Shows / Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Scientists Daniel and Kelly cannot stop talking about our amazing, wonderful, weird Universe! Each episode is a fun, easy-to-understand, and in-depth explanation of topics in science, from particles to black holes to moon colonies to ecosystems to parasites and everything else in the Universe!
Episodes
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Can you entangle three particles?
Daniel and Kelly explain how triplets of particles can be entangled, and how it allows for a smoking-gun proof of quantum mechanics. See…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Listener Questions #54
Daniel and Kelly answer listener questions about algal blooms in the Reflecting Pool, the difference between memory and consciousness, and banana slugs. See…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Science conspiracy theories (featuring Dr. Phil Plait)
Daniel and Kelly are joined by Phil Plait to explore conspiracy theories about the end of the world, demons at CERN, and the face on Mars. See…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Sleuth-Hound (featuring Dr. Lindsey Fitzharris)
Daniel and Kelly interview Dr. Lindsey Fitzharris about her new book, Sleuth-Hound: The Case of the Real Sherlock Holmes. See omnystudio.com/listener for…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Listener questions #53
Daniel and Kelly talk about how particles are detected, the heavy proton discovery, and de Sitter space. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
How did syphilis get to Europe?
Daniel and Kelly dive into the history of medicine. Syphilis arrived with a bang in Europe in 1493, but where did it come from? See omnystudio.com/listener for…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
What if dark matter is more complicated?
Daniel and Kelly talk about a particularly quirky theory of dark matter that Daniel is searching for. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Listener Questions #52
Daniel and Kelly answer listener questions about how AI is impacting math and physics, what we really know about the wood wide web, and what happens when…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
What is creativity? (featuring Dr. Moiya McTier)
Daniel and Kelly interview Dr. Moiya McTier about how we define and measure creativity, and the impacts of the modern world on creative pursuits. Check out her…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Supervoids
Daniel and Kelly explore the structure of the Universe and examine its emptiest places, making no effort to spare the scatological humor. See…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Listener Questions #51
Daniel and Kelly answer listener questions about special relativity, organisms that eat plastic, and whether the future is already determined. See…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Do Animals Make Mistakes? (featuring Dr. Andy Sih)
Daniel and Kelly chat with Dr. Andy Sih about the kinds of mistakes wild animals make, and why they make them. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Did we just discover dark matter?
Daniel and Kelly talk about the recent observation of a dark matter candidate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Listener Questions #50
Daniel and Kelly answer listener questions about scent dialects, drilling through the ice above the oceans of Enceladus, and why some animals have penises. See…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Addiction (featuring Dr. Marcelo Wood)
Daniel and Kelly interview Dr. Marcelo Wood about what addiction does to our brains, why some of us become addicted to drugs while others don't, what drugs do…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Is dark energy a fudge factor?
Daniel and Kelly talk about whether physicists are trying to understand the expansion of the Universe, or pull the cosmic wool over everyone's eyes. Also…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Listener Questions #49
Daniel and Kelly answer questions about alternatives to the Big Bang, scurvy, and supercontinents. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Rewilding
Daniel and Kelly talk about the differences between conservation and rewilding, and discuss some of the successes, failures, and wild ideas that have come from…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Can we simulate the Universe?
Daniel and Kelly talk about what a recent simulation project can tell us about how the Universe got so clumpy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Listener Questions #48
Daniel and Kelly answer questions about crackpots, hearing meteors, and the age of everything. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Origins of life (featuring Dr. Katrine Whiteson)
Daniel, Kelly, and Katrine take on the origins of life. They discuss competing definitions for "life", whether it's even helpful to have a definition, the…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Should the government be hiding aliens?
Daniel and Kelly review the recent movie 'Disclosure Day' and discuss some tough questions about knowledge and secrecy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Listener Questions #47 - Plant Questions (featuring Dr. Manuel Lerdau)
Daniel and Kelly are joined by Dr. Manuel Lerdau to answer listener questions about toxic plants, seed germination, and micropropagation. See…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
How far can we go with chemical rockets?
Daniel and Kelly explain the limitations of chemical rockets and how physics can propel humans to the outer reaches of the solar system. See…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Cyclospora (and other diarrhea-inducing parasites)
It's July 2026, and the United States is dealing with an outbreak of cyclospora. Diarrhea makes people think of Kelly, so today we're dealing with the many…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Listener Questions #46
Daniel and Kelly answer listener questions about tick-induced meat allergies, experiencing quantum effects, and fibroids. See omnystudio.com/listener for…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Sound (featuring audio wizard Mat Keselman)
Daniel and Kelly chat with DKEU's audio engineer, Mat Keselman, about the physics of sound and give a behind the scenes look at how Mat works his magic. See…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
What is a space-time interval?
Daniel and Kelly break space, twist time, and then put it back together to explain the most important concept in relativity you've never heard of. See…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Listener Questions #45
Daniel and Kelly wonder how many Extraordinaries are planning on becoming supervillains as they discuss how to make Jupiter explode, the changing colors of…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Rat lungworm (featuring Dr. Chelsea Wood)
Daniel and Kelly chat with Dr. Chelsea Wood about rat lungworm - a particularly unpleasant nematode parasite that is spreading way outside of its native range…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Is dark matter a fudge factor?
Daniel and Kelly talk about what it means to be a physics fudge factor and whether DM is fudgy or solid science. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Listener Questions #44 - How fast can animals go, and how fast can animals grow? (featuring Dr. John Hutchinson)
Dr. John Hutchinson is back to help Kelly and Daniel answer listener questions about how fast animals can grow, how fast animals can go, and whether animal…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Of lice and men
Daniel and Kelly explore what lice can teach us about human evolution, and the role lice have played in some of humanity's most devastating wars. See…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Did aliens put satellites into Earth's orbit pre-Sputnik?
Daniel and Kelly dissect the evidence presented in recent peer-reviewed science papers for pre-Sputnik artificial satellites in Earth orbit. See…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Listener Questions #43
Daniel and Kelly marinate in ethanol and saltwater, and reflect on the symmetries of antiparticles. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
The science of bathing (featuring Dr. Katrine Whiteson)
Daniel, Kelly, and Katrine talk about what bathing does to your microbiome, and weigh up the pros and cons. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
What broke the grand unified force in the early universe?
Daniel and Kelly walk through the early history of the Universe to explain how forces can be unified, or broken. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Listener Questions #42
Zach joins Daniel and Kelly for a segment on art and science communication. Then Daniel and Kelly explore the concept of absolute hot, and what makes some…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
The curious lives of social amoeba
Daniel and Kelly talks about a species of social amoeba that will die to help others. Why the heck does it do that? And bonus: the amoeba are farmers! See…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
What are JWST's little red dots?
Daniel and Kelly talk about the James Webb Telescope and something mysterious it saw See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Listener Questions #41
Daniel and Kelly answer questions from listeners about earthworms, the origins of the galaxy, and snails! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
What is a species? (featuring Dr. Scott Egan)
Daniel and Kelly talk to Prof. Scott Egan about the meaning of species in modern biology. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Could the Earth be at the center of the solar system?
Daniel and Kelly explain the bizarre Tychonic model of the solar system, which for centuries stood as a valid theory alongside the Copernican model. See…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Listener Questions #40
Daniel and Kelly answer questions about relativistic paradoxes, parasitoid wasp viruses, and detector technologies. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Are urban raccoons becoming domesticated?
A recent paper found tantalizing evidence that rural raccoons are showing evidence of domestication. So how long until we all have pet raccoons? And how well…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
What is quantum contextuality?
Daniel and Kelly dig into the mysterious concept of quantum contexuality: how measurements depend on each other. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Listener Questions #39
Daniel and Kelly answer questions about muscle memory, water-less showers, and why everyone can't be ambidextrous. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
The Deep Seabed (featuring Dr. Andrew Thaler)
Over 50% of Earth's surface is the deep seabed. Dr. Andrew Thaler joins Daniel and Kelly to talk about the amazing diversity of life on the deep seabed, the…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
How do signals get jammed?
Daniel and Kelly explain how signals get jammed, how to avoid being jammed, and whose music makes the best jam. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Listener Questions #38
Daniel and Kelly answer questions about aliens watching Earth, about lone species, and about the size limits of intelligence. See omnystudio.com/listener for…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
The discovery of parasite life cycles
Parasites can have amazingly complicated life cycles - moving through a series of host species, and looking quite different while residing within each type of…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Can we use zero point energy?
Daniel and Kelly explain the nature of the quantum vacuum, whether its real or philosophical, and if it's possible to use to make your toast. See…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Listener Questions #37
Daniel and Kelly explain how cells in a fetus or in an adult know what they're supposed to do, and discuss whether opposable thumbs are necessary for the…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Story of Birds (featuring Dr. Steve Brusatte)
Daniel and Kelly talk to Dr. Steve Brusatte about his new book "The Story of Birds". We discuss if chickens are really dinosaurs, if we know what color…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Will AI solve physics?
Daniel and Kelly explain the role of AI in physics and speculate about its future impact on discoveries and curiosity. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Listener Questions #36
Daniel and Kelly answer questions about Odderon particles, Langerhans cells, and black holes within black holes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Biofilms (featuring Dr. Katrine Whiteson)
Daniel, Kelly, and Katrine talk about biofilms, and how they can be delicious, adorable, and bad. For the bad ones, we discuss current tactics for overcoming…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Does science fiction inspire real tech?
Daniel and Kelly discuss whether ideas from science fiction have inspired real scientific or technological progress. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Listener Questions #35: Genetics (featuring Dr. Benjamin de Bivort)
Daniel and Kelly answer questions about innate behaviors and what it means to "decode" a genome with help from Dr. Benjamin de Bivort. See…
- Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Snakes vs Octopi (featuring Dr. Matt Giorgianni)
If a rattlesake bit an octopus, would its venom have any effect? Daniel and Kelly bring venom expert Dr. Matt Giorgianni on to the show to answer this listener…