FQxI Podcast
The FQxI Podcast explores foundational questions in physics, featuring discussions with leading researchers on topics such as quantum mechanics, cosmology, and the nature of time. Produced by the Foundational Questions Institute, the show aims to make cutting-edge theoretical physics accessible to a broader audience. Each episode typically includes interviews or conversations about deep scientific mysteries and the latest ideas in fundamental physics.
Episodes
Is Life Quantum? Meeting the Winners of FQxI's US$53,000 Competition. And Did the Evolution of Human Cognition Require Gravitational Waves?
The Year in Physics Review 2025
Poltergeist and Primordial Black Holes: Cosmologist Bernard Carr on Physics and the Paranormal
FQxI's Essay Competition Asks How Quantum is Life? Plus Plant Intelligence, Physicists Surveyed on Controversial Opinions & Should Journals Pay Peer Reviewers?
Dark Energy Bombshell? Cosmic Results from DESI and ACT & Rethinking Gatekeeping in Science Publishing
The Origin of Life, Assembly Theory & the Problems with Peer Review
The Year in Physics Review 2024
The Universal Constructor: A Conversation with David Deutsch
The Year in Physics Review 2023 Part 3
The Year in Physics Review 2023 Part 2
The Year in Physics Review 2023: Part 1
Is there a Theory of Everything? Great Mysteries of Physics Part 6
What is Life? What is Consciousness? Great Mysteries of Physics Part 5
Does Objective Reality Exist? Great Mysteries of Physics Part 4
Is There a Multiverse? Great Mysteries of Physics Part 3
Is Our Universe Fine-Tuned For Life? Great Mysteries of Physics Part 2
Is Science Becoming Less Disruptive?
Is Time an Illusion? Great Mysteries in Physics Part 1
The Year in Physics Review Part 3: Concluding our countdown of the biggest stories in physics, as chosen by quantum physicist Ian Durham.
The Year in Physics Review Part 2: Continuing our countdown of the biggest stories in physics, as chosen by quantum physicist Ian Durham.
The Year in Physics Review Part 1: Beginning our countdown of the biggest stories in physics, as chosen by quantum physicist Ian Durham. We start with a discussion about whether a wormhole really was created in a quantum computer, in the lab?
Testing Time: Quantum physicists Fabrizio Piacentini and Laura Knoll discuss their recent experiment testing the predictions of Constructor Theory, a new meta-framework of physics that may encompass all other theories. The new framework could solve the...
Happy Higgs-versary! Particle physicist Kevin Black tells Zeeya Merali about the LHC's new quest. Also, time-travel at the LHC, an update on the W Boson tests with Frank Wilczek; Catalina Curceanu on testing the origin of consciousness; & Queensland...
The End of Everything: Astrophysicist Katie Mack on her book describing ways to destroy the universe, & on hints of new physics at the LHC; a quantum engine that heats & cools simultaneously; how the thermodynamic gradient may have driven the evolution of...
'Quantum dots' can teach us about thermodynamics in the nanorealm.
Time's Arrow: A conversation with Paul Davies about time's irreversible flow, black holes, memories of Stephen Hawking and the information paradox, Maxwell's demon and living systems -- and how to improve universities. With Logan Chipkin.
Quantum Steampunk: Physicist Nicole Yunger Halpern talks about her new book on quantum thermodynamics, temperatures below absolute zero, and the physics of yesterday's tomorrow.
Constructor Theory and Irreversibility: A conversation with Chiara Marletto and Vlatko Vedral on a novel unification between information theory and thermodynamics and their recent experiment that tested, and corroborated, the constructor theoretic notion...
Eerie quantum Aharanov-Bohm effect demonstrated for gravity; mysteries about the nature of time; how choices can curve spacetime; and the Science of Can and Can't.
Information as Fuel. Quantum physicist Natalia Ares describes her quest to test thermodynamics in the quantum realm with carbon nanotubes. Philosopher Owen Maroney and theoretical physicist Janet Anders explain what such experiments can teach us about the...
2021: The Year in Physics Review Part 3. FQXi's annual countdown of the physics highlights concludes, with quantum physicist Ian Durham.
2021: Year in Physics Review Part 2. Our rundown of the physics highlights of the year continues, with quantum physicist Ian Durham.
2021: Year in Physics Review Part 1. Beginning our countdown of the biggest and best stories in physics, with quantum physicist Ian Durham.
Schrödinger's Tardigrade: Has a multicellular organism really been entangled with a superconducting qubit? Physicist Vlatko Vedral defends his team's controversial claims; Mitch Waldrop discusses the long-running Hubble tension saga and the launch of the...
Breakthrough Prize winner Jun Ye talks optical lattice clocks; the thermodynamic cost of timekeeping with Marcus Huber; & microbead minimotors help John Bechhoefer investigate information processing in nanomachines and biological systems.
The Disordered Cosmos: Physicist Chanda Prescod-Weinstein discusses the hunt for axions, her new book on dark matter, racism and misogyny in science, and the controversy surrounding the Thirty Meter Telescope.
2020: Year in Physics Review Part 2: Concluding our countdown of the biggest stories of the year in physics, as chosen by quantum physicist Ian Durham.
2020: Year in Physics Review Part 1: Beginning our countdown of the biggest stories in foundational physics and beyond, as chosen by quantum physicist Ian Durham.
#ShutDownSTEM and the #Strike4BlackLives; Retrocausality Reviewed; Measuring Consciousness in Fruit Flies; Superior -- The Return of Race Science; & the Mystery of the Monster Galaxy.
2019: Year in Physics Review Part 2:
Concluding our countdown of the biggest stories of the year in physics, as chosen by quantum physicist Ian Durham.
2019: Year in Physics Review Part 1
Beginning our countdown of the biggest stories of the year in physics, as chosen by quantum physicist Ian Durham.
An amped up version of the Schrodinger Cat Paradox spells trouble for all quantum interpretations -- according to its architect Renato Renner. He tells Zeeya and Brendan how the controversial thought experiment works, and why he thinks it is bad news for...
Quantum Supremacy Milestone? Rumours abound that Google's quantum processor Sycamore has performed a task that would flummox the best classical computer â a first in quantum computing. Physicist Ian Durham assesses the claims, gives us a quantum...
Quantum Mind Reading. Could we create a quantum experiment to predict what a person will do, without having to simulate their consciousness? Physicist Adam Brown argues a classic quantum "bomb tester" proposed in the 1990s could be modified to do just...
Downward Causation. Cosmologist George Ellis investigates agency and argues that causation is a two-way process between the mind and lower level biological and physical functions. From the 6th FQXi meeting in Tuscany, in July.
Designing the Mind. Cognitive scientist Susan Schneider talks transhumanism and asks at what point does human enhancement go too far? Are we in danger of accidentally destroying ourselves through technological augmentation and creating new beings in our...
Measuring Free Will. To what degree are our choices really free, rather than determined? And how much control do we have over them? Quantum physicist Ian Durham presents a new mathematical model for free will. From the 6th FQXi Meeting, in Tuscany.
How do we make decisions? Physicist Carlo Rovelli discusses the science behind choice -- arguing that agency is intimately tied to time's arrow. From the 6th FQXi meeting in Tuscany.
Building an AI Physicist. Cosmologist Max Tegmark describes the challenges with creating trustworthy artificial intelligence, and his own project writing a code that used neural networks to re-discover 100 equations from the Feynman lectures.
The Limits of Computation. Astrophysicist Fred Adams argues the world will run out of resources for computation in 32 years without a paradigm shift. And he discusses how alien civilizations could mine stars to create solar-system-sized "black cloud...
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...
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;...
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; &...
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.
Our review of the year in physics, with quantum physicist Ian Durham, begins.
Physics of Information special featuring black hole firewalls, ruling out reality & the search to define what information actually is. Plus highlights of other FQXi-funded research projects.
FQXi launches a new large grant round & Neutrino physicists win the Nobel and Breakthrough Prizes; a cosmic test for time; safeguarding the future of humanity; & Brains from Thunderbirds explains quantum physics.
Hawking claims to solve black hole paradox & quantum spookiness passes toughest loophole-free test yet; relativity could cause quantum collapse; 5 steps for saving the world; quantum thermodynamics; & the physics filmmaker.
Pluto, pentaquarks & Earth 2.0; Frank Drake talks about the new 100 million dollar hunt for alien life; conjuring a neutron star from a nanowire; & "Edge of the Sky" talks physics without the jargon.
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