Why This Universe?

100 - What is Light? A Journey from Ancient Philosophy to Quantum Physics

Modern physics tells us a lot about light; that it's both a wave and a particle, and that it sets the speed limit of the universe, for example. But how did we come t

99 - The 7 Most Exciting Developments in Physics Today + a WTU Update

It's been a while! To make up for lost time, today's episode is a rundown of all the physics news you should know. Hear what is keeping physicists at the edge o

98 - An Improbable Quantum Ghost Story (Ft. David Kaplan)

An unlikely change in the theory of quantum mechanics would lead to bizarre new conclusions. Our guest talks us through non-linear quantum mechanics, and how physicists l

97 - The Schrödinger Equation: The Heart of Quantum Mechanics

Quantum mechanics is full of surprises. But somehow, the theory is captured almost entirely in a single equation. Today we explore the Schrödinger equation: how it works,

96 - The Making of Particle Fever (Ft. David Kaplan)

In the years leading up to the Large Hadron Collider turning on, the physics community was buzzing with curiosity and excitement about what they were about to discover. T

95 - Would Aliens Have the Same Physics? (Ft. Daniel Whiteson)

If we met aliens, could we communicate through physics? Daniel Whiteson explores this question on today's episode. For more, check out his new book, Do Aliens Speak

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 ad-free episodes and exclusive a

94 - Inside the Hubble Tension (Ft. 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 from Nobel Prize winne

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 energy source called

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 questions: https://www.p

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.com/whythisuniverse

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 on Patreon: https://p

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 the Milky Wa

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 energy evolved in recent

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 exclusive ask-us-anythin

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 other exclusives, joi

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 broken it really

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 this rerun of an e

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 exclusives, join us fo

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.For ad free epis