FQxI Podcast

Causality, Memory and the Arrow of Time. Cosmologist Sean Carroll is searching for a mathematical description of why causes precede effects and asking what makes our memories of the past special. Audio of a talk from the FQXi meeting in Tuscany.

2018 Year in Physics Review Part 2: We conclude our countdown of the top physics stories of the year, as chosen by Ian Durham.

2018 Year in Physics Review Part 1: We begin our countdown of the top physics stories of the year, as chosen by Ian Durham.

Superhuman: In this special edition, evolutionary biologist Rowan Hooper discusses his new book, which examines the extremes of mental and physical ability. He discusses encounters with some of the world's cleverest people, investigates the role of genetics in intelligence, memory, drive and focus, and describes people whose immense resilience has seen them come through terrible adversity. Ho...

High-energy neutrino traced back to a distant galaxy, with Azadeh Keivani; possible discovery of sterile neutrinos, with Richard Van de Water; black holes replaced by fuzzballs, with Samir Mathur; finding an almost-quantum theory, with Miguel Navascues; and testing free will with AI, with Avi Loeb.

Losing the Nobel Prize: In this special edition, physicist Brian Keating discusses his new book, which recounts the ill-fated BICEP2 announcement--and retraction--of the claimed discovery of primordial gravitational waves in 2014.

Remembering Stephen Hawking; light from the first stars in the universe, with Rennan Barkana; our place in the multiverse, with Eugene Lim; & setting up a science hostel in Maui, with Garrett Lisi.

2017 Physics Countdown Part 3: What was the biggest physics breakthrough of the year? FQXi's review, as chosen by quantum physicist Ian Durham, concludes.

2017 Physics Countdown Part 2: FQXi's review of the biggest breakthroughs of the year, as chosen by quantum physicist Ian Durham, continues.

2017 Physics Countdown Part 1: FQXi's review of the biggest breakthroughs of the year, as chosen by quantum physicist Ian Durham.

Real numbers are not (ontologically) real, says Nicolas Gisin; living in a Sudoku Universe, with Emily Adlam; FQXi launches a new essay contest and large grant round, with Anthony Aguirre and Jan Wallaczek; & fine-tuning quantum theory, with Matt Leifer.

Gravitational waves from a neutron star collision; creating Majorana particles in the lab with Kang L. Wang; quantum Darwinism with Gerardo Adesso; & making a quantum replicant with Jayne Thompson.

China takes the first steps to building a quantum Internet; testing quantum gravity in the lab; making a baby universe in a particle accelerator; and singing about physics.

Concluding our list of the top physics breakthroughs of 2016, as chosen by Ian Durham.

Counting down the biggest physics breakthroughs of 2016, with Ian Durham.

Retrocausal reality with Ken Wharton; tips for FQXi's new essay contest; the Breakthrough prizes in physics; the science of terrorism, with Peter Byrne; & Carlo Rovelli gives a brief lesson on writing a physics bestseller.

Science & Creativity: Conversation with bestselling science fiction author Neal Stephenson, artist Jayne Tollaksen, and musical physicists Ian Durham, Stephon Alexander & Brendan Foster. With Zeeya Merali.

Max Tegmark on measuring consciousness in the lab -- and finding a hidden dimension in natural language. From the 5th FQXi Meeting.

Sean Carroll asks What Happens Inside the Wavefunction? From the 5th FQXi International Meeting.

Quantum physicist Matt Leifer reveals the dirty secrets of quantum foundations: the Copenhagen Interpretation does not exist and Copenhagen-like interpretations are as crazy as invoking parallel universes. From the 5th International FQXi meeting.

Physicist Paul Davies reveals the "dirty secrets of life." From the 5th FQXi conference.

Happy 10th Birthday to us! FQXi's director Anthony Aguirre celebrates a decade of the Foundational Questions Institute, and chats about the Kepler's planet haul and Breakthrough Starshot; Catalina Curceanu on testing a quantum rival under a mountain; & Sean Carroll talks about his book The Big Picture, and emergence.

A MICROSCOPE on Galileo; how gravitational waves open a new window on the universe; searching for defects in spacetime; & a quantum-horror short story.

FQXi's countdown of the top physics breakthroughs of 2015 concludes, with Ian Durham.

Our countdown of the biggest physics breakthroughs of 2015 continues, with Ian Durham.