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Conversations at the Perimeter will introduce you to brilliant researchers working at the forefront of science, seeking to solve nature’s deepest mysteries – from quantum to cosmos. Learn about their motivations, the challenges they encounter, and the drive that keeps them searching for answers. Join the conversation!Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):
➤ theoretical physics frontiers • quantum foundations, information, thermodynamics, condensed matter • cosmology: Big Bang, dark energy, universe’s fate • black holes, Event Horizon Telescope, radio astronomy surveys • researchers’ careers, motivations, communication, equity/Indigenous knowledgeThis podcast features in-depth conversations with researchers connected to the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics and the wider physics community, focusing on big open questions about how the universe works. Across the episodes, hosts Lauren Hayward and Colin Hunter talk with theorists and experimentalists about topics spanning the smallest scales of quantum behavior to the largest structures in cosmology. Listeners hear about efforts to reconcile quantum mechanics with general relativity, including approaches to quantum gravity, as well as ongoing attempts to sharpen or rethink foundational ideas in quantum theory.
A major thread is the physics of the cosmos: the origin and evolution of the universe, the accelerating expansion linked to dark energy, and the study of black holes through cutting-edge observing programs and global collaborations that combine many telescopes into a single “Earth-sized” instrument. The show also explores how modern astrophysics increasingly depends on computation, statistics, and large survey datasets to detect subtle signals—whether mapping galaxies or searching for transient radio phenomena.
On the quantum and condensed-matter side, the discussions touch on superconductivity, superfluidity, quantum thermodynamics, and the interplay between quantum information concepts and physical systems, including implications for quantum technologies and computing. Some conversations highlight attempts to develop unifying theoretical frameworks in quantum field theory and to distinguish tractable problems from the hardest unsolved ones.
Alongside the science, guests describe the human realities of research: mentorship and collaboration, the role of curiosity and serendipity, communicating complex ideas with metaphors and stories, and navigating personal and institutional challenges. The podcast also makes space for broader context, including questions of equity and identity in science and perspectives that connect astronomy with Indigenous knowledge and methodologies. Overall, the series mixes frontier research explanations with the motivations and life experiences that shape scientists’ work.
