Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Scientists Daniel and Kelly explore fascinating topics in science, from particles to black holes to moon colonies and ecosystems. Each episode provides a fun, easy-to-understand, and in-depth explanation of the wonders of the Universe.
Episodes
How did syphilis get to Europe?
Daniel and Kelly dive into the history of medicine. Syphilis arrived with a bang in Europe in 1493, but where did it come from?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What if dark matter is more complicated?
Daniel and Kelly talk about a particularly quirky theory of dark matter that Daniel is searching for.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Questions #52
Daniel and Kelly answer listener questions about how AI is impacting math and physics, what we really know about the wood wide web, and what happens when matter annihilates.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What is creativity? (featuring Dr. Moiya McTier)
Daniel and Kelly interview Dr. Moiya McTier about how we define and measure creativity, and the impacts of the modern world on creative pursuits. Check out her new book, Mothers of Invention.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Supervoids
Daniel and Kelly explore the structure of the Universe and examine its emptiest places, making no effort to spare the scatological humor.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Questions #51
Daniel and Kelly answer listener questions about special relativity, organisms that eat plastic, and whether the future is already determined.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Do Animals Make Mistakes? (featuring Dr. Andy Sih)
Daniel and Kelly chat with Dr. Andy Sih about the kinds of mistakes wild animals make, and why they make them.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Did we just discover dark matter?
Daniel and Kelly talk about the recent observation of a dark matter candidateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Questions #50
Daniel and Kelly answer listener questions about scent dialects, drilling through the ice above the oceans of Enceladus, and why some animals have penises.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Addiction (featuring Dr. Marcelo Wood)
Daniel and Kelly interview Dr. Marcelo Wood about what addiction does to our brains, why some of us become addicted to drugs while others don't, what drugs do to our brains in the long term, and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Is dark energy a fudge factor?
Daniel and Kelly talk about whether physicists are trying to understand the expansion of the Universe, or pull the cosmic wool over everyone's eyes. Also, horse milk comes up.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Questions #49
Daniel and Kelly answer questions about alternatives to the Big Bang, scurvy, and supercontinents.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Rewilding
Daniel and Kelly talk about the differences between conservation and rewilding, and discuss some of the successes, failures, and wild ideas that have come from the rewilding movement so far.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Can we simulate the Universe?
Daniel and Kelly talk about what a recent simulation project can tell us about how the Universe got so clumpy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Questions #48
Daniel and Kelly answer questions about crackpots, hearing meteors, and the age of everything.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Origins of life (featuring Dr. Katrine Whiteson)
Daniel, Kelly, and Katrine take on the origins of life. They discuss competing definitions for "life", whether it's even helpful to have a definition, the oldest evidence we have for life, and how we think life got started.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Should the government be hiding aliens?
Daniel and Kelly review the recent movie 'Disclosure Day' and discuss some tough questions about knowledge and secrecy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Questions #47 - Plant Questions (featuring Dr. Manuel Lerdau)
Daniel and Kelly are joined by Dr. Manuel Lerdau to answer listener questions about toxic plants, seed germination, and micropropagation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How far can we go with chemical rockets?
Daniel and Kelly explain the limitations of chemical rockets and how physics can propel humans to the outer reaches of the solar system.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Cyclospora (and other diarrhea-inducing parasites)
It's July 2026, and the United States is dealing with an outbreak of cyclospora. Diarrhea makes people think of Kelly, so today we're dealing with the many questions Kelly has gotten about parasites in our food supplies.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Questions #46
Daniel and Kelly answer listener questions about tick-induced meat allergies, experiencing quantum effects, and fibroids.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sound (featuring audio wizard Mat Keselman)
Daniel and Kelly chat with DKEU's audio engineer, Mat Keselman, about the physics of sound and give a behind the scenes look at how Mat works his magic.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What is a space-time interval?
Daniel and Kelly break space, twist time, and then put it back together to explain the most important concept in relativity you've never heard of.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Questions #45
Daniel and Kelly wonder how many Extraordinaries are planning on becoming supervillains as they discuss how to make Jupiter explode, the changing colors of children's hair, and whether or not aliens could discover electromagnetism without iron.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Rat lungworm (featuring Dr. Chelsea Wood)
Daniel and Kelly chat with Dr. Chelsea Wood about rat lungworm - a particularly unpleasant nematode parasite that is spreading way outside of its native range.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Is dark matter a fudge factor?
Daniel and Kelly talk about what it means to be a physics fudge factor and whether DM is fudgy or solid science.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Questions #44 - How fast can animals go, and how fast can animals grow? (featuring Dr. John Hutchinson)
Dr. John Hutchinson is back to help Kelly and Daniel answer listener questions about how fast animals can grow, how fast animals can go, and whether animal size impacts average lifespans. Also, cheese.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Of lice and men
Daniel and Kelly explore what lice can teach us about human evolution, and the role lice have played in some of humanity's most devastating wars.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Did aliens put satellites into Earth's orbit pre-Sputnik?
Daniel and Kelly dissect the evidence presented in recent peer-reviewed science papers for pre-Sputnik artificial satellites in Earth orbit.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Questions #43
Daniel and Kelly marinate in ethanol and saltwater, and reflect on the symmetries of antiparticles.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The science of bathing (featuring Dr. Katrine Whiteson)
Daniel, Kelly, and Katrine talk about what bathing does to your microbiome, and weigh up the pros and cons.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What broke the grand unified force in the early universe?
Daniel and Kelly walk through the early history of the Universe to explain how forces can be unified, or broken.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Questions #42
Zach joins Daniel and Kelly for a segment on art and science communication. Then Daniel and Kelly explore the concept of absolute hot, and what makes some rocks glow.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The curious lives of social amoeba
Daniel and Kelly talks about a species of social amoeba that will die to help others. Why the heck does it do that? And bonus: the amoeba are farmers!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What are JWST's little red dots?
Daniel and Kelly talk about the James Webb Telescope and something mysterious it sawSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Questions #41
Daniel and Kelly answer questions from listeners about earthworms, the origins of the galaxy, and snails!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What is a species? (featuring Dr. Scott Egan)
Daniel and Kelly talk to Prof. Scott Egan about the meaning of species in modern biology.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Could the Earth be at the center of the solar system?
Daniel and Kelly explain the bizarre Tychonic model of the solar system, which for centuries stood as a valid theory alongside the Copernican model.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Questions #40
Daniel and Kelly answer questions about relativistic paradoxes, parasitoid wasp viruses, and detector technologies.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Are urban raccoons becoming domesticated?
A recent paper found tantalizing evidence that rural raccoons are showing evidence of domestication. So how long until we all have pet raccoons? And how well do we really understand the domestication process anyway?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What is quantum contextuality?
Daniel and Kelly dig into the mysterious concept of quantum contexuality: how measurements depend on each other.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Questions #39
Daniel and Kelly answer questions about muscle memory, water-less showers, and why everyone can't be ambidextrous.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Deep Seabed (featuring Dr. Andrew Thaler)
Over 50% of Earth's surface is the deep seabed. Dr. Andrew Thaler joins Daniel and Kelly to talk about the amazing diversity of life on the deep seabed, the resources found here, and the rules that govern this region.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How do signals get jammed?
Daniel and Kelly explain how signals get jammed, how to avoid being jammed, and whose music makes the best jam.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Questions #38
Daniel and Kelly answer questions about aliens watching Earth, about lone species, and about the size limits of intelligence.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The discovery of parasite life cycles
Parasites can have amazingly complicated life cycles - moving through a series of host species, and looking quite different while residing within each type of host. Frankly, this stumped scientists for a long time. In today's episode, Daniel and Kelly take a stroll through the history of science to explore how we finally started to figure parasite life cycles out.See omnystudio.com/listener for pr
Can we use zero point energy?
Daniel and Kelly explain the nature of the quantum vacuum, whether its real or philosophical, and if it's possible to use to make your toast.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Questions #37
Daniel and Kelly explain how cells in a fetus or in an adult know what they're supposed to do, and discuss whether opposable thumbs are necessary for the development of tools and technology.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Story of Birds (featuring Dr. Steve Brusatte)
Daniel and Kelly talk to Dr. Steve Brusatte about his new book "The Story of Birds". We discuss if chickens are really dinosaurs, if we know what color dinosaur feathers were, and why birds survived the devastating asteroid collision with Earth while pterosaurs didn't.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Will AI solve physics?
Daniel and Kelly explain the role of AI in physics and speculate about its future impact on discoveries and curiosity.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Questions #36
Daniel and Kelly answer questions about Odderon particles, Langerhans cells, and black holes within black holes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Biofilms (featuring Dr. Katrine Whiteson)
Daniel, Kelly, and Katrine talk about biofilms, and how they can be delicious, adorable, and bad. For the bad ones, we discuss current tactics for overcoming them.Show links: 1. Nature's cutest symbiosis: The Bobtail Squid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ivMSCi-Y2Q 2. The Joyful Microbe's guide to Kombucha: https://joyfulmicrobe.com/kombucha/(Notice the lighthearted joy, no fear mongering h
Does science fiction inspire real tech?
Daniel and Kelly discuss whether ideas from science fiction have inspired real scientific or technological progress.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Questions #35: Genetics (featuring Dr. Benjamin de Bivort)
Daniel and Kelly answer questions about innate behaviors and what it means to "decode" a genome with help from Dr. Benjamin de Bivort.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Snakes vs Octopi (featuring Dr. Matt Giorgianni)
If a rattlesake bit an octopus, would its venom have any effect? Daniel and Kelly bring venom expert Dr. Matt Giorgianni on to the show to answer this listener question, and to talk about the evolution of snake venom.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Does consciousness come from quantum processes in the brain?
Daniel and Kelly explore Penrose's Orchestrated Objective Reduction Theory that aims to explain consciousness, quantum measurements, quantum gravity and anaesthesia!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Questions #34
Daniel and Kelly answer listener questions about what creates the morning fog, why bats don't get dizzy, and the cauchy horizon.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How cholera kills you and how we kill it
Daniel and Kelly talk about what Vibrio cholerae does to your body, and the methods we have to combat it. They also talk about some of the really bad methods we tried using in the past. Like, real bad.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
To swill or to smell: How John Snow determined the cause of cholera
Daniel and Kelly dive into the history of medicine, and discuss the data John Snow collected to argue that cholera is transmitted through contaminated water and not foul-smelling air. These data bolstered the emerging germ theory of disease.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Questions #33
Daniel and Kelly answer questions about tongue worms, units, and Kelly's nightmares. Link: Standard reference peanut butterSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Do we live in a super bubble?
Daniel and Kelly explore the structure of the space between solar systems and reveal our cosmic context.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Is Cold Fusion impossible?
Daniel and Kelly talk about the challenges of hot fusion and the frustrated potential of cold fusion. And Keanu Reeves.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Questions #32
Daniel and Kelly answer questions about the expanding universe, how sleep aids impact sleep quality, and what characteristics might make aliens better adapted for interstellar travel.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Becoming Martian (featuring Dr. Scott Solomon)
Daniel and Kelly welcome Dr. Scott Solomon back on the show to talk about his new book Becoming Martian: How Living in Space Will Change our Bodies and Minds.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Musk on the Moon
Daniel and Kelly discuss Elon Musk's recent announcement that SpaceX has shifted focus from a self-sustaining settlement on Mars to a self-growing city on the Moon.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Questions #31
Daniel and Kelly answer questions about how it can both be true that humans share 98.7% of their DNA with bonobos and that fraternal twins share 50% of their DNA, why black holes don't have color charges, and whether or not you could treat a fever or let it ride.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Which planet has the most moons?
Daniel and Kelly revel in the amazing multiplicity of moons in our solar system and what they reveal about our cosmic history.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why do animals cooperate?
Daniel and Kelly talk about the evolution of cooperation, and why humans struggle so much with isolation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Questions #30
Daniel and Kelly answer questions about sentience, chicken eggs, and the early Universe!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why does the Universe minimize action?
Daniel and Kelly dive into one of the most important but mysterious principles of physics: least action.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Rabies
Daniel and Kelly talk about rabies, which results in very few deaths in the United States but is a neglected tropical disease - taking approximately 60,000 lives globally each year.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Bonus Episode: History Daily - The First Reported Case of the Spanish Flu
Here’s an episode of a show we think you’ll love. It’s History Daily which tells the fascinating stories of what happened “on this day” in history. New episodes come out every weekday. In this episode, it’s March 11, 1918. A US army cook becomes the first person diagnosed with the Spanish Flu, setting off the deadliest pandemic in modern history.www.history
Listener Questions #29
Daniel and Kelly answer questions about bark beetles, ambipolar fields, and gray hairs!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Can cosmic rays corrupt computers?
Daniel and Kelly talk about how computers store information, and how cosmic rays might flip some vital bits.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What is interspecific brood parasitism?
Daniel and Kelly talk about interspecific brood parasites - which are species that sneak their eggs into the nests of other, unsuspecting species. How do they get away with this?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Questions #28
Daniel and Kelly answer questions about black holes, duplicate organs and bubble Universes!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How fast are we moving?
Daniel and Kelly slow down to understand what velocity really means, and how much we have of it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Can quantum measurements change the past?
Daniel and Kelly talk about the problem of time in quantum mechanics and how the past might depend on the future.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Questions #27
Daniel and Kelly answer questions about birthing multiple species, mental imagery, and face mites!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What can we learn by smashing muons together?
Daniel and Kelly talk about why particle physicists are excited about a muon collider.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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