Neutrinos
12/30/202517 min
Neutrinos are particles that defy expectations. They slip through matter effortlessly, changing identities and traveling vast cosmic distances. In this episode, we explore the surprising ways they connect the tiniest scales of physics to the grandest structures in the universe. From deep underground detectors to experiments designed to observe the unobservable, scientists at Lawrence Livermore are working to uncover secrets that could reshape our understanding of matter, energy, and the origins of everything around us.
Guests featured (in order of appearance):
Mike Heffner, Staff Scientist, LLNLNathaniel Bowden, Physicist, LLNL
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Big Ideas Lab...
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Transcript preview
First 90 secondsMike Heffner· Guest0:01
If I had an orange- Hey, toss me that orange ... and I threw an orange and you caught it, and it was an apple when you caught it- What the- ... that is a quantum mechanical effect that happens with these things. We measure it all the time.
Speaker 1· Host0:12
There are particles in our universe so unique and so strange they can change what they are while moving. They can shift form mid-flight. They're as old as time.
Mike Heffner· Guest0:27
They come from the beginning of the universe.
Speaker 1· Host0:29
As well as from stars, nuclear reactors, the Earth. They're everywhere, even passing through you at this very second. It's called the neutrino, and over the past century, each scientific discovery has raised more questions that need to be answered. Studying this mysterious particle may unlock answers to some of humanity's most pressing questions about matter, questions about why anything exists at all, and scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory are determined to uncover its secrets. [upbeat music] Welcome to the Big Ideas Lab, your exploration inside Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Hear untold stories, meet boundary-pushing pioneers, and get unparalleled access inside the gates. From national security challenges to computing