Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Episodes
Listener Questions 17: hamsters, black holes and higgs fields!
14 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge dip the french fries of knowledge into the mysterious condiments of the Universe and answer questions from listeners like you! Learn...
Can you be motionless in space?
09 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Everything is moving and spinning -- is it possible to be totally still in the Universe? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcas...
Why don't we have electric airplanes?
07 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Katie talk about how to get a battery-powered plane into the sky. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com...
What will the Giant Magellan Telescope show us?
02 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Kelly talk about the exciting science that will be done by this new super telescope. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.ihear...
What is a space hurricane?
31 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge swirl their minds together into a stormy mix of puns and physics and tackle this spacey topic. Learn more about your ad-choices at h...
What's a proton made of?
26 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge crack open the basic building block of matter and find.. anti-matter! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastn...
What if our particles were different?
24 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge consider how the Universe would be different if our particles had different properties Learn more about your ad-choices at https://w...
What is a light cone?
19 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge explain how the speed of light limits how events play out in the Universe. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpod...
How many particles has the Large Hadron Collider discovered?
17 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge reveal that the Large Hadron Collider has found much more than just the Higgs boson! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www...
Why is the three-body problem so hard?
12 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about why something so simple is one of the oldest and hardest problems in physics. Learn more about your ad-choices at https:/...
How many stars can a solar system have?
10 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about binary star systems, trinary star systems and totally bonkers star systems with even more stars! Learn more about your ad...
Listener Questions 16: pictures from space, antimatter stars and Jupiter-eating aliens!
05 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge answer questions from listeners like you! Have questions? Send them to [email protected] Learn more about your ad-choices...
Can we use the galaxy as a gravitational wave detector?
03 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel explains how pulsars can be used as a galaxy-sized physics experiment. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.co...
How does a plasma thruster work?
29 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Will a plasma-based spaceship engine let humanity zoom between planets? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee o...
Can you outrun a flash of light?
27 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about whether its possible to outrun the fastest thing in the Universe Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpo...
How were pulsars discovered?
22 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel recounts the story of how pulsars were discovered and what they tell us about the death of stars. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://...
The SF Universe of Cadwell Turnbull's "The Lesson"
20 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about the connections between science and art and discuss the science and politics of Cadwell Turnbull's "The Lesson" Learn mor...
What's the cosmic gravitational background?
15 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge explain how we might be able to listen to a new kind of gravitational hiss and what secrets it could reveal. Learn more about your a...
What do the Navy UFO videos really mean?
13 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel talks to Mick West, expert UFO-video analyzer, to understand what we are seeing in the Navy UFO videos. Learn more about your ad-choices at ht...
Is infinity real or just mathematical?
08 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and guest host Katie Goldin search for examples of infinity in the Universe. Does it only exist in our minds? Learn more about your ad-choices...
How many moons does the Earth have?
06 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and guest host Kelly Weinersmith count the number of moons orbiting the Earth! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastne...
Listener Questions: photon information, simulated Universes and Daniel's fantasy science budget
01 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel answers questions from real listeners like you. Submit your questions to [email protected] Learn more about your ad-choices at http...
The SF Universe of Essa Hansen's novel "Nophek Gloss"
29 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge break down the science in the science fiction novel "Nophek Gloss" by debut author Essa Hansen. Learn more about your ad-choices at ...
Is it possible to have a two-dimensional object?
24 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge slice the Universe infinitely thin and talk about the theory and practice of 2D materials Learn more about your ad-choices at https:...
Are there stars made of dark matter?
22 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about what it takes to make a star and whether dark matter could pull it off Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.ih...
Where are all the medium-sized black holes?
17 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge search for the missing black holes that are not too small or too big, but right in the middle! Learn more about your ad-choices at h...
How was the cosmic microwave background discovered?
15 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge go through the crazy story of missed opportunties, accidental observations that led to one of the greatest science discoveries of all...
How many Higgs bosons are there?
10 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge explain why our Universe might have more than just one Higgs boson, and what they should be called. Learn more about your ad-choices...
Where did the Earth's atmosphere come from?
08 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge explain where the air you breathe came from, and whether there's hope for deep breaths on exoplanets. Learn more about your ad-choic...
What did we learn from the Arecibo Radio Telescope?
03 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge tell the story of the construction, the scientific insights and the collapse of the Arecibo Radio Telescope in Puerto Rico Learn mor...
Why does measuring a quantum object change it?
01 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel chats with Adam Becker about the "measurement problem" in quantum mechanics: does the wavefunction collapse, and what causes it? Learn more ab...
Can there be life INSIDE a black hole?
27 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and guest host Katie Goldin talk about astro-blackhole-biology and whether it's possible to have life evolve inside a black hole. Learn more a...
Listener Questions: the expanding observable Universe, what it's like to be a photon and the age of the Universe
25 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel answers questions from listeners like you! Got questions? Come to Daniel's public office hours: https://sites.uci.edu/daniel/public-office-hour...
What is Frame Dragging?
20 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge explain how space can get twisted up around spinning objects. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.c...
Is space-based solar power realistic?
18 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and guest host Kelly Weinersmith talk about getting solar power FROM SPACE! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwo...
Does Mars Have a Liquid Center?
13 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge crack open the red planet and talk about whether it is totally solid, or whether it still has liquid flowing inside! Learn more abou...
What's the most promising theory of EVERYTHING?
11 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about string theory, loop quantum gravity, M-theory, p-branes, geometric unity and ice cream! Learn more about your ad-choices ...
What's the most powerful volcano in the Solar System?
06 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge break down how volcanos work and blow up your idea of what makes a powerful volcano blow. Learn more about your ad-choices at https:...
Can the Universe exist without space?
04 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge break down the Universe to its most basic level and ask if space is necessary Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheart...
The Science Fiction Universe of SB Divya
29 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel interviews SB Divya about her new novel "Machinehood" which explores whether machines can be self-aware. Learn more about your ad-choices at h...
Can brains spontaneously form in space?
27 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about the chance that you could be a brain floating in space. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetw...
Listener Questions: Black Holes, Dark Entropy and a Radio Free Zone!
22 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge answer questions from listeners like you! Got questions? Come to Daniel's public office hours: https://sites.uci.edu/daniel/public-of...
Did CERN just discover a new particle, using penguins?
20 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge explain the exciting new results from the LHCb experiment! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comS...
Did Fermilab just discover a new particle?
15 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about the result of the g-2 experiment at Fermilab and what it means! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpod...
Have we solved the black hole information paradox?
13 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge break down recent advances in quantum gravity! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudi...
What's a Tesseract?
08 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about 4-dimensional cubes, life in the 4th dimension and the Infinity Stones! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.i...
Did Jupiter once have a different orbit?
06 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and guest host Kelly Weinersmith explore the dramatic story of Jupiter's wandering orbits Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.ihea...
What's the heaviest stable element?
01 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge take a trip to the theoretical Island of Stability and talk about super heavy elements Learn more about your ad-choices at https://w...
What's the Huge Large Quasar Group?
30 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about quasars, large groups of quasars and HUGE LARGE groups of quasars! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheart...
What is the Space Roar?
25 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about the mysterious, unexplained "space roar" and whether its a clue about something new in the Universe. Learn more about you...
What was the pioneer anomaly?
23 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge dig into the mystery of why the Pioneer spacecraft's path surprised scientists. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.ihea...
The Science Finction Universe of Lindsay Ellis
18 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about the Universe of Lindsay Ellis' novel "Axiom's End" Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.c...
Daniel answers Listener Questions about black holes, antimatter stars and why the Universe exists!
16 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel answers questions from listeners like you! Got questions? Come to Daniel's public office hours: https://sites.uci.edu/daniel/public-office-hour...
Why does our Universe have a Cold Spot?
11 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge explain why scientists are puzzling over a massive cold spot in the sky. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodca...
What are boson stars?
09 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about whether its possible to have stars made out of bosons! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwo...
Daniel answers Listener Questions about the smell of space, the electroweak force and spotting distant aliens.
04 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel answers questions from listeners like you! Got questions? Come to Daniel's public office hours: https://sites.uci.edu/daniel/public-office-hour...
What are globular clusters?
02 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and guest host Katie Goldin explore the mysteries of these weird, ancient blobs of stars. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.ihea...
What is a Quantum Dot?
25 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge break down the quantum world into tiny dots that have amazing properties. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodc...
Daniel answers Listener Questions about diamond rain on Jupiter, travel near the speed of light and the tilt of Uranus.
23 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel answers questions from listeners like you! Got questions? Come to Daniel's public office hours: https://sites.uci.edu/daniel/public-office-hour...
Can we see evidence of a previous Universe?
18 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge explain Roger Penrose's Conformal Cyclic Cosmology and what it means about the origins of the Universe. Learn more about your ad-cho...
Can we build an invisibility cloak?
16 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and guest host Kelly Weinersmith break down the science and science-fiction of invisibility. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.i...
Daniel answers Listener Questions about hawking radiation, 5G networks and wireless phone chargers!
11 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel answers questions from listeners like you! Got questions? Come to Daniel's public office hours: https://sites.uci.edu/daniel/public-office-hour...
What's a Time Crystal?
09 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and guest host Katie Goldin talk about the crazy and real science of time crystals Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodca...
What's the biggest star in the Universe?
04 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about mind-blowingly huge balls of burning gas. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omn...
Daniel answers Listener Questions about closed time-like curves, force fields, and the lifetime of the Earth's magnetic field
02 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel answers questions from listeners like you! Got questions? Come to Daniel's public office hours: https://sites.uci.edu/daniel/public-office-hour...
How do we know the mass of stars?
28 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel talks about how astronomers can measure or deduce the mass of a star, and why it controls its fate. Learn more about your ad-choices at https:...
Listener Questions 14: Black holes, aliens and zombies!
26 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about what kind of elements are inside a black hole, how to respond to aliens and whether physicists are useful or useless in a ...
Can a planet be bigger than its star?
21 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What counts as a planet and is it possible for it to outweigh or outsize its parent star? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodca...
Daniel answers Listener Questions about how to read science headlines, gravitational slingshots, lorentz symmetry and the speed of light!
19 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel answers questions from listeners like you! Got questions? Come to Daniel's public office hours: https://sites.uci.edu/daniel/public-office-hour...
Can we see planets in other galaxies?
14 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about how astronomers are trying to detect planets in far away galaxies! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheart...
Daniel answers Listener Questions about a donut Universe, mirrors and black holes!
12 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel answers questions from listeners like you! Got questions? Come to Daniel's public office hours: https://sites.uci.edu/daniel/public-office-hour...
Why can’t we see quantum effects in everyday objects?
07 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about quantum decoherence and why big things don't act like quantum particles. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www....
Is space filled with infinite energy?
05 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge tackle the confusing conundrum of the Casimir Effect and quantum zero-point energy Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.i...
Daniel answers Listener Questions about energy conservation, inflation and space dust!
31 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel answers questions from listeners like you! Got questions? Come to Daniel's public office hours: https://sites.uci.edu/daniel/public-office-hour...
How was radiation discovered?
29 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
X-rays, U-rays, and cosmic rays! Hear the story for how we came to understand that our world is filled with invisible dangers. Learn more about your ...
Are there centaurs in outer space?
24 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Centaurs are real, but not on Earth. Daniel and Jorge talk about the weird objects astronomers call a "space centaur" Learn more about your ad-choice...
Is there matter that is not made of particles?
22 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Is it possible that matter could be made of something that's not particles? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comS...
What will the DragonFly mission find on Titan?
17 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
NASA is building an awesome drone to fly around the surface of Saturn's moon. What will it find? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.ihea...
What's the fastest spinning thing in the Universe?
15 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Part of their "Extreme Universe" series, Daniel and Jorge make your head spin with all of the crazy spinning objects in the Universe. Learn more abou...
Daniel answers Listener Questions about the size of the Universe, what's in intergalactic space and why gravity dominates the Universe.
10 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel answers questions from listeners like you! Got questions? Come to Daniel's public office hours:https://sites.uci.edu/daniel/public-office-hours...
Daniel answers Listener Questions about dark matter, black holes and particle colliders
08 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel answers questions from listeners like you! Got questions? Come to Daniel's public office hours:https://sites.uci.edu/daniel/public-office-hour...
What happened in the dark ages of the Universe?
03 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Before the stars and galaxies formed, the Universe was dark and foggy for hundreds of millions of years! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://...
Can you undress a black hole?
01 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about whether it's possible to observe a "naked singularity" Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwo...
The Sticky Story of the Gluon's Discovery
26 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What is the gluon and how was it discovered? Daniel and Jorge take us through the dramatic events. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.ih...
What's it like to fall into a black hole?
24 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Take a cosmic field trip with Daniel and Jorge, as they guide you on a thought experiment into the heart of the most mysterious objects in the Univers...
Listener Questions 13: Space water, wormhole colliders and boxes of dark matter
19 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge answer questions from listeners, like you! Submit yours, to [email protected] Learn more about your ad-choices at https:/...
The SF Universe of Max Barry
17 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In Max Barry's new novel "Providence", humanity runs into aliens. It doesn't go well. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastne...
What's the Oldest Thing in the Universe?
12 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about the age of stars, galaxies, black holes and more! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.co...
The surprising shape of the Milky Way
10 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How do we know the shape of our galaxy, since we're stuck in the middle of it? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.c...
How to land a robot on an asteroid
05 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
NASA sent Osiris-Rex to scoop a cup of dirt from an asteroid ... using a pogo stick! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnet...
The mysterious sources of the Van Allen radiation belts
03 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about the strange belts of particles surrounding the Earth, and the South Atlantic Anomaly Learn more about your ad-choices at ...
What if the Earth Stopped Spinning
29 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What makes planets spin, and what would happen if they stopped? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudi...
The Quantum Physics of Solar Panels
27 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge break down the physics and engineering behind solar panels Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comS...
A discounted dark matter discovery
22 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Why do particle physicists discount the beautiful signal of dark matter from the DAMA experiment? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.ihe...
Is all of space magnetized?
20 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Is it possible that there are magnetic fields.... everywhere? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio....
Is Energy Actually Conserved?
15 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge explore whether energy is actually a fundamental conserved quantity. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastne...
The SF Universes of Vandana Singh
13 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about the creative science in the short stories of Vandana Singh's collection "Ambiguity Machines" Learn more about your ad-cho...
Where do comets come from?
08 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about the vast and amazing Oort cloud, and whether it is throwing snowballs at us. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://...
Will the ITER experiment make fusion feasible?
06 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Will humans figure out how to make fusion work on Earth, to provide plentiful clean power? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodc...
New discoveries in our cosmic neighborhood
01 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel and Jorge talk about a new massive blob of galaxies discovered right around the corner. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheart...