WU Physics Department Courses

Understanding the Nature of Dark Matter Through Terrestrial Experiments

Explore cutting-edge terrestrial experiments and scientific methods used to detect and study dark matter, one of the universe's most enigmatic components.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 19 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Planetary Alignments and Their Role in Astronomical Discoveries

Explore the fascinating history and science of planetary alignments, from early telescope observations to modern exoplanet discoveries using advanced space telescopes and spectroscopic techniques.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 13 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Cosmic Coincidence: The Science of Eclipses - From Ancient History to Modern Understanding

Discover the fascinating science behind solar eclipses, their historical significance, and how they've shaped our understanding of Earth, the Moon, and Einstein's theory of general relativity.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 18 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Black Holes, Bombs, and Beyond - The Interconnected History of Astrophysics and Nuclear Weapons Research

Explore the fascinating intersection of astrophysics and nuclear weapons research, revealing how computational physics at Los Alamos shaped our understanding of both black holes and atomic bombs.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 24 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Nuclear Science and Weapons Development During the Los Alamos Years

Explore the physics behind nuclear weapons development during WWII, including fission, fusion, uranium isotopes, and plutonium production, while examining the German nuclear program.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 44 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Oppenheimer's Pre-War Research and the Rise of American Quantum Physics

Explore Oppenheimer's groundbreaking quantum physics research, from the Born-Oppenheimer approximation to his work on antiparticle theory, and his impact on American scientific advancement.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 21 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Chaos from Order, Order from Chaos

Explore the fascinating interplay between order and chaos in physics through an engaging lecture that reveals fundamental patterns in seemingly random systems.

• YouTube
• 56 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Why You Might Want Your Brain at the Very Edge of Chaos

Discover how your brain operates at the critical boundary between order and disorder, exploring the fascinating neuroscience of chaos theory and optimal brain function.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 24 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

The Physics of Everything - Ambition, Failures, Successes

Explore the ambitious quest to understand everything through physics, examining both groundbreaking successes and instructive failures in this comprehensive lecture.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 8 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Physics and the Puzzle of Artificial Intelligence

Explore the fascinating intersection of physics principles and artificial intelligence in this thought-provoking lecture by Zohar Nussinov.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 6 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

X-ray Astronomy in Living Color: Exploring Spectroscopy and Cosmic Phenomena

Discover how X-ray spectroscopy reveals cosmic mysteries, from black holes to missing matter, through advanced instruments like Chandra gratings and upcoming XRISM quantum detectors.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 30 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Physics and Our Next 20 Years - Understanding Scientific Limits and Future Technologies

Explore the fundamental limits of scientific advancement and technological progress, examining how physics shapes our future capabilities in space exploration, AI, energy, and beyond.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 24 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Renewable Energy System Design for St. Louis - Planning for Reliable Power Generation and Storage

Explore the feasibility of renewable energy implementation in St. Louis, examining storage solutions, generation capacity needs, and the role of backup power systems for a sustainable future.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 19 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Tales of High Temperature Superconductors

Explore the fascinating world of high temperature superconductors with Sheng Ren's Saturday Science lecture from Washington University's Physics Department.

• YouTube
• 53 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Seeing the Dark with Gravitational Lensing

Explore the fascinating concept of gravitational lensing and its role in detecting dark matter in this lecture by Tansu Daylan and Bryce Wedig.

• YouTube
• 33 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video