Is there such a thing as nothing? What is our universe expanding into? And, most importantly, will Tania and Charlotte get through this episode without having panic attacks?
Charlotte Cruze, co-founder and COO of Alice Mushrooms, talks to award-winning NASA astrophysicist and cosmologist Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi about the big questions of space, time, spacetime, and the cosmos.
Get curious about:
The Higgs boson particle
How gravity and energy affect time
Why “matter can’t be created or destroyed” isn’t actually true
The birth of the universe
The relationship between physics and mysticism
Guest info
Charlotte is the co-founder and COO of Alice Mushrooms, a wellness brand known for its functional mushroom chocolates for sleep, energy, and intimacy. Alice Mushrooms been named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies in Health. Charlotte was also recognized as one of Inc.’s Female Founders to Watch.
Charlotte’s Instagram - http://bit.ly/4mGPc7C
Alice Mushrooms Instagram - http://bit.ly/45ywzf4
Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi holds a PhD in Physics from Stanford University. He is an award-winning journalist, educator, speaker, and author whose research has appeared in over 100 scientific publications.
Hakeem's X: @HakeemOluseyi
Learn about Hakeem’s work as the CEO of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific at astrosociety.org.
Listen to Hakeem on the Does It Fly? and Particles of Thought podcasts.
Read Hakeem’s award-winning memoir, A Quantum Life, available in both Adult and YA versions. His latest book, Why Do We Exist? The Nine Realms of the Universe That Make You Possible, is available for preorder here.
On Smart People Get Curious, hosted by Tania Zaparaniuk, high-profile guests get to nerd out with real experts in fields they’re fascinated by—but know nothing about. They ask their “dumb” questions, and listeners learn alongside them. It’s unscripted, surprising, and refreshingly human.
00:00 – Cordyceps mushrooms & “sex chocolate”
01:40 – Why time moves differently on Earth vs. in space
02:50 – Meet Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi (NASA astrophysicist, TEDx speaker, author)
05:00 – Childhood panic attacks about infinity
06:50 – Do we ever reach “nothingness”?
08:30 – Higgs boson & quantum fields explained
13:00 – Is time fundamental or emergent?
18:00 – The myth of conservation of energy
21:20 – Learning physics changes how you see the world
23:45 – Black holes, life in the universe, and time travel questions
28:00 – What lies outside our universe?
31:00 – Mysticism, intuition & unexplained phenomena
37:00 – Ancestors whispering answers — inspiration or science?
42:00 – Anti-aging, Everest & relativity
46:20 – Will we find life beyond Earth?
49:40 – Earth’s ancient mushroom forests
51:40 – Alice Mushrooms’ mission & products
52:40 – Dr. O’s work, memoir, and new projects
