Don Lincoln

Taught by noted physicist Dr. Don Lincoln of the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, this course follows the search for a theory that explains all physical reality-a theory of everything. Dr. Lincoln covers recent developments in particle physics and cosmology, plus the background needed to appreciate the centuries-long search for this holy grail of science. Only high-school-level math is used.

Get a whirlwind introduction to the scientific truths about how planes fly through the air. This episode overturns the (often-very-wrong) way flight is taught in introductory physics classes and focuses on two relevant subjects involved in flight: air cir

Examine the peculiarities of quantum mechanics in an effort to better understand what's going on in the quantum world. Get a whirlwind introduction that covers everything from the wave function and the behavior of electrons to the double-slit experiment a

Introductory physics classes tell you that a ball thrown on the surface of the earth follows a parabola. What happens when you take away the simplifying assumptions in this scenario? How do we factor in air resistance and the Earth's rotation? What happen

At its core, relativity is about something very simple: how two people in relative motion see the world differently. In the first of two episodes on misunderstandings about relativity, explore the Lorentz transforms, then journey through a seeming paradox

It turns out the usual story of Benjamin Franklin's discovery of electricity using just a kite and a key isn't exactly true. Get the real story behind this and other misunderstandings about electricity and reframe the way you think about how electricity w

Discover a very different idea about the real essence of matter as it relates to the molecules and atoms of chemistry. Learn to think about matter as entirely empty space, not tiny balls; consider the inside of a proton and neutron; and ponder the questio

It might surprise you to know that most human characteristics (including eye color) aren't governed by a single gene. Nor do dominant genes always become more common over time. As you'll discover, we owe these and other misconceptions about genetics to th

Dig deeper into misconceptions about quantum mechanics, with a focus on the complicated, the contradictory, and the downright sketchy. What happens to an electron when you're not looking at it? Can a cat be both alive and dead at the same time? Should we

There are some popular misconceptions about alien life that science fiction writers have said often enough that we take them to be likely or true. But are they? Professor Lincoln unpacks the possibility of silicon-based life and truths about the Drake equ