Stochastic models are ubiquitous in nature. They are applicable to the diffusion of molecules (which, when combined with Albert Einstein’s theory, provided the first proof for the atomistic nature of matter), the way through which random mutations drive evolutionary dynamics, and more…Watch the video to learn more! Originally aired October 2023.

Using only lasers, this research group has accelerated electrons to 5 GeV. The acceleration, which takes place over only 20 cm, is approximately 20% of the acceleration achievable at the Stanford Linear Accelerator over 3 km…Watch the video to learn more! Originally aired October 2023.

A recently uncovered cache of materials that neutrino pioneers Clyde Cowan and Fred Reines collected includes records, keepsakes, and images that were packed away shortly after the electron antineutrino was first discovered in the flux from a reactor in South Carolina in 1956. Notes, images, and invoices offer an intimate glimpse of the efforts that led to first direct detection of neutrinos. Originally aired July 2023.

The problem-solving process of many skilled scientists is based on a consistent set of 29 decisions. These decisions provide guidance for learning both how to become a good physicist and how to train aspiring physicists. I will provide examples for how to provide students opportunities to practice these decisions and for how to provide feedback on how to improve. Originally aired July 2023.

Quantum mechanics has been our most successful fundamental theory of nature since the 1920s, but we still don't fully understand what the theory actually says. Sean Carroll will discuss what the problem is, why it is important, and how a better understanding could help us with other pressing problems in physics. Originally aired May 2023.

Birds flock. Bees swarm. Fish school. These remarkable examples of natural collective behavior inspired researchers to study active matter—matter made not of atoms and molecules but of entities that consume energy to generate their own motion and forces. This unusual class of nonequilibrium systems can exhibit remarkable self-organization…Watch the video to learn more! Originally aired May 2023.

Fundamental elementary particle physics allows pointlike electric charges, such as electrons, and pointlike magnetic charges, sometimes referred to as magnetic monopoles, to exist in our universe. Despite decades of searching, the latter have never been observed in particle experiments. All is not lost, however, because emergent magnetic monopoles are thought to occur in lanthanide pyrochlore magnetic insulators. Originally aired April 2023.

Deep learning is an exciting approach to modern artificial intelligence that is based on artificial neural networks. The goal of this talk is to provide a blueprint—using tools from physics—for theoretically analyzing realistic deep neural networks. Originally aired March 2023.

Across science, many groups of people continue to be underrepresented, and representation gaps appear set to persist for a long time. For example, it is projected to take 258 years to reach gender parity in physics. What factors lead to disparities in representation? What are the challenges faced by equity-deserving groups? Why should we be motivated to effect change? What can we do? Originally aired February 2023.

Some might say none. If scientists seek to discover fundamental truths about the world, and they do so in an objective manner using well-established methods, then how could it matter who’s footing the bill? History, however, suggests otherwise. Originally aired January 2023.