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Daniel and Jorge Explain the Universe

iHeartPodcasts·Hosted by Daniel Whiteson and Jorge Cham·639 episodes

ScienceCo-hosted sciencePhysics explainedCosmology questionsJargon-lightEvergreen episodesListener Q&A

A fun-filled discussion of the big, mind-blowing, unanswered questions about the Universe. In each episode, Daniel Whiteson (a Physicist who works at CERN) and Jorge Cham (a popular online cartoonist) discuss some of the simple but profound questions that people have been wondering about for thousands of years, explaining the science in a fun, shorts-wearing and jargon-free way.

Why listen

Daniel and Jorge Explain the Universe turns intimidating physics and cosmology questions into lively conversations between a working physicist and a cartoonist. Episodes tackle big ideas like black holes, dark matter, quantum gravity, and the shape of the universe in plain language, with enough jokes and curiosity to keep it approachable. It is a strong pick for listeners who like serious science explained without lecture-hall stiffness.

Series(1)

Episodes

1 min
Jan 15, 2026
Introducing Beyond the Script from CVS Pharmacy

Ever freeze when the pharmacist asks, “Any questions?” Beyond the Script is here to help.  Hosted by Dr. Jake Goodman, this podcast answers the health questions you meant to ask—and the ones you didn’t know you should. Each episode features CVS pharmacists sharing trusted advice, busting myths, and unpacking the trends shaping your health. No white coats. No lectures. Just real talk, real answers, and a few unexpected laughs. Follow Beyond the Script now—coming soon from CVS Pharmacy and iHeartMedia’s Ruby Studio.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2 min
Oct 22, 2025
Introducing Untold Stories: Life with a Severe Autoimmune Condition

For people diagnosed with a rare, autoimmune condition like myasthenia gravis (MG) or chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), life can change in the blink of an eye. But these conditions affect everyone differently, and each person has a story to tell. Welcome to “Untold Stories: Life with a Severe Autoimmune Condition,” a Ruby Studio from iHeart Media production in partnership with argenx. Host Martine Hackett has real, eye-opening conversations with people living with rare, autoimmune conditions ranging from MG to CIDP. Learn about the hardships of diagnosis and each person’s journey towards wellness. Understand the challenges they continue to overcome as they discover how to live with these conditions and persevere through the tough times. Plus, hear from the family members and friends who stand by them every day and play important roles in their care.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

19 min
Sep 23, 2025
Fall equinox listener questions

Daniel and Kelly answer a question about how white holes are connected to black holes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

20 min
Jun 20, 2025
Summer solstice listener questions

Daniel and Katie answer a question about why distant objects can look surprisingly large in the skySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2 min
May 15, 2025
Introducing: Kill Switch

Were we sleeping when everything changed? Seems like the technologically driven future is already here. On kill switch, we explain the right NOW of our supercharged technological lives. Ask ourselves who is in control? Can we beat the computer or are we going to need to throw the kill switch? New host Dexter Thomas, Jr answers questions big and small – like who made Shrimp Jesus and why? To how and why you very well could get arrested by a computer. And we’ll be bringing the DIY back to tech – How to Now on everything from how to run your own LLM to tips to mitigate your exposure online. Listen here or on the iHeartRadio app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

20 min
Mar 18, 2025
Spring equinox listener questions

Daniel and Kelly answer a question about whether the Earth might survive the Sun's ejection from the galaxy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

23 min
Dec 31, 2024
Winter soltice listener questions

Daniel and Katie answer a question about building super duper long structures in spaceSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

30 min
Oct 1, 2024
Listener Questions 68

Daniel and Kelly answer a question about whether space can be infinite and finiteSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

37 min
Sep 26, 2024
Classic episode - How big is the Universe?

Does the Universe go on forever, or have an end? What shape is it?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 hr 3 min
Sep 24, 2024
Listener Questions 67

Daniel and Jorge answer questions about moving planets, the Higgs field, and the future of particle physics.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

40 min
Sep 19, 2024
Classic episode - What came before the Big Bang?

What could have caused the Big Bang, and what came before it?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 hr 8 min
Sep 17, 2024
Could a huge void cause the illusion of dark energy?

Daniel and Jorge talk about whether our galaxy is in the middle of a giant void that could have fooled us into thinking the expansion of the Universe is accelerating.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

33 min
Sep 12, 2024
Classic episode - When will the sun explode?

How long can we enjoy the sunshine before we need a new star?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 hr
Sep 10, 2024
Listener Questions 66

Daniel and Jorge answer questions about galaxy collisions, black holes and Nitrogen!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

45 min
Sep 5, 2024
Classic episode - Why is gravity so weird?

Why is gravity so much weaker than the other forces?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

58 min
Sep 3, 2024
Are there comets in the asteroid belt?

Daniel and Jorge try to clarify the distinction between our neighborhood space objects and what it means if we find them out of place.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

48 min
Aug 29, 2024
Classic Episode - Is the Universe Random?

If you repeat the same experiment, do you get the same outcome?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 hr 2 min
Aug 27, 2024
Could quantum clocks detect dark matter?

Daniel and Jorge talk about new ways to find dark matter, using space microwave ovens.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

47 min
Aug 22, 2024
Classic Episode - Is Light a Particle or a Wave?

What is light made of? A particle, a wave, both, neither? Little puppies? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

58 min
Aug 20, 2024
Listener Questions goes bananas!

Daniel and Jorge answer questions about banana decays and black hole velocities.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

59 min
Aug 15, 2024
What was the brightest explosion ever seen?

Daniel and Jorge look right into the beam of incredible astronomical explosions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 hr 8 min
Aug 13, 2024
What's the fastest event ever measured?

Daniel and Jorge slice time down to its shortest slivers to understand how fast things can happen in the Universe.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 hr 19 min
Aug 8, 2024
The science fiction Universe of "Dark Matter"

Daniel and Jorge talk to a screenwriter and scientific advisor for the multi-verse show, "Dark Matter"See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 hr 16 min
Aug 6, 2024
What is the Physics of life?

Daniel and Kelly talk to Sara Imari Walker, author of "Life as No One Knows it" about what life is and what aliens might look like.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 hr 3 min
Aug 1, 2024
What is an impossible color?

Daniel and Jorge explore the edges of our colorful experience of the Universe.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 hr 24 min
Jul 30, 2024
How to think like a physicist?

Daniel and Jorge discuss whether physicists think about the world differently, and how that makes them more or less useful.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 hr 1 min
Jul 25, 2024
What is membrane theory?

Daniel and Katie use their p-branes to explore a theory of everything build on vibrating membranes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 hr 1 min
Jul 23, 2024
Listener Questions 64: Phase of the Universe, particle interactions and Universe-sized black holes!

Daniel and Jorge answer questions from listeners like you! Send your questions to [email protected] omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

59 min
Jul 18, 2024
Do black holes have magnetic fields?

Daniel and Jorge try to resist the magnetic attraction of the mysteries of black holes, and fail.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

58 min
Jul 16, 2024
Listener Questions 63: Hawking radiation, mass, and anti-strings

Daniel and Jorge answer questions from listeners like you! Send your questions to [email protected] omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 hr 3 min
Jul 11, 2024
How long is a photon?

Daniel and Jorge wrestle with the tricky question of the length of a photon, and end up talking about hotdogs and meatballs.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 hr 11 min
Jul 9, 2024
Could humans live in the clouds of Venus?

Daniel and Kelly talk to Guillermo Sohnlein about life in the Venutian cloudsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 hr 1 min
Jul 4, 2024
Listener Questions 62: Single photons, moon gold and particle interactions.

Daniel and Jorge answer questions from listeners like you! Send your questions to [email protected] omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 hr 3 min
Jul 2, 2024
Listener Questions 61.0158: Black holes, gold asteroids and gravitational waves in time!

Daniel and Jorge answer questions from listeners like you! Send your questions to [email protected]  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 hr 6 min
Jun 27, 2024
Do neutrinos get redshifted?

Daniel and Jorge talk about what happens to neutrinos as the Universe expands.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 hr 1 min
Jun 25, 2024
Is the length of a day changing?

Daniel and Katie spin a tale of how the velocity of the Earth's surface is changing under our feet.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

57 min
Jun 20, 2024
Listener Questions 60,491: Mini solar systems, greek physics and black holes!

Daniel and Jorge answer questions from listeners like you! Send your questions to [email protected] omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

57 min
Jun 18, 2024
Can supernovas cause ice ages?

Daniel and Jorge talk about how the greatest cosmic fireballs might trigger ice ages here on Earth.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

54 min
Jun 13, 2024
Listener Questions 59: Interstellar probes and fractional electrons

Daniel and Jorge answer questions about travel to and from other stars and whether scientists have split the electron.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

59 min
Jun 11, 2024
Does dark matter have an anti-particle?

Daniel and Jorge talk about the relationship between matter, dark matter and anti-matter!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

52 min
Jun 6, 2024
Why don't we have nuclear powered airplanes?

Daniel and Kelly talk about whether planes could be powered by nuclear reactors and whether that would be a bad idea, or a very bad idea.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

55 min
Jun 4, 2024
Listener Questions 58: Donuts, disaster and discoveries!

Daniel and Jorge answer questions from listeners like you!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

59 min
May 30, 2024
The science fiction Universe of "Constellation"

Daniel talks to Peter Harness, screenwriter for "Constellation", about the quantum rules of his fictional Universe.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

52 min
May 28, 2024
Listener Questions 57: Philosophy, Quantum Mechanics and Beta Decay!

Daniel and Jorge answer questions from listeners like you!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 hr 7 min
May 23, 2024
Who was the most influential scientist?

Daniel talks to Ananyo Bhattacharya, author of "The Man From the Future" about the life and impact of John von NeumannSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 hr
May 21, 2024
What's the electric charge of the Universe?

Daniel and Katie reveal the shocking truth about the balance between positive and negative particles.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

53 min
May 16, 2024
Listener Questions 56: Neutron Stars, Dense matter and shared atmospheres!

Daniel and Jorge answer questions from listeners like you. Get your questions answered: [email protected] omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 hr 6 min
May 14, 2024
What mysteries are hiding in the extra-galactic background light?

Daniel and Jorge explore the challenges of detecting light from outside the Milky Way, and the secrets it might reveal.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 hr
May 9, 2024
What’s the largest asteroid impact in Earth’s history?

Daniel and Kelly review the most cataclysmic impacts in our planet's history.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 hr
May 7, 2024
Listener Questions 55: Time and waves!

Daniel and Jorge answer questions from listeners like you. Get your questions answered: [email protected] omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.