Physics and Chemistry

Physics and Chemistry

episodes

Interviews with physicists and chemists about their new books.

Matthew Bothwell, "The Invisible Universe: Why There's More to Reality than Meets the Eye" (Simon and Schuster, 2021)

April 12, 2026

The Invisible Universe

Matthew Bothwell
Hosted by Gregory McNiff

Since the dawn of our species, people all over the world have gazed in awe at the night sky. But for all the beauty and wonder of the stars, when we l…

Douglas H. Erwin, "The Origins of the New: Novelty and Innovation in the History of Life, Culture, and Technology" (Princeton UP, 2026)

April 6, 2026

The Origins of the New

Douglas H. Erwin

The Origins of the New (Princeton University Press, 2026) presents a revolutionary approach to evolutionary success in all realms of life. In this gro…

Patricia B. O'Hara, "Food Chemistry in Small Bites: The Alchemist in the Kitchen" (U California Press, 2025)

March 30, 2026

Food Chemistry in Small Bites

Patricia B. O'Hara

Food Chemistry in Small Bites takes readers on an up-close scientific journey through the transformation of food when meals are prepared. Organized in…

Vojta Hybl, "Rocks: A Guide to the Stones Around Us and the Stories They Tell" (Frances Lincoln, 2026)

March 30, 2026

Rocks

Vojta Hybl
Hosted by Miranda Melcher

What is that rock you’ve just picked up? Which minerals is it made of, what’s unique about it and what can it reveal about Earth’s deeper story? …

Emma Chapman, "Radio Universe: How to Explore Space Without Leaving Earth" (Hachette UK, 2026)

March 19, 2026

Radio Universe

Emma Chapman
Hosted by Gregory McNiff

In Radio Universe: How to Explore Space Without Leaving Earth (Hachette UK, 2026) award-winning astrophysicist Emma Chapman takes us on an electrifyin…

Subodhana Wijeyeratne, "The Islands and the Stars: A History of Japan's Space Programs" (Stanford UP, 2026)

February 23, 2026

The Islands and the Stars

Subodhana Wijeyeratne
Hosted by Miranda Melcher

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is among the six largest national space agencies in the world, along with China's CNSA, US's NASA, and R…

Antonio Padilla, "Fantastic Numbers and Where to Find Them: A Cosmic Quest from Zero to Infinity" (FSG,2022)

February 15, 2026

Fantastic Numbers and Where to Find Them

Antonio Padilla
Hosted by Gregory McNiff

A fun, dazzling exploration of the strange numbers that illuminate the ultimate nature of reality. For particularly brilliant theoretical physicists …

Jennifer Vail, "Friction: A Biography" (Harvard UP, 2026)

February 3, 2026

Friction

Jennifer R. Vail
Hosted by Miranda Melcher

Friction, the force that resists motion, is synonymous with difficulty and complication. If you’ve ever replaced tires worn smooth by the road or reac…

Dagomar Degroot, "Ripples on the Cosmic Ocean: An Environmental History of Our Place in the Solar System" (Harvard UP, 2025)

January 13, 2026

Ripples on the Cosmic Ocean

Dagomar Degroot
Hosted by Gregory McNiff

Our solar system is a dynamic arena where asteroids careen off course and solar winds hurl charged particles across billions of miles of space. Yet we…

Heino Falcke and Jörg Römer, "Light in the Darkness: Black Holes, the Universe, and Us" (HarperCollins, 2021)

January 9, 2026

Light in the Darkness

Heino Falcke and Jörg Römer
Hosted by Gregory McNiff

An astrophysicist chronicles his quest to photograph a black hole and reflects on its spiritual ramifications in this international-bestselling memoir…

Jeremy Bernstein Oppenheimer, the Atomic Bomb, and the Nuclear Arms Race

December 10, 2025

Jeremy Bernstein on Oppenheimer, the Atomic Bomb, and the Nuclear Arms Race

Jeremy Bernstein

In this episode from the Institute’s vault, we revisit an October 2007 presentation by theoretical physicist and Institute Fellow Jeremy Bernstein on …

Jon Willis, "The Pale Blue Data Point: An Earth-Based Perspective on the Search for Alien Life" (U Chicago Press, 2025)

December 3, 2025

The Pale Blue Data Point

Jon Willis
Hosted by Gregory McNiff

A thrilling tour of Earth that shows the search for extraterrestrial life starts in our own backyard. Is there life off Earth? Bound by the limitation…

Andrew H. Jaffe, "The Random Universe: How Models and Probability Help Us Make Sense of the Cosmos" (Yale UP, 2025)

November 25, 2025

The Random Universe

Andrew H. Jaffe
Hosted by Gregory McNiff

An award-winning astrophysicist looks at how the understanding of uncertainty and randomness has led to breakthroughs in our knowledge of the cosmos …

Facing Infinity: Black Holes and Our Place on Earth

November 13, 2025

Facing Infinity

Jonas Enander

Humanity’s relationship with black holes began in 1783 in a small English village, when clergyman John Michell posed a startling question: What if the…

Craig Hogan, "The Unlikely Primeval Sky" (American Scientist, November-December)

November 13, 2025

The Unlikely Primeval Sky

Craig Hogan
Hosted by Gregory McNiff

Of all the patterns that could possibly be preserved in the post–Big Bang radiation, the one we see is surprisingly smooth on large angular scales. S…

Marcus Chown, "A Crack in Everything: How Black Holes Came in from the Cold and Took Cosmic Centre Stage" (Apollo, 2025)

November 7, 2025

A Crack in Everything

Marcus Chown
Hosted by Gregory McNiff

What is space? What is time? Where did the universe come from? The answers to mankind's most enduring questions may lie in science's greatest enigma: …

James Trefil and Shobita Satyapal, "Supermassive: Black Holes at the Beginning and End of the Universe" (Smithsonian Books, 2025)

November 7, 2025

Supermassive

James Trefil and Shobita Satyapal
Hosted by Gregory McNiff

Black holes, demystified: follow along the quest to understand the history and influence of one of space science's most fascinating and confounding ph…

Liam Graham, "Physics Fixes All the Facts" (Springer Nature, 2025)

November 5, 2025

Physics Fixes All the Facts

Liam Graham
Hosted by Gregory McNiff

Complex systems seem to magically emerge from the interactions of their parts. A whirlpool emerges from water molecules. A living cell from organic mo…

Vlatko Vedral, "Portals to a New Reality: Five Pathways to the Future of Physics" (Basic Books, 2025)

October 31, 2025

Portals to a New Reality

Vlatko Vedral
Hosted by Gregory McNiff

For the last century, physics has been treading along the paths set by the same two theories--quantum theory and general relativity--and, let's face i…

Alice Lovejoy, "Tales of Militant Chemistry: The Film Factory in a Century of War" (U California Press, 2025)

October 23, 2025

Tales of Militant Chemistry

Alice Lovejoy
Hosted by Caleb Zakarin

The history of film calls to mind unforgettable photographs, famous directors, and the glitz and hustle of the media business. But there is another ta…