The ghost particle: searching for the mysterious neutrino - with James Riordan

What's the history and science behind the pursuit of the ghostly subatomic particle, the neutrino? Watch the Q&A (exclusively for channel members) here: https://youtu.be/IBnN26eKnLY Buy James's book here: https://geni.us/h32Bb This lecture was recorded on 17 August 2023. With approximately 100 trillion neutrinos passing through us every second, these particles hold the key to unlocking some of the Universe's greatest mysteries. From the discovery of neutrinos and their role in illuminating the Universe through neutrino telescopes to the challenges of detecting this elusive particle, this lecture explores the science behind the ghost particle. Additionally, we will explore the potential of neutrinos to answer some of the biggest questions in the universe, including the composition of dark matter and the Universe's origin. This is a unique opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the science behind the neutrino and its impact on our understanding of the cosmos. 00:00 A revolution in astronomy 4:58 What exactly is a neutrino? 6:13 Where do neutrinos come from? 8:55 Nils Bohr and the Beta decay conundrum 12:14 Hans Bethe and the invisible particle solution 15:24 How NOT to find a neutrino 21:27 On the hunt for solar neutrinos 25:48 Three flavours of neutrinos 28:16 Neutrino oscillation and how it works 31:18 Probing the inside of the earth 34:47 Using neutrinos for astronomy 38:47 Matter over Antimatter 46:09 Could aliens communicate using neutrinos? 52:50 Looking at the birth of the universe --- James Riordon is a science journalist who has written for Science News, Scientific American, New Scientist, Popular Science, Washington Post, Science, Ad Astra, Physics Today, and Analytical Chemistry. He is a past President of the DC Science Writers Association and Cofounder of the Southwest Science Writers Association. --- Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYeF244yNGuFefuFKqxIAXw/join Subscribe for regular science videos: http://bit.ly/RiSubscRibe The Ri is on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ri_science and Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/royalinstitution and TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ri_science Listen to the Ri podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ri-science-podcast Donate to the RI and help us bring you more lectures: https://www.rigb.org/support-us/donate-ri Our editorial policy: https://www.rigb.org/editing-ri-talks-and-moderating-comments Subscribe for the latest science videos: http://bit.ly/RiNewsletter Product links on this page may be affiliate links which means it won't cost you any extra but we may earn a small commission if you decide to purchase through the link.