Watch The Evidence for Modern Physics: How We Know What We Know

2021
1 Season

The Evidence for Modern Physics: How We Know What We Know is a fascinating and comprehensive exploration of the principles, theories, and experimental evidence that underpin modern physics. Presented in a clear and engaging style by renowned physicist Richard Wolfson, this course is a must-see for anyone interested in understanding the fundamental workings of the universe.

The course is divided into 24 lectures, each of which covers a key topic in modern physics. These topics range from classical mechanics and the laws of thermodynamics to quantum mechanics, relativity, and cosmology. Throughout the course, Wolfson draws on a wide range of examples, analogies, and thought experiments to help make complex concepts more accessible and intuitive.

One of the standout features of this course is the way in which Wolfson emphasizes the role of experiment in shaping our understanding of the physical world. He explores how some of the most fundamental laws of physics were first discovered through careful observation and measurement, and how experimental evidence has continued to refine and challenge our understanding of these laws over time.

The course also covers some of the most cutting-edge developments in modern physics, including recent discoveries in particle physics, dark matter, and dark energy. Wolfson explains how these discoveries have challenged some of our most basic assumptions about the nature of the universe, and how our ongoing quest for a unified theory of everything could hold the key to unlocking some of the greatest mysteries of the cosmos.

Overall, The Evidence for Modern Physics: How We Know What We Know is a truly eye-opening and thought-provoking course that offers a unique perspective on one of the most fascinating and complex fields of scientific inquiry. Whether you are a seasoned physics enthusiast or simply interested in learning more about the workings of the universe, this course is sure to captivate and inspire you.

The Evidence for Modern Physics: How We Know What We Know is a series that is currently running and has 1 seasons (24 episodes). The series first aired on May 21, 2021.

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Seasons

24. Are Space and Time Quantized?

May 21, 2021

Finish the series with a leap into one of the most speculative realms of physics -- the quest to understand gravity at the quantum scale. Examine why Einstein's theory of gravity -- general relativity -- is incompatible with quantum mechanics. Then consider what a quantized theory of gravity would imply. One thing it means for sure is a future filled with bold theories and big surprises!

23. What We Know about Quantum Foam

May 21, 2021

Few claims of physics are as absurd as that empty space is writhing with "virtual" particles -- a foam of particles, antiparticles, and photons that appear and disappear with riotous abandon. Learn how Heisenberg's uncertainty principle gives rise to this phenomenon of getting something from nothing, and discover that it is a crucial consideration for engineers creating microelectronics.

22. Measuring the Size and Age of the Universe

May 21, 2021

Draw on the astonishing facts about the universe you've already learned in this series, then add observations from recent satellite missions, and reach exact conclusions about the size and age of the universe. One thing you discover is that the diameter of the entire universe is at least 500 times larger than the visible universe. Since we can't see that far, how do we know?

21. How We Know the Universe Is Accelerating

May 21, 2021

Investigate evidence that the expansion of the universe reversed its gradual slow-down and stepped on the accelerator 5 billion years ago. "Dark energy" is the term given to this mysterious force that is expanding space at an ever-increasing rate. Learn how this remarkable phenomenon was discovered and explore its link to the cosmological constant proposed by Einstein a century ago.

20. How We Search for Dark Matter

May 21, 2021

Dig deeper into the quest to understand dark matter. Start by ruling out plausible early explanations, including that dark matter is invisible ordinary matter like cold hydrogen gas or rogue planets. Also rebut some popular exotic theories. Then Dr. Lincoln outlines current experiments to pin down this elusive substance, among them his own work with high-energy particle accelerators.

19. How We Know Dark Matter Exists

May 21, 2021

Dark matter is the conjectured substance that outweighs ordinary matter by five to one. However, we can't see it, nor can anyone say what it is -- at least, not yet. The first clues to the existence of dark matter was in observations of stars and galaxies in the 1930s. Since then, the evidence has mounted. Consider alternative explanations and reasons to believe that dark matter is indeed real.

18. The Case for Cosmic Inflation

May 21, 2021

Unlike the well-founded theories you've studied so far in this series, turn to one that is as-yet-unproven -- but mindboggling in its implications. Cosmic inflation proposes that a period of explosive expansion occurred in the first instants of the Big Bang. This startling idea accounts for two puzzling features of today's universe: the observed uniformity of matter and the flat geometry of space.

17. How We Know the Universe Began with a Bang

May 21, 2021

The Big Bang is one of the few scientific concepts that has entered popular culture. But where did the idea come from? Trace this gripping detective story to attempts by a young female astronomer in the early 1900s to measure distances to stars. Her success set the stage for others to discover that the universe is expanding, as if from an initial "big bang." More clues filled in the picture.

16. The Hunt for Gravitational Waves

May 21, 2021

General relativity predicts that titanic events such as colliding black holes cause the fabric of spacetime to ripple with gravitational waves. Join the search for these signals produced by rare events that are all but undetectable by the time they reach Earth. The existence of gravitational waves was inferred from observations in the 1970s and finally confirmed by detectors in 2015.

15. The Awesome Evidence for General Relativity

May 21, 2021

Dr. Lincoln covers general relativity, which incorporates gravity and predicts the warping of spacetime around massive objects. Study three phenomena that prove general relativity: an anomaly in the orbit of Mercury, the bending of starlight passing near the Sun, and the slowing of clocks in regions of stronger gravity.

14. Finding Planets around Distant Stars

May 21, 2021

Planets beyond our solar system weren't discovered until the 1990s. Since then, thousands have been confirmed around nearby stars, and billions likely populate the Milky Way Galaxy. Planets are so dim compared to the stars they orbit that observers had to come up with clever techniques to infer their presence. Focus on the "wobble" and "shadow" methods, which have been remarkably productive.

13. Forming the Milky Way and Other Galaxies

May 21, 2021

Until 100 years ago, our Milky Way galaxy was thought to comprise the entire universe. Now we think there are roughly a trillion galaxies of various sizes and shapes in the observable universe. Investigate how astronomers reached this conclusion and how they mapped the structure and contents of the Milky Way, discovering a supermassive black hole at its center -- among other galactic attractions.

12. How We Know What Stars Are Made Of

May 21, 2021

Scientists did not know the exact composition of the Moon until astronauts brought back rocks. So how do we know what the unimaginably more distant stars are made of? Get a short course in astrophysics as you explore the secrets of starlight, which reveal stellar temperature and elemental composition to observers on Earth. Then apply the lessons of nuclear physics to the life cycle of stars.

11. Are Man-Made Black Holes Dangerous?

May 21, 2021

Evaluate three alarmist scenarios for a physics experiment gone horribly wrong. Some theorists predict that exotic phenomena such as strangelets, a false vacuum, and miniature black holes could be produced by new particle accelerators, leading to the destruction of Earth and even the universe! The risk, however small, hardly seems worth it. But Dr. Lincoln gives you good reasons to sleep soundly.

10. The Search for the Higgs Boson

May 21, 2021

As a member of the research team, Dr. Lincoln recounts the discovery of the Higgs boson, one of the major science stories of the past half century. Predicted in 1964, the Higgs particle wasn't experimentally confirmed until 2012. Trace the path to this triumph, as physicists narrowed down the properties of the elusive particle and utilized powerful particle accelerators in the hunt.

9. Capturing the Ghostly Neutrino

May 21, 2021

Hear the story of the neutrino, the ghostly particle that passes through you at the rate of one quadrillion per second, with no ill effects. Neutrinos are created copiously in nuclear reactions and are fiendishly difficult to detect. Pinning them down took great experimental ingenuity, especially since neutrinos turn out to be quick-change artists, often transforming their identities in flight.

8. How Do You Weigh a Quark?

May 21, 2021

Learn the secret for measuring the masses and lifetimes of subatomic particles that exist for roughly a trillionth of a trillionth of a second. Using the Higgs boson and top quark as examples, Dr. Lincoln draws on a simplified version of Einstein's mass-energy equation and Werner Heisenberg's uncertainty principle to infer detailed information about truly ephemeral entities.

7. Discovering Subatomic Particles

May 21, 2021

Survey the fundamental particles and forces of the Standard Model, which is the prevailing theory of particle physics. Then focus on nonfundamental particles and their discovery tools, such as the cloud chamber. Easily built at home, the cloud chamber reveals the products of radioactive decay, including antimatter -- which sounds like science fiction but is an authentic feature of reality.

6. Why the Speed of Light Is the Speed Limit

May 21, 2021

How can the speed of light be the same for everyone, regardless of their state of motion? First, investigate how the speed of light is determined. Next, consider the hypothesized medium for light propagation -- the aether -- which was dealt a fatal blow by the Michelson-Morley experiment in the 1880s. Finally, examine laboratory proof that the speed of light is constant for all observers.

5. How We Know Special Relativity Is Real

May 21, 2021

Learn how Dr. Lincoln routinely conducts experiments that show the bizarre effects of Einstein's special theory of relativity, which come into play at speeds approaching that of light. Like quantum theory, relativity strains credulity, but clocks really do slow down and length contracts at relativistic speeds; we just don't notice these effects in our relatively slow-moving lives.

4. The Paradox of Quantum Entanglement

May 21, 2021

Dr. Lincoln boldly confronts the paradox of quantum entanglement, which governs the behavior of particles that share the same quantum state. Discover that the rules of quantum mechanics defy every attempt to explain what seems inexplicable -- implying, for example, that a cat could be simultaneously dead and alive in Erwin Schrödinger's famous thought experiment. Explore other spooky examples.

3. Seeing Light as Wave and Particle

May 21, 2021

Probe one of the most baffling mysteries of physics: the wave-particle duality of light. Trace the debate over the nature of light to its apparent solution in 1801, when Thomas Young demonstrated that light is a wave. A century later, Einstein proved that light also behaves as a particle. Astonishingly, further work showed that electrons and other matter also have this Janus-faced identity.

2. Peering inside Protons and Neutrons

May 21, 2021

Peer inside atoms to find mostly empty space, along with electrons and a compact nucleus, composed of protons and neutrons. These particles were all discovered indirectly through painstaking but straightforward experiments. Learn how physicists used more complex tools to uncover hundreds of even smaller objects. It took the quark theory to bring simplicity and unity to this seeming chaos.

1. Do You Believe In Atoms?

May 21, 2021

Dr. Lincoln opens with the observation that all matter is made of atoms. But how do we know? The atomic hypothesis goes back to antiquity, although that was just an inspired guess. Survey the contributions of later scientists like John Dalton and Albert Einstein. Discover why atoms are invisible to light microscopes, but not to the scanning transmission electron microscope. #Science & Mathematics

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Where to Watch The Evidence for Modern Physics: How We Know What We Know

The Evidence for Modern Physics: How We Know What We Know is available for streaming on the The Great Courses Signature Collection website, both individual episodes and full seasons. You can also watch The Evidence for Modern Physics: How We Know What We Know on demand at Apple TV Channels and Amazon Prime and Amazon.