The Knowmads Podcast

Scott Aaronson on the Impact of AI on Science and Mathematics

We had the opportunity to meet with Scott Aaronson and talk AI. Scott Aaronson is a theoretical computer scientist and the David J. Bruton Jr. Centennial Professor of Com

Shenglong Xu on Quantum Many-Body Systems

One of the great advantages of being a physicist in Texas is that you are genuinely surrounded by incredible physicists across the Houston–Austin–Dallas–College Station a

Andrew Long on Early Universe Cosmology

Have you ever wondered what the universe was like in its very first moments? Why did matter win over antimatter? What is dark matter made of? What is dark energy? And cou

Ashmeet Singh on a Quantum-First Approach to Space, Time, Gravity, and Cosmology

In the 1920s, physicists like Schrödinger, Heisenberg, Einstein, Planck—and many others—realized something deeply unsettling and beautiful: the universe at microscopic sc

Piotr Sułkowski on Mathematical aspects of Theoretical Physics

Recently, I came across a definition of a good theory: it should explain as much as possible, with as few ingredients as possible, and with as much accuracy as possible.

Niko Šarčević on Modern Cosmology

Most of what we know about the universe actually comes from what we can’t see. Only a tiny fraction of the cosmos is made of “normal” matter—the stuff that makes up stars

Marine De Clerck on Quantum Chaos

Hello Everyone, welcome to The Knowmads Podcast. I'm your co-host Prachi, and I'm your co-host Bhavay. `Chaos' is one of those words that has escaped physi

Daniel Whiteson on Do Aliens Speak Physics?

Imagine: it’s a lazy Sunday morning, you’re sipping your raspberry-flavored iced latte, and an interstellar traveler lands in your backyard. It starts walking toward you—

Eve M. Vavagiakis on What goes into Cosmological Observations

The universe is about 14 billion years old. Ever wondered—how do we even know the age of the universe? How can we look up at the sky and read time itself? We do this by s

Ramakrishna V. Hosur on when Science Meets Spirituality

Science and philosophy have always been woven together. Some of history’s greatest minds—Aristotle, Galileo, Aryabhata and even Einstein—were as much philosophers as they

Pavan Hosur on Eigenstate Thermalization Hypothesis

Imagine walking deep into a dense forest without a map or GPS. Initially, you kind of know where you started. But as you wander further, eventually, it's impossible

Andreas Karch on the Stringy Nature of the Universe

Modern physics rests on two foundational frameworks that describe our universe at different scales. The first is General Relativity, Einstein’s theory of gravity, which d

Kaden Hazzard on the exotic nature of Paraparticles

The world we live in is believed to be divided into two fundamental families of particles--Fermions and Bosons. Today, we're sitting in Dr. Kaden Hazzard's beau

Rene Bellwied on Winning the 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics

Hello everyone, welcome to season 2 of the Knowmads podcast. Since Season 2 was long overdue, we had to start with someone who’s not just had a remarkable academic journe

Livia Merrill on psychological impacts on children due to prenatal stress

Hi Everyone,  This is Episode 15 of The Knowmads Podcast. The mother’s Mental health during the time of pregnancy is extremely crucial. Studies suggest that prenatal stre

Kristen Dobbs on juggling passions: A journey of Motherhood, Physics and Beyond

Hi Everyone,  This is Episode 14 of The Knowmads Podcast. Whether you're a parent searching for that delicate equilibrium between responsibilities and aspirations, o

Christina D. Griep on language acquisition and early cognitive development

Hi Everyone,  This is Episode 13 of The Knowmads Podcast. Most of us who grew up in bilingual or a multilingual homes often wonder if the new babies in the family will be

Nina Nevill on oppression against incarcerated black women in Texas

Hi Everyone, This is Episode 12 of The Knowmads Podcast. Long after abolishment of Slavery in the US, in the late 1800s the effects are still seen in different forms. Th

Adriana Alcaraz Sánchez on consciousness and altered states of awareness

Hi Everyone, This is Episode 11 of The Knowmads Podcast. Have you ever wondered why do we dream, are we conscious while we are sleeping? How is our brain able to genera

Daniel Huff on education policy and student debts in America, student body organisations and Dark Matter

Hi Everyone,  This is Episode 10 of The Knowmads Podcast. Political discussions and associated ideologies almost always resolve in thinking about national leaders and the