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. These moments were captured in the documentary Particle Fever, created by the particle physicist David Kaplan. On today's episode, he recounts these historic years from the perspective of both physicist and filmmaker.For ad-free episodes and exclusive ask-us-anything segments, join us for just $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverseOur merch is available here: https://www.shalmawegsman.com/why-this-universeCrew CollectiveA podcast about the wild, weird, and deeply human side of cosmic storytelling.Listen on: Apple Podcasts Support the show
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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 Physics?For ad-free episodes and exclusive ask-us-anything segments, join us for just $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverseOur merch is available here: https://www.shalmawegsman.com/why-this-universeCrew CollectiveA podcast about the wild, weird, and deeply human side of cosmic storytelling.Listen on: Apple Podcasts Support the show
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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 ad-free episodes and exclusive ask-us-anything segments, join us for just $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverseOur merch is available here: https://www.shalmawegsman.com/why-this-universeCrew CollectiveA podcast about the wild, weird, and deeply human side of cosmic storytelling.Listen on: Apple Podcasts Support the show
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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 winner Adam Riess.For ask-us-anything segments and other exclusives, join us for just $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverseOur merch is available here: https://www.shalmawegsman.com/why-this-universeCrew CollectiveA podcast about the wild, weird, and deeply human side of cosmic storytelling.Listen on: Apple Podcasts Support the show
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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 dark energy. For ask-us-anything segments and other exclusives, join us for just $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverseOur merch is available here: https://www.shalmawegsman.com/why-this-universeCrew CollectiveA podcast about the wild, weird, and deeply human side of cosmic storytelling.Listen on: Apple Podcasts Support the show
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.