Why This Universe?

by Dan Hooper, Shalma Wegsman

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.

13 Episodes

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Episodes

Showing 6 of 13 episodes

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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 ho...

36m

•Aug 24, 2026

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 ...

36m

•Aug 3, 2026

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, ...

41m

•Jan 19, 2026

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 equ...

29m

•Dec 22, 2025

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 ...

53m

•Nov 24, 2025

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, D...

43m

•Nov 4, 2025