May 30, 2012
MP3 FILE / 43 MINUTES / 41 MB
Did the universe--the multiverse, the cyclic universe, & the "cosmic egg"--have a beginning?; tips for winning the FQXi essay contest; the quantum art of gravity & linguistics; sniffing out a quantum theory of smell; and we put *your* questions about string theory & sound to our physicists.
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Individual Stories
Did the Universe Have a Beginning?
MP3 FILE / 17 MINUTES / 16 MB
Could the multiverse, the cyclic universe, or the "cosmic egg" universe have existed infinitely into the past? If the universe had a beginning, can we detect *where* it occurred? (Extended interview with Alex Vilenkin.)
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Launching the FQXi Essay Contest
MP3 FILE / 3 MINUTES / 3 MB
Tips for those planning to "Question the Foundations" in the 4th FQXi Essay Contest.
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Quantum Words & Pictures
MP3 FILE / 8 MINUTES / 8 MB
Bob Coecke's quantum art could lead to a unified theory with gravity and to a new understanding of linguistics.
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The Secret (Quantum) Science of Scents
MP3 FILE / 16 MINUTES / 16 MB
Sniffing out a controversial quantum model of smell. Extended interview with Luca Turin discussing his latest human and animal tests and how to engineer fragrance.
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Ask a Physicist: Strings & Sounds
MP3 FILE / 9 MINUTES / 8 MB
*You* ask string theorist Joe Polchinski why extra dimensions should be interpreted as "real" & Nobel Laureate particle physicist Frank Wilczek about underwater sounds.
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