Big mysteries explained through your senses
Summary
This episode explores how our senses reveal the invisible world, featuring astronomer Mark Whittle, who translates cosmic sound waves into music to explain the Big Bang. Chemosensory researcher Polly Joseph discusses how smell loss serves as an early warning for neurodegenerative diseases and impacts quality of life. Finally, multimedia artist Yiun Kang uses immersive installations to make complex data on climate change and AI tangible, urging audiences to feel and understand these modern challenges.
Topics discussed
Sponsor: Charles Schwab Choiceology
Introduction: Senses and the Big Bang
The Silent Big Bang and Acoustic Era
Hearing the Universe Expand
Evidence for the Big Bang: Pulsars and CMB
The Name 'Big Bang' and Cosmic Microwave Background
Visualizing the CMB as Sound
Quantum Inflation and Cosmic Structure
Sponsors: CookUnity, Dell, Square
Mark Whittle: Analyzing CMB Harmonics
Composing Music from Cosmic Data
Performance in Richmond and Cosmic Connection
Intuition, Evolution, and the Material Universe
Polly Joseph: Evolutionary Purpose of Smell
Smell as an Early Warning for Neurodegenerative Disease
The Lack of Smell Screening in Healthcare
Smell Changes During Pregnancy and Illness
Sponsors: Pure Insurance, Dell, Square
Long-COVID and Invisible Disabilities
Treatments, Alcohol, and GLP-1 Impact on Smell
Olfactory Training and Daily Life
Yiun Kang: Art, NASA Data, and Climate
AI, Light Architecture, and Human Entanglement
Credits and Partners
Sponsors: Henry Ford Health, Bombus
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