The Knowmads Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

In the 1920s, physicists like Schrödinger, Heisenberg, Einstein, Planck—and many others—realized something deeply unsettling and beautiful: the universe at microscopic scales is nothing like what we observe in everyday life. This was the era when quantum mechanics was discovered. And I’m intentionally saying discovered, not born, because that word choice matters. Quantum mechanics isn’t just a framework we invented—it’s closer to the idea that we uncovered something that was already true about reality.

What makes this discovery so fascinating is that quantum mechanics feels so far away from how we perceive the world… and yet, it is literally what the world is. The universe is fundamentally governed by quantum laws. And what we experience in daily life—objects with definite properties, predictable motion, a world that feels stable and classical—can be thought of as an emergent phenomenon.

And the way we’re taught physics reflects that. When we start learning physics in high school, we begin with the rules of the world we directly experience: classical physics. Only later do we “upgrade” to quantum mechanics, and we try to map our classical intuition onto this quantum world. And we do that for a very human reason: from birth, we’ve trained our intuition on the classical world. So when quantum mechanics tells us something that doesn’t match that intuition, it feels non-intuitive.

But what if we flipped the script?

If the universe is fundamentally quantum, why don’t we start there? Why don’t we build our intuition from the quantum picture first—and then understand classical reality as something that emerges in the right circumstances? That question—this idea of taking a quantum-first approach—is exactly what our guest today, Ashmeet Singh, is thinking about.

Ashmeet is a theoretical physicist who completed his PhD at Caltech and is now a professor of physics at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. Along with being a brilliant physicist, Ashmeet is also an avid science communicator—someone who has a real gift for explaining complex ideas in physics in a way that’s clear, intuitive, and genuinely exciting.

In this episode, we also talk to Ashmeet about his personal journey through academia: how he navigated his path from IIT to Caltech to IIT, what that transition felt like, and what he learned along the way about doing research, and finding a place in physics.
We’re genuinely grateful to IIT Delhi for hosting us—both giving us this beautiful space to sit in and record and for inviting us to give colloquium talks while we were in India. And a special thanks to Saarthak Parik for being a wonderful host and organizing everything so smoothly.

So if you’ve ever wondered what it would mean to understand the universe starting from quantum mechanics—treating classical reality not as the default, but as the thing that has to be explained—then you are in for a treat. 

Ashmeet's Website: https://www.quantumfirst.space/

Ashmeet's Youtube (The Scribbled Equation): https://www.youtube.com/@TheScribbledEquation

Recently, I came across a definition of a good theory: it should explain as much as possible, with as few ingredients as possible, and with as much accuracy as possible. I think that is something every serious physicist can relate to. And really, that is what modern theoretical physics is striving for — not just identifying what the universe is made of, but understanding the mathematical framework that makes the laws of nature hang together. That is why the mathematical formulation of quantum field theory is so important. It reveals the hidden structures behind particles, forces, symmetry, and even space itself, and it opens surprising connections to geometry, topology, and information. That is precisely the kind of frontier our guest explores, through research spanning string theory, gauge theory, Seiberg–Witten theory, matrix models, quantum curves, knot theory, and even biophysics through the topology of biomolecules. We’re thrilled to welcome Professor Piotr Sułkowski, a theoretical physicist at the University of Warsaw and a visiting faculty member at Caltech. He leads the Chair of Quantum Mathematical Physics, and his work explores some of the most elegant and fundamental structures in modern physics. Alongside that, he has also been actively involved in making science accessible to broader audiences through outreach projects like “Ask a Physicist.” Professor Sułkowski, it’s such a pleasure to have you with us today.

Important links:

Piotr's Website: https://psulkows.fuw.edu.pl/

Hello everyone, welcome to season 2 of the Knowmads podcast. Since Season 2 was long overdue, we had to start with someone who’s not just had a remarkable academic journey in physics, but also someone who’s been a great mentor to all his students and really, to everyone who walks into his office. So in this episode, we’re sitting in the office of Professor René Bellwied — a leading experimental physicist and a core member of the ALICE collaboration — which stands for A Large Ion Collider Experiment — one of the major experiments at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider or the LHC.
A few days ago, along with his colleges, he recieved the 2025 breakthrough prize in fundamental physics, which is one of the most prestigious award in science. We talk about the early universe, the beauty and chaos of large-scale collaborations, and what the future of physics might hold. Whether you're someone who thinks deeply about the universe or someone who just loves hearing how big science gets done, there's something for everyone. 

Hi Everyone, 
This is Episode 15 of The Knowmads Podcast.
The mother’s Mental health during the time of pregnancy is extremely crucial. Studies suggest that prenatal stress and trauma have the capacity to propagate through generations. Our guest today is a UH graduate student at the Laboratory of early experiences and development studying cognitive and behavioral neuroscience. 

Livia Merrill’s  research studies the impact of prenatal stress on the cognitive development of the new born. She has strong opinions about policies surrounding such tangible research and the dissemination of scientific findings. You’re all in for an extremely illuminating conversation.

So let's go.
xoxo 
The Knowmads

You can find Livia on Instagram @the_liv_life

You can find The Knowmads
Prachi Garella: 
Website: https://www.prachigarella.com
Lintree: https://linktr.ee/prachigarella
Bhavay: 
Website: https://www.bhavaytyagi.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bhavaystyagi/

To reach us you can email us at: theknowmadsofficial@gmail.com

Hi Everyone, 
This is Episode 14 of The Knowmads Podcast.
Whether you're a parent searching for that delicate equilibrium between responsibilities and aspirations, or someone looking for a force of motivation to go back to school, start a different journey, or simply someone seeking a tale of inspiration, you're in for a treat.

From her humble beginnings, serving tirelessly for a non-profit organization in the vibrant heart of Latin America, to the classrooms where she ignited young minds as an educator, and now juggling between being a grad student and a mother. Kristen's journey has been a tapestry of inspiration.

This is a beautiful conversation where we talk about her challenges, and the invaluable lessons she's gathered along the way. 

So let's go.
xoxo 
The Knowmads

You can find The Knowmads
Prachi Garella: 
Website: https://www.prachigarella.com
Lintree: https://linktr.ee/prachigarella
Bhavay: 
Website: https://www.bhavaytyagi.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bhavaystyagi/

To reach us you can email us at: theknowmadsofficial@gmail.com

Hi Everyone, 
This is Episode 13 of The Knowmads Podcast.
Most of us who grew up in bilingual or a multilingual homes
often wonder if the new babies in the family will be able to understand
these different language(s). In this episode we dive deep into the fascinating
world of early language development in children. Our guest today
Christina Diaz Griep is a psychologist from University of Houston where her research involves understanding how children growing up in bilingual and monolingual households navigate the intricate journey of language acquisition. 

So let's go.
xoxo 
The Knowmads

You can find Christina:
@Christygriep on Instagram

You can find The Knowmads
Prachi Garella: 
Website: https://www.prachigarella.com
Lintree: https://linktr.ee/prachigarella
Bhavay: 
Website: https://www.bhavaytyagi.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bhavaystyagi/

To reach us you can email us at: theknowmadsofficial@gmail.com

Hi Everyone,
This is Episode 12 of The Knowmads Podcast.
Long after abolishment of Slavery in the US, in the late 1800s the effects are still seen in different forms. The unbalanced dynamics of power between prison authorities and prisoners illustrates hints of slavery even today and remains ignored. Our guest today is a historian from Rice University and in her research she particularly highlights the oppressive experiences of incarcerated black women in the late 20th century in jails in Texas. She talks about various forms of abuse that is witnessed even today in Texas Jails. It’s a very illuminating and thought provoking podcast, I’m sure you’ll like it.

xoxo
The Knowmads

You can find Nina:
@Nina.nevill on Instagram

You can find The Knowmads
Prachi Garella: 
Website: https://www.prachigarella.com
Lintree: https://linktr.ee/prachigarella
Bhavay: 
Website: https://www.bhavaytyagi.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bhavaystyagi/

To reach us you can email us at: theknowmadsofficial@gmail.com

Hi Everyone,
This is Episode 11 of The Knowmads Podcast.
Have you ever wondered why do we dream, are we conscious while
we are sleeping?
How is our brain able to generate a 3 dimensional visual image every night while our eyes are closed? Our guest today Adriana Alcaraz Sánchez is a philosopher, from University of Glasgow. In new recent work. She talks about objectless sleep awareness
and compares the ideologies of western philosophy regarding consciousness while one
sleeps with various different philosophical traditions from other parts of the world.
This is an extremely intriguing conversation where Adrian explains some of the interesting concepts in philosophy. Since we recorded this online the quality of audio may not be the best but I assure you that, the quality of the conversation is immaculate.
So let's go

xoxo
The Knowmads

You can find Adriana:
@Hawally_ on X (twitter)
Website: http://www.adriana-alcarazsanchez.xyz/

You can find The Knowmads
Prachi Garella: 
Website: https://www.prachigarella.com
Lintree: https://linktr.ee/prachigarella
Bhavay: 
Website: https://www.bhavaytyagi.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bhavaystyagi/

To reach us you can email us at: theknowmadsofficial@gmail.com

Hi Everyone, 
This is Episode 10 of The Knowmads Podcast.
Political discussions and associated ideologies almost always resolve in thinking about national leaders and the large scale effects of policies that finally lead to geo politics. The conversations often lack the microscopic details and the penetrative effects of policies at the lowest local level, where ‘in principle’ it actually matters. 
Studies suggest that such discussions ,amongst young students, who are these future leaders, are completely missing in recent times. The drive and necessity of social acceptance and the high sensitivity surrounding these topics renders the young mind extremely hesitant and sometimes completely helpless. 
In todays episode we aim to break this notion apart. 
Our guest today is a 3rd year physics graduate student at the University of Houston. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in physics and astronomy from Emory University. His research is in experimental particle physics he specializes in designing and building equipment and systems for highly sensitive particle detectors. Daniel shares with us his true opinions about recent American Educational Policies and how that affects lives of graduate students and since it’s not possible to not talk about physics on The Knowmads Podcast, we talk about the current state of Dark Matter detection in the community.

xoxo 
The Knowmads

You can find Daniel at: https://www.instagram.com/here_comes_duff
Email: dhuff@uh.edu

You can find The Knowmads
Prachi Garella: 
Website: https://www.prachigarella.com
Lintree: https://linktr.ee/prachigarella
Bhavay: 
Website: https://www.bhavaytyagi.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bhavaystyagi/

To reach us you can email us at: theknowmadsofficial@gmail.com

Hi Everyone, 
This is Episode 9 of The Knowmads Podcast. 
Right before getting into the double digits of episodes we decided to do an ask us anything episode. Although we weren't able to answer all the questions that you guys had asked we answered ones that were most interesting and kind of captured many details in the questions that we missed. We would like to thank you all for the wonderful questions and support and we're truly grateful. We'll keep doing the ask us anything episodes since it is a great way to get feedback from our audience and for us to gauge what is it that you all like. We hope you enjoy this episode it's one of the longer ones. 
xoxo 
The Knowmads

You can find The Knowmads
Prachi Garella: 
Website: https://www.prachigarella.com
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/prachigarella
Bhavay: 
Website: https://www.bhavaytyagi.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bhavaystyagi/

To reach us you can email us at: theknowmadsofficial@gmail.com