast is all about, and why we are making it!

Dark matter sounds as mysterious as it is - an invisible form of matter that permeates our universe that physicists have not yet been able to detect! And yet, most physicists are extremely confident that it exists. Learn why!

Quantum mechanics revolutionized our understanding of the universe. But have you ever wondered how it was first discovered? What's it like to live through such a dramatic scientific moment? 

Learn how special relativity and quantum mechanics come together to make an odd prediction about matter.

Every time a particle of matter is made, a particle of antimatter is also made. So it seems like all matter ever created should have annihilated with antimatter, leaving behind an empty universe. But then... why is our universe filled with matter?

We revisit some of Dan's early predictions about dark matter, and talk about the biggest dark matter ideas and experiments of the last decade.

Entanglement, wave-particle duality, and uncertainty - here's a breakdown of the weirdest and wildest things about quantum mechanics.

Dark matter has eluded physicists for years - all we know is that it's some kind of matter that doesn't interact with light. Does that sound like a black hole to you?

Learn how the geometry of space defies our intuition, and why it gave Einstein so much anxiety.

Here's how a heated debate about whether our Milky Way galaxy is the entire universe led to the discovery of expanding space.

Get introduced to one of the most mysterious characters in physics.

You may have heard of the new gravitational wave discovery of September 2020. Here's everything you need to know to understand what this detection means for physics!

Some physicists have considered the possibility that dark matter might not exist - and that instead, it's our theories of gravity which are wrong. Today we take a deep dive into these theories of modified gravity.

Today we explore different interpretations of quantum mechanics, from Copenhagen to the many-worlds hypothesis, in an attempt to uncover what quantum reality really is.

What in the laws of physics differentiates between past and future? Is there a physical reason that time always moves forward? 

These theories aim to explain all of the fundamental forces (except gravity) in one neat package. How does it work?

What does it takes for a planet to support life? How different could extraterrestrial life be from what we see on Earth?

Are there other intelligent civilizations out there, or are we alone here on Earth? And what have we done to try to find them?

Today our feed is getting taken over by Brendan Drachler to bring you an episode of his show, The State of the Universe!

Science moves at an impossibly fast pace. It will leave you wondering, what is the state of the universe? Wonder no more! Learn from researchers working at the cutting edge of scientific advancement about everything from the robot takeover to the big bang only on The State of The Universe podcast.

Listen to the State of the Universe everywhere where podcasts are available. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-state-of-the-universe/id1429808898

If life in the universe survives into the far future, it will eventually come face to face with the accelerating expansion of the universe caused by dark energy. Could a hyper-advanced civilization find a way to fight it?

Does science get us closer to understanding what the universe is actually like, or is it just a useful tool to build technology with? Today we get philosophical and talk through this deep question!

Today we talk about black holes - from their early history to their role in the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics. 

Here's what happens when we introduce quantum mechanics to one of the weirdest objects in the universe. Hint - things get hairy.

Today we talk about the theoretical particle at the forefront of current research. Learn how axions might explain not one but *two* open problems in physics!

Can free will exist in a universe described by the laws of physics? 

Take a deep dive into (a contender) for the most successful theory of physics ever!

How many dimensions of space are there? Could there be extra dimensions that are hidden from view?

The Big Bang theory leaves us with some open questions, and the theory of inflation might have the answers.

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/whythisuniverse

Get our introduction to the measurement that might prove the Standard Model wrong!

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/whythisuniverse

A re-post of one of our favorite early episodes. Learn how special relativity and quantum mechanics come together to make an odd prediction about matter.

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/whythisuniverse

A rerun of one of our favorite episodes ever. Some physicists have considered the possibility that dark matter might not exist - and that instead, it's our theories of gravity which are wrong. Today we take a deep dive into these theories of modified gravity.

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/whythisuniverse

Learn how a profound mathematical theorem relating symmetries to conservation laws is deeply woven into the physics of the universe.

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/whythisuniverse

Hear what proved to physicists that the universe started with the Big Bang - and the one person who was never convinced.

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/whythisuniverse

Learn about the oldest light in the universe - the cosmic microwave background - and how it became a treasure trove of cosmological insight.

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/whythisuniverse

Learn how astronomers are using invisible particles to see what we've never seen before!

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/whythisuniverse

Today we explore one of the biggest and most frustrating open problems of particle physics - the hierarchy problem.

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/whythisuniverse

Hear why supersymmetry was special enough to win over physicists hearts, and why faith in it might be dying out.

Some physics theories are admired for being beautiful, but does that mean they are more likely to be true? Or could chasing beauty lead us astray?

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/whythisuniverse

Learn about the chaotic motion that underlies even the most ordered structures, including life.

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/whythisuniverse

Today we discuss neutrino oscillations - their ability to transform between different types – and the quantum mechanics that makes it possible.

 Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/whythisuniverse

The neutrino's non-zero mass is an anomaly, but one that leads to a promising new dark matter candidate - the sterile neutrino. Could this be it?

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/whythisuniverse

In honor of Nobel prize season, we remember some people whose important work in the past has been overlooked by the Nobel committee.

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/whythisuniverse

Today we unpack the latest neutrino results from Fermilab's MicroBoone experiment. Special guest Pedro Machado helps us understand what they mean for the future of neutrino research.

Daniel Whiteson and Jorge Cham talk to us about what science communication means to them.

Listen to their podcast, Daniel and Jorge Explain the Universe: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/105-daniel-and-jorge-explain-t-29862087/

Support WTU on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/whythisuniverse

Can free will exist in a universe described by the laws of physics? Listen to this re-broadcast of one of our favorite episodes.

Today we dive into the world's shiny new space telescope - JWST. Learn why are physicists and astronomers are so excited about it, and what new secrets of the universe it might reveal. Keep your eye out for its launch later this week!

When different groups of astronomers measure the expansion rate of space, they get different answers. Who's right? Or are they both right, and new physics is afoot?

Dan shares one of the biggest stories of his career - his discovery of an excess of gamma rays at the center of the Milky Way. Is this a sign of dark matter, or is it something less mysterious?