Why This Universe?
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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.
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38 - The Nobel Prize's Greatest Misses (2025 Update)
In honor of Nobel prize season, we remember some people whose important work in the past has been overlooked by the Nobel committee.
For...
94 - Inside the Hubble Tension With Adam Riess
Our universe is expanding. But when physicists measure how fast this expansion rate is, they get two different answers. Hear what this crisis means fr...
93 - The Moment Dark Energy Appeared (Ft. Adam Riess)
Adam Riess recounts the moments of his Nobel prize-winning discovery that our universe is expanding at an accelerating rate, powered by a mysterious e...
AUA: Changing Dark Energy, Twin Paradox, and What's Next for CERN
We answer your questions. To listen to our backlog of ask-us-anything episodes for free, head to our Patreon, or join for $3/month to submit your ques...
AUA: The Early Universe, Quantum Interpretations, and Asteroids
To listen to our backlog of past ask-us-anything episodes for free, head to our Patreon, or join for $3/month to ask us questions: https://www.patreon...
92 - What Cosmology Has in Store for 2025 (Ft. Dan Scolnic)
Learn what exciting cosmology results and potential discoveries await us in 2025!For exclusive ask-us-anything episodes, join us for just $3 a month o...
91 - What Neutrinos Reveal About the Milky Way
A discovery last year reveals our galaxy in a whole new light - except it's not light, it's neutrinos! Learn what this discovery can teach us about th...
90 - Quintessence: Is Dark Energy Changing? (Ft. Sean Carroll)
Is it possible that dark energy is not a constant, but rather is changing over time? Sean Carroll talks to us about how our understanding of dark ener...
89 - A Dark Matter Vibe Check
Dan and Shalma have a candid conversation about the state of dark matter research, and the ways the field has changed over the last few years.For excl...
88 - Why Does Our Universe Exist At All? (Ft. Sean Carroll)
Why does something exist, rather than nothing? Special guest Sean Carroll helps us explore this deep philosophical question.For ad free episodes and o...
87 - The Good and the Bad of Peer Review
There has been some criticism of the process scientists use to check each other's work. Today we take a deep dive into peer review to determine how br...
28 - How Noether's Theorem Changed Physics (Rerun)
Learn how Noether's profound mathematical theorem relating symmetries to conservation laws is deeply woven into the physics of the universe. Enjoy thi...
86 - The Life and Death of Stars
We explore the diverse world of stars in the universe, from those similar to our Sun to those totally unrecognizable.For ad free episodes and other ex...
85 - Our Sun: Present, Past and Future
Today's episode is all about the star in our front yard - the sun. Learn how it came to be, how it has changed, and how will it change in the future.F...
84 - The Search For New Worlds (ft. Josh Winn)
Hear how the search for exoplanets has developed, and what surprises it has brought so far.For ad free episodes and other exclusives, join us for just...
83 - Witnessing a Revolution in Particle Physics (Ft. Chris Quigg)
Today we hear from someone who bore witness to the so-called “November Revolution” of particle physics in 1974.For ad free episodes and other exclusiv...
82 - Science Vs. Pseudoscience
Pseudoscience can sometimes be hard to distinguish from the real thing. Today we discuss how philosophers of science have thought about this problem.F...
81 - Ancient Greek Astronomy
The first episode in a new mini-series on philosophical problems in cosmology - Today we start with the origins of Western science and learn what the...
80 - (April Fools 2024) A Surprising Discovery Shaking Up Modern Cosmology
Hear how a recent discovery of the motions of galaxies is changing how cosmologists are thinking about our universe.For ad free episodes and other exc...
79 - NanoGRAV's Big Gravitational Wave Discovery (Ft. Chiara Mingarelli)
Last year, an experiment called NanoGRAV made a surprising discovery of gravitational waves using pulsars around the universe. Special guest Chiara Mi...
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 getti...
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 qu...
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.c...
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.
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://...
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...
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://w...
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 an...
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 differen...
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 l...
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...
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...
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...
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 - her...
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 materiali...
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 c...
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.
Listen on: App...
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...
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...
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 rebroadca...