Why This Universe?
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.
Episodes
90 episodes
78 - The Life of a Science Journalist (Ft. Katrina Miller)
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 Katri...
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Season 1
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Episode 78
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38:30
77 - All About Quantum Computing (Ft. Henry Lamm)
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-univer...
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Season 1
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Episode 77
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40:31
76 - Do We Live in a Simulation?
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-universeFor ask-us-anything segments and other exclusives, join us for just $3 a...
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Season 1
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Episode 76
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37:59
75 - Physics in Extreme Locations (Ft. Daniel Baxter & Alexandra Rahlin)
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-universeFor...
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Season 1
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Episode 75
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42:01
8 - Is Space Flat or Curved?
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-universeFor ask-us-anything segments and other exclusives, jo...
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Season 1
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24:23
74 - The Copernican Revolution (Ft. Aviva Rothman)
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-universeFor ask-us-anything segmen...
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Season 1
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Episode 74
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58:30
73 - Life Beyond Earth (Ft. Avi Loeb and Garrett Graff at the Chicago Humanities Festival)
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-universeFor ask-us-anything segments and other exclusives, joi...
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Season 1
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Episode 73
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1:08:41
72 - The Physics Of Music (Ft. Tim Cohen)
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 f...
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Season 1
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Episode 72
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43:31
71 - How the Universe Got Its Structure
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, jo...
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Season 1
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Episode 71
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20:20
70 - WTU Live: Will Intelligent Life Persist in the Universe? (ft. Daniel Holz and Diana Powell)
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 in...
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Season 1
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Episode 70
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57:55
Special Announcement + ChatGPT On Unifying Quantum Mechanics and Relativity
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-...
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9:56
69 - An Update on Modified Gravity (MOND)
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 pre...
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Season 1
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Episode 69
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47:20
68 - The Age of the Universe
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
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Season 1
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Episode 68
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29:26
6 - Your Tour Through Quantum Weirdness (Rebroadcast)
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 ...
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30:14
67 - When Science Meets Spirituality (Ft. Alan Lightman)
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...
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Season 1
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Episode 67
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42:48
66 - When Space Was Filled With Music
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...
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Season 1
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Episode 66
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25:33
65 - Should We Build a Muon Collider? (Ft. Cari Cesarotti)
Special guest Cari Cesarotti tells us why so many particle physicists are itching to build a whole new type of particle collider.
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Season 1
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Episode 65
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42:18
64 - The Journey to the Big Bang
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 ...
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Season 1
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Episode 64
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30:10
63 - The Question of Consciousness (Ft. David Chalmers)
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.T...
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Season 1
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Episode 63
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50:26
47 - Boltzmann Brains: Could Reality Be An Illusion? (Rebroadcast)
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 mont...
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28:02
62 - JWST and the Earliest Galaxies in the Universe (ft. Mike Boylan-Kolchin)
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 a...
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24:01
61 - Could the Large Hadron Collider Destroy the World?
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?
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Season 1
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Episode 61
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23:37
60 - The Search for Extra Dimensions
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/whythisu...
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Season 1
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Episode 60
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23:49