logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2022
12m 23s

A Physics Legend Part One: How Chien-Shi...

NPR
About this episode
In the 1950's, a particle physicist made a landmark discovery that changed what we thought we knew about how our universe operates. And Chien-Shiung Wu did it while raising a family and an ocean away from her relatives in China. Short Wave's Scientist-In-Residence Regina Barber joins host Emily Kwong to talk about that landmark discovery--what it meant for the physics world, and what it means to Regina personally as a woman and a Chinese and Mexican American in physics.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Yesterday
One of the toughest parts of ADHD is left out of the diagnosis
ADHD diagnoses are on the rise in the United States, but what if professionals are missing a key part of the disorder? In the 1970s, some clinicians recognized a lot of their ADHD patients had trouble with emotional regulation. But because it was easier to measure behavior rather ... Show More
12m 9s
Oct 7
What's missing from the lethal injection conversation
You might have seen the news that Christa Pike, a convicted murderer in Tennessee, did not die from the injections given to her as part of her death penalty sentence last week. After her failed execution, she was hospitalized, where she continues to receive critical medical care, ... Show More
14m 38s
Oct 6
Science-backed guidance for healthy screen time
We’re all aware – and wary – of doomscrolling. Lots of screen time can be bad for us. But what if that’s not always the case? We spoke with the author of a study that found a positive relationship between screen time and brain development in young people. This episode, we sort th ... Show More
12m 51s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2021
Chien-Shiung Wu: Physicist
<p>Meet Dr. Chien-Shiung Wu, one of the world's most influential physicists WHO was also known as the "First Lady of Physics." She stunned her mentors and colleagues with her discoveries, especially WHEN she disproved a law of nature and helped with a secret government nuclear pr ... Show More
23m 10s
May 2024
83 - Witnessing a Revolution in Particle Physics (Ft. Chris Quigg)
Today we hear from someone who bore witness to the so-called “November Revolution” of particle physics in 1974.For ad free episodes and other exclusives, join us for just $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverseOur merch is available here: https://www.shalmawegs ... Show More
31m 44s
Sep 2024
14. Whispers from the Cosmos
In a shabby brick hut in 1967, a young researcher spots a bizarre, pulsing signal: a cosmic whisper picked up a huge receiver she helped to build. Is it just mundane interference - or could it be alien life? Hannah Fry shares a tale of one woman’s journey through the male-dominat ... Show More
15m 31s
Sep 2021
Science and U: Was There a Big Bang? - A Neighbor's Choice
Dr. Weiping Yu, the chief science officer of A Neighbor's Choice, joins David Gornoski for another exciting segment of Science and U. The physicist comments on the claim that scientists have discovered the secret of wireless charging and whether the universe was really created th ... Show More
19m 5s
Nov 2025
The Sound Barrier #4: Listen to the universe
When Wanda Diáz-Merced lost her sight as a college student, she thought her dreams of becoming an astronomer were over — until she learned to listen to space instead. Wanda is one of several pioneering scientists listening to space. For this episode, we also spoke to Robert Wilso ... Show More
37m 25s
Dec 2023
74 - The Copernican Revolution (Ft. Aviva Rothman)
<p>Today we visit a turning point in the history of science: the discovery that the Earth is not at the center of the cosmos.<br/><br/>Our new merch is available here: https://www.shalmawegsman.com/why-this-universe<br/><br/>For ask-us-anything segments and other exclusives, join ... Show More
58m 30s
Feb 2023
Finding solace in the stars
Astrophysicist’s story shows the power science and human connection 
33m 11s
May 2022
48 - A Wrong Picture Of Cosmology
<p>When cosmology was still an infant science, a daring physicist wrote a theory of the beginning of time.  We revisit this theory and see what value we can still glean from it today.</p><p><a rel="payment" href="https://patreon.com/whythisuniverse">Support the show</a></p> 
25m 18s
Jun 2021
29 - How the Big Bang Won the Debate About the Beginning of Time
<p>Hear what proved to physicists that the universe started with the Big Bang - and the one person who was never convinced.<br/><br/>Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/whythisuniverse</p><p><a rel="payment" href="https://patreon.com/whythisuniverse">Support the show</ ... Show More
33m 6s
Mar 2022
S1E144 - Kapow's Power of Invention: Marie Curie
Marie was the first woman in France to earn a PhD in physics. The professors who reviewed her doctoral thesis, declared it “the greatest single contribution to science ever written." What kinds of contributions did she make to the understanding of science as we know it today? Tun ... Show More
10m 45s