The Aspen Center for Physics Radio Physics Podcast features intern Henry Billinghurst in conversation with theoretical physicist Krishna Rajagopal, exploring one of the most extreme states of matter in the universe: “hot quark soup,” or quark–gluon plasma. This primordial substance filled the universe just microseconds after the Big Bang, before atoms even existed. In the episode, they discuss how scientists recreate this early-universe matter using powerful particle colliders, where atomic nuclei are smashed together at near light speed to briefly produce tiny droplets of this ultra-hot, liquid-like plasma. Along the way, the conversation dives into the physics of the early universe, the behavior of matter under extreme conditions, and how modern experiments help us understand the origins of everything around us. Listen to Radio Physics on KDNK.org every third Wednesday at 4:30pm.
Radio Physics | Krishna Rajagopal
