Podcasts about Stephon Alexander

What are the leading theories of everything, and are we any closer to discovering the one true theory of everything? In this 90-minute summit, some of the world's top physicists—Max Tegmark, James Beacham, Stephon Alexander—go beyond the hype to explore the very heart of physics.  Einstein began the monumental task of unifying quantum mechanics with general relativity, but will we ever succeed in unifying all the forces of the universe? Can it be done? If so, when? Join us for this thought-provoking discussion and find out! Key Takeaways:  00:00:00 Intro  00:00:45 What is a theory of everything? 00:05:25 State of the field and personal perspectives  00:20:42 Experimental challenges  00:34:13 Mathematical foundations, the multiverse, and theoretical beauty  01:05:12 Where do we go from here? 01:14:23 Audience questions 01:25:35 Outro Additional resources:  ➡️ Follow me on your fav platforms: ✖️ Twitter: https://x.com/DrBrianKeating

How is the origin of our universe like an improvised saxophone solo? This week, Sean Illing talks to Stephon Alexander, a theoretical physicist and world-class jazz musician. Alexander is the author of The Jazz of Physics and his most recent book, Fear of a Black Universe. This episode features music by Stephon Alexander throughout, from his latest 2024 album Spontaneous Fruit and his 2017 EP True to Self. Host: Sean Illing (@seanilling), host, The Gray Area Guest: Stephon Alexander (@stephstem), theoretical physicist, Brown University Enjoyed this episode? Rate The Gray Area ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Be the first to hear new episodes of The Gray Area by following us in your favorite podcast app. Links here: https://www.vox.com/the-gray-area Support The Gray Area by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Physicist and jazz musician Stephon Alexander muses about the interplay of jazz, physics, and math. And cosmologist Katie Mack unpacks the latest thinking about the mysteries of dark matter, as part of the Perimeter Institute Public Lecture series.

Greetings Glocal Citizens! This week we're taking a trip to the stars and back with astrophysicist, author, STEM educator, multi-patented inventor, voice actor, TV personality, science communicator, and keynote speaker, Hakeem Oluseyi. Another fellow Stanford University Alum, Hakeem recently served as the Space Science Education Lead in the Space Mission Directorate at NASA headquarters. His work has resulted in 11 patents, and more than 100 publications covering contributions to astrophysics, cosmology, plasma physics, and the development of space missions, observatories, focal plane instruments, detectors, semiconductor manufacturing, and ion propulsion. He has co-hosted and contributed to several shows on Science Channel and Discovery International including Outrageous Acts of Science, How the Universe Works, Space's Deepest Secrets, Strange Evidence, You Have Been Warned, The Planets and Beyond, and Strip the Cosmos. He regularly appears on news programs and has won or been nominated for several awards for science reporting including an Emmy nomination and four Webby Awards. His memoir A Quantum Life: My Unlikely Journey from the Street to the Stars (https://a.co/d/csZJb4g) was released in 2021. Hakeem sees his professional mission as advancing humanity's understanding of the universe through scientific inquiry; passing on the detailed knowledge of this process and its results to the next generation; and service to humanity and country. True to his mission, he is doing all of the above not only in the U.S., but across the planet and into the cosmos. Where to find Hakeem? On LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/hakeem-oluseyi-b345b68/) On Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hmoluseyi/?hl=en) On Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/hakeemoluseyi/) On Twitter (https://twitter.com/HakeemOluseyi?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor) What's Hakeem Listening to? Philosophize This! (https://www.philosophizethis.org) Dan Carlin's Hardcore History (https://www.dancarlin.com/hardcore-history-series/) Curtis Mayfield (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtis_Mayfield) Other topics of interest: The DMV (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_metropolitan_area) Wealthiest Counties in the United States (https://www.usnews.com/news/healthiest-communities/slideshows/richest-counties-in-america?slide=17) IMAP - Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (https://imap.princeton.edu) Roddenbery Entertainment (https://www.roddenberry.com/entertainment/#podcasts) About Musician, Eminem (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNYR1ioecJY) Mangaia Island (https://cookislands.travel/islands/mangaia) National Society of Black Physicists (https://nsbp.org/?) Mythology by Edith Hamilton (https://a.co/d/8TMDgP3) Nairobi Planterium (https://travellingtelescope.co.uk/2021/06/21/the-nairobi-planetarium/) What's an Error Bar (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Error_bar) On Dark Matter (https://www.space.com/20930-dark-matter.html) About the physicists~ About Charles McGruder (https://heritageproject.caltech.edu/interviews-updates/charles-mcgruder) [Willie Rockward]((https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_Rockward) [Stephon Alexander](https://www.linkedin.com/in/brice-orange-59102779/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/brice-orange-59102779/) About Cynthia McINtyre (https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1995/02/11/helping-black-students-picture-themselves-as-physicists/1d7b8f55-60c2-401d-833b-9a71c142f33d/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.47c6021f234b) [Arthur B.C. Walker, Jr.]((https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ArthurB.C.WalkerJr.) Pius Okeke (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pius_Nwankwo_Okeke) [Thebe Medupe]((https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thebe_Medupe) [Saul Perlmutter]((https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saul_Perlmutter) Special Guest: Hakeem Oluseyi .

Greetings Glocal Citizens! This week we're taking a trip to the stars and back with astrophysicist, author, STEM educator, multi-patented inventor, voice actor, TV personality, science communicator, and keynote speaker, Hakeem Oluseyi. Another fellow Stanford University Alum, Hakeem recently served as the Space Science Education Lead in the Space Mission Directorate at NASA headquarters. His work has resulted in 11 patents, and more than 100 publications covering contributions to astrophysics, cosmology, plasma physics, and the development of space missions, observatories, focal plane instruments, detectors, semiconductor manufacturing, and ion propulsion. He has co-hosted and contributed to several shows on Science Channel and Discovery International including Outrageous Acts of Science, How the Universe Works, Space's Deepest Secrets, Strange Evidence, You Have Been Warned, The Planets and Beyond, and Strip the Cosmos. He regularly appears on news programs and has won or been nominated for several awards for science reporting including an Emmy nomination and four Webby Awards. His memoir A Quantum Life: My Unlikely Journey from the Street to the Stars (https://a.co/d/csZJb4g) was released in 2021. Hakeem sees his professional mission as advancing humanity's understanding of the universe through scientific inquiry; passing on the detailed knowledge of this process and its results to the next generation; and service to humanity and country. True to his mission, he is doing all of the above not only in the U.S., but across the planet and into the cosmos. Where to find Hakeem? On LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/hakeem-oluseyi-b345b68/) On Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hmoluseyi/?hl=en) On Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/hakeemoluseyi/) On Twitter (https://twitter.com/HakeemOluseyi?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor) What's Hakeem Listening to? Philosophize This! (https://www.philosophizethis.org) Dan Carlin's Hardcore History (https://www.dancarlin.com/hardcore-history-series/) Curtis Mayfield (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtis_Mayfield) Other topics of interest: The DMV (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_metropolitan_area) Wealthiest Counties in the United States (https://www.usnews.com/news/healthiest-communities/slideshows/richest-counties-in-america?slide=17) IMAP - Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (https://imap.princeton.edu) Roddenbery Entertainment (https://www.roddenberry.com/entertainment/#podcasts) About Musician, Eminem (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNYR1ioecJY) Mangaia Island (https://cookislands.travel/islands/mangaia) National Society of Black Physicists (https://nsbp.org/?) Mythology by Edith Hamilton (https://a.co/d/8TMDgP3) Nairobi Planterium (https://travellingtelescope.co.uk/2021/06/21/the-nairobi-planetarium/) What's an Error Bar (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Error_bar) On Dark Matter (https://www.space.com/20930-dark-matter.html) About the physicists~ About Charles McGruder (https://heritageproject.caltech.edu/interviews-updates/charles-mcgruder) [Willie Rockward]((https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_Rockward) [Stephon Alexander](https://www.linkedin.com/in/brice-orange-59102779/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/brice-orange-59102779/) About Cynthia McINtyre (https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1995/02/11/helping-black-students-picture-themselves-as-physicists/1d7b8f55-60c2-401d-833b-9a71c142f33d/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.47c6021f234b) [Arthur B.C. Walker, Jr.]((https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ArthurB.C.WalkerJr.) Pius Okeke (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pius_Nwankwo_Okeke) [Thebe Medupe]((https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thebe_Medupe) [Saul Perlmutter]((https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saul_Perlmutter) Special Guest: Hakeem Oluseyi .

What is infinity? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Negin Farsad explore whether we are in a finite universe, the issues with infinity, string theory, and more with theoretical physicist Stephon Alexander. https://startalkmedia.com/show/cosmic-queries-understanding-infinity-with-stephon-alexander/Thanks to our Patrons Ken Duffy, Austin Newman, Melvin Guerra, MirandaJanell, and Jeff from Titan for supporting us this week.Photo Credit: Ute Kraus, Physics education group Kraus, Universität Hildesheim, Space Time Travel, (background image of the milky way: Axel Mellinger), CC BY-SA 2.0 DE, via Wikimedia Commons

Stephon Alexander talks about a better way of thinking about the interconnections between music, physics, and creativity and how as someone often seen as “outside” the field, he has found freedom to think harder, pursue ideas, and carve a place for himself in the story of science. Alexander and Alexis Boylan discuss how we should be thinking about physics, art, and the meaning of life all together, all the time. Learn more about the Seeing Truth exhibition at our website. Follow us on Twitter @WhyArguePod and on Instagram @WhyWeArguePod Alexis L. Boylan is the director of academic affairs of the University of Connecticut Humanities Institute (UCHI) and an associate professor with a joint appointment in the Art and Art History Department and the Africana Studies Institute Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Stephon Alexander talks about a better way of thinking about the interconnections between music, physics, and creativity and how as someone often seen as “outside” the field, he has found freedom to think harder, pursue ideas, and carve a place for himself in the story of science. Alexander and Alexis Boylan discuss how we should be thinking about physics, art, and the meaning of life all together, all the time. Learn more about the Seeing Truth exhibition at our website. Follow us on Twitter @WhyArguePod and on Instagram @WhyWeArguePod Alexis L. Boylan is the director of academic affairs of the University of Connecticut Humanities Institute (UCHI) and an associate professor with a joint appointment in the Art and Art History Department and the Africana Studies Institute Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/science

Stephon Alexander talks about a better way of thinking about the interconnections between music, physics, and creativity and how as someone often seen as “outside” the field, he has found freedom to think harder, pursue ideas, and carve a place for himself in the story of science. Alexander and Alexis Boylan discuss how we should be thinking about physics, art, and the meaning of life all together, all the time. Learn more about the Seeing Truth exhibition at our website. Follow us on Twitter @WhyArguePod and on Instagram @WhyWeArguePod Alexis L. Boylan is the director of academic affairs of the University of Connecticut Humanities Institute (UCHI) and an associate professor with a joint appointment in the Art and Art History Department and the Africana Studies Institute Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/science-technology-and-society

Stephon Alexander talks about a better way of thinking about the interconnections between music, physics, and creativity and how as someone often seen as “outside” the field, he has found freedom to think harder, pursue ideas, and carve a place for himself in the story of science. Alexander and Alexis Boylan discuss how we should be thinking about physics, art, and the meaning of life all together, all the time. Learn more about the Seeing Truth exhibition at our website. Follow us on Twitter @WhyArguePod and on Instagram @WhyWeArguePod Alexis L. Boylan is the director of academic affairs of the University of Connecticut Humanities Institute (UCHI) and an associate professor with a joint appointment in the Art and Art History Department and the Africana Studies Institute Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this important guide to science and society, cosmologist Stephon Alexander argues that physics must embrace the excluded, listen to the unheard, and be unafraid of being wrong. Drawing on his experience as a Black physicist, he makes a powerful case, in his latest book, for diversifying our scientific communities. Shermer and Alexander discuss: his journey from Trinidad to the Bronx to professor of physics • what it's like being Black in a mostly White and Asian field of science • systemic racism and misogyny • how to be an outsider inside a science • how to tell the difference between revolutionary and worthless new ideas • how do laypeople understand whether something is good science or not? • the double-slit experiment • superposition • connections between quantum physics and Eastern mysticism • creativity • What banged the Big Bang? • Are we living in a matrix? • Deepak Chopra's mind monism • consciousness and the universe. Stephon Alexander is a professor of theoretical physics at Brown University, an established jazz musician, and an immigrant from Trinidad who grew up in the Bronx. He is the 2020 president of the National Society of Black Physicists and a founding faculty Director of Brown University's Presidential Scholars program, which boosts underrepresented students. In addition to his academic achievements, he was the scientific consultant to Ava DuVernay for the feature film A Wrinkle in Time. His work has been featured by the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, WIRED, and many other outlets. He has been a guest on Nova, the Brian Lehrer Show, and Neil deGrasse Tyson's StarTalk, among much else. The author of Fear of a Black Universe and The Jazz of Physics, Alexander lives in Providence, Rhode Island.

YouTube link: https://youtu.be/PE4C7OI7Frg This episode has been released early in an ad-free audio version for TOE members at http://theoriesofeverything.org. Sponsors:  - Brilliant: https://brilliant.org/TOE for 20% off *New* TOE Website (early access to episodes): https://theoriesofeverything.org/ Patreon: https://patreon.com/curtjaimungal Crypto: https://tinyurl.com/cryptoTOE PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/paypalTOE Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOEwithCurt Discord Invite: https://discord.com/invite/kBcnfNVwqs iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/better-left-unsaid-with-curt-jaimungal/id1521758802 Pandora: https://pdora.co/33b9lfP Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gL14b92xAErofYQA7bU4e Subreddit r/TheoriesOfEverything: https://reddit.com/r/theoriesofeverything LINKS MENTIONED: - Physics / Consciousness Contest: https://youtu.be/V93GQaDtv8w - Curt's Crash Course on Physics: https://youtu.be/e8kyvdPP8os - Sal Pais podcast: https://youtu.be/5E6QyAhTB3o - Stephon Alexander podcast: https://youtu.be/VETxb96a3qk - Stephon's Book "Fear Of Black Universe": https://amzn.to/3EYRpsJ - Stephon's Book "The Jazz Of Physics": https://amzn.to/3CIPiGI TIMESTAMPS: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:03:03 Main issues of quantum gravity 00:08:08 Academia vs. the Outside 00:11:54 Superforce 00:25:09 Ashtekar quantum bounce 00:32:11 Mathematics of singularity repulsion 00:40:10 Fermionic matter and loop quantum gravity 00:44:08 Negative energy 00:51:11 What is the cause of gravity? 00:52:50 Casimir forces and gravity 00:56:38 Ed Witten on String Theory 01:02:53 AdS / CFT (defending holography) 01:10:15 The "rhythm" universe (a universe that continually comes and goes) 01:15:46 The Pais Effect and patents 01:31:59 Sal Pais (Part 2) and Stephon Alexander (Part 2) 01:33:46 Saxophone Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In pursuit of the natural laws of the universe, human beings have accomplished remarkable things. We've outlined the principles of gravity and thermodynamics. We've built enormous machines to dig into the deepest parts of the Earth, to understand what happens at the shortest quantum distances, and equally large machines to take pictures of the most distant parts of the cosmos. Still, there remain a number of foundational gaps in our knowledge—gaps that have allowed some wild ideas to take root. Some scientists hypothesize that, with every decision we make, our universe forks into multiverses, that consciousness arises from the quantum movements of microtubules, that the universe itself is conscious, or that there is this cat in a box and not in a box at the same time. These ideas, and related big questions about the nature of the universe, are the subject of particle physicist Sabine Hossenfelder's new book, Existential Physics. In it, she argues that many of these far-out theories, put forward without evidence, are on par with religious belief. Physics, she contends, does not yet provide the answers to all of our questions—and it's doubtful that it ever will.Go beyond the episode:Sabine Hossenfelder's Existential Physics: A Scientist's Guide to Life's Biggest QuestionsAnd her previous book, Lost in Math: How Beauty Leads Physics AstrayMore questions (and answers) on Hossenfelder's blog, Backreaction, and YouTube Channel, Science Without the Gobbledygook (or, you can try your hand at parsing her scholarly papers)The first images from the James Webb Space Telescope are indeed impressiveFor another physicist's perspective, listen to our interview with Stephon Alexander about his experience as a self-identified outsider in the fieldTune in every week to catch interviews with the liveliest voices from literature, the arts, sciences, history, and public affairs; reports on cutting-edge works in progress; long-form narratives; and compelling excerpts from new books. Hosted by Stephanie Bastek.Subscribe: iTunes • Stitcher • Google Play • AcastHave suggestions for projects you'd like us to catch up on, or writers you want to hear from? Send us a note: podcast [at] theamericanscholar [dot] org. And rate us on iTunes! Our theme music was composed by Nathan Prillaman. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Glenn and Steph's jam session ... Steph's adventures in the multiverse ... The parallels between black art and physics ... The centrality of self-reference in Steph's work ... Is there a racial dimension to how excellence reveals itself in students? ... How Steph learned to level up ... Steph's new book, Fear of a Black Universe: An Outsider's Guide to the Future of Physics ... Steph's admiration for prior generations of Jewish physicists ... How Glenn and Steph navigate stigma ... What is the Higgs boson? ...

Glenn and Steph's jam session … Steph's adventures in the multiverse … The parallels between black art and physics … The centrality of self-reference in Steph's work … Is there a racial dimension to how excellence reveals itself in students? … How Steph learned to level up … Steph's new book, Fear of a Black […]

Glenn and Steph's jam session ... Steph's adventures in the multiverse ... The parallels between black art and physics ... The centrality of self-reference in Steph's work ... Is there a racial dimension to how excellence reveals itself in students? ... How Steph learned to level up ... Steph's new book, Fear of a Black Universe: An Outsider's Guide to the Future of Physics ... Steph's admiration for prior generations of Jewish physicists ... How Glenn and Steph navigate stigma ... What is the Higgs boson? ...

Great physics requires us to think outside the mainstream—to improvise and rely on intuition. This talk explores three principles that shape all theories of the universe—the principle of invariance, the quantum principle, and the principle of emergence—as well as some of physics' greatest mysteries, from what happened before the big bang to how the universe makes consciousness possible. Drawing on his experience as a Black physicist, Stephon Alexander makes a powerful case for diversifying our scientific communities. Compelling and empowering, Fear of a Black Universe offers remarkable insight into the art of physics. Speakers Stephon Solomon Alexander, Professor of Physics, Brown University; President of The National Society of Black Physicists (NSBP); Executive Director of Harlem Gallery of Science; and Author, “Fear of a Black Universe” (Basic Books, 2021)

YouTube link: https://youtu.be/e8kyvdPP8os A crash course in theoretical physics, using natural units and high school mathematics. This is the lesson I wish I had when I was younger. Sponsors:  -Brilliant: https://brilliant.org/TOE for 20% off  -Algo: https://youtube.com/channel/UC9IfRw1QaTglRoX0sN11AQQ and website https://algo.com  Patreon: https://patreon.com/curtjaimungal Crypto: https://tinyurl.com/cryptoTOE PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/paypalTOE Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOEwithCurt Discord Invite: https://discord.com/invite/kBcnfNVwqs iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/better-left-unsaid-with-curt-jaimungal/id1521758802 Pandora: https://pdora.co/33b9lfP Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gL14b92xAErofYQA7bU4e Subreddit r/TheoriesOfEverything: https://reddit.com/r/theoriesofeverything Merch: https://tinyurl.com/TOEmerch LINKS MENTIONED: Sabine Hossenfelder: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PP5G20ImveU  Andrew Dotson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5NKHsOzvAc  Pretty Much Physics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cQqRYVA3Ms Nima's Lecture: https://youtu.be/nVO4I3D38O0 Richard Borcherds' YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIyDqfi_cbkp-RU20aBF-MQ Norman Wildberger's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/njwildberger Conversion Chart #1: http://www.phys.ufl.edu/~korytov/phz4390/note_01_NaturalUnits_SMsummary.pdf Conversion Chart #2: http://www.saha.ac.in/theory/palashbaran.pal/conv.html Quantum Gravity podcast (Salvatore Pais): https://youtu.be/5E6QyAhTB3o?t=3057 On Enthymemes (Lue Elizondo): https://youtu.be/wULw64ZL1Bg?t=6971 Carlo Rovelli podcast: https://youtu.be/r_fUPbBNmBw Stephen Wolfram's TOE: https://youtu.be/1sXrRc3Bhrs Eric Weinstein podcast: https://youtu.be/KElq_MLO1kw String Theory podcast (Stephon Alexander): https://youtu.be/VETxb96a3qk QFT and Knot Theory podcast (Dror Bar Natan): https://youtu.be/rJz_Badd43c TIMESTAMPS: 00:00:00 The Why: A shift in perspective 00:02:07 The What: What to expect to learn in this video 00:04:53 The How: The TOE approach 00:10:53 What are Natural Units? 00:26:09 Conversion equations 00:40:09 Newton's constant / Entropy / Why speed is "dimensionless" 00:47:56 A Neutron star's pressure 00:49:16 Proportionate strengths of forces / "Wave function" is not a function 00:54:41 Knots / Extra dimensions 01:02:41 Inside Microtubules / Consciousness / Penrose's theory 01:07:55 Naïve Vacuum Expectation / Dark Energy 01:14:01 Calculating with the Schwinger Limit / Superforce 01:21:41 Annihilating electron - positron pairs / Quantum gravity / Black holes 01:31:32 *Sponsor and Patreon* 01:34:23 Length of an atom 01:41:12 Cutting a solid / How "special relativity" challenges what it means to "exist" 01:42:25 Laconically deriving the Casimir Pressure falloff / Rigor in math and physics 01:44:35 Analyzing the Sun 01:36:31 The size of Earth (derivation from fundamental constants) 01:46:16 Intuiting the radius of an electron / Classical Mechanics break down 01:31:51 On why we use X Rays to probe solid matter 01:51:33 Scales of the LHC / God particle 01:53:18 Summary 01:54:21 What's next? * * * Just wrapped (April 2021) a documentary called Better Left Unsaid http://betterleftunsaidfilm.com on the topic of "when does the left go too far?" Visit that site if you'd like to watch it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stephon Alexander - Professor of theoretical physics at Brown University, an established jazz musician, and an immigrant from Trinidad who grew up in the Bronx. He is the 2020 president of the National Society of Black Physicists and a founding faculty Director of Brown University's Presidential Scholars program, which boosts underrepresented students. He joins Tavis to unpack his new book “Fear of a Black Universe: An Outsider's Guide to the Future of Physics” which illustrates the connection between music and physics and why science must embrace diversity (Hour 2)

His jazz informs his physics and his physics informs his jazz, as cosmologist Stephon Alexander seeks a new understanding of the Universe. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

LINKS MENTIONED: -Brian Keating's Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/DrBrianKeating -Brian Keating's "Losing the Nobel Prize": https://amzn.to/3AyXMyE -Brian Keating's "Into the Impossible": https://amzn.to/33IjsfC -Brian Keating's Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating -Lee Cronin's Twitter: https://twitter.com/leecronin -Brian Keating's appearance on Lex's podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhGwJ... -Stephon Alexander podcast with TOE: https://youtu.be/VETxb96a3qk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

LINKS MENTIONED: -Brian Keating's Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/DrBrianKeating -Brian Keating's "Losing the Nobel Prize": https://amzn.to/3AyXMyE -Brian Keating's "Into the Impossible": https://amzn.to/33IjsfC -Brian Keating's Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating -Lee Cronin's Twitter: https://twitter.com/leecronin -Brian Keating's appearance on Lex's podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhGwJ... -Stephon Alexander podcast with TOE: https://youtu.be/VETxb96a3qk TIMESTAMPS: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:04:59 Brian Keating's opening statements 00:08:21 Lee Cronin's opening statements 00:13:45 Why defining "life" is difficult 00:23:43 Disagreements on the origin of life 00:38:12 The definition of Entropy is "wrong" (controversial claim) 00:51:44 The universe is filled with life Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

YouTube link: https://youtu.be/4xlXUEEnZ6s Sponsors: https://curiositystream.thld.co/TOE for 25% off Curiosity Stream. https://brilliant.org/TOE for 20% off Brilliant. For Algo's podcast https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9IfRw1QaTglRoX0sN11AQQ and website https://www.algo.com/.  Merch (until end of Oct 2021): https://tinyurl.com/TOEmerch Patreon: https://patreon.com/curtjaimungal Crypto: 3CSm4FH6975J8wvKp8x8BSefH6QCVuk736 PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/paypalTOE Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOEwithCurt Discord Invite: https://discord.com/invite/kBcnfNVwqs iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/better-left-unsaid-with-curt-jaimungal/id1521758802 Pandora: https://pdora.co/33b9lfP Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gL14b92xAErofYQA7bU4e Subreddit r/TheoriesOfEverything: https://reddit.com/r/theoriesofeverything LINKS MENTIONED: -Fear of a Black Universe: https://amzn.to/3rxGFcj -The Jazz of Physics: https://amzn.to/3qR7KIx -Brian Keating's podcast with Stephon Alexander: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehEbrD42U_g TIMESTAMPS: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:04:46 BTS banter and framing the conversation 00:06:05 The Autodidactic Universe 00:18:54 BMN vs BFSS (type IIA String Theory) 00:26:45 Lee Smolin's evolutionary model of the universe as black hole spawn 00:29:06 Curt posits a link between the matrix models and particles, rather than laws 00:30:36 Explaining D-branes and their dimensionality 00:36:02 When watching TOE, it's okay to be confused 00:36:55 Chern-Simons Gravity 00:49:03 Anomaly Cancellations 00:51:43 Klein Gordon equation and renormalization 00:55:55 What is a Theory of Everything? What are the conditions? 00:59:15 Stephon tells a story about Curt's brother's "genius" (they were in grad school together) 01:02:40 Doubting your own mathematical abilities 01:06:02 Advice for those in their 20s / 30s / 40s learning String Theory without a math background 01:10:24 Brian Keating is no friend to Stephon (kidding) 01:11:08 How does learning math / physics change with age? 01:15:14 Anomalies and purposeful mistakes leading to insights 01:18:02 No Go theorems (and AdS / CFT correspondence) 01:23:26 Why does the Graviton have Spin 2? 01:25:41 There are gems in Geometric Unity 01:29:12 Opinion on Stephen Wolfram's theory / project on physics 01:31:05 Future plans for TOE: Geometric Algebra and Categorical Unification * * * Just wrapped (April 2021) a documentary called Better Left Unsaid http://betterleftunsaidfilm.com on the topic of "when does the left go too far?" Visit that site if you'd like to watch it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The “common sense” of the Woke Left sees so many issues, from the historical effects of redlining to the relationship between race and IQ, as matters that no longer require discussion. “Redlining is responsible for present-day racial wealth disparities, period. There is no relationship between race and IQ, period. End of discussion.”But the discussion is not over, these matters and many others are not settled. Treating them as such just papers over matters of vital concern that require serious thinking. John and I have in some sense made it our mission to unsettle these so-called settled questions. And in the course of doing it, we’ve unsettled the people that consider the questions settled as well. We talk a bit about in this week’s conversation.I begin by talking to John about reaching what may be the current high-water mark of his fame: He was a clue on a recent episode of Jeopardy. There are perhaps more data-driven ways of understanding how fame works, but if the writers on Jeopardy know who you are, you must be exerting some kind of influence on the culture. We then move on to discuss attempts by activists to change math curricula in order to (these activists claims) make them more accommodating to black students. Some argue that these changes don’t alter the fundamental character of math education, but John strongly disagrees. Which is not to say that considerations of diversity have no place in the sciences. Graduate programs in technical fields could take more risks in who they admit to their programs without lowering their overall standards. Doing so might net them the next Roland Fryer (or even the next Glenn Loury). We then return to the small screen. John talks about going on The View to promote Woke Racism, and I talk about debating Michael Eric Dyson on Bill Maher’s Real Time. With the Jussie Smollett verdict in, we reflect on the bizarre story the Empire actor tried to sell and his maybe even more bizarre refusal to admit he lied. We then go on to discuss America’s “black-white” racial binary. With so many people of so many different backgrounds, ethnicities, and colors now populating the country, does this mindset still make sense? And finally, we ask why cultural explanations for racial disparities are still taboo for so many people.As always, this was a stimulating, deep, and fun conversation with my good friend. I hope you enjoy it! This post is free and available to the public. To receive early access to TGS episodes, an ad-free podcast feed, Q&As, and other exclusive content and benefits, click below.Want to give the gift of The Glenn Show this holiday season? Click below to purchase a subscription for a friend or loved one. 0:00 This regular TGS guest was recently a clue on Jeopardy 2:23 Is race-conscious math education as radical as it sounds? 14:17 Why diversity, when done right, can be an asset 19:55 John on The View, Glenn on Bill Maher 26:34 The strange case of Jussie Smollett 43:42 Does the American “white-black” binary make sense anymore? 49:39 If America is irredeemably racist, why do so many non-white people immigrate here? 58:18 What’s the matter with “culture”?Links and ReadingsJohn’s appearance on Nathan Robinson’s podcast Stephon Alexander’s Fear of a Black Universe: An Outsider’s Guide to the Future of PhysicsDavid Austen-Smith and Roland Fryer, “An Economic Analysis of ‘Acting White’”Andrew Sullivan, “The Woke: On the Wrong Side of History”Matt Taibbi, “The Red-Pilling of Loudon County, Virginia” This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

This week we are excited to welcome Dr. Stephon Alexander to the WSH to chat about his new book, Fear of a Black Universe: An Outsider's Guide to the Future of Physics, which was published on August 31. What lurks beyond the black hole singularity in our galaxy? How did cosmic structure emerge from a chaotic and featureless early universe? Is there a hidden link between the emergence of life and the laws of physics? These questions and other major problems of theoretical physics seem beyond the reach of human knowledge. But cosmologist Stephon Alexander is not so sure. Is the science really too hard, or could it be that a lack of demographic and intellectual diversity—a literal and figurative fear of the unknown—is holding science back? As Alexander explains, greatness in physics requires transgression and a willingness to reject conventional expectations. For many years, there's been a consensus that theoretical physics has failed to break new ground in the way that led to the quantum and relativity revolutions early in the last century. Some think it's because physics has become too difficult, but Alexander argues that the real problem is that most scientists avoid delving into uncharted or forbidden territories out of the fear—often justified—of facing reputational and professional penalties. Furthermore, he explains that the physics community is woefully homogenous, and has a poor track record of welcoming people from diverse backgrounds into the field. Stephon Alexander is a professor of cosmology at Brown University, an established jazz musician and an immigrant from Trinidad who grew up in the Bronx. He is the 2020 president of the National Society of Black Physicists and leads Brown University's Presidential Scholars program, which boosts underrepresented students. In addition to his academic achievements, he was the scientific consultant to Ava DuVernay for the feature film A Wrinkle in Time. His work has been featured by The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, WIRED, and many other outlets. He has been a guest on Nova, the “Brian Lehrer Show”, and Neil deGrasse Tyson's “StarTalk,” among much else. You can learn more about Stephon by visiting his website https://stephonalexander.com/ and following him on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/drstephon.alexander/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/stephstem), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/stephonjazz/), and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgesReiNx9TH7rQIVhTt5aw). **************************************** The Weekly Space Hangout is a production of CosmoQuest. Want to support CosmoQuest? Here are some specific ways you can help: ► Subscribe FREE to our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/cosmoquest ► Subscribe to our podcasts Astronomy Cast and Daily Space where ever you get your podcasts! ► Watch our streams over on Twitch at https://www.twitch.tv/cosmoquestx – follow and subscribe! ► Become a Patreon of CosmoQuest https://www.patreon.com/cosmoquestx ► Become a Patreon of Astronomy Cast https://www.patreon.com/astronomycast ► Buy stuff from our Redbubble https://www.redbubble.com/people/cosmoquestx ► Join our Discord server for CosmoQuest - https://discord.gg/pVGXJDUKud ► Join the Weekly Space Hangout Crew! - http://www.wshcrew.space/ Don't forget to like and subscribe! Plus we love being shared out to new people, so tweet, comment, review us... all the free things you can do to help bring science into people's lives.

https://youtu.be/PRi7hrHai-A Host: Fraser Cain ( @fcain )Special Guest: This week we are excited to welcome Dr. Stephon Alexander to the WSH to chat about his new book, Fear of a Black Universe: An Outsider's Guide to the Future of Physics, which was published on August 31.   What lurks beyond the black hole singularity in our galaxy? How did cosmic structure emerge from a chaotic and featureless early universe? Is there a hidden link between the emergence of life and the laws of physics? These questions and other major problems of theoretical physics seem beyond the reach of human knowledge. But cosmologist Stephon Alexander is not so sure. Is the science really too hard, or could it be that a lack of demographic and intellectual diversity—a literal and figurative fear of the unknown—is holding science back?   As Alexander explains, greatness in physics requires transgression and a willingness to reject conventional expectations. For many years, there's been a consensus that theoretical physics has failed to break new ground in the way that led to the quantum and relativity revolutions early in the last century. Some think it's because physics has become too difficult, but Alexander argues that the real problem is that most scientists avoid delving into uncharted or forbidden territories out of the fear—often justified—of facing reputational and professional penalties. Furthermore, he explains that the physics community is woefully homogenous, and has a poor track record of welcoming people from diverse backgrounds into the field.   Stephon Alexander is a professor of cosmology at Brown University, an established jazz musician and an immigrant from Trinidad who grew up in the Bronx. He is the 2020 president of the National Society of Black Physicists and leads Brown University's Presidential Scholars program, which boosts underrepresented students. In addition to his academic achievements, he was the scientific consultant to Ava DuVernay for the feature film A Wrinkle in Time. His work has been featured by The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, WIRED, and many other outlets. He has been a guest on Nova, the “Brian Lehrer Show”, and Neil deGrasse Tyson's “StarTalk,” among much else.   You can learn more about Stephon by visiting his website https://stephonalexander.com/ and following him on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/drstephon.al...), Twitter (https://twitter.com/stephstem), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/stephonjazz/), and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCges...). Regular Guests: Dr. Morgan Rehnberg ( http://www.morganrehnberg.com/ & @MorganRehnberg ) Dr. Nick Castle ( @PlanetaryGeoDoc ) Dr. Alex Teachey ( https://alexteachey.wordpress.com/ & @alexteachey ) This week's stories: - An ultra-hot Jupiter with a 16 hour orbital period! TOI 2109. - The launch of DART. - JWST is probably not broken… Probably. - Extracting oxygen from lunar regolith.   We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs.  Just visit: https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy and donate as much as you can! Share the podcast with your friends and send the Patreon link to them too!  Every bit helps! Thank you! ------------------------------------ Do go visit http://www.redbubble.com/people/CosmoQuestX/shop for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations.  Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. http://www.psi.edu Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at info@365DaysOfAstronomy.org.

Physicist, musician, & author, Dr. Stephon Alexander, joins Francesca in a conversation bridging physics, jazz music, race, inspirational teachers, and why it's important to think outside the box. Dr. Stephon Alexander is a theoretical physicist, musician and author whose work is at the interface between cosmology, particle physics and quantum gravity. He works on the connection between the smallest and largest entities in the universe, pushing Einstein's theory of curved space-time to extremes, beyond the big bang with subatomic phenomena. Alexander is a professor of physics at Brown University and the president of the National Society of Black Physicists. In his critically acclaimed book The Jazz of Physics, Alexander revisits the ancient interconnection between music and the evolution of astrophysics and the laws of motion. In his new book Fear of a Black Universe, he invites the field of physics to embrace the unknown. More info: StephonAlexander.com Ram Dass, Science & Seeking Introducing another multifaceted being of ‘complex intersectionality,' Francesca welcomes physicist, musician, and author, Dr. Stephon Alexander, to ReRooted to explore the macro and micro of all things theoretical physics, jazz music, Ram Dass, science, spirituality, race, the universe, and embracing the unknown. To begin, speaking to his upbringing, Dr. Alexander shares how his multicultural background informs his work in science as well as his musical inclinations. “[Ram Dass] inspired me because he showed those of us who are on an academic path, who prioritize the discursive mind, the intellect, and end up at places like Harvard and Brown—like the Buddha he said, ‘I reached that level, but there's still more questions that could not be answered in those constructs.' He is an inspiration for those of us – a seeker, a great scientist. The greatest scientists were like Ram Dass in that way. That idea of being a seeker and being a true scientist are parallel to each other.” – Dr. Stephon Alexander Ram Dass & physicist Amit Goswami connect science & spirituality, on Ep. 160 of Here & Now Physics & The Power of a Good Teacher // BIPOC Teacher Empowerment (12:08) Prompted by Francesca to recount the moving story behind his Ted Talk, Dr. Alexander shares about the inspiring physics teacher and professional jazz musician who changed his life by recognizing and nurturing his innate talent from a young age – propelling and motivating Dr. Alexander on his current paradigm-shifting multidisciplinary trajectory and path. From here, they discuss how having BIPOC in teaching positions empowers us all.

Physicist, musician, & author, Dr. Stephon Alexander, joins Francesca in a conversation bridging physics, jazz music, race, inspirational teachers, and why it's important to think outside the box.Dr. Stephon Alexander is a theoretical physicist, musician and author whose work is at the interface between cosmology, particle physics and quantum gravity. He works on the connection between the smallest and largest entities in the universe, pushing Einstein's theory of curved space-time to extremes, beyond the big bang with subatomic phenomena. Alexander is a professor of physics at Brown University and the president of the National Society of Black Physicists. In his critically acclaimed book The Jazz of Physics, Alexander revisits the ancient interconnection between music and the evolution of astrophysics and the laws of motion. In his new book Fear of a Black Universe, he invites the field of physics to embrace the unknown. More info: StephonAlexander.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

CLR Show 1610. Air Date October 26, 2021.  A fascinating conversation with Dr. Stephon Alexander of Brown University, author of 'Fear of a Black Universe: An Outsider's Guide to the Future of Physics.' A journey into the great mysteries of our universe, the amazing advances of the past century and the hope that comes with exploring the once unknowable––all from the uniquely personal perspective of a man of color working in a relatively colorless field.  

This week Dr. Drew is joined by Professor of Cosmology at Brown University, Stephon Alexander for a wide ranging conversation on science. Stephon's newest book 'Fear of a Black Universe: An Outsider's Guide to the Future of Physics' is available now and you can learn more about him at his website StephonAlexander.com Visit PublicRec.com/docdrew Visit pendulumlife.com and use promo code DREW

Join us for a conversation with cosmologist Stephon Alexander, who argues that great physics requires one to think outside the mainstream—to improvise and to rely on intuition. His approach has led him to three principles that shape all theories of the universe: the principle of invariance, the quantum principle, and the principle of emergence. Alexander uses these three principles to explore some of physics' greatest mysteries, from what happened before the Big Bang to how the universe makes consciousness possible. Drawing on his experience as a Black physicist, Alexander makes a powerful case for diversifying our scientific communities because—after successfully incorporating a piece of life-changing advice that, in order to discover real physics, he needed to stop memorizing and start taking risks—Alexander has concluded that making further progress in physics probably requires embracing the excluded, listening to the unheard, and being unafraid of being wrong. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities SPEAKERS Stephon Alexander Professor of Physics, Brown University; Jazz Musician; Author, Fear of a Black Universe: An Outsider's Guide to the Future of Physics In Conversation with George Hammond Author, Conversations With Socrates In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 24th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us for a conversation with cosmologist Stephon Alexander, who argues that great physics requires one to think outside the mainstream—to improvise and to rely on intuition. His approach has led him to three principles that shape all theories of the universe: the principle of invariance, the quantum principle, and the principle of emergence. Alexander uses these three principles to explore some of physics' greatest mysteries, from what happened before the Big Bang to how the universe makes consciousness possible. Drawing on his experience as a Black physicist, Alexander makes a powerful case for diversifying our scientific communities because—after successfully incorporating a piece of life-changing advice that, in order to discover real physics, he needed to stop memorizing and start taking risks—Alexander has concluded that making further progress in physics probably requires embracing the excluded, listening to the unheard, and being unafraid of being wrong. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities SPEAKERS Stephon Alexander Professor of Physics, Brown University; Jazz Musician; Author, Fear of a Black Universe: An Outsider's Guide to the Future of Physics In Conversation with George Hammond Author, Conversations With Socrates In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 24th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Malik Boykin is the first Black professor in the Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences (CLPS) at Brown University.  In this conversation we discuss how student-teacher relationships affect learning, and the importance of being vulnerable in front of our students.  We then consider how stigma and prejudice arises and how to reduce this within schools at both and individual level and an organisational level.  Oh and Dr Boykin AKA Malik Starx is also a hip hop artist and has currently joined forces with producer Stephon Alexander, a theoretical physics professor at Brown University. The results include jazzy, Afro-Caribbean styled-single “Dancing for Freedom,” alongside vocalist Kanjia. A sample of their song “Dancing for Freedom” can be heard on this podcast.  More information about Dr Boykin can be found here: Dr. Boykin and Brown University Dr. Boykin's Research Lab

The most groundbreaking ideas in modern physics—the Earth is round, special relativity, the uncertainty principle—were once seen as shocking, impossible, even deviant (recall Galileo's trial). Even today, wild ideas can be laughed out of a conference, especially if they come from someone perceived as an outsider. Brown University physics professor Stephon Alexander, one such self-identified outsider, joins the podcast to talk about his new book, Fear of a Black Universe, and his own experiences as a Black man in science who has made major contributions, “not in spite of [his] outsider's perspective, but because of it.”Go beyond the episode:Stephon Alexander's Fear of a Black Universe: An Outsider's Guide to the Future of PhysicsRead an excerpt from his first book, The Jazz of PhysicsListen to the whole of Here Comes Now, Stephon Alexander's album with RiouxScience writer Priscilla Long explains what's so great about the Higgs bosonMedical doctor Robert Lanza steps out of his lane to propose “A New Theory of the Universe”Jethro K. Lieberman bemoans the state of physics education in “The Gravity of the Situation”Math and philosophy team up in Cristopher Moore and John Kaag's exploration of “The Uncertainty Principle”Tune in every week to catch interviews with the liveliest voices from literature, the arts, sciences, history, and public affairs; reports on cutting-edge works in progress; long-form narratives; and compelling excerpts from new books. Hosted by Stephanie Bastek.Subscribe: iTunes • Feedburner • Stitcher • Google Play • AcastHave suggestions for projects you'd like us to catch up on, or writers you want to hear from? Send us a note: podcast [at] theamericanscholar [dot] org. And rate us on iTunes! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The most groundbreaking ideas in modern physics—the Earth is round, special relativity, the uncertainty principle—were seen as shocking, impossible, even deviant (recall Galileo's trial). Even today, wild ideas can be laughed out of a conference, especially if they come from someone perceived as an outsider. Brown University physics professor Stephon Alexander, one such self-identified outsider, joins the podcast to talk about his new book, Fear of a Black Universe, and his own experiences as a Black man in science who has made major contributions, “not in spite of [his] outsider's perspective, but because of it.”Go beyond the episode:Stephon Alexander's Fear of a Black Universe: An Outsider's Guide to the Future of PhysicsRead an excerpt from his first book, The Jazz of PhysicsListen to the whole of Here Comes Now, Stephon Alexander's album with RiouxScience writer Priscilla Long explains what's so great about the Higgs bosonMedical doctor Robert Lanza steps out of his lane to propose “A New Theory of the Universe”Jethro K. Lieberman bemoans the state of physics education in “The Gravity of the Situation”Math and philosophy team up in Cristopher Moore and John Kaag's exploration of “The Uncertainty Principle”Tune in every week to catch interviews with the liveliest voices from literature, the arts, sciences, history, and public affairs; reports on cutting-edge works in progress; long-form narratives; and compelling excerpts from new books. Hosted by Stephanie Bastek.Subscribe: iTunes • Feedburner • Stitcher • Google Play • AcastHave suggestions for projects you'd like us to catch up on, or writers you want to hear from? Send us a note: podcast [at] theamericanscholar [dot] org. And rate us on iTunes! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Stephon Alexander is a Professor of Physics at Brown University and the President of the National Society of Black Physicists (NSBP). Alexander has had previous appointments at Stanford University, Imperial College, Penn State, Dartmouth College, and Haverford College. He is a specialist in the field of string cosmology, where the physics of superstrings are applied to address longstanding questions in cosmology. In 2001, he co-invented the model of inflation based on higher dimensional hypersurfaces in string theory called D-Branes. In such models, the early universe emerged from the destruction of a higher dimensional D-brane which ignites a period of rapid expansion of space often referred to as cosmic inflation. Years ago, cosmologist Stephon Alexander received life-changing advice: to discover real physics, he needed to stop memorizing and start taking risks. In Fear of a Black Universe, Alexander shows that great physics requires us to think outside the mainstream — to improvise and rely on intuition. His approach leads him to three principles that shape all theories of the universe: the principle of invariance, the quantum principle, and the principle of emergence. Alexander uses them to explore some of physics' greatest mysteries, from what happened before the big bang to how the universe makes consciousness possible. Drawing on his experience as a Black physicist, he makes a powerful case for diversifying our scientific communities. Compelling and empowering, Fear of a Black Universe offers remarkable insight into the art of physics. In his last best selling book, The Jazz of Physics, Alexander revisits the ancient interconnection between music and the evolution of astrophysics and the laws of motion. He explores new ways music, in particular jazz music, mirrors modern physics, such as quantum mechanics, general relativity, and the physics of the early universe. He also discusses ways that innovations in physics have been and can be inspired from “improvisational logic” exemplified in Jazz performance and practice. Alexander also recently served as a scientific advisor for the Walt Disney film A Wrinkle In Time, directed by Ava DuVernay, and currently serves as President of the National Society of Black Physicists (NSPB). https://nsbp.org/ https://www.stephonalexanderlab.com/ https://www.basicbooks.com/contributor/stephon-alexander/ @stephstem Support our Sponsors! Audible Audible.com/impossible LinkedIn Jobs! Use this link to post your first job ad for FREE LinkedIn.com/impossible 00:00:00 Intro 0002:31 The back story of the book. 00:25:09 Applying the creativity of music to science. 00:29:00 The risks of theorizing in public. 00:32:39 How do you succeed in outsider thinking? The example of Faraday. 00:38:17 Applying outsider thinking: work on condensed matter in cosmology 00:44:16 Why do we need to understand dark energy? 00:54:49 Cosmological Models-String/Gas Theory and Into the Cosmological Matrix 01:16:40 In 50 years, what do you most want the answer to?

Globally-traveled and well-respected rapper/Ivy League scholar Malik Starx’s artistry highlights music’s ability to motivate discourse, inspire research, and promote joy. His vocal talent is also present in the classroom, as he is also an Assistant Professor in the Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences (CLPS) at Brown University. Moreover, he counts undergraduate work at Howard University, receiving a Master’s degree from Columbia University, and Doctorate from the University of California-Berkeley in his academic success. Previous to achieving his educational exploits, Starx’s success allowed him to tour alongside the likes of noted folk artist Justin Trawick, plus perform with artists including EDM entrepreneur and electro producer Tittsworth and global dance music icon Dave Nada. Currently, Starx has joined forces with producer Stephon Alexander, a theoretical physics professor at Brown University. The results include jazzy, Afro-Caribbean styled-single “Dancing for Freedom,” alongside Sierre Leoneon vocalist Kanjia. This song is a precursor to the forthcoming EP, titled Higher Science, wherein Malik is rapping over a diversity of Alexander’s musical stylings. “Dancing for Freedom” has 2 Million Plays on Tik Tok Here is a link to Dancing for Freedom with the lyrics. /https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NdS23RcNhg Sign up for 10% off of Shrink Rap Radio CE credits at the Zur Institute

Stephon Alexander is a theoretical physicist and avid jazz saxophonist. He authored "The Jazz of Physics: The Secret Link Between Music and the Structure of the Universe." Alexander is president of the National Society of Black Physicists. His forthcoming book "Fear of a Black Universe: An Outsider's Guide to the Future of Physics" will be published in August 2021.

Episode 85 features theoretical physicist Dr. Stephon Alexander. Stephon specializes in cosmology, particle physics and quantum gravity (String Theory and Loop Quantum Gravity). We begin our conversation with an exploration of black holes, quantum mechanics, and string theory. After that, we discuss how physics suffers from a monoculture problem, how Stephon overcomes that by incorporating Jazz in his exploration of physics, and how others can overcome it too. We end the episode by discussing current Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts and whether they suffer from being too performative.  Get 20% off all CBD products from Premium Jane by going to https://premiumjane.com/universe or by using code name Universe at checkout. Thank you to Premium Jane for sponsoring the show! A post-podcast wrap up show will be available weekly on Patreon, join at https://www.patreon.com/thestateoftheuniverse.  Check out Stephon Alexander's website at https://www.stephonalexanderlab.com/. His first book, The Jazz of Physics: The Secret Link Between Music and the Structure of the Universe can be found at https://www.amazon.com/Jazz-Physics-Between-Structure-Universe/dp/0465093574/ and his second book, Fear of a Black Universe: An Outsider's Guide to the Future of Physics can be preordered at https://www.amazon.com/Fear-Black-Universe-Outsiders-Physics-ebook/dp/B08HHXK76L/. Thank you to Chris Kulp for allowing us to use his music in this episode. More of his music can be found at https://soundcloud.com/user-826384097. Subscribe to the show on Youtube at: https://www.youtube.com/TheStateoftheuniverse?sub_confirmation=1  Support the show by leaving a rating or a review and subscribing to receive future content. Consider becoming a Patron by subscribing at https://www.patreon.com/thestateoftheuniverse or supporting the show via a one time donation at https://www.paypal.me/drachler. For more episodes or information about The State of The Universe join the mailing list at thestateoftheuniverse.com or follow the show on social media.

Is there a Fifth Force? News from the Large Hadron Collider with James Beacham & Phil Ilten. Interesting new result from the LHCb Experiment collaboration was just announced, hinting at physics beyond the standard model. Join me and Drs Phil Ilten and James Beacham (of CHASING EINSTEIN fame). What does it all mean Parity violation and more could result -- some mesons containing b quarks may preferentially decay to electrons rather than muons. #CERN #LHC #LHCb Read the paper here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2103.11769 00:00 Introduction 05:00 Program starts 10:00 Emmy Noether 15:00 A Fifth Force? 30:00 Dark Photons, Dark Matter & Dark Energy 45:00 Questions from Clubhouse 55:00 Wrap up

A delve into the link between Physics, Music and Life.

When Dr. Stephon Alexander listens to the music of the cosmos, he hears structure, but also flexibility. He hears familiar cadences and novel riffs. He hears strings vibrating in ten-dimensional spacetime and resonating loops of quantum gravity. He hears Einstein’s musical mind and Coltrane’s cosmic sensibility. He hears the jazz of physics. And so will you. In this episode, Stephon tells Jocelyn and Bradley how a journey wending through the dusty halls of old jazz clubs and the chalky floors of physics offices ultimately led him from Trinidad to the Bronx to Brown University. He shares how his experience as a jazz saxophonist has shaped his approach to physics, and how incorporating more elements from the improvisational, inclusive culture of jazz will benefit the future of physics. Along the way, he explains how he is working to integrate general relativity with quantum mechanics by uncovering the quantum nature of gravity, and the friends speculate that the answer may ultimately shed light on the origins of consciousness itself. Follow Stephon on Twitter @stephstem, and learn more about his amazing work at the links below! Secret Lives of Scientists on NOVA: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/video/stephon-alexander-theoretical-physicist/ Big Think:“Sources of Inspiration”: https://bigthink.com/videos/sources-of-inspiration “Beyond Einstein”: https://bigthink.com/videos/beyond-einstein The Jazz of Physics: https://www.amazon.com/Jazz-Physics-Between-Structure-Universe/dp/0465034993 https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2016/06/11/481664722/scientist-stephon-alexander-infinite-possibilities-unite-jazz-and-physics TEDx Talk San Diego: https://youtu.be/v9_ZzY99-6U “Black Academics Have a Responsibility to the Next Generation” (New York Times editorial) : https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/02/04/do-black-intellectuals-need-to-talk-about-race/black-academics-have-a-responsibility-to-the-next-generation Brown University: https://vivo.brown.edu/display/salexan4 https://www.stephonalexanderlab.com/ Check out some of Stephon’s technical papers: Brane Gases: https://journals.aps.org/prd/pdf/10.1103/PhysRevD.62.103509 Noncommutative inflation: https://journals.aps.org/prd/pdf/10.1103/PhysRevD.67.081301 Gravitational waves: https://journals.aps.org/prd/pdf/10.1103/PhysRevD.67.081301 Chern–Simons modified general relativity: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S037015730900177X Super strings and baryon asymmetry: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1475-7516/2006/06/018/meta Horava-Lifshitz theory: https://arxiv.org/pdf/1206.6296.pdf A Wrinkle in Time (2018) film trailer: https://youtu.be/UhZ56rcWwRQ John Coltrane music: Giant steps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xy_fxxj1mMY Cosmic music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sC4tmbWzevg Related episodes: Quantum Whaaaat? (Part 1): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/30-discussion-quantum-whaaaat-part-1/id1471423633?i=1000464036509 Quantum Whatnot (Part 2): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/31-discussion-quantum-whatnot-part-2/id1471423633?i=1000464036508 The Musical Shape of Science (Tim Blais): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/61-tim-blais-the-musical-shape-of-science/id1471423633?i=1000492250770

Stephon Alexander is an award-winning theoretical cosmologist, professor of physics at Brown University and the president of the National Society of Black Physicists (NSBP). He is also a science advisor for Disney, and author of "The Jazz Of Physics", known for blending the worlds of theoretical physics and jazz music. Dr. Alexander was also born in Trinidad, but moved to the United States when he was eight. We talk about his interest for physics and science in general, how that came to be, and how his revolutionary idea of blending music and science together, and creating an unexpected link between those elements, has changed the views of many on how physics is perceived. We also talk exclusively about his upcoming book, called "Fear Of A Black Universe". Enjoy!

Physicist and musician Stephon Alexander has straddled the worlds of theoretical physics and jazz music over the last two decades. He works on the connection between the smallest and largest entities in the universe pushing Einstein’s theory of curved space-time to extremes, beyond the big bang with subatomic phenomena. Alexander is a Professor of Physics at Brown University, with previous appointments at Stanford University, Imperial College, Penn State, Dartmouth College and Haverford College. Alexander is a specialist in the field of string cosmology, where the physics of superstrings are applied to address longstanding questions in cosmology. In 2001, he co-invented the model of inflation based on higher dimensional hypersurfaces in string theory called D-Branes. In such models the early universe emerged from the destruction of a higher dimensional D-brane which ignites a period of rapid expansion of space often referred to as cosmic inflation. In his bestselling book, The Jazz of Physics, Alexander revisits the ancient interconnection between music and the evolution of astrophysics and the laws of motion. He explores new ways music, in particular jazz music, mirrors modern physics, such as quantum mechanics, general relativity, and the physics of the early universe. He also discusses ways that innovations in physics have been and can be inspired from “improvisational logic” exemplified in Jazz performance and practice. Alexander also recently served as a scientific advisor for the Walt Disney film A Wrinkle In Time, directed by Ava DuVernay, and currently serves as President of the National Society of Black Physicists (NSPB).

COSMOS - What do scientists mean when they call the laws and regularities of nature "beautiful"? On the largest supra-cosmic scales, and on the smallest sub-atomic scales, why do scientists use "beauty" to assess their theories? Featuring Peter Atkins, Roger Penrose, Stephon Alexander, Fotini Markopoulou, Frank Wilczek, and Freeman Dyson.

  What are the Leading Theories of Everything? In this 90 minute summit with some of the world’s leading physicists, we’ll go beyond the hype into the heart and soul of physics. The search for a theory that finishes what Einstein began and ties together all the forces of the universe. Can that ever be achieved ? Will it be achieved? When? Is physics stuck in 1920? Join @matt_of_earth and @DrBrianKeating on @PBSSpaceTime with some of the world’s leading physicists for two 90 minute webinars on #TheoriesOfEverything https://www.pbsspacetime.com/events the promo video https://youtu.be/iozCwyjxhyY And stay tuned for Part 2 with Lisa Randal, Sabine Hossenfelder, Lee Smolin and Eric Weinstein! ‍♂️ Find Brian Keating on Twitter at https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating Find Brian Keating on Instagram at https://instagram.com/DrBrianKeating Buy Brian’s book LOSING THE NOBEL PRIZE: http://amzn.to/2sa5UpA Subscribe for more great content https://www.youtube.com/DrBrianKeating?sub_confirmation=1 ✍️Detailed Blog posts here: https://briankeating.com/blog.php Join my mailing list: http://briankeating.com/mailing_list.php Join my Facebook Group: https://facebook.com/losingthenobelprize ️Please subscribe, rate, and review the INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE Podcast on iTunes: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Interview with Stephon Alexander; Grant Imahara Dies; News Items: Dog Years Myth, Fighting Climate Change with Crushed Rock, Perception and Filtering, Unused EM Spectrum; Who's That Noisy; Science or Fiction

Interview with Stephon Alexander; Grant Imahara Dies; News Items: Dog Years Myth, Fighting Climate Change with Crushed Rock, Perception and Filtering, Unused EM Spectrum; Who's That Noisy; Science or Fiction

Dr. Stephon Alexander is a theoretical physicist specializing in cosmology, particle physics and quantum gravity (String Theory and Loop Quantum Gravity). He received his BSc from Haverford College and Ph.D. from Brown University. He also explores interconnections between music, physics, mathematics and technology though recordings, performance, teaching and public lectures. Stephon tells his story about growing up in the Bronx amidst a very diverse group of students. Encouraged by his parents and teachers, he showed great curiosity and intelligence. Still, as person of color, he faced many challenges as he worked towards his Ph.D. We chatted about the mind of the physicist, physics intuition, music, the role of mathematics, String Theory and Loop Quantum Gravity as well as events before the Big Bang. If you are a young student, dreaming of becoming a physicist, this show is a must – full of inspiration and insights.

Stephon Alexander is a first class jazz musician as well as a first rate physicist and a professor at Brown University. As the New President of the National Society of Black Physicists, Eric sits down with Stephon over a good deal of wine to discuss particles, politics, blackness and STEM, and other matters as they look back on the last decade of their friendship and their sprawling discussions across music, politics, mathematics, physics and beyond.   Thank You to Our Sponsors: Athletic Greens: atlethicgreens.com/PORTAL Boll and Branch: bollandbranch.com promo code PORTAL Skillshare: skillshare.com/PORTAL Four Sigmatic: foursigmatic.com/PORTAL See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

   Physicist, jazz musician, & President of the National Society of Black Physicists, Stephon Alexander is this week’s guest on the INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE podcast. He discussed the foundations of the cosmos, his advice for balancing academic and creative pursuits, and his book “The Jazz of Physics.” Support the National Society of Black Physicists: https://nsbp.org/support-nsbp/support-us Show notes and resources for this episode are available: simply join my mailing list: http://briankeating.com/mailing_list.php and you’ll also get information to enter giveaways to win my guest’s books! Our next giveaway will be Stephon’s phenomenal THE JAZZ OF PHYSICS! 00:14:20 Balancing the creative pursuits of research, jazz, and writing. 00:28:46 Which came first – theoretical or experimental physics? 00:40:30 Creativity and intuition have a role in science. 00:46:48 How legacy and John Coltrane inspired Alexander to write his book. 00:57:18 The power (and limits) of analogies to explain science. 01:07:34 Journal articles and musical films – what’s next from Stephon Alexander. 01:17:08 Questions INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE asks all authors. Stephon Alexander is a physics professor at Brown University, which is where he earned his Ph.D. He is President of the National Society of Black Physicists and a National Geographic Explorer. He served as a scientific consultant on the 2018 movie A Wrinkle in Time. Buy Stephon Alexander’s book “The Jazz of Physics” here: https://amzn.to/3cZekmU Watch Alexander’s Tedx Talk here: https://youtu.be/v9_ZzY99-6U Watch Alexander on NOVA’s documentary series The Secret Life of Scientists and Engineers: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/stephon-alexander/ Find Stephon Alexander on Twitter: https://twitter.com/stephstem Please subscribe, rate, and review the INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE Podcast on iTunes for a chance to win a copy of Alexander’s book:  ‍♂️ Find Brian Keating on Twitter at https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Physicist, jazz musician, & President of the National Society of Black Physicists, Stephon Alexander is this week’s guest on the INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE podcast. He discussed the foundations of the cosmos, his advice for balancing academic and creative pursuits, and his book “The Jazz of Physics.” Stephon Alexander is a physics professor at Brown University, which is where he earned his Ph.D. He is President of the National Society of Black Physicists and a National Geographic Explorer. He served as a scientific consultant on the 2018 movie A Wrinkle in Time.

Melvin Gibbs is an extraordinary bass player who for the better part of the last four decades has been a key figure in the worlds of rock, jazz, funk and the New York avant-garde. An original member of the Black Rock Coalition and a veteran of bands led by Ronald Shannon Jackson, Sonny Sharrock, Henry Rollins and others, Melvin has led an incredibly varied and colorful career. Ahead of his appearance this Thursday at the 2019 Vision Festival, Melvin stopped by to talk about his new project the God Particle, a collaboration with physicist and musician Stephon Alexander.

There was a time when Stephon Alexander didn’t believe he could co-exist in the seemingly disparate worlds of music and science. As evidenced in his bestselling book, The Jazz of Physics, the Trinidad-native discovered the union between both fields and also made peace within himself. Theoretical physicist. Cosmologist. Jazz saxophonist. Stephon has also served as the science advisor on Ava Duvernay’s A Wrinkle in Time film adaptation (of Madeleine L’Engle’s 1962 book) featuring Oprah Winfrey. He’s currently a professor at Brown University.  Visit Stephon Alexander online:                     https://stephonalexander.org                             http://jazzofphysics.com   STREAM/SUBSCRIBE ON SPOTIFY:                           http://bit.ly/TMTspotify SUBSCRIBE ON SOUNDCLOUD:                 https://soundcloud.com/thisisboice TMT APP FOR iPHONE: http://bit.ly/TMTappiOS TMT APP FOR ANDROID: http://bit.ly/TMTappANDROID SUBSCRIBE ON iTUNES: http://bit.ly/TalkMusicTalk SUBSCRIBE ON GOOGLE PLAY: http://bit.ly/TMTgoogleplay Please take a moment to leave a rating and/or review in the store. It helps increase the ranking of the podcast and exposes TMT to a new audience. Thanks! Liz (The Talk Music Talk Theme)-FULL VERSION Written and Composed on an iPad by boice. https://soundcloud.com/thisisboice/liz-talk-music-talk-theme   SURVEY It would be greatly appreciated if you would take a moment to fill out this brief demographic survey. It will be used solely to help me select advertisers/sponsors for Talk Music Talk to offset the cost to produce the podcast i.e. audio editor, podcast host, traveling to guests to record. It should take less than a minute of your time. Thanks!                                                                                                                                                                                                    http://www.talkmusictalk.com/survey

Stephon Alexander, cosmologist and author of The Jazz of Physics, talks math and music, John Coltrane and Einstein.

Dartmouth professor and astrophysicist Stephon Alexander describes his jazz epiphany as occasioned by a complex diagram Coltrane gave legendary jazz musician and University of Massachusetts professor Yusef Lateef in 1967. “I thought the diagram was related to another and seemingly unrelated field of study—quantum gravity,” he writes in a Business Insider essay on his discovery, “What I had realized… was that the same geometric principle that motivated Einstein’s theory was reflected in Coltrane’s diagram.” joshua jones openculture.org in this episode, we bare this beautiful confluence  in mind my dead brother stefan poses for this modernist autobiographical shot from around 1966 with both miles davis , herman neitze, and coltrane placed, artfully in plain sight

We interview Stephon Alexander, physicist, jazz saxophonist, professor at Brown University, and author of the book The Jazz of Physics. Stephon explains why quantum physics is a lot like jazz improvisation and how working on physics in a jazz club led to his most famous string theory calculations. He also tells us how to face down the "please disease" and why synthesizing seemingly disparate fields is the way of the future. Plus, we share an original track from Stephon's album with the musician Rioux. That's right - it's Jazz Hour on TLDNE! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Neil deGrasse Tyson investigates the nature of reality, from quantum physics and string theory, to the multiverse and “The Matrix.” With theoretical physicists Brian Greene and Stephon Alexander, philosopher David Chalmers, co-host Maeve Higgins, Chuck Nice and Bill Nye. NOTE: StarTalk All-Access subscribers can listen to this entire episode commercial-free. Find out more at https://www.startalkradio.net/startalk-all-access/

This week we look at what science, music and art can learn from each other. Theoretical physicist and jazz musician Stephon Alexander, author of the new book "The Jazz of Physics: The Secret Link Between Music and the Structure of the Universe" talks about how science and art have frequently merged in his work and life. And Pamela Romero, a neuroscience major and Honduran painter at Emory University, talks about her "Elementally Latino" sculpture project and asks you to fill out her survey as part of this project. Listen to Stephon Alexander and Erin Rioux's album "Here Comes Now". Find...

In The Jazz of Physics: The Secret Link Between Music and the Structure of the Universe, physicist and jazz saxophonist Dr. Stephon Alexander revisits the ancient realm where music, physics, and the cosmos were one. This cosmological journey accompanies Alexander’s own tale of struggling to reconcile his passion for music and physics, from taking music lessons as a boy in the Bronx to studying theoretical physics at Imperial College. Playing the saxophone and improvising with equations, Alexander uncovered the connection between the fundamental waves that make up sound and the fundamental waves that make up everything else. As he reveals, the ancient poetic idea of the “music of the spheres,” taken seriously, clarifies confounding issues in physics. Dr. Alexander is the Royce Family Professor at Brown University’s Physics Department. In 2013, he won the prestigious American Physical Society Bouchet Award for “his contributions to theoretical cosmology.” He is also a jazz musician, and recently finished recording his first electronic jazz album with Erin Rioux.  

As both a jazz saxophonist and a theoretical physicist, Stephon Alexander struggled to reconcile his passion for music and physics with the ancient realm where music, physics, and the cosmos were one. Playing the saxophone and improvising with equations, Stephon uncovered the connection between the fundamental waves that make up sound and the fundamental waves that make up everything else. In his book THE JAZZ OF PHYSICS: The Secret Link Between Music and the Structure of the Universe, Stephon reveals the ancient poetic idea of the “music of the spheres,” taken seriously, clarifies confounding issues in physics. The book has already received praise from musicpioneer Brian Eno, who said it “could just as well be called The Joy of Physics because what leaps out from it is Stephon Alexander’s delight and curiosity about the cosmos ...”.Join Julie Ann and Stephon to explore the amazing - and actual - resonance between science and music.

Physicist Stephon Alexander feels overwhelmed until the father of quantum gravity himself helps him find inspiration in his subconscious. Stephon Alexander is the Ernest Everett Just 1907 Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Dartmouth College. Stephon was born in Trinidad and grew up in the Bronx, NY. He is a theoretical physicist specializing in the interface between cosmology, particle physics and quantum gravity (String Theory and Loop Quantum Gravity). He received his BSc (1993) from Haverford College and PhD (2000) from Brown University. He held postdoctoral fellowships at Imperial College, London and The Stanford University Linear Accelerator Center. Stephon is also a Jazz Saxophonist and Author, and will release his new album (in Colaboration with RIOUX) Here Comes Now in Aug, 2014. His upcoming Book will explore the secret link between music and cosmology. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dartmouth President Philip J. Hanlon '77 hosted a panel discussion about the value and future of the liberal arts September 19 at 4 p.m. in Spaulding Auditorium. Joining him were Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Sciences Michael Mastanduno, Dean of Thayer School of Engineering Joseph Helble, Dartmouth Trustee Annette Gordon-Reed '81, and professors Stephon Alexander, Leslie Butler, and Donald Pease. For more information, visit http://dartmouth.edu/inauguration

Theoretical physicist Stephon Alexander, the Ernest Everett Just 1907 Professor, links the most recent revelations of particle physics with dark matter, the mysterious substance that constitutes most of the universe, and with dark energy, the force responsible for accelerating cosmic expansion.

Theoretical physicist Stephon Alexander, the Ernest Everett Just 1907 Professor, discusses the Higgs boson particle discovered with the Large Hadron Collider near Geneva, Switzerland, and the implications of this pivotal finding, which was announced in July 2012.