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
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
Jun 14, 2021 • 33min
29 - How the Big Bang Won the Debate About the Beginning of Time
Hear what proved to physicists that the universe started with the Big Bang - and the one person who was never convinced.Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/whythisuniverseSupport the show
May 31, 2021 • 24min
28 - How Emmy Noether Changed Physics Forever
Learn how a profound mathematical theorem relating symmetries to conservation laws is deeply woven into the physics of the universe.Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/whythisuniverseSupport the show
May 10, 2021 • 31min
12 - The Fight Between Modified Gravity and Dark Matter
A rerun of one of our favorite episodes ever. Some physicists have considered the possibility that dark matter might not exist - and that instead, it's our theories of gravity which are wrong. Today we take a deep dive into these theories of modified gravity.Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/whythisuniverseSupport the show
Apr 26, 2021 • 17min
3 - What in the World is Anti-Matter?
A re-post of one of our favorite early episodes. Learn how special relativity and quantum mechanics come together to make an odd prediction about matter.Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/whythisuniverseSupport the show
Apr 12, 2021 • 34min
27 - What Does the Muon g-2 Result Mean for Physics?
Get our introduction to the measurement that might prove the Standard Model wrong!Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/whythisuniverseSupport the show
Mar 29, 2021 • 27min
26 - Did Inflation Rip Apart the Early Universe?
The Big Bang theory leaves us with some open questions, and the theory of inflation might have the answers.Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/whythisuniverseSupport the show
