x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

Quirkcast

Quirkcast is a biweekly (subject to change) online podcast that breaks down complex science topics to a wide audience. Hosted by Tim Lou, Saahil Shenoy, and Michael Park, we aim to advance scientific awareness and broaden public interest in science. As former academic researchers turned science advocates, we hope you enjoy our podcast as much as we do!

science physics

All Episodes

00:47:24

Deciphering the Cosmic Code: How Spacetime is a...

Quirkcast ·

2024/07/15

Einstein's theory of relativity gives us a smooth and organized way to think about the universe, like a well-arranged blueprint. On the other hand, quantum physics is more like a jumble of noise and unpredictability, making it hard to fit into that neat blueprint. So, how do we make sense of these different pictures and create a clear understanding of how everything fits together in space and time? Well, it turns out that using (quantum) computer science can help us bridge the gap.Scientists

en

00:34:32

Entropy and the Inevitable Messiness of Existence

Quirkcast ·

2024/06/20

Life possesses a superpower: the ability to seemingly defy the second law of thermodynamics – the unstoppable rise of entropy. From skyscrapers to poetry, life can evolve and create ever-more complex structures, apparently bringing order out of chaos and challenging the universe's entropy machine. However, we will discover that this remarkable feat is not exclusive to life; it can be found elsewhere in nature. From the swirling complexity of tornadoes to the orderly patterns of crystals, nature

en

00:35:56

Bosons vs Fermions: The Yin and Yang of Particles

Quirkcast ·

2024/05/23

Welcome to another episode of Quirkcast, where we take a look at the dichotomy of two types of fundamental particles: bosons vs fermions.Today, we'll explore how these particles types play a crucial role in shaping the stability of matter, influencing the dynamics of chemistry, and the complexities of nuclear physics. It's not just theoretical—these categories have tangible effects on the world around us. As we delve into the subject, we'll uncover interesting quirks of bosons vs

en

00:31:41

Is the Photon Truly Massless?

Quirkcast ·

2024/05/13

In this episode of our podcast, we delve into a question that has puzzled scientists and enthusiasts alike: Does a photon, the particle of light, have mass? Join us as we illuminate the intriguing physics behind light, journeying from the basics of electromagnetic waves to the cutting-edge of quantum theory. We'll explore the historical debates, the experiments that shaped our understanding, and the implications of a massless versus a massive photon. Along the way, we'll also discuss how

en

00:35:09

Harmony in Equations: The Elegant Symmetries of Physics

Quirkcast ·

2024/05/02

Join us on Quirkcast for a casual exploration of the intriguing world of symmetries in physics. We'll chat about how these fundamental principles play a role in everything, from the tiniest particles to the vast structures of the universe. Discover the beauty of symmetrical patterns in nature and their impact on scientific theories, as we unravel mysteries from the quantum scale to cosmic dimensions. We'll also touch on the significance of the different types of symmetries in the laws of

en

00:35:07

Parallel Reflections: Exploring the Physics of Mirror...

Quirkcast ·

2024/04/18

Welcome to our episode on mirror universes. We'll be discussing how our universe might have a mirror image, flipping things around in a kind of cosmic reflection. We'll explore the idea of particles having mirror versions (parity), transforming into opposites (charge conjugation), and even going backward in time (time reversal). It's like a puzzle of the cosmos that physicists are trying to solve.Join us for a laid-back conversation about these concepts and the potential existence of

en

00:32:50

Quantum Shadows: Unveiling the Enigma of Virtual...

Quirkcast ·

2024/04/10

In this captivating episode of Quirkcast, we delve into the elusive world of virtual particles, the ghostly entities that flicker in and out of existence in the quantum realm. Join us as we unravel the mysteries of these theoretical particles, fundamental to understanding the forces and interactions at the heart of our universe. We'll explore the perplexing nature of these particles, governed by the uncertainty principle, and how they play a pivotal role in quantum field theory, influencing

en

00:32:25

Quantum Shadows: Unveiling the Enigma of Virtual...

Quirkcast ·

2024/04/03

In this captivating episode of Quirkcast, we delve into the elusive world of virtual particles, the ghostly entities that flicker in and out of existence in the quantum realm. Join us as we unravel the mysteries of these theoretical particles, fundamental to understanding the forces and interactions at the heart of our universe. We'll explore the perplexing nature of these particles, governed by the uncertainty principle, and how they play a pivotal role in quantum field theory, influencing

en

00:26:34

The Worst Particle (from The Standard Model)?

Quirkcast ·

2024/03/20

The particles in our Universe do a lot of things, without them the Universe would not be the way it is today. However, amongst the known particles, some are more helpful than others. Find out which particle is the worst from a subjective (theoretical) perspective, and also through the lens of our anthropomorphized Universe.Visit http://www.quirkcast.org/ Discord: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/7c6myZ8Z

en

00:23:43

The 3 Phases of Forces

Quirkcast ·

2024/03/13

We've all heard of the 3 phases of matter, but what about forces?It turns out, fundamental forces can have different phases just like matter. Like matter, these phases can and do change as external influences like temperature changes. In our Universe, all 3 phases are utilized by our fundamental forces, and they are critical in shaping the structure of our Universe Visit http://www.quirkcast.org/ Discord: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/7c6myZ8Z

en

00:34:21

The Nuclear Warden: Gluon

Quirkcast ·

2024/02/20

What keeps our nuclei stuck together? It's the somewhat less well-known particle, gluon. They reason we don't see it very much is because it is doing a superb job at jail-keeping its nuclear constituents. Gluons' peculiar abilities to keep things together may also provide us unlimited clean energy in the future. In this episode we'll describe just how the gluon manages to do its jobs and its importance for our Universe.Visit

en

00:31:29

The Unstoppable Particle: Graviton

Quirkcast ·

2024/02/06

What is the one particle that cannot be stopped? The answer would have to be the graviton. While the graviton interacts with everything, it also passes through everything mostly unscathed. This unique property makes graviton one of the greatest messengers of the Universe. Visit http://www.quirkcast.org/ Discord: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/7c6myZ8Z

en

00:29:18

What the Higgs Boson is: A Keystone Particle (Not the...

Quirkcast ·

2024/01/17

The God's particle is a misnomer in particle physics: The Higgs Boson doesn't participate very much in the creation of our Universe. A more proper title for the Higgs Boson would be the Keystone particle, as it is the key that sets the interaction strength and relevant energies in our Universe. This episode we'll explore what that means. Visit http://www.quirkcast.org/ Discord: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/7c6myZ8Z

en

00:30:50

The Loneliest Particle

Quirkcast ·

2024/01/03

In this special Valentine Day's episode, we’ll introduce what may be considered the loneliest particles in the Universe -- magnetic monopoles, if it exists. Indeed, on this very same day in 1982, Prof. Blas Cabrera uncovered a potential signal for such a lonely wanderer. Unfortunately the findings were never repeated. Still monopoles can be hiding important secrets of nature, and its loneliness may critically impact the structure of our Universe. Visit

en

00:31:08

Going Beyond Particles: Fields

Quirkcast ·

2023/12/20

In particle physics, particles aren't necessarily the most important object. It turns out, physicists really are interested in the concept of fields, which will be the focus of this episode. Visit http://www.quirkcast.org/ Discord: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/7c6myZ8Z

en

00:30:43

Why Particles are Doomed

Quirkcast ·

2023/12/06

If there's anything that could last forever, it might be fundamental particles. However, even that may not be true. In fact, particles can and do lose their identity over time, and their existence may ultimately be doomed. Visit http://www.quirkcast.org/ Discord: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/7c6myZ8Z

en

00:38:12

Heat Death is Not the End

Quirkcast ·

2023/11/09

It has been widely popularized that our Universe will end in a heat death, where all interesting activities will cease. But is this really what will happen? With the inclusion of quantum physics, it turns out that heat death may not be so deadly after-all. In fact, there can still be interesting interactions after heat death, and in some cases, new universe can even emerge from the remains... Visit http://www.quirkcast.org/ Discord: ⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/7c6myZ8Z

en

00:31:59

How Time is Weird in the Quantum Realm

Quirkcast ·

2023/10/25

Unlike the ordinary time we experience, time in quantum systems behave rather differently. From unitarity to quantum recurrence, we explore just how weird quantum times can be, and how our macroscopic notion of time can merge from such a drastically different notion of quantum time. Visit http://www.quirkcast.org/ Discord: ⁠⁠https://discord.gg/7c6myZ8Z

en

00:30:15

When Does Time End?

Quirkcast ·

2023/10/17

While time seems to always flow forward, is it ever possible for it to end? As it turns out, there might be more than just one ending. Visit http://www.quirkcast.org/ Discord: ⁠https://discord.gg/7c6myZ8Z

en

00:31:02

Can Time Flow Backward?

Quirkcast ·

2023/10/04

If our laws of physics look symmetrical both forward and backward in time, is it then possible to have time flow backward instead of forward? What would our world look like it the flow of time does change? From the big bang to anti-particles, we explore the physics behind the reversal of the flow of time. Visit http://www.quirkcast.org/ Discord: https://discord.gg/7c6myZ8Z

en

70 results

Similar Podcasts

X Minus 1 - Old Time Radio Show

Inception Point Ai

Science, Spoken

WIRED

This Week in Space (Audio)

TWiT

DarshanTalks Podcast

Darshan Kulkarni

The Best of Coast to Coast AM

iHeartPodcasts and Coast to Coast AM