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What happens when a psychiatrist sits down with a Stanford physics professor to talk about gravitational waves, dark matter, quantum mechanics, and atoms existing in two places at once?

In this episode of No Reason to Get Excited (NRTGE), Dr. Aaron Winkler talks with Stanford Physicist Peter Graham about the strange and fascinating world of modern physics. What starts as a conversation about gravitational wave detection quickly turns into a deep exploration of quantum mechanics, atom interferometry, atomic clocks, dark matter, and the bizarre reality of particles behaving like waves.

Peter explains how researchers are building tabletop experiments capable of measuring incredibly small distortions in space-time, why gravity is surprisingly weak compared to electromagnetism, and how a single atom can exist in two places at once. Along the way, Aaron asks the kinds of questions many listeners are probably thinking themselves, leading to a conversation that feels less like a formal interview and more like two curious minds trying to make sense of the universe together.

This episode is not a simplified science lecture. It’s an intellectually alive conversation about uncertainty, experimentation, physics, and the limits of human intuition.

About the Guest

Peter Graham is a professor of physics at Stanford University whose research focuses on fundamental physics, dark matter, gravitational waves, and precision measurement techniques using atomic systems. His work often bridges theoretical physics and experimental collaboration, helping develop new ways to probe some of the deepest unanswered questions in modern science.

Connect with Peter:

Website: https://physics.stanford.edu/people/peter-graham

Chapters

00:00 – Introduction to Peter Graham and Stanford Physics
03:20 – Why Collaboration Matters in Modern Physics
05:10 – The Problem with Dark Matter and Fundamental Physics
06:00 – Building New Experiments Instead of Bigger Colliders
07:00 – How LIGO Detects Gravitational Waves
09:30 – Why Gravity Is Surprisingly Weak
11:20 – Gravitons, Dark Matter, and Unanswered Questions
15:15 – Atom Interferometry Explained
18:00 – Quantum Mechanics and Probability Waves
24:40 – Using Lasers to Manipulate Atoms
29:20 – The History of Particle Physics and Scientific Discovery
33:00 – What Quantum Waves Actually Mean
41:00 – Vacuum Chambers, Cooling Atoms, and Laser Physics
47:00 – How Laser Cooling Works
55:00 – Creating an Atomic Interferometer
1:00:30 – Measuring Time with Atomic Clocks
1:08:00 – Using Atoms to Detect Gravitational Waves
1:15:00 – Earth’s Gravity, Potential Energy, and Quantum States
1:20:00 – Why Vertical Mine Shafts Matter
1:24:00 – Measuring Acceleration with Atomic Systems
1:28:00 – Building the Future of Gravitational Wave Detection

If you enjoyed this episode of No Reason to Get Excited, make sure to follow the show, leave a rating or review, and share this episode with someone who loves deep conversations about science, physics, and the mysteries of the universe.

Connect with Dr. Aaron Winkler

• Website: www.aaronwinklermd.com
• LinkedIn: @NRTGEPOD
• Instagram @NRTGEPOD

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What does it actually mean to create a molecule that has never existed before?

In this episode of No Reason to Get Excited (NRTGE), Dr. Aaron Winkler sits down with Stanford organic chemist Noah Burns for a wide-ranging conversation about chemistry, creativity, photochemistry, molecular design, and the strange beauty hidden inside organic reactions.

What begins as a discussion about bromination and halogenation quickly expands into something much bigger: the relationship between science and imagination, the role of intuition in research, and how chemists develop entirely new reaction pathways capable of creating highly strained molecular structures.

Noah explains how his lab designs reactions that selectively create one molecular “handedness” over another, why chirality matters in medicine and biology, and how light can be used to drive reactions that would otherwise be energetically impossible. Along the way, Aaron connects chemistry to psychology, creativity, consciousness, traffic systems, human relationships, and even the metaphorical power of molecules like porphyrin.

This is not a technical lecture disguised as a podcast. It’s an intellectually playful conversation about discovery, emergence, energy, and the deeply human side of scientific work.

About the Guest
Noah Burns is an associate professor of chemistry at Stanford University specializing in synthetic organic chemistry. His research focuses on developing new chemical reactions, photochemistry, halogenation strategies, strained molecular systems, and the total synthesis of complex natural products. His lab explores how novel molecular transformations can enable discoveries in biology, medicine, and materials science.

Connect with Noah

Website: https://chemistry.stanford.edu/people/noah-burns

Chapters

00:00 – Introduction to Noah Burns and Organic Chemistry
01:20 – Columbia, New York City, and Academic Training
03:00 – Teaching, Curiosity, and Scientific Enthusiasm
04:30 – What Synthetic Organic Chemists Actually Do
06:00 – Primary vs. Secondary Metabolites
08:30 – Natural Products and Drug Discovery
10:00 – Halogenation, Bromination, and Chemical Reactivity
12:30 – Why Bromine Is Both Beautiful and Dangerous
14:00 – Chirality and Why Molecular Handedness Matters
16:00 – Enantioselective Catalysis Explained
18:30 – Nobel Prize-Winning Chemistry and Selective Reactions
21:00 – Designing New Reaction Pathways
24:00 – Titanium Catalysts and Chiral Ligands
28:00 – The Creativity and Trial-and-Error of Organic Chemistry
32:30 – Building Four-Membered Carbon Rings
34:30 – Using Light and Copper to Create Cyclobutanes
38:00 – Photochemistry and High-Energy Molecular States
40:00 – Porphyrins, Photosynthesis, and Human Systems
44:30 – Redox Reactions and the “Vital Spark” of Life
46:00 – Why Life Is Controlled Oxidation
48:00 – Evolution, Energy, and Reactive Systems
51:00 – Translating Ideas Into Physical Reality
54:00 – Traffic Theory, Systems Thinking, and Flow States
57:00 – DARPA, High-Energy Molecules, and Closing Thoughts

If you enjoyed this episode of No Reason to Get Excited, make sure to follow the show, leave a rating or review, and share this episode with someone who loves deep conversations about science, physics, and the mysteries of the universe.

Connect with Dr. Aaron Winkler

• Website: www.aaronwinklermd.com
• LinkedIn: @NRTGEPOD
• Instagram @NRTGEPOD