Episode 158: Quantum Electodynamics Part 1

More from The Science of Everything Podcast

1. 

   E164 · 1 Jun 2026 · 1 hr 33 min

   Episode 161: Dinosaurs and Other Ancient Reptiles

   A survey of extinct animal species from the Permian through the Cretaceous periods. We discuss important differences between anapsids, synapsids, and diapsids, and then review diverse species from all groups, including pelycosaurs, therapsids, parareptiles, euryapsids, pterosaurs, pseudosuchia, and dinosaurs. We also consider aspects including bipedal gait, endothermy, gigantism, and the cause of the end Cretaceous mass extinction. Recommended pre-listening is Episode 160: The Evolution of Animals. If you enjoyed the podcast please consider supporting the show by making a PayPal donation or…

2. 

   E163 · 1 May 2026 · 1 hr 23 min

   Episode 160: The Evolution of Animals

   A journey through the evolutionary history of animals, beginning with the split of the metazoans from protists about 760 million years ago and ending with the rise of the amniotes about 340 million years ago. The focus is the development of key morphological traits necessary for more complex animal forms, including the origin of true tissues, bilaterial symmetry, the complete gut, the coelom, internal skeletons, and limbs. We conclude with an analysis of key adaptions that allowed amniotes to life in a wider range of terrestrial habitats. Recommended pre-listening is Episode 155: Embryology…

3. 

   E162 · 1 Apr 2026 · 45 min

   Episode 159: Quantum Electrodynamics Part 2

   Continuing from quantum electrodynamics part 1, here we explore the mathematical machinery used to compute interactions between particles, including propagators, Feynman diagrams, cross sections. We then walk through a simple example calculation to illustrate how these tools are applied. I conclude with an introduction to the problem of divergent loop integrals and how these can be resolved using renormalisation. Recommended pre-listening is Episode 158: Quantum Electrodynamics Part 1. If you enjoyed the podcast please consider supporting the show by making a PayPal donation or becoming a…

4. 

   E160 · 17 Jan 2026 · 1 hr 2 min

   Episode 157: The Geologic Time Scale

   A survey of the Earth's history through the lens of the geologic timescale. We begin with a discussion of the terminology of geochronologic units and how they are specified using 'golden spikes'. We then review the development of Earth's atmosphere, geosphere, and biosphere through the Hadean, Archean, Proterozoic, and Phanerozoic eons. We cover many topics including the supercontinent cycle, the great oxidation event, the evolution of eukaryotes, the Cambrian explosion, and mass extinctions. Recommended pre-listening is Episode 156: Fossils and Dating Methods. If you enjoyed the podcast…

5. 

   E159 · 30 Nov 2025 · 1 hr 11 min

   Episode 156: Fossils and Dating Methods

   An introduction to the techniques used to study the history and ages of geological speciments. We begin with an overview of chronostratigraphy, covering principles of relative dating, way up indicators, and biostratigraphy. We then discuss geochronology, including a review of early attempts to determine the age of the Earth, the principles and assumptions of radiometric dating, and the radioisotopes most commonly used for dating. Finally, we discuss processes and mechanisms of fossilisation, and review some of the most important classes of index fossils. Recommended pre-listening is Episode…

6. 

   E158 · 24 Oct 2025 · 1 hr 10 min

   Episode 155: Embryology and Development

   An introduction to the process of development, beginning with fertilisation and covering the stages of blastocyst formation, implantation into the uterus, gastrulation and its constituent cell movements, neurulation and the role of the notochord, and the beginnings of organogenesis. We also discuss the differences in gastrulation between protostomes and deuterostomes, along with the many specialised structures found in amniotes to protect the growing embryo from drying out. We conclude with overview of some of the genetic mechanisms government the development process, including Hox genes and…

7. 

   E167 · 30 Aug 2026 · 1 hr 5 min

   Episode 164: Gauge Theory and the Higgs Boson

   We conclude our series on the standard model with an introduction to gauge theory. We discuss how the requirement of local gauge invariance generates interaction terms in the Lagrangian, and introduce the U(1) x SU(2) x SU(3) group structure of the standard model. We also consider the problem of massive W and Z bosons, and how this was resolved by the introduction of the Higgs field and the mechanism of spontaneous symmetry breaking. Recommended pre-listening is Episode 163: The Standard Model of Particle Physics. If you enjoyed the podcast please consider supporting the show by making a…

8. 

   E166 · 8 Aug 2026 · 45 min

   Episode 163: The Standard Model of Particle Physics

   An introduction to the particles and forces that constitute the standard model of particle physics. After some historical background, we introduce each of the three fundamental forces that comprise the standard model - electromagnetism, the strong nuclear force, and the weak nuclear force. We then compare and contrast the different types of particles these forces interact with, including the difference between fermions and bosons, and between quarks and leptons. We consider the types of interactions experienced by these particles and the three generations of matter. Recommended pre-listening…

9. 

   E165 · 30 Jun 2026 · 1 hr 26 min

   Episode 162: Human Evolution

   Beginning with primitive Cynodonts in the late Permian, we our evolutionary development through Mesozoic mammaliaforms, the divergence of monotremes from marsupials and placentals, and culiminating in the emergence of primates in the early Cenozoic. Along the way we discuss the emergence of important traits such as the mammalian ear and various primate adaptations for arboreal life. We then discuss the sequence of hominin species in the lead up to to humans, including Ardipithecus, Australopithecus, Homo erectus, and Neanderthals. We conclude with an analysis of the emergence of distinctive…

10. 

    E157 · 23 Sep 2025 · 1 hr 32 min

    Episode 154: Magnetic Resonance Imaging

    An overview of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), beginning from the basic physics of nuclear magnetic resonance, and covering the use of radiowaves to excite nuclear spin states, and the T1 and T2 modes of relaxation. We then explore how these phenomena are used to produce 3d images, including magnetic field gradients, frequency encoding, phase encoding, and Fourier transforms. We conclude with a discussion of functional imaging, including the haemodynamic response, the BOLD signal, echo planar imaging, and the steps of preprocesing. Recommended pre-listening is Episode 14: Principles of…

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