Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe

Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe

Scientists Daniel and Kelly cannot stop talking about our amazing, wonderful, weird Universe! Each episode is a fun, easy-to-understand, and in-depth explanation of topics in science, from particles to black holes to moon colonies to ecosystems to parasites and everything else in the Universe!

Episodes

June 18, 2026 54 mins

Daniel and Kelly talks about a species of social amoeba that will die to help others. Why the heck does it do that? And bonus: the amoeba are farmers!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Daniel and Kelly talk about the James Webb Telescope and something mysterious it saw

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
June 11, 2026 53 mins

Daniel and Kelly answer questions from listeners about earthworms, the origins of the galaxy, and snails!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Daniel and Kelly talk to Prof. Scott Egan about the meaning of species in modern biology.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Daniel and Kelly explain the bizarre Tychonic model of the solar system, which for centuries stood as a valid theory alongside the Copernican model.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
June 2, 2026 52 mins

Daniel and Kelly answer questions about relativistic paradoxes, parasitoid wasp viruses, and detector technologies.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

A recent paper found tantalizing evidence that rural raccoons are showing evidence of domestication. So how long until we all have pet raccoons? And how well do we really understand the domestication process anyway?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
May 26, 2026 51 mins

Daniel and Kelly dig into the mysterious concept of quantum contexuality: how measurements depend on each other.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
May 21, 2026 60 mins

Daniel and Kelly answer questions about muscle memory, water-less showers, and why everyone can't be ambidextrous.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Over 50% of Earth's surface is the deep seabed. Dr. Andrew Thaler joins Daniel and Kelly to talk about the amazing diversity of life on the deep seabed, the resources found here, and the rules that govern this region.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
May 14, 2026 49 mins

Daniel and Kelly explain how signals get jammed, how to avoid being jammed, and whose music makes the best jam.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
May 12, 2026 61 mins

Daniel and Kelly answer questions about aliens watching Earth, about lone species, and about the size limits of intelligence.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Parasites can have amazingly complicated life cycles - moving through a series of host species, and looking quite different while residing within each type of host. Frankly, this stumped scientists for a long time. In today's episode, Daniel and Kelly take a stroll through the history of science to explore how we finally started to figure parasite life cycles out.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
May 5, 2026 52 mins

Daniel and Kelly explain the nature of the quantum vacuum, whether its real or philosophical, and if it's possible to use to make your toast.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
April 30, 2026 56 mins

Daniel and Kelly explain how cells in a fetus or in an adult know what they're supposed to do, and discuss whether opposable thumbs are necessary for the development of tools and technology.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Daniel and Kelly talk to Dr. Steve Brusatte about his new book "The Story of Birds". We discuss if chickens are really dinosaurs, if we know what color dinosaur feathers were, and why birds survived the devastating asteroid collision with Earth while pterosaurs didn't.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
April 23, 2026 57 mins

Daniel and Kelly explain the role of AI in physics and speculate about its future impact on discoveries and curiosity.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
April 21, 2026 42 mins

Daniel and Kelly answer questions about Odderon particles, Langerhans cells, and black holes within black holes.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Daniel, Kelly, and Katrine talk about biofilms, and how they can be delicious, adorable, and bad. For the bad ones, we discuss current tactics for overcoming them.

Show links:


1. Nature's cutest symbiosis: The Bobtail Squid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ivMSCi-Y2Q


2. The Joyful Microbe's guide to Kombucha: https://joyfulmicrobe.com/kombucha/(Notice the lighthearted joy, no fear mongering here!)


3. Beauti...

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
April 14, 2026 50 mins

Daniel and Kelly discuss whether ideas from science fiction have inspired real scientific or technological progress.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    Hey Jonas! The official Jonas Brothers podcast. Hosted by Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas. It’s the Jonas Brothers you know... musicians, actors, and well, yes, brothers. Now, they’re sharing another side of themselves in the playful, intimate, and irreverent way only they can. Spend time with the Jonas Brothers here and stay a little bit longer for deep conversations like never before.

    Dateline NBC

    Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

    Stuff You Should Know

    If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

    The MeatEater Podcast

    Building on the belief that a deeper understanding of the natural world enriches all of our lives, host Steven Rinella brings an in-depth and relevant look at all outdoor topics including hunting, fishing, nature, conservation, and wild foods. Filled with humor, irreverence, and things that will surprise the hell out of you, each episode welcomes a diverse group of guests who add their own expertise to the vast world of the outdoors. Part of The MeatEater Podcast Network.

    The Joe Rogan Experience

    The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.

Advertise With Us

Follow Us On

Hosts And Creators

Daniel Whiteson

Daniel Whiteson

Kelly Weinersmith

Kelly Weinersmith

Show Links

RSS FeedBlueSky
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2026 iHeartMedia, Inc.

  • Help
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • AdChoicesAd Choices