TrueSciPhi logo

TrueSciPhi

 

Podcast Profile: Why This Universe?

Show Image SiteRSSApple Podcasts
105 episodes
2020 to 2025
Median: 28 minutes
Collection: Physics, Math, and Astronomy


Description (podcaster-provided):

The biggest ideas in physics, broken down. Join theoretical physicist Dan Hooper and co-host Shalma Wegsman as they answer your questions about dark matter, black holes, quantum mechanics, and more. Part of The University of Chicago Podcast Network.


Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):

➤ Physics & cosmology discussions • Dark matter & dark energy topics • Quantum mechanics & relativity • Astronomy & galaxies exploration • Science & philosophy interplay • Interviews with experts

This podcast, titled "Why This Universe?", delves into the vast realm of physics, focusing on some of the most profound and intriguing concepts in the field. Hosted by theoretical physicist Dan Hooper and co-host Shalma Wegsman, the show breaks down complex ideas for a broad audience, exploring topics such as dark matter, black holes, and quantum mechanics.

Listeners can expect to traverse through a variety of subjects, all interconnected by the quest to understand the fundamental workings of the universe. The podcast consistently explores cutting-edge scientific discoveries and theories. It covers contemporary discussions on cosmology, delving into potential future revelations and current debates around the nature of dark energy and modifications to gravitational theories.

Philosophical contemplations also feature prominently, as the podcast occasionally questions our existence and the fabric of reality itself, such as in considerations of whether the universe might be a simulation. Historical perspectives offer context, illustrating how scientific paradigms have shifted over time, from the Copernican Revolution to advancements in particle physics.

Guest appearances by notable physicists and experts provide depth, offering insights into specialized areas like quantum computing and the dynamics of particle colliders. Additionally, the series does not shy away from reflecting on the scientific process itself, assessing the effectiveness of peer review and the pitfalls of scientific misinformation.

In sum, "Why This Universe?" merges scientific discourse with philosophical inquiry, aiming to make sense of the cosmos while addressing the broader implications and curiosities surrounding contemporary physics.


Episodes:
92 - What Cosmology Has in Store for 2025 (Ft. Dan Scolnic)
2025-Jan-13
46 minutes
91 - What Neutrinos Reveal About the Milky Way
2024-Dec-23
30 minutes
90 - Quintessence: Is Dark Energy Changing? (Ft. Sean Carroll)
2024-Nov-04
41 minutes
89 - A Dark Matter Vibe Check
2024-Oct-14
37 minutes
88 - Why Does Our Universe Exist At All? (Ft. Sean Carroll)
2024-Sep-23
27 minutes
87 - The Good and the Bad of Peer Review
2024-Sep-02
39 minutes
28 - How Noether's Theorem Changed Physics (Rerun)
2024-Aug-05
24 minutes
86 - The Life and Death of Stars
2024-Jul-02
40 minutes
85 - Our Sun: Present, Past and Future
2024-Jun-17
37 minutes
84 - The Search For New Worlds (ft. Josh Winn)
2024-Jun-03
45 minutes
83 - Witnessing a Revolution in Particle Physics (Ft. Chris Quigg)
2024-May-13
31 minutes
82 - Science Vs. Pseudoscience
2024-Apr-29
35 minutes
81 - Ancient Greek Astronomy
2024-Apr-15
43 minutes
80 - (April Fools 2024) A Surprising Discovery Shaking Up Modern Cosmology
2024-Apr-01
16 minutes
79 - NanoGRAV's Big Gravitational Wave Discovery (Ft. Chiara Mingarelli)
2024-Mar-18
40 minutes
78 - The Life of a Science Journalist (Ft. Katrina Miller)
2024-Mar-04
38 minutes
77 - All About Quantum Computing (Ft. Henry Lamm)
2024-Feb-05
40 minutes
76 - Do We Live in a Simulation?
2024-Jan-22
37 minutes
75 - Physics in Extreme Locations (Ft. Daniel Baxter & Alexandra Rahlin)
2024-Jan-08
42 minutes
8 - Is Space Flat or Curved?
2023-Dec-18
24 minutes
74 - The Copernican Revolution (Ft. Aviva Rothman)
2023-Dec-04
58 minutes
73 - Life Beyond Earth (Ft. Avi Loeb and Garrett Graff at the Chicago Humanities Festival)
2023-Nov-20
68 minutes
72 - The Physics Of Music (Ft. Tim Cohen)
2023-Nov-06
43 minutes
71 - How the Universe Got Its Structure
2023-Oct-23
20 minutes
70 - WTU Live: Will Intelligent Life Persist in the Universe? (ft. Daniel Holz and Diana Powell)
2023-Oct-10
57 minutes
Special Announcement + ChatGPT On Unifying Quantum Mechanics and Relativity
2023-Sep-28
9 minutes
69 - An Update on Modified Gravity (MOND)
2023-Aug-28
47 minutes
68 - The Age of the Universe
2023-Aug-14
29 minutes
6 - Your Tour Through Quantum Weirdness (Rebroadcast)
2023-Jul-31
30 minutes
67 - When Science Meets Spirituality (Ft. Alan Lightman)
2023-Jul-17
42 minutes
66 - When Space Was Filled With Music
2023-Jul-03
25 minutes
65 - Should We Build a Muon Collider? (Ft. Cari Cesarotti)
2023-May-22
42 minutes
64 - The Journey to the Big Bang
2023-May-08
30 minutes
63 - The Question of Consciousness (Ft. David Chalmers)
2023-Apr-17
50 minutes
47 - Boltzmann Brains: Could Reality Be An Illusion? (Rebroadcast)
2023-Mar-27
28 minutes
62 - JWST and the Earliest Galaxies in the Universe (ft. Mike Boylan-Kolchin)
2023-Mar-13
24 minutes
61 - Could the Large Hadron Collider Destroy the World?
2023-Feb-27
23 minutes
60 - The Search for Extra Dimensions
2023-Feb-13
23 minutes
59 - The End of Everything (Ft. Katie Mack)
2023-Jan-09
40 minutes
58 - The Risks of Science Populism
2022-Dec-12
14 minutes
57 - String Theory Part 3: Duality
2022-Nov-21
24 minutes
56 - An Icy Neutrino Interruption
2022-Nov-07
28 minutes
55 - String Theory Part 2: The First Superstring Revolution
2022-Oct-24
28 minutes
54 - String Theory Part 1: What Is It?
2022-Oct-03
25 minutes
53 - Why We Need a Theory of Quantum Gravity
2022-Sep-12
28 minutes
52 - The Large Hadron Collider and All Its Glory
2022-Aug-22
28 minutes
51 - Why Physicists Love Smashing Particles Together
2022-Aug-01
23 minutes
Episode Image 50 - The Black Hole At the Center of the Milky Way
2022-Jul-11
31 minutes
49 - When the Universe Changed in an Instant
2022-Jun-27
25 minutes
48 - A Wrong Picture Of Cosmology
2022-May-23
25 minutes
13 - Does Quantum Mechanics Imply a Multiverse? (Rebroadcast)
2022-May-09
34 minutes
47 - Boltzmann Brains: Could Reality Be An Illusion?
2022-Apr-25
28 minutes
46 - The Cosmic Rays Raining Down On Us
2022-Apr-04
25 minutes
25 - Do Extra Dimensions Exist? (Rebroadcast)
2022-Mar-14
28 minutes
45 - The Wide World of Exoplanets (ft. Diana Powell)
2022-Feb-28
39 minutes
44 - Our Deepest Theory: Quantum Field Theory
2022-Feb-14
24 minutes
43 - Is Physics the Most Fundamental Subject?
2022-Jan-31
28 minutes
42 - The Signal That Could Be the Dark Matter
2022-Jan-17
37 minutes
41 - The Hubble Tension: The Biggest Fight in Astronomy (ft. Wendy Freedman)
2022-Jan-03
23 minutes
40 - How Will JWST Change Astronomy?
2021-Dec-20
19 minutes
23 - Does Physics Allow for Free Will? (Rebroadcast)
2021-Nov-29
28 minutes
39 - Why Do Science Communication? (ft. Daniel Whiteson and Jorge Cham)
2021-Nov-15
27 minutes
A Special Neutrino Update! (ft. Pedro Machado)
2021-Nov-01
17 minutes
38 - The Nobel Prize's Greatest Misses
2021-Oct-18
34 minutes
37 - How Neutrinos Might Be Hinting at Dark Matter
2021-Oct-04
24 minutes
36 - The Neutrino's Quantum Superpower
2021-Sep-20
21 minutes
35 - The Chaos Underlying Everything (ft. David Grier)
2021-Sep-06
32 minutes
34 - Should Beauty Guide Physicists?
2021-Aug-23
28 minutes
33 - Our Love Affair With Supersymmetry
2021-Aug-09
34 minutes
32 - The Mystery of the Higgs Boson's Mass
2021-Jul-26
24 minutes
31 - If You Give an Astronomer a Neutrino
2021-Jul-12
27 minutes
30 - The Oldest Picture of the Universe
2021-Jun-28
32 minutes
29 - How the Big Bang Won the Debate About the Beginning of Time
2021-Jun-14
33 minutes
28 - How Emmy Noether Changed Physics Forever
2021-May-31
23 minutes
12 - The Fight Between Modified Gravity and Dark Matter
2021-May-10
31 minutes
3 - What in the World is Anti-Matter?
2021-Apr-26
16 minutes
27 - What Does the Muon g-2 Result Mean for Physics?
2021-Apr-12
34 minutes
26 - Did Inflation Rip Apart the Early Universe?
2021-Mar-29
27 minutes
25 - Could Extra Dimensions Exist?
2021-Mar-15
27 minutes
24 - Breaking Down the Standard Model
2021-Mar-01
28 minutes
23 - Does Physics Allow for Free Will?
2021-Feb-15
28 minutes
22 - The Particle That Might Do It All (Axions!)
2021-Feb-01
19 minutes
21 - The Quantum Mechanics of Black Holes
2021-Jan-18
29 minutes
20 - Everything To Do About Black Holes
2021-Jan-04
29 minutes
19 - Why Does Science Work?
2020-Dec-21
29 minutes
18 - Could a Hyper-Advanced Civilization Resist Dark Energy?
2020-Nov-30
37 minutes
The State of The Universe #81 - Dr. Daniel Whiteson - The Standard Model and Its Many Quirks!
2020-Nov-23
102 minutes
17 - Why Haven't We Met Aliens?
2020-Nov-16
25 minutes
16 - Where Is Life in the Universe?
2020-Nov-02
26 minutes
15 - What are Grand Unified Theories?
2020-Oct-19
24 minutes
14 - Why Does Time Move in One Direction?
2020-Oct-12
26 minutes
13 - Does Quantum Mechanics Imply a Multiverse?
2020-Oct-05
30 minutes
12 - Please Stop Emailing Dan About MOND
2020-Sep-28
30 minutes
11 - Discovery Alert! Let's Talk About Gravitational Waves
2020-Sep-21
26 minutes
10 - What is Dark Energy?
2020-Sep-14
28 minutes
9 - Is Space Expanding?
2020-Sep-07
22 minutes
8 - Is Space Flat or Curved?
2020-Aug-31
23 minutes
7 - Could Black Holes Be the Dark Matter?
2020-Aug-24
23 minutes
6 - Your Tour Through Quantum Weirdness
2020-Aug-17
29 minutes
5 - How Dan Lost a Bet With Dark Matter
2020-Aug-10
27 minutes
4 - Where Did the Antimatter Go?
2020-Aug-03
26 minutes
3 - What in the World Is Antimatter?
2020-Jul-26
15 minutes
2 - What's It Like to Discover Quantum Mechanics?
2020-Jul-20
32 minutes
1 - Why Are We So Sure About Dark Matter?
2020-Jul-13
20 minutes
0 - Welcome to Why This Universe!
2020-Jul-13
4 minutes