Ideas, Speakers & Lectures

Aspen Center for Physics

The Aspen Center for Physics nurtures cutting-edge research in physics and related disciplines by providing a unique physical and scientific environment ideally suited for stimulating interactions, collaborations, and innovation. The Center also aims to increase public understanding of and interest in physics through a variety of education and outreach activities at the Center and in the town of Aspen. Every year, over 1,000 scientists from around the world participate in scientific programs at the Center. Learn more at aspenphys.org.

Aspen Center for Physics: Is Physics a Universal Language? with Daniel Whiteson

Aspen Public Radio

Published July 23, 2026 at 1:02 PM MDT

This event was recorded on July 22, 2026 at Flug Forum, produced by Aspen Center for Physics, in partnership with Aspen Public Radio.

Physicists like to believe that their work reveals something deeply true about the Universe. Alien scientists, they suspect, are discovering the same concepts, even if they may express them in alien languages. But how do we know? If aliens arrived on Earth, could we use physics and math to bridge the gap? Before they arrive, we can glimpse the possibilities by looking at the foundations of physics, to search for clues about whether they are universal, or reflect something of our humanity.

About Daniel Whiteson

Daniel Whiteson is a professor of physics at UC Irvine who studies particle collisions at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider. He’s the host of the podcast ‘Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe’. He can’t want to meet aliens and talk to them about physics.