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Host Miriam Frankel delves into some of the great mysteries still puzzling the world's top physicists in this new series from The Conversation. This podcast will take you on a mind-blowing journey from the smallest to the largest conundrums, exploring curled-up dimensions, consciousness and parallel universes on the way.Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):
➤ open questions in fundamental physics • theory of everything, standard model limits • quantum reality, measurement, free will • multiverse, parallel universes, testability • fine-tuning constants for life • time’s nature, arrow, illusion • life and consciousness emergenceThis podcast explores major open questions in contemporary physics by asking what we still don’t understand about reality at its most fundamental level. Across the series, host Miriam Frankel speaks with physicists and philosophers of physics about where today’s best-tested theories succeed, where they conflict, and what might be missing from our current picture of the universe.
A recurring theme is the search for deeper unification: whether it is possible—or even necessary—to develop a single framework that accounts for all forces and particles, and what obstacles stand in the way. The discussions also probe the interpretive puzzles of quantum mechanics, including whether the theory describes an objective external world or something more dependent on observers, information, or measurement.
The show moves between the very small and the very large, connecting quantum foundations to cosmology. It examines speculative but widely debated ideas such as parallel universes and the multiverse, focusing on what these concepts mean scientifically and whether they could ever be tested. Another thread considers “fine-tuning” questions: why fundamental constants take the values they do, and how different values might affect the formation of stars, planets, and the possibility of life.
The podcast also tackles physics-adjacent mysteries where boundaries blur—such as whether time is as basic as it feels in everyday experience, and whether physics can offer a fundamental account of life and consciousness emerging from non-living matter. Overall, the series presents competing viewpoints and proposed paths forward on problems that remain unresolved in modern physics.
| Episodes: |
Theory of everything: do we really need one?2023-Apr-12 57 minutes |
Will we ever have a fundamental theory of life and consciousness?2023-Apr-05 47 minutes |
Quantum mechanics: does objective reality exist?2023-Mar-29 52 minutes |
Is there a multiverse?2023-Mar-22 41 minutes |
Fundamental constants: is the universe fine tuned for life to exist?2023-Mar-15 41 minutes |
Is time an illusion?2023-Mar-08 43 minutes |
Great Mysteries of Physics - trailer2023-Feb-13 2 minutes |