The Hyperthesis: Recent Episodes
Pheely Chitnelawong, Patrick O'Brien, and Liam Farrell
Enlightening yet casual discussions about natural phenomena and the theories that describe them. Run by a curious trio with physics backgrounds: Pheely, Patrick, and Liam. A new episode is available every Friday at 9 a.m. ET.
Join the Hyperthesis team as we wrap up our sixth season for a summer break filled with research and travel. To start, we discuss a publication put out by Pheely based on work done during his Master's degree. He goes into the intricacies of clustering and the idea of no free lunch as he examines trade-offs of clustering and avoiding clustering. As we segue into our main topic, we discuss the details around the scientific method and how it differs from what people are taught. We also delve into the philosophy surrounding creating hypothesis and theories, and how we know where to start doing research. Finally, Liam ends with a story on Unruh and his discovery of analogue gravity.
Go check out Pheely's paper here (on the Nature website): https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-63278-3
Listen to Pheely talk about his research in our third episode: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hyperthesis/episodes/Gutting-Warships-with-Statistical-Physics-e1jeivt
Colour blind accessible palette: https://jfly.uni-koeln.de/color/
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Space! The final frontier. Join the Hyperthesis team on our one hour mission to explore space and what the future of space exploration holds for humanity. Before delving into the topic of space exploration, including the why and how, Liam shares his thoughts on the recent Canadian Association of Physicists Congress, including some great presentations and the quality of the food. Pheely ends off the episode with a story about Voyager and just how we keep it going and when it might die.
Congratulations to Dean! Listen to his episode here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/710ca2ya5UtnP0Qx4Tkv9J
Want to know how space probes and rovers get up there? Listen to our episode on rockets! https://open.spotify.com/episode/2TSFeUsmEBmGJbbiyxy0Ws
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Join the Pheely, Liam, and Patrick for episode 82 of The Hyperthesis podcast! In this episode we discuss the field of Quantum biology which proposes that certain functions in living organisms may only be explained through quantum mechanics. Some particular examples that are covered include our sense of vision and smell, enzyme catalysis inside of the cells of organisms, and the ability for birds to detect magnetic fields through quantum entanglement. Before this, we discuss a paper that studies raisin dynamics in a carbonated beverage (yes, we know this sounds weird), and after we end the episode with some history about biological taxonomy.
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Join the Pheely, Liam, and Patrick as they welcome Dr. Jonathon Riddell to the show. Johnathon is a quantum many-body physicist at the University of Birmingham in the UK who studies the foundations of statistical mechanics. We dive into everything from thermalization and quantum many bodies to how chaotic systems can be described as we explore the complex research involved in Jonathon's work. Before then, Pheely looks at aging in glass and Patrick ends the episode with the history of thermodynamics.
Check out Johnathon's Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@JonathonRiddell
Find Johnathon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JonathonRiddell
Join Johnathon's Discord: https://discord.com/invite/QK9HhuXBEF
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Join us for the 80th episode of the Hyperthesis as we discuss everything from spectroscopy and water walkers to a poem about spectres. Patrick talks about a spectroscopy conference he attended recently while Liam discusses a paper about bugs on top of water and how that relates to micro plastics. Finally, Pheely sends us off with some etymology and a poem.
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Join the Hyperthesis team (including Patrick this time) as we welcome our guest David Eliot, a PhD student at the University of Ottawa. David researches the social impact of artificial intelligence along with the idea of a data economy. We discuss the intricacies of what is needed to train popular AI models while also touching on the social aspects of using AI programs and how our data is used. Before then, we discuss the use of machine learning in spectral imaging and end with a story about the history of research in AI.
See David's profile: https://www.trudeaufoundation.ca/member/david-eliot
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In this episode of the Hyperthesis Podcast we have a more relaxed conversation in store for our listeners! We are missing 1/3 of our brainpower because Patrick is away at a conference in Spain. Lucky man! Without our favourite experimentalist to keep everything on track, Liam and Pheely decide to take a random walk through various topics ranging from logic to relativistic quantum mechanics.
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Join the Hyperthesis team in our discussion of the 2024 solar eclipse event that we experienced. We start with a topic of the early universe bubbling event which can create a phase transition that can be detected the upcoming space gravitational wave interferometer. Then we talk about our viewing of the eclipse, what it was really like, and how we feel about this monumental lifetime event. We ended the episode with a story of the life of Peter Higgs, the one that laid foundation for the so-called god’s particle Higgs boson. Peter Higgs recently passed away on the day of the eclipse, nevertheless, his works will be eternally remembered.
Join the Hyperthesis team as we discuss the upcoming total solar eclipse of 2024 in Ontario. Patrick is on a journey to see this once a lifetime event which he will be flying in from Alberta! We start this episode off by discussing putting astronomical instruments to orbit around the moon, rather than around the earth. Then we talk about how an eclipse works, and how rare the total solar eclipses are. Solar eclipses allow us to study the sun in a different way, with the assist from our very moon. We end the episode with the story of the Battle of the Eclipse during ancient Greek era.
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Join the Hyperthesis team as we welcome Dr. Austin Farrell, an optometrist based out of British Columbia. Before we delve into the biology and physics of the eye, we discuss new research around a spiral lens that could replace progressive lenses with a superior design with multiple foci. For our main topic, we discuss all things optometry with Austin . Finally, we end the story with a brief history of optics and how we've learned what we know about light and its interactions with matter.
Learn more about the function of the eye from out 13th episode: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hyperthesis/episodes/The-Sense-of-Sight-How-Humans-See-the-World-e1mcmbm
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Join the Hyperthesis team as we explore the depths of communication and the universe. To start us off, Liam introduces a theory that simulates the non-existence of dark matter and shows promise in maybe replacing it. As our main topic, we discuss a variety of ideas behind communication, include a glimpse into the past, how our current radio communication technologies function, and what the future of communication may look like. Finally, we end with a brief history of communication and the possible inventor of radio, Guglielmo Marconi.
Find out more about dark matter: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hyperthesis/episodes/Mankinds-Odyssey-Through-the-Darkness-of-the-Universe-e1kbjqr/a-a85h8b1
Learn more about fibreoptic cables from the introduction topic in this episode: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hyperthesis/episodes/How-Old-Can-Stars-Get-e26u046/a-aa4edb7
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Join the Hyperthesis team for this continuously evolving episode on evolution. To start off the topic, Pheely describes genetic algorithms and how they function. These algorithms mimic genetic evolution by taking into account mutations, cross over, and other ideas pulled directly from the theory of evolution. Speaking of which, our main topic details the history and theory behind evolution, the concept that explains the vast biodiversity on the planet. Finally, Liam finishes the episode with a brief history of biophysics.
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Join Liam, Pheely, and Patrick as we welcome Nathan Eddy, a PhD student at Queen's University studying the limits of atomic thickness for nanomaterials using mechanical oscillators. Before we delve into the exciting world of very cold nanomaterials, we discuss the powerful properties of aerogels which act as incredible insulators. To wrap up the episode, Liam tells us about the history of nanotechnology.
Learn more about how Aerogels are made and their uses: http://www.aerogel.org/
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Join the Hyperthesis team as we begin our sixth season with episode 71! In this episode, we have Dr. Wyatt Kirkby, a physicist specializing in quantum many-body systems and exotic phases of matter and their dynamics. We delve deep into his work as he works to set up a lab looking at some of the coolest matter on Earth (literally). Before then, Liam discusses the idea of second sounds, while Patrick wraps up the episode with a brief history of Paul Dirac.
Check out Wyatt's website: https://www.wyattkirkby.com/home
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Join the Patrick, Pheely, and Liam for episode 70 of the Hyperthesis. In our season 5 finale, we discuss everything from supersolids to publishing and accessing the scientific body of knowledge. As an introduction, Liam discusses the idea of supersolids, quantum mechanical wonders that are both a solid and a superfluid at the same time, which means they do not have friction. In our main topic, we discuss the methods and thoughts behind science publications and adding to the body of knowledge, from pre-prints to highly regarded journals, the process can be complex and has a lot of history. Finally, we end with a tale about the publication of Newton's Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica.
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Join us as we welcome our guest David Kunar! David is a PhD candidate at Queen's University studying in the Crystalline Material Chemistry Group. His research focuses on the development of a more affordable semiconductor used for ionizing radiation detection. David also delves into the chemistry and engineering of his methods, and just how these materials actually work. Before then, Patrick talks about the unknowns of hail while Pheely ends the episode with a story about a new saviour for tanks.
Check out the Northern Hail Project website here: https://uwo.ca/nhp/about.html
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Today's tasty episode of the Hyperthesis focuses on the science of food and cooking. Join us as we discuss the physics of breakfast and answer important questions like how can you avoid spilling your coffee and why should you hit your toast? Before then, we discuss the physics of frying and just what happens when water meets hot oil. Finally, we discuss a bit of biology as we journey through the digestive system, a 10 metre long track of terror (for food at least).
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https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hyperthesis
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Enjoy this episode of the Hyperthesis on a hot topic while temperatures in North America remain extremely cold. Patrick, Pheely, and Liam discuss the theory and operation behind machine learning, detailing how the computer algorithms behind such a powerful tool function. We also touch on artificial intelligence (AI) in general and delve slightly into the philosophy of intelligence itself. Before then, Liam tells us about new discoveries for radar and Pheely wraps up the episode with some potential scenarios for AI in the future.
Join the Hyperthesis team as we ring in the new year with exciting topics, covering the physics of champagne (but not the resulting drunkard's walk), along with quantum computers and the first computer programs written. We start with a recent pre-publication that simulates how Champagne corks are popped, and the quick and chilling solution might surprise you. Next, we delve deep into the quantum realm by discussing how quantum computers function and what they can be used for. Finally, we wrap up the episode with the life, times, and controversy of Ada Lovelace, one of the first computer mathematicians.
Read about how Champagne bottles pop: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2312.12271.pdf
Learn more about transistors and classical computers from Episode 46: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hyperthesis/episodes/Tiny-Transistors-Made-Modern-World-e267pgv/a-aa29erj
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Tune into episode 65 of the Hyperthesis podcast where the team reflects upon the 2023 year in preparation for 2024. We review some of 2023's top breakthroughs in physics and science, as well as some lesser known discoveries. Patrick talks about various climate change records which have been shattered this year, and how unfortunately are not looking good for 2024. Finally, we end the episode by discussing our hopes for 2024 and the future of science.
Just in time for the start of Northern hemisphere winter, join the Hyperthesis team as we delve into the science of the season. We start our episode by talking about if the Christmas (or any other holiday) spirit exists and how it was possibly measured using fMRI. Falling into our main topic, Liam takes us through the work of Dr. Ken Libbrecht and the (magical) formation of snowflakes. Finally, Pheely provides a solution for Santa to make sure only the good kids can read the books he gives, leaving the bad kids in a quantum conundrum.
Finding Christmas Spirit scientifically: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4681765/
Veritasium's video with Dr. Libbrecht on snowflakes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ao2Jfm35XeE
Christmas quantum teleportation: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2312.01891.pdf
Listen to our last seasonal episode, Episode 27! https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hyperthesis/episodes/The-Stellar-Story-of-our-Solar-System-e1skrcq
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Lasers! Now that we have your attention, welcome to this episode of the Hyperthesis. Join Liam, Pheely, Patrick and our guest Troy Allen who discusses his research on laser welding. This up and coming method has many complexities, and Troy delves deep into how we can take live measurements of laser welds to improve performance and quality. Keeping with the theme of lasers, we discuss a recent paper simulating extremely short but powerful laser pulses and how they can be created with plasma. Finally, we end the episode talking about Theodore Maiman, the inventor of the laser.
Questions for Troy? Contact us!
Question, comments, concerns? Interested in being a guest on our show? Send us an email: hyperthesispodcast@gmail.com
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Lasers were also discussed in Episode 36 with our guest Dean Eaton: https://open.spotify.com/episode/710ca2ya5UtnP0Qx4Tkv9J
Join the Hyperthesis team as we welcome our guest Hannah Krivic. Hannah is a PhD student at McMaster University studying biological membranes and protein dynamics. Her research focuses on using red blood cell membranes to deliver molecules to different parts of the body. Before speaking with Hannah, we discuss the controversial physics of curling with our curling expert Patrick. Liam wraps up this episode about biophysics by giving an overview of the circulatory system.
Reach out to Hannah here: krivich@mcmaster.ca
Follow Hannah's lab group on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chroniclesofabiophysicist
Join the Hyperthesis team as we welcome our special guest Alex Kayssi who will explore the beginnings of the universe as he talks about his research. Alex's research focuses on cosmology, and is studying how matter is distributed throughout the universe. Before delving deep into life, the universe, and everything, we discuss some technical details about reference frames and orders of magnitude. We wrap up the episode by exploring the oldest objects that we know about in the universe, causing us to rethink the actual age of the universe itself.
Join the Hyperthesis team as we speak with our guest Tahya Weiss-Gibbons! Tahya is a PhD student at the University of Alberta modelling Arctic ocean atmospheric interactions to determine how climate change will affect this sensitive region. Before delving into everything from modelling fluids to forming policy, Patrick discusses how environmental DNA is being used to map all of the species globally. Finally, Pheely touches on the Arctic again as he talks about polar bears.
If you have questions for Tahya, you can reach her at weissgib@ualberta.ca.
Join Patrick, Pheely, and Liam for the 59th episode of the Hyperthesis podcast! We start the episode by discussing recent James Webb telescope data which may hint at the universe being older than we thought, and transition to the main topic of false vacuum decay: a theory which could result in the end of the universe and even physics as we know it! Finally, we end the episode with a story on the history of vacuum chambers.
Join our stirring episode of the Hyperthesis as we discuss vortices, the atmosphere, and the legendary Edmund Halley. Liam starts us out with a fun paper that discusses the effect of swirling water in a bottle on its bounce height. Afterwards, Patrick guides us through some complexities of the atmosphere, discussing large scale phenomena from the Polar Vortex to the El Nino Southern Oscillation. Finally, Pheely discusses the life and times of Edmund Halley, for whom Halley's comet is named after.
Plastic bottle with vortices: https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.130.244001
Great explanation for weather phenomena, especially related to the polar vortex: https://www.severe-weather.eu
Join the Hyperthesis team for the start of our fifth season! In this episode, we start by discussing this year's Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, and Physiology and Medicine. In a bold move for this season (and specifically this episode), we switch our main topic and story. In our story, we discuss three main interpretations of quantum mechanics. This leads into our main topic, discussing Bell's theorem and local hidden variable theory, questioning the foundation of quantum mechanics.
Welcome to the season 4 finale of the Hyperthesis! Join Liam, Patrick, and Pheely for our extended ultimate chill episode as we talk over wide range of topics from the new Moon landings, our passion and frustration with physics, Oppenheimer, quirkiness of scientists, to our reflections on our past experiences. Brace yourself for a wild ride of dialogues as we dive deep into the episode.
SPOILER ALERT: Several major events in the Oppenheimer movie are discussed.
Join Pheely, Liam, and Patrick for this 55th episode of the Hyperthesis podcast. In this episode we discuss the nature and importance of quasiparticles; they are the very reason our computers can function and are very important in many other different fields. We start the episode by discussing two separate pieces of news: the recent detection of quantum entanglement waves, and the recent muon g-2 news. After our discussion of quasiparticles we end the episode with the story of Lev Landau, a very recognizable name for the modern physicist.
Join Pheely, Liam, and special guest Edward Dewit for episode 54 of The Hyperthesis podcast (Patrick was unfortunately unable to attend the live recording)! Edward is a plasma/nuclear physicist and engineer who is working on nuclear fusion energy. We discuss his work and experiences in his field surrounding nuclear energy, how rotating plasmas can be used to study the accretion disks of black holes, and end the episode with a story about the world's first every nuclear reactor.
Errata: 1. Magnetic field falls off as 1/r instead of the 1/r2 as Pheely mentioned.
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On fusion reaction, the parameter space is density, temperature, and confinement time, where both MCF (magnetic confinement fusion) and ICF (inertial confinement) require about the same temperature of 10 keV for the fusion cross-section of the Deuterium–tritium reaction. The density of ICF is much higher but for short periods of time (order of nanoseconds). The density of MCF is lower but for much longer periods of time (order of seconds).
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The compact structure of a spherical tokamak is quantified by a low aspect ratio. The on-axis magnetic field strength of a spherical tokamaks is higher than that of a conventional tokamak and therefore higher plasma pressure is possible. Increasing magnetic field strength is more feasible than making larger tokamaks with greater plasma volume.
Join Patrick, Liam, and Pheely as we discuss superconductors and the recent news surrounding them. We mention the controversy of the newly discovered LK99 room temperature and just what the implications are should they be proven true. We delve into the properties of superconductors and the mechanisms behind both conventional and unconventional superconductors. We wrap up the episode by telling a story about the people behind the theory describing superconductors, one of whom won the physics Nobel prize twice.
Join the Hyperthesis hosts as we speak with our guest Emma MacNeil, an air quality scientist measuring point source emissions in Nova Scotia. Before we delve into air quality monitoring, we discuss the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle, which is currently leading to record high global temperatures. Before ending with a story about the discovery of oxygen, we take an in-depth discussion with Emma about measuring the air quality of different production facilities, and what exactly affects air quality and how it is measured.
This episode of the Hyperthesis features Denise Kamp, a PhD student in theoretical physics at McMaster University who studies dynamical instabilities in Bose-Enstein Condensates (BECs). These instabilities in form when a BEC is trapped in a double-well potential barrier and when a BEC is rotated in a donut shaped toroidal trap. We start the episode by discussing a proposal to use BECs as gravitational wave detectors, and finish off with a short history of BEC experiments.
In Episode 50 of the Hyperthesis Podcast, join the hosts as we discuss measurements and tsunamis. Liam discusses how tsunamis are formed and the interesting physics that occurs when they encounter and undersea mountain. Before Patrick tells a story about measurement mistakes, we discuss the origin and use of measurement systems and how they are used (or not used) in different processes and methods.
Join us for the 49th episode of the Hyperthesis with Liam, Patrick, and Pheely. In this varied episode, we discuss everything from undersea telecommunication cables to hypothetical stars, and discussion about where astrology came from. In our introductory topic, Patrick discusses how undersea fibre optic cables function and are laid, along with their precursors first used for telegraphs. Liam explores hypothetical stars that may exist in many trillions or quadrillions of years, but we have no way of observing today. Finally, Pheely tells us about the origin of astrology, the original study of stars that has since been used for different purposes.
In this episode of the Hyperthesis podcast we discuss some of the science and history behind photography: the art or practice of taking and processing photographs. Additionally, Liam makes a correction to a comment he made during the previous episode regarding a reference frames in cosmology.
Join the Hyperthesis team as we get strange and exotic with our main topic while discussing ground- (or space-) breaking news. Recent results from a 15 years-long experiment has shown the presence of gravitational waves. The NANOgrav collaboration released these results recently and demonstrate that Einstein was right once again. Our main topic focuses on strange stars, how they might form, and if they might exist. Our story is about Satyendra Nath Bose, the physicist and mathematicians whom bosons, Bose-Einstein condensates, and many more phenomena are named after.
Join Pheely, Liam, and Patrick as we delve into the now microscopic world of the transistor. We discuss how transistors came to be, starting from a patent by a Canadian physicist and being inspired by their predecessors, the vacuum tube. With the death of Gordon Moore and the end of Moore's law, these technologies are becoming increasingly important to understand and improve upon. Before then, Liam tells us about his experiences at a conference he attended in Italy. We end on a story about the three inventors of the transistor, including some of their dark details.
Join us for the 45th episode of the Hyperthesis podcast where we discuss a current update on the Canadian forest fire situation, give our opinions regarding how mathematics and science are taught in modern society. We talk about our experience learning math and science growing up. Lastly we end the episode with a story about one of the inventors of calculus: Gottfried Leibniz.
Join the Hyperthesis team for our 44th episode featuring Andrew Kovachik, a MSc (and soon to be PhD) student in physics at McMaster University. Andrew’s research studies Hořava Lifshitz gravity, a potential candidate for a unifying theory of quantum gravity. In this episode we discuss the insides of black holes, the details of Andrew's work, and some additional different theories of quantum gravity such as string theory and loop quantum gravity.
Join the Hyperthesis team as we go from the ground up to discuss different aspects of environmental research and phenomena. We start deep in the ice as we discuss ice cores and how we can tell what the world was like many thousands of years ago. Our main topic focuses on wildfires, a very prevalent topic as Canada and other countries are facing previously unseen amounts of large wildfires occurring. We discuss the conditions that lead to these fires and how we can prevent them and help put them out. Finally, Liam ends off the episode with his head in the clouds to talk about the cloud seeding. This involves the use of different methods to create rainfall or reduce hail size but has different uses that are sometimes questionable.
Join us in this controversial episode of the Hyperthesis where we discuss the one electron theory. A lesser known theory (and sometimes a joke among physicist), Liam, Pheely, and Patrick discuss the history and validity of this theory, and touch on topics like quantum field theory and mathematical tricks. Before then, we discuss the concept of environmental DNA and Pheely ends this episode with the history of 1.
Join the Hyperthesis team as we start our fourth season and celebrate our first anniversary! In today's episode, we discuss what would happen to an apple in a box given an infinite amount of time. Concepts of entropy, thermodynamics, and the goopiness of apples are discussed, along with the possibility of a repeating universe. Before then, we provide updates on our research journeys, and we end the episode with a story on very large (but not infinite) numbers.
Welcome to the final episode of the third season of the Hyperthesis! Join us as we delve into black holes, the lives of stars, and standard units of measurement.
Join Patrick, Liam, and Pheely as we delve into the world of science fiction and discuss the fantastical technologies that were created. Some of these technologies are present today such as rockets and cell phones, but some are still a long ways away like warp drives or tricorders. There are also some physically impossible technologies that we discuss, including time travel and teleporting people. Before then, Pheely discusses zen rocks on Lake Baikal and Patrick mentions the astronauts selected to return to the moon. Finally, Liam discusses the people and inspirations behind some of the technologies that have greatly influenced our modern world.
Join the Hyperthesis team for our 38th episode featuring Grace Tompkins, a PhD candidate in biostatistics at the University of Waterloo. Grace's research focuses on developing methodology for complex longitudinal problems particularly involving patient and other data. We also discuss music produced by quantum computers and the history of Thomas Bayes, an ill-fated minister whose work has greatly influenced statistics.
Join Patrick, Liam, and Pheely as we speak with our geophysicist guest Zoë Vestrum, a PhD candidate at the University of Alberta. We discuss her research involving magentotellurics and how she studies the inner structure of the Earth using its own electromagnetic currents. It turns out there is much to be learned, and our current understanding needs improvement. We also talk about the science of geothermal energy, and end the episode with a story about plate tectonics and how the Earth moves.
Join Liam, Pheely, Patrick, and our special guest Dean Eaton! Dean is currently an experimental physicist pursuing his masters degree (soon to be PhD) in physics at Waterloo University under the supervision of Dr. Donna Strickland, a Canadian physicist who won the 2018 Nobel prize in physics for her method of generating high-intensity ultra-short optical pulses through her method of chirped pulse amplification. Dean discusses his research, his hopes and dreams, and his experiences working for a Nobel prize winner. We also discuss robots, artificial intelligence, and end the episode with the story of Donna Strickland.
Join Pheely, Liam, and Patrick for this 35th episode of the Hyperthesis. In this impromptu episode, (because of travel) we discuss a wide range of topics from conferences and travelling to updates in our research. We begin with an intro topic about ocean circulation models and how we can determine how the ocean's flow. This particularly focuses on the area near Canada where the Arctic Ocean flows into the Atlantic Ocean. Quantized vortices and other phenomena are also discussed before moving on to our main topics. Here, we provide updates about research and our recent activities along with some upcoming plans for travel and research. Finally, Liam shares a short story about a personal experience as an undergraduate at a conference.
In this episode of the Hyperthesis, Patrick, Pheely, and Liam are joined by Catherine Boisvert, an MSc student studying atomic force microscopy at McGill University. Before we delve into her work, Pheely discusses his dream of cats that leads to traffic jam, and how waves seemingly propagate through traffic. These are also known as ghost jams. Similar ideas are used in fluid dynamics, and can be used to describe a number of phenomena. For our main topic, Catherine talks about her research focused on single electron charging events using atomic force microscopy. Catherine also shares her experience as a woman in physics, and discusses her past interests and journey, along with plans for the future. Finally, Liam summarizes the 1986 Nobel Prize in physics for the invention of scanning tunneling microscope and the atomic force microscope.
Join Patrick, Pheely, and Liam as they discuss how particles can change form, and even be created seemingly out of nothingness. This process of particle-production (or destruction) is described by quantum field theory, which tells us that the vacuum of space is not as empty as we once thought. We also discuss the recent development of new artificial intelligence like "ChatGPT", and finish off the episode with a story about the biggest physics experiment of all time: the Large Hadron Collider.
CORRECTION: Liam says multiple times that the vacuum energy is zero, but this is incorrect, the vacuum energy is small but finite. It is actually a current topic of hot research in the physics community, and there is not an agreed upon value (this is known as the cosmological constant problem or vacuum catastrophe).
Join the Hyperthesis team as we discuss super-cooled micro rockets, radio waves, microwaves, and the world of radar. We finish the episode with an ironic tale of how the inventor of the radar gun received a speeding ticket.
On today's episode of the Hyperthesis, we discuss the deep dark topic of the heat death of the Universe. Before we dive in, Liam discusses preparation for his upcoming PhD candidacy exam with Pheely and Patrick weighing in about their own upcoming exams and the expectations that come with it. We also briefly discuss the change in rotation of the Earth's core, something recently measured by geologists. On that topic, our final story is about the layers of the Earth, peeling them back like an onion as we delve deeper. In our main topic, we discuss everything from metastable states and phase transitions and to entropy and information theory to explain the eventual heat death of the universe.
Join Liam, Pheely, and Patrick as we discuss the ostensible lack of breakthroughs in science in modern days, and how lasers could save us from lightning. For our extended intro topic, we discuss an opinion piece published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences about how there have not been major breakthroughs in science in the past 50 years compared to the 50 years prior. We discuss the different arguments made by the authors and discuss our own opinions and experiences. In our main topic, we discuss how a powerful laser was used to redirect lightning above a Swiss mountain before wrapping up with a story about Earth's atmosphere.
Join Patrick, Pheely, and Liam as we explore some more properties of light in the second episode of our third season. Before we delve into how light passes through matter, we discuss just why it is so difficult to walk on sand. The answer may surprise you as we discuss deformed surfaces. As our main topic, we discuss how light propagates through matter, why it slows down, and how it bends. Although these phenomena are well-known, the mechanism behind them is quite intriguing. We end the episode with the story of Sir Isaac Newton, one of the main pillars of modern science.
Join Liam, Pheely, and Patrick for the first episode of the third season of the Hyperthesis! We begin this episode by discussing the recent news that scientists have created the first net-positive nuclear fusion reaction. For the main topic, we dive into the world of nuclear physics, going through the basics and introducing and discussing concepts like fusion versus fission. Finally we end the episode with a story of the Manhattan project, which developed the worlds first nuclear weapons, the scariest weapons to ever be created.
In the final episode of the season with the same ole Pheely, Patrick, and Liam, we start by talking about the technicals of Santa's Christmas delivery system, how fast he has to be, and the "physics" of flying reindeer. For our main topic, we discuss our Solar System with the focus on planets. We explore the wealth of facts about the interesting 8 planets, while still recognize some dwarf planets (We hear you.). Finally, Pheely ends the season with the story of how the planets were named.
Note to audience, Liam has a microphone issue in this episode. Listeners may find inconsistencies in his speeches.
Join us for this episode of the Hyperthesis where Liam, Pheely, and Patrick have a casual conversation about everything from research to fountain pens to the philosophy of what defines a good life. Before delving into this wandering discussion, we talk about a method of sustainable forestry by pruning trees in a special way that doesn't kill them. We also talk about how humans have changed the Earth in terms of domestication of animals and the destruction of wild mammals. Listen as we discuss a wide range of topics in a casual conversation, for example, hobbies, life, philosophy, etc.
Note to audience, Liam has a microphone issue in this episode. Listeners may find inconsistencies in his speeches.
Join Patrick, Pheely, Liam, and our special guest Josh Hainge as we delve into deep questions about quantum phenomena. Before we get to the main topic, we discuss the newly discovered nearest black hole to the Earth, Gaia BH1. With this new discovery, we also discuss how things that we can't see are actually detected, from black holes to elementary particles. Josh then talks about his research, focusing on transitions from non-chaotic systems to those that have a chaotic classical system. As another interest, Josh discusses some controversy of what happens when light travels through a medium. We also explore Josh's journey from working with meteorites to theoretical physics. Finally, Patrick wraps up this chaotic episode with a story about how we controlled chaos to invent the steam engine along with the whole field of thermodynamics.
Join Pheely, Patrick, and Liam as we discuss the topic of chaos theory. We start off the episode with a brief callback to the optical phenomenon of sun dogs, and correct an error we made in the previous episode. For our main topic, we explore the idea of chaos in classical physics and the many concepts behind it, from a simple two-pivot pendulum into truly chaotic systems. We also point out the difference between the common notion of chaos and the mathematical description. Finally, we end this episode on chaos by discussing one of the most chaotic stories: the beginning of the universe and how it may potentially end one day.
Join our sky high episode as we discuss rainbows, corona, and sun dogs. If you have ever wondered why the sky is blue, what is at the end of the rainbow, or how the northern lights dance in the sky, this is the episode for you. Our main topic discusses the different ways in which atmospheric rainbows are formed through droplets of water and ice crystals. Before then, we learn why the sky is blue (but not purple), and why sunsets are red. To wrap up the episode, our story tells the journey of the the northern lights, starting with our sun and ending with the beautiful colours we see in the sky.
Join Liam, Patrick, Pheely, and our special guest Pablo Scrosati as we explore the world of chemistry and protein motions. We start off the episode with a brief praise of open-source software and discussing how the memory of magnetic materials compares to how our brain stores (and forgets) memories. For our main topic, we delve into Pablo's research into chemistry. We go over previous topics of his like how to best preserve lobster, and his current PhD work concerning protein dynamics and just how such complex molecules can be simulated and tested. Finally, our episode ends with a story about the legendary two-time Nobel Prize winner Marie Curie.
Join the Hyperthesis as we continue our discussion on relativity. As an introduction, we discuss an interesting quirk of light and how its speed hasn't been measured as a one-way trip. This leads into our introduction of general relativity, the theory produced by Einstein that changed the physics paradigm. This theory describes the equivalence between gravity and acceleration, while discussing the curvature of spacetime and how the idea of spacetime came about in the first place. We talk about some of the results that fall our of the equations for General Relativity, including a story about wormholes.
In this episode of the Hyperthesis, Liam, Pheely, and Patrick discuss Einstein's theory of special relativity. This counter-intuitive theory treats time and space as a single entity, changing our notion of how the universe is perceived depending on an observer's frame of reference. We discuss some famous thought experiments and paradoxes which are used to understand special relativity, and differentiate it from classical physics. First we discuss classical relativity in the form of the Doppler effect and the acoustic interference of sound waves produced by overhead flying planes. Finally, Patrick tells the story of Albert Einstein, one of the most famous physicists of all time.
In this episode of the Hyperthesis, Liam, Pheely, and Patrick discuss the discoveries involved in the recently-announced Nobel Prize in Physics. We delve into the quantum mechanics behind the experiments that helped solve some puzzling paradoxes, and were pivotal in paving the way for quantum computers. Before that, we discuss some misconceptions about Galileo and his fame. Finally, we learn about the man behind the Nobel Prize and just how such a prestigious prize came to be.
Join us for episode number 18 of the Hyperthesis where we focus on rockets and space exploration. We delve into the simple physics and highly complex engineering of launching spacecrafts after going over a brief history of rocketry. During this discussion, we also talk about the future of space travel, alien life, and the philosophy behind humankind's desire to go to space. Our story focuses around the details about the first manned mission to the moon, and before all of this, we talk about possible benefits and drawbacks of large-scale energy storage systems like pumped-storage hydroelectricity.
Join us as we welcome a special guest this week, Scott Young. Scott is a PhD student at the University College London working on X-ray computer tomography and solid-state lithium batteries. We talk about the inner workings of batteries and just how difficult it is to make a solid state battery. Scott also discusses prior research at Dalhousie University and how lithium-ion batteries function and how they're getting better. We also discuss the recent DART mission that collided with an asteroid to test potential Earth-saving devices. Our final story discusses the history of batteries, which are older than you may think.
In the sixteenth episode of the Hyperthesis, Liam discusses a conference he attended while visiting Cambridge and we remember Frank Drake and his work on the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. Our main topic today is biomimicry where we talk about how mankind adapts the designs and systems of the biological world to develop the world around us. From super sticky materials to making wind turbines more efficient, we explore how nature inspires technology around us. To inform you about the origins of evolution, Patrick tells us story about the life and work of Charles Darwin, with a couple twists that might surprise you.
Join Liam, Pheely, and Patrick for the first episode of the second season of the Hyperthesis! We start by diving into updates from our recording break, and discuss our research activities. For the main topic, we cover one of the most important chemical processes humanity has ever discovered: fire. We discuss the basic physics and chemistry behind this phenomenon, and the important role it has played not just for humanity, but for the environment in general. Finally we change the subject and end with the story of Stephan Hawking, one of the most prominent physicists of all time.
We also have a new theme music written by Liam himself, and mixed by us! The guitar part of the outro is played by Pheely's brother Phon Chitnelawong.
Final episode of the season. We get you to know us a little more. We discuss our personal scientific journeys: what drives us, what keep us going, and how we look at our careers. Moreover, we talk about scientific education with its flaws and strong points. With different backgrounds, we compare our education leading up to the current point. Even though we may have a vastly different upbringing, our curiosity stems from little things in our youths. We share and reflect upon our journeys.
Join us in the penultimate episode of our first season as we talk about lenses, kettles, eels, and lighthouses. For our main topic, we discuss the optics of the human eye and how we see colour and in the (almost) dark. We also discuss different disorders of the eye and certain why people need glasses. Before then, we discuss what exactly causes the whistle of a tea kettle and how electric eels are able produce their powerful shocks. Finally, Liam tells us the story of Augustin-Jean Fresnel (He apologizes for his consistent mispronunciation of the name.) and his invention that has saved countless lives: the Fresnel lens.
This episode focuses on a substance required for life itself: water. This common molecule, H2O (dihydrogen monoxide), is peculiar in its geometry and composition, leading to many interesting properties that have literally shaped our world. We discuss the physics of the water molecule itself before venturing into how those microscopic effects create atypical characteristics. Before that, we discuss the complexities and physics that are involved when ironing clothing, which is more complicated than it seems. Clothing materials can be considered as amorphous solids can be heated and cooled similar glass. To end of this episode, Pheely tells us about Leslie Lamport, an original computer scientist whose algorithms are used in most modern computer programs.
We start this episode with the discussion about new research from Simon Fraser University about advancements in quantum computers and quantum internet. This episode also introduces our first guest, Parisa Nozari. Parisa is an Astronomy graduate student at Queen's University who studies vast clouds of molecular dust which go on to form stars and planets. We discuss what these dust clouds really are, their properties, and how we are related to it. Parisa also shares some ideas about other astronomy topics and her excitement about the data from the James Webb Space Telescope. Patrick rounds off this special episode by telling the story of how uncertainty in measurements has a big impact on our lives.
The main topic of this episode continues on the topics of last week's episode, where we discuss how science is portrayed in the media. We go over how some popular culture portrays scientists well while others fall short of doing a good job. We also discuss what life can be like as a scientist and the different personalities that are present in the many fields of science. As a conclusion, we discuss what may turn people away from science, and how we can improve the accessibility of science communication. Before this deep discussion, we discuss recent achievements in solar power, and Pheely ends the episode with the history of UNIX and how it is the basis for many computer systems in use today.
In this episode, Patrick, Liam, and Pheely discuss how physics operates in popular culture. Before that, we discuss the ground-breaking images that have been produced by the James Webb Space Telescope. This telescope had been in development for 30 years before its launch, and the results are stunning. In our main topic, we discuss the physics of visual and computer-generated effects in movies and video games, and how they make water and reflections look realistic. There definitely has been an advancement in visuals of video games which is in part a result of the increase in computational power. We also discuss the advancements of physics simulations in movies along with some discussion on the feasibility of light sabres. Patrick ends the episode with a history of space observation, giving background to the James Webb Space Telescope.
This episode focuses on climate change, the startup of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), and the fascinating life of Tycho Brahe. To start, we discuss new findings from CERN with the LHC about quark configurations. Then we discuss general concepts focused on how humans have caused the global climate to change drastically along with historical natural changes that show how much we have done as a species. We also talk about potential ways forward through the climate disaster and how a simple molecule has caused most of these problems. For our story, Pheely tells us about the life of Tycho Brahe, including some of his greatest discoveries and controversial lifestyle.
We start this episode with a short discussion on dark matter asteroids and how to catch the elusive dark matter through shock waves. We then share our understanding of the fundamentals of sounds and mechanical waves. We talk about acoustic phenomena that occur in daily life, such as, nature of speech, hearing, and music. We also touch on sonic booms and SONAR. We end this episode with the story of Dr. Darden, a pioneer of sonic boom study.
In this episode, Pheely, Liam, and Patrick explore the evidence behind dark matter and some of the current detector methods being developed to hunt for potential elusive dark matter particles. Patrick will touch on some the work he did for his Master's, including eliminating radioactive materials from a dark matter detector. We also discuss spinning black holes and quantum-dot LED technologies. We wrap things up with a story about the epic life of Lord (now Baron) Kelvin, detailing his great achievements and lasting impacts on the science community.
In this episode, we discuss a common social gathering among scientists: conferences. We share our experiences from conferences from general physics conferences like the Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP) Congress to very small and specific conferences. We also share some favourite talks that we have heard at CAP. These meeting places are great opportunities to learn and network. We go in-depth about what it is like to transition to online gathering during COVID. We then discuss our social experiences as scientists. We talk about how physicists and scientists are portrayed by the media, and discuss various stereotypes and personalities. To end the episode off, we learn about the history and intricacies of rainbows from Liam.
In this episode, we touch upon fundamental units in science and possible unifying theories of the universe. Our main topic of discussion focuses on the basics of classical and quantum computing. We then discuss the benefits and downsides of quantum computing. For story time, we tell the history of computers from ancient times to the invention of modern computers by Alan Turing.
This episode explores the flesh of Pheely's research: physics of ship design. Using statistical physics, we explore how the process of designing complex ships, such as warships, can be understood. We delve into the intricacy of design methods and our unconventional approach to solve design issues. In particular, we describe design as a physical system with intuitive quantities, such as design forces, robustness, etc. To wrap up design discussions, we end with the story on the Golden Ratio and what makes it so special.
This episode introduces us to concepts involved in remotely observing forests as we discuss Patrick's research with Tropical Dry forests. Learn about how shooting trees with lasers can help us monitor trees while we also touch on other topics like jaguars, surfing biologists, and radio waves. Patrick highlights the importance of checking the health of these forests and the interdisciplinary approaches that are taken to analyze and understand all of the data involved. We also continue discussions from last week about the behaviour of waves when pouring a cup of coffee. Finally, we discuss how the modern pocket watch came to be during a time when people were exploring the world, and trying to figure out where they were.
In this first episode we introduce you to the team and our works. The main topic is on Liam's research: Analogue black holes, which can form in flowing Bose-Einstein condensed gases. Although quite different from gravitational black holes, these analogue systems remarkably mimic key features of gravitational black holes such as Hawking radiation. Liam's research ties into many different areas of physics and mathematics. We discuss a branch of mathematics known as catastrophe theory, which inspires our cover art. At last, we end with a story on human search for extraterrestrial life.
Erratum: Bifurcation is splitting, not merging.