Why This Universe?
Dan Hooper, Shalma Wegsman
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
Mentioned books
Nov 1, 2021 • 17min
A Special Neutrino Update! (ft. Pedro Machado)
Today we unpack the latest neutrino results from Fermilab's MicroBoone experiment. Special guest Pedro Machado helps us understand what they mean for the future of neutrino research.Support the show
Oct 18, 2021 • 35min
38 - The Nobel Prize's Greatest Misses
In honor of Nobel prize season, we remember some people whose important work in the past has been overlooked by the Nobel committee.Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/whythisuniverseSupport the show
Oct 4, 2021 • 24min
37 - How Neutrinos Might Be Hinting at Dark Matter
The neutrino's non-zero mass is an anomaly, but one that leads to a promising new dark matter candidate - the sterile neutrino. Could this be it?Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/whythisuniverseSupport the show
Sep 20, 2021 • 21min
36 - The Neutrino's Quantum Superpower
Today we discuss neutrino oscillations - their ability to transform between different types – and the quantum mechanics that makes it possible. Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/whythisuniverseSupport the show
Sep 6, 2021 • 32min
35 - The Chaos Underlying Everything (ft. David Grier)
Learn about the chaotic motion that underlies even the most ordered structures, including life.Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/whythisuniverseSupport the show
Aug 23, 2021 • 29min
34 - Should Beauty Guide Physicists?
Some physics theories are admired for being beautiful, but does that mean they are more likely to be true? Or could chasing beauty lead us astray?Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/whythisuniverseSupport the show
Aug 9, 2021 • 34min
33 - Our Love Affair With Supersymmetry
Hear why supersymmetry was special enough to win over physicists hearts, and why faith in it might be dying out.Support the show
Jul 26, 2021 • 24min
32 - The Mystery of the Higgs Boson's Mass
Today we explore one of the biggest and most frustrating open problems of particle physics - the hierarchy problem.Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/whythisuniverseSupport the show
Jul 12, 2021 • 27min
31 - If You Give an Astronomer a Neutrino
Learn how astronomers are using invisible particles to see what we've never seen before!Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/whythisuniverseSupport the show
Jun 28, 2021 • 32min
30 - The Oldest Picture of the Universe
Learn about the oldest light in the universe - the cosmic microwave background - and how it became a treasure trove of cosmological insight.Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/whythisuniverseSupport the show
