Daniel and Jorge Explain the Universe
Episodes
Listener Questions 33: Questions from your kids!
22 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about what nothing looks like, whether Thor's hammer would destroy the Earth and rogue stars.See omnystudio.com/listener for pri...
What are sterile neutrinos?
17 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about a new stealthy kind of neutrino that might neaten up the mess left by all of the other neutrinos.See omnystudio.com/listen...
Why is math so important for physics?
15 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel talks to mathematician Steve Strogatz about why calculus seems to describe the Universe so well.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informa...
How can the Universe expand faster than the speed of light?
10 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge blow their own minds talking about the faster-than-light expansion of the Universe See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati...
Can you send messages without particles?
08 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about ingenious quantum tricks to send information without actual particles.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
How do planets get rings?
03 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Katie talk about planetary rings and what they tell us about the history of the solar system.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...
Can you make matter out of pure electrons?
01 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about the quest to build a crystal out of only electrons.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/...
What are the most common elements in the Universe?
27 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Kelly talk about how elements were made in the early Universe, what processes are making more of them today, and why some elements are mor...
Listener Questions 31: Photons, aliens, and baseball
25 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge answer questions from listeners like you! Send your questions to [email protected] See omnystudio.com/listener for priva...
How dangerous is nuclear waste?
20 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel talks to experts about the waste produced by nuclear reactors, the dangers, risks and options.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati...
What's up with Iapetus?
18 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge dissect the history of this mysterious solar system object. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/...
Can you communicate with neutrinos?
13 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Katie talk about how to detect information carried by the ghostly neutrino, and how to send neutr-emails.See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...
The Science of "The Spare Man"
11 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Kelly talk with Mary Robinette Kowal about the science of murder in space in her new book "The Spare Man" See omnystudio.com/listener for ...
What's it like to be an alien?
06 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel talks to Dr. Arik Kershenbaum about what alien animals might be like, how they might sense and communicate. See omnystudio.com/listener for p...
Listener Questions 32: Particles, particles, particles!
04 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge answer questions from listeners like you, all about the particles around us.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See o...
Why does physics even work?
29 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel talks to Prof. Tim O'Connor about why the craziness of the world around us seems to resolve into things we can understand.See omnystudio.com/li...
What is negative temperature?
27 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about hot and cold coffee, weather and desserts and wrestle with whether things can be colder than zero!See omnystudio.com/liste...
Is math the language of the Universe?
22 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel talks to Prof. Mark Colyvan, philosopher of mathematics, about whether math is something we invented or discovered. See omnystudio.com/listen...
What are quantum glasses?
20 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about finding order among the messiness of the Universe, and the strange frustration of quantum spin glasses. See omnystudio.c...
What will the Lucy mission teach us?
15 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Kelly walk through the trajectory of the Lucy mission and talk about what it might teach us about our origins. See omnystudio.com/listener...
Why haven't we seen a Milky Way Supernova in 400 years?
13 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Katie talk about the mysteries of supernovae, and why we haven't seen a local one since Kepler! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...
What's inside a neutron star?
08 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge take a bite out of "nuclear pasta" and dive into the heart of these strange stars.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information...
What's the amplituhedron?
06 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge grapple with this hard-to-say word that might make complex quantum calculations much easier.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy i...
Did the James Webb Space Telescope disprove the Big Bang Theory?
01 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about the surprises found in the first science from the James Webb telescope and what it means for our understanding of the earl...
If the Universe is infinite, why is the night sky dark?
30 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Kelly wrestle with competing infinities to understand why the night sky is not catastrophically ablaze with light. See omnystudio.com/list...
Listener Questions about discoveries
25 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge answer questions from listeners about how discoveries are made, the most important recent discoveries and how to detect aliens. See...
Could there be two dimensions of time?
23 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge grapple with the possibility that time could flow in more than one direction, at the same time(s). See omnystudio.com/listener for ...
How long does a neutron live?
18 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Katie talk about how one of the basic building blocks of matter is surprisingly impermanent and mysterious. See omnystudio.com/listener fo...
Can a gravitational wave pass through a black hole?
16 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about what happens when one superstar of physics slams into another.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omny...
What is superdeterminism?
11 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about the lengths people will go to avoid accepting the randomness of quantum mechanics. See omnystudio.com/listener for privac...
Is the speed of light the same in all directions?
09 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge break down the differences between the two-way and one-way speed of light.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omn...
Are black holes hot or not?
04 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about whether black holes have a temperature and if we can ever know! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See o...
Listener Questions about aliens, black holes and white holes!
02 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge answer questions from listeners like you! Send your questions to [email protected] See omnystudio.com/listener for privac...
What is early dark energy?
28 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about whether the Universe got an extra boost of expansion early on, and if it's cartoonists' fault. See omnystudio.com/listene...
What can slime molds teach us about dark matter?
26 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Katie talk about where the missing matter in the Universe might be, and how slime molds might help us find it. See omnystudio.com/listener...
What did the first JWST images reveal?
21 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge walk through the first images from our fancy new space telescope! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio...
Why is momentum conserved?
19 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about why the Universe seems to follow rules, and celebrate the birthday of the woman who revealed the this deep truth. Se...
What is laser fusion?
14 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge break down the science of using huge lasers to zap frozen pellets of hydrogen. Or ice cream. Or cartoonists. See omnystudio.com/list...
How do galaxies die?
12 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about the mysteries of why galaxies stop making stars.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/lis...
What is a quark gluon plasma?
07 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about the hottest state of matter ever created, and make up silly names for it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...
How do fireworks work?
05 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge blow your mind with the physics and chemistry of how fireworks sparkle and entertain.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informat...
What happens to event horizons when black holes collide?
30 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge take you step by step through the process of black hole mergers . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1M-AbWIlVQ&t=47sSee omnystudio...
Do photons bump into each other?
28 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge bump brains and talk about whether beams of light interact or pass through each other. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor...
Listener Questions about Annihilation
23 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge answer questions about anti-muons, Daniel's research, and dimensional weapons.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See...
What is Energy?
21 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge tackle some of one of the simplest but trickiest concepts in physics. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See o...
Could aliens teach us science?
16 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel talks to Sam Kimpton-Nye about whether aliens do science the same way we do. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omny...
Can the Earth survive when the Sun expands?
14 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Kelly talk about how we use our smarts to survive the changing conditions in the far future solar system.See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...
What will the next generation of space telescopes reveal?
09 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about the plans for a new set of Great Observatories in space, and what it might show us about the Universe.See omnystudio.com/l...
Could the Universe be shaped like a donut?
07 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about how much dark chocolate can fit in Universes of various shapes and sizes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inf...
Where is most of Earth's water?
02 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Katie drink deeply of the mystery of the Earth's formation and contents and talk about whether Earth's water might be hiding deep within th...
What if gravity were much stronger?
31 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge answer listener questions about gravity, the CMB and distant disappearing objects! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor...
Tech in the Great Outdoors
26 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We often think of technology as stuff that keeps us sitting at home, wired to our phones or computers or game systems. But there's an entire world of ...
What does our black hole look like?
26 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about the recent picture of the black hole at the heart of the Milky Way See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio...
Is the whole Universe spinning?
24 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about whether the whole Universe can spin, and whether it is.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio....
What is a particle?
19 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge grapple with this particularly tricky and philosophical question. Music credit: https://theamberbugs.com See omnystudio.c...
Can we defend the Earth from deadly space rocks?
17 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Kelly talk about where space rocks come from, how dangerous they are and what humanity can do about it.See omnystudio.com/listener for priv...
What does the NICER telescope study?
12 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge explain how an X-ray telescope works and what it reveals about the inside of neutron stars. See omnystudio.com/listener for pri...
Can we escape a black hole with a warp drive or wormhole?
10 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about whether loopholes and wormholes will let you escape black holes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See om...
Creature Feature: The Physics of Animal Color
07 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
An episode of Creature Feature where Daniel and Katie talk about the physics of how animals look so brilliant, and how some people can see in the UV.S...
Can the human eye see a single photon?
05 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Katie talk about the physics of color and whether the eyeball is a quantum measurement device. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...
Introducing: Spyology Squad
04 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Hi, Daniel and Jorge fans! If the children in your life are as curious as you are, we have the perfect podcast for them. Spyology Squad is an adventur...
What came first matter or energy?
03 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge answer listener questions about the solar system and the early Universe.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnys...
What can neutrinos teach us about supernovas?
28 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge explore what we can learn about the Universe's biggest explosions using ghostly particles.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inf...
Is the W boson too massive?
26 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about the recent measurement of the W mass that shocked particle physicists. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...
Is nuclear power worth the risks?
21 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Kelly talk about whether we need nuclear power to reduce carbon emissions, and whether it can be done safely. https://www.smbc-comics...
The science fiction universe of "Lost in Space"
19 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk to Kari Drake, writer on "Lost in Space" about the science of that Universe See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informa...
What are zombie stars?
14 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about stars that die, and then come back to shine again!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/l...
What if the speed of light were slower?
11 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge answer listener questions about ice ages, black holes and the speed of light. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheart...
Is it dangerous to send messages to aliens?
07 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about whether attempts to communicate with extra terrestrial civilizations are worth the risk. Learn more about your ad-choices...
Are there particles that don't have anti-particles?
05 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge discuss whether Majorana particles are real, and crack a real life mystery about the fate of Ettore Majorana. Learn more about your ...
How big can a comet get?
31 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Katie talk about the biggest possible scoop of solar-system gelato, and what it might mean for the future of humanity! Learn more about yo...
What could aliens teach us about the Universe?
29 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel talks to Noam Chomsky about how to communicate with aliens? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnyst...
What will the new probes to Venus reveal?
24 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about the mysteries of Venus and what the next generation of probes might teach us. Learn more about your ad-choices at https:/...
Could we build a particle collider on the moon?
22 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Katie talk about what such a huge collider could reveal, and whether it would be a good idea. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://...
Can molton salt reactors produce electricity safely?
17 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about alternative designs for fission plants that could produce electricity much more safely. Learn more about your ad-choices ...
How to take over the world
15 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk to Ryan North about how to use science to become a supervillain Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastne...
Can we put black holes to work for us?
10 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge discuss how the twisted spacetime around a spinning black hole can be used to pull energy from a black hole. Learn more about your a...
Why do stars twinkle?
08 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge sing a scientificsong about the many reasons a star might twinkle. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetw...
What is dark radiation?
03 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about whether dark matter feels dark forces. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnyst...
What is the future of exoplanet research?
01 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk to planet hunter Dr. Jesse Christiansen about what we have learned and what we might learn about exoplanets! Learn more about y...
Where does the Higgs get its mass?
24 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge wonder: if the Higgs gives mass to the other particles, how does it get mass itself? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www...
Can you roast a marshmallow in space, and other listener questions.
22 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about space marshmallows, our cosmic date with Andromeda, and surviving micrometeors. Learn more about your ad-choices at https...
Is there Uranium on Uranus?
17 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Kelly probe a heavy question about heavy metals on Uranus. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omn...
Does the Universe have a preferred direction?
15 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about the hypothesis that there is a cosmological Axis of Evil Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnet...
Why does the Higgs boson like Mexican hats?
10 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about the strange properties of the Higgs boson, and why its special powers are linked to a sombrero. Learn more about your ad-...
Can we build a wormhole?
08 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about the latest ideas for how to make human portals to distant space. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpo...
Listener questions about alien tech, the Earth's orbit and its future!
03 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge answer questions from listeners like you. Submit your questions to [email protected] Learn more about your ad-choices at ...
Is there an explanation for the Universe, or is it random?
01 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Katie explore the anthropic principle and whether it can provide some understanding of why the Universe is the way it is. Learn more about...
The next revolution in theoretical physics
27 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge explain Constructor Theory, a new way to approach building theories of everything. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.i...
Could our galaxy have a dark matter center?
25 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge explore the idea that the center of the galaxy might hold a huge blob of dark matter rather than a black hole. Learn more about your...
Could life have started much earlier in the Universe?
20 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Katie talk about what life needs and whether it could have started much earlier in the Universe. Learn more about your ad-choices at https...
The mysterious phenomenon of turning sound into light
18 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about sonoluminescence, a mystery that has evaded explanation for almost 100 years. Learn more about your ad-choices at https:/...
Do we know where dark matter is?
13 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about where dark matter is in the Universe. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystu...
What's happening to the Hyades Cluster?
11 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Kelly talk about the dramatic brutal cosmic fate of the Hyades Cluster. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwo...
Why black holes are actually bright.
06 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about the incredible, ironic brightness of black holes. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.co...
What happens when stars collide?
04 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about the chances of two stars smashing, and whether we could survive. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpo...
Did this particle cause the Big Bang?
30 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about the inflaton particle, and whether its responsible for EVERYTHING. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheart...
What if the asteroid hadn't killed the dinosaurs?
28 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge answer listener questions and give a special birthday shout out. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwor...
Could quantum mechanics be deterministic?
23 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel talks to Prof. Valia Allori about the theory of Bohmian Mechanics, a deterministic alternative to traditional Quantum Mechanics. Learn more ab...
What is Zodiacal Light?
21 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about the amazing physics of space DUST. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio...