The History of Physics Podcast

The History of Physics Podcast

By History Podcasts & Josh LinskSociety & CultureDocumentaryScienceHistory
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The History of Physics Podcast episodes

  • Brownian Proof: Einstein, Perrin, and the Atomic Revolution

    Einstein’s 1905 paper on Brownian motion paved the way for experimental confirmation of atoms by Jean Perrin, turning a philosophical debate into measurable science. This episode traces how statistical mechanics, precision microscopy, and early‑20th‑century experimentation converged to prove atomic reality. We also explore the broader impact on instrumentation, funding models, and the cultural shift toward empirical physics.

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    18 min
  • Franklin’s Lightning Kite and the Spark That Wired Modern Electricity

    Benjamin Franklin’s daring kite experiment in 1752 may have been just a modest spark, but it sparked an entire revolution in understanding electricity. From Coulomb’s inverse-square law to Volta’s first battery, this episode traces how one observation unfolded into the foundations of modern electrical science.

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    17 min
  • The Oxford Calculators: Medieval Algebra and the Equation of Falling Bodies

    In the early 1300s a group of scholars at Oxford challenged Aristotle by deriving a quadratic law for falling bodies using algebraic reasoning. Their work, informed by Arabic translations, laid the mathematical groundwork later confirmed by Galileo and Newton—transforming physics from philosophy to empirical science.

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    14 min
  • Buridan's Impetus Theory: From Medieval Thought to the Birth of Momentum

    This episode follows Jean Buridan’s 14th‑century concept of ‘impetus’—an internal power that keeps a projectile moving—showing how his medieval reasoning foreshadowed the modern notion of momentum and set the groundwork for Newtonian mechanics. We trace the intellectual lineage from Aristotle through Avicenna to Galileo and Newton, highlighting how philosophical debates shaped experimental practice and the language of physics.

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    18 min
  • Hooke’s Law: From 17th‑Century Springs to Modern Materials

    We trace how Robert Hooke's observation that a spring’s extension is proportional to applied force evolved from hand‑wound coils in a London workshop to a foundational principle in engineering, materials science, and even particle‑detector design. The episode unpacks Hooke’s experimental challenges, the debates with contemporaries like Boyle and Newton, and how his law became a bridge between empirical measurement and mathematical theory.

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    23 min
  • Boltzmann’s Entropy Equation and the Arrow of Time

    This episode explores Ludwig Boltzmann's statistical approach to entropy that gave physics its irreversible arrow. We trace his development of S = kB ln Ω, his battles with Loschmidt’s paradox, and how the concept reshaped thermodynamics, information theory, and modern simulations. From steam engines to quantum computers, Boltzmann's legacy continues to influence how we model disorder in the universe.

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    16 min
  • Discovering the Invisible: Chadwick and the Birth of the Neutron

    In this episode we follow the trail from a puzzling beryllium experiment to the revelation of the neutron—an uncharged particle that reshaped atomic theory. We unpack how James Chadwick’s careful measurements challenged Rutherford’s proton‑centric model, the experimental ingenuity involved, and the ripple effects on nuclear physics and technology. From early isotope anomalies to modern reactors, this story shows how a subtle anomaly in wax led to one of science’s most profound discoveries.

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    16 min
  • Eddington’s 1919 Eclipse: The Experiment That Confirmed Einstein’s Gravity

    Join Josh Linsk as he unpacks Arthur Eddington’s daring eclipse expedition and the meticulous measurements that proved light bends under gravity. From logistical nightmares to statistical controversies, this episode traces how a small 13‑inch astrograph turned a theoretical prediction into an astronomical triumph.

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    17 min
  • Vera Rubin and the Missing Gravity – The Dark Matter Revolution

    In the 1970s, astronomer Vera Rubin’s precise measurements of spiral‑galaxy rotation curves upended Newtonian expectations and paved the way for the dark‑matter hypothesis. This episode traces how her data challenged conventional gravity, spurred alternative theories like MOND, and shaped modern cosmology.

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    11 min

About The History of Physics Podcast

From the publisher's feed

Explore the extraordinary history of physics, from the earliest attempts to explain motion, matter, light, and the heavens to the discoveries that transformed our understanding of space, time, energy, atoms, and the universe. The History of Physics Podcast follows the thinkers, experiments, equations, instruments, institutions, and scientific revolutions that built modern physics across thousands of years.