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Podcast Profile: Why This Universe?

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103 episodes
2020 to 2024
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 concepts • Dark matter • Quantum mechanics • Cosmology • Astronomy • Particle physics • Scientific philosophy • Special guests • Live episodes • Patreon and merch promotions

This podcast, titled "Why This Universe?", offers an exploration of some of the most intriguing and complex ideas in physics. Helmed by theoretical physicist Dan Hooper and co-host Shalma Wegsman, the show aims to break down significant scientific questions and concepts for its audience. The episodes cover a wide range of topics, providing insights into contemporary physics research as well as philosophical inquiries about our universe.

Listeners can expect discussions on foundational physics topics such as dark matter, black holes, quantum mechanics, and the nature of the universe. Themes around the origins and the future of the universe frequently feature, with episodes delving into questions like why the universe exists and how it has developed its large-scale structure. The podcast doesn't shy away from controversial or speculative subjects, such as the implications of quantum mechanics for the multiverse theory, or the hypothesis that reality could be an illusion.

The podcast often features expert guests, including physicists, philosophers, and science journalists, who bring diverse perspectives to discussions. These conversations not only cover theoretical and experimental physics but also engage with broader themes, such as the impact of discoveries in astronomy or the critique of scientific processes like peer review. Special episodes focus on cutting-edge discoveries, like gravitational waves or the prospects of quantum computing, while others revisit historical breakthroughs and their modern-day implications.

Overall, this podcast presents a broad exploration of the universe's mysteries, making it accessible to those interested in how scientific inquiry attempts to answer some of the biggest questions about the cosmos.


Episodes:
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
0 - Welcome to Why This Universe!
2020-Jul-13
4 minutes
1 - Why Are We So Sure About Dark Matter?
2020-Jul-13
20 minutes