Podcast · 132 episodes
Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe, page 4
by iHeartPodcasts · English
Scientists Daniel and Kelly cannot stop talking about our amazing, wonderful, weird Universe! Each episode is a fun, easy-to-understand, and in-depth explanation of topics in science, from particles to black holes to moon colonies to ecosystems to parasites and everything else in the Universe!
All episodes, page 4
How fast are we moving?The episode asks “How fast are we moving?” and argues that “velocity” is always relative to other objects/observers, not to “space” itself.22 Jan 2026 · 52 min · 19 chapters
Can quantum measurements change the past?Whether quantum measurements can change the past; the episode argues popular claims are wrong, but explores “retrocausality” ideas in quantum foundations that let the future influence the past in a…20 Jan 2026 · 54 min · 21 chapters
Listener Questions #27Listener Questions #27 on (1) how one ant queen can produce males of another species via “obligate cross-species cloning” and sperm parasitism, and (2) how people with aphantasia experience mental…15 Jan 2026 · 50 min · 32 chapters
What can we learn by smashing muons together?The episode explains why physicists would smash muons together in a collider to probe fundamental particles and unanswered questions in particle physics.13 Jan 2026 · 53 min · 33 chapters
Zombie fishThe “Zombie fish” episode explains how a brain-infecting trematode parasite, Euplurcus haplorcus californiensis (called “Yuha”), manipulates California killifish behavior so they’re more likely to be…8 Jan 2026 · 55 min · 25 chapters
The several styles of singularitiesThe episode demystifies “singularities” in physics—places where theories predict infinities or where spacetime paths can’t be extended—then focuses on gravitational singularities inside black holes,…6 Jan 2026 · 55 min · 24 chapters
Listener Questions #26Listener Questions #26 on tornado formation (where/why they happen), water treatment (making water safe without chlorine/“flocculation”), and space/astronomy extremes (angular size limits via tidal…1 Jan 2026 · 47 min · 19 chapters
PerimenopausePerimenopause and menopause—what they are, why they happen, common symptoms, how estrogen affects the body (bones, temperature regulation/hot flashes, sleep, mood), and what research says about…30 Dec 2025 · 1 h · 30 chapters
What's the densest thing in the Universe that's not a black hole?The episode asks what the densest object in the universe could be without becoming a black hole, using gravity vs quantum “defenses” (fusion, chemistry, electron degeneracy pressure, neutron…25 Dec 2025 · 47 min · 24 chapters
Listener Questions #25Listener Questions #25 answers three main questions: (1) whether Virginians should worry about kissing bugs spreading Chagas disease, (2) how solar magnetic reconnection can occur without violating…23 Dec 2025 · 53 min · 22 chapters
How many rogue planets and stars are there?Whether “rogue” planets and stars exist outside normal star/galaxy neighborhoods; how stars and planets form; how objects get ejected; and how astronomers detect them.18 Dec 2025 · 49 min · 13 chapters
How bad are microplastics?The episode asks “How bad are microplastics?” It explains what micro- and nanoplastics are, where they come from, how widespread they are, what’s known about health and ecological effects, and why…16 Dec 2025 · 59 min · 29 chapters
Listener Questions #24Listener Questions #24 on Jupiter impacts/collisions and how circadian rhythms work without sunlight, plus a final question about escaping gravity from very massive planets.11 Dec 2025 · 49 min · 21 chapters
How do we predict the weather?How weather forecasts work—why predictions are probabilistic, how physics-based models and real-world measurements combine, what data sources are used (surface stations, radar, buoys, balloons,…9 Dec 2025 · 1 h · 30 chapters
How do we control mosquito populations?Listener Q&A on mosquito control, including how mosquitoes find humans, how scientists estimate mosquito population sizes, and genetic/biological approaches to reduce or stop disease transmission…4 Dec 2025 · 1 h 7 min · 33 chapters
Listener Questions #23Listener Questions #23 answers curiosity-driven science questions, mainly about how fingerprints form and stay unchanged, what happens when a person is hit by a particle beam, and why humans yawn and…2 Dec 2025 · 56 min · 23 chapters
The physics of shadowsThe physics of shadows—how shadows arise from light being blocked or redirected, why they’re usually fuzzy (penumbra), and how shadow patterns reveal light’s wave nature (diffraction/interference).27 Nov 2025 · 52 min · 24 chapters
Introducing : Inner Cosmos with Host David Eagleman and Guest Daniel WhitesonWhether alien “physics” would match ours, given that every species experiences a different sensory world (umwelt).26 Nov 2025 · 1 h 3 min · 22 chapters
How long have we been human? (featuring Dr. Scott Solomon)When did “human” evolution begin, and how do scientists reconstruct ancient hominins using genetics, fossils, and archaeology?25 Nov 2025 · 1 h 4 min · 22 chapters
Listener Questions #22Listener Questions #22 by Daniel and Kelly (biology + particle physics). Main segments: (1) Interstellar visitor “Atlas” (and earlier Oumuamua, Borisov): whether it could seed microbes/viruses.20 Nov 2025 · 52 min · 18 chapters
Can we engineer the sun?Whether humanity could use “starlifting” to slow the Sun’s evolution so Earth stays in the habitable zone longer, avoiding the Sun becoming a red giant and boiling Earth’s oceans.18 Nov 2025 · 49 min · 19 chapters
How to make sense of quantum entanglementQuantum entanglement—what it means, why it’s not faster-than-light messaging, and how Bell’s experiments distinguish quantum randomness from “hidden variables” explanations (especially local ones).13 Nov 2025 · 54 min · 18 chapters
How do parasites evade our immune system? (featuring Dr. John Hawdon)How malaria, schistosomiasis, and hookworm evade the immune system and why vaccines for parasites are hard.11 Nov 2025 · 48 min · 25 chapters
Listener Questions #21 featuring Cat BohannanListener Questions #21 with Cat Bohannan on (1) what determines human pregnancy length and whether gestation could be shortened, (2) whether humans can lift extreme weight under stress and where…6 Nov 2025 · 56 min · 20 chapters