Episode cover
The Theory of Gravity That Shouldn't Exist
April 09, 2025 · 130 min
Head on over to https://ver.so and use coupon code TOE at checkout to save 15% on your first order. As a listener of TOE you can get a special 20% off discount to The Economist and all it has to offer! Visit https://www.economist.com/toe Today we are joined by theoretical physicist Claudia de Rham for her return appearance on Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal to discuss the possibility that gravity itself has mass. In this mind-bending conversation, she explores how this idea challenges long-held assumptions in general relativity and opens the door to a new understanding of dark energy and the structure of the universe. We also dive into the frontiers of cosmology, quantum gravity, and what it means to question the foundations of physics. Join My New Substack (Personal Writings): https://curtjaimungal.substack.com Listen on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/SpotifyTOE Become a YouTube Member (Early Access Videos): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdWIQh9DGG6uhJk8eyIFl1w/join Links Mentioned: •⁠ ⁠The Beauty of Falling (Claudia’s book): https://amzn.to/4i4Z9cx •⁠ ⁠Claudia’s published papers: https://profiles.imperial.ac.uk/c.de-rham/publications •⁠ ⁠Claudia’s first appearance on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ve_Mpd6dGv8&t=83s&ab_channel=CurtJaimungal •⁠ ⁠Carlo Rovelli on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hF4SAketEHY •⁠ ⁠Curt’s Substack article on energy: https://curtjaimungal.substack.com/p/what-is-energy-actually •⁠ ⁠Neil Turok on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUp9x44N3uE •⁠ ⁠Tim Palmer on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlklA6jsS8A •⁠ ⁠DESI article on The Economist: https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2024/06/19/the-dominant-model-of-the-universe-is-creaking •⁠ ⁠String Theory Iceberg on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4PdPnQuwjY •⁠ ⁠Leonard Susskind on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2p_Hlm6aCok •⁠ ⁠Chiara Marletto and Vlatko Vedral on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uey_mUy1vN0 •⁠ ⁠TOE’s telling of “The Dark History of Anti-Gravity”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBA3RUxkZdc •⁠ ⁠Positive Signs in Massive Gravity (paper): https://arxiv.org/pdf/1601.04068 Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 01:20 - Claudia's Approach 09:11 - Claudia's Motivation 14:45 - Dark Energy 23:35 - Causality 27:19 - Other Approaches 45:10 - New Physics 50:47 - Dark Energy (continued) 57:36 - Quantum Gravity / String Theory 01:14:10 - Gravitons & Photons 01:21:44 - Symmetry 01:30:25 - Double Slit Experiment 01:50:15 - Cosmology 01:54:45 - Massive Graviton 02:00:10 - Conclusion Support TOE on Patreon: https://patreon.com/curtjaimungal Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOEwithCurt Discord Invite: https://discord.com/invite/kBcnfNVwqs #science Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices