I didn’t mean for a big gap from episode 4 (“Dangerous Beauty”), but COVID-19 and the reality of digital teaching intervened. A lot has happened since that episode. Here, in the conclusion of this two-part series on symmetry, I reflect on the realities we face in going back to school, […]
Podcast
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We humans cherish beauty, even in our mathematics. Beauty – or “symmetry” – is taken as a sign of success and simplicity in a mathematical model or physical theory. But what if that beauty was a threat to a complete understanding of nature? In this, the first part of a […]
Paul Adrian Maurice (P.A.M.) Dirac, or just Paul Dirac, is one of the most brilliant physicists who has ever lived. He is also one of the most curious human beings ever to be a physicist, and that’s saying a lot in a field where curious personalities litter history. This week, […]
Are people born to a profession, or do they stumble into it? Is personal talent the most important thing, or a mentor entering the picture at a key moment? Let’s explore this question anecdotally in this episode, drawing on the memoir of SMU alumnus and astrophysicist Donald D. Clayton. Show […]
A podcast for those times of uncertainty in physics Episode 1: Isaac Newton’s Pajamas To help us feel a bit more connected during these weird and uncertain times, enjoy the first in a short series of podcasts that ties the quirky things in life to physics. Show Notes “During a […]