David Kaiser: MIT Physicist on Black Holes Older Than the Universe

MIT physicist and historian David Kaiser examines primordial black holes, exploring how they might explain dark matter and connect to cosmic inflation. He discusses their potential impact on our understanding of the early universe, linking quantum theory, cosmology, and the history of physics.0:00 What Are Primordial Black Holes?1:41 Could They Be Dark Matter?5:21 Kaiser’s Academic Journey10:56 Studying Physics and Its History11:57 Cosmic Inflation Basics15:31 Direct Collapse vs. Stellar Collapse25:14 Bell’s Theorem Explained38:32 Quasars and the Cosmic Bell Test43:04 High-Precision Astronomy47:38 Learning Curves & Interdisciplinary Research48:17 Scalar Fields and Inflation Models55:05 Black Hole Formation from Inflation58:41 Black Hole Mass as a Cosmic Clock1:02:50 Quark-Gluon Plasma & Color Charge1:08:46 Critical Collapse and Mass Spread1:11:34 Charged Primordial Black Holes1:13:54 Big Bang Nucleosynthesis Implications1:20:14 Detecting Black Holes Locally1:23:51 Tracking Planetary Wobbles1:26:04 Hawking Radiation & Positron Signatures1:30:06 Why Track Mars, Not Earth?SPONSORS:- I personally subscribe to The Economist. TOE listeners get 35% off the annual subscription. No other podcast has this! https://economist.com/TOE- Substack (Personal Writings): https://curtjaimungal.substack.com- Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/SpotifyTOE- YouTube Membership (Early Access Videos): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdWIQh9DGG6uhJk8eyIFl1w/joinEvery episode days early, ad-free, plus my essays: https://curtjaimungal.substack.com/subscribeRESOURCES:- David Kaiser's published papers: https://arxiv.org/a/kaiser_d_1.html- Bell, J. S. "On the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox" (1964): https://cds.cern.ch/record/111654/files/vol1p195-200_001.pdf- "Ultra-High-Energy Neutrinos from Primordial Black Holes" (2025): https://arxiv.org/pdf/2503.19227- "Cosmic Bell Test Using Random Measurement Settings from High-Redshift Quasars" (2018): https://arxiv.org/pdf/1808.05966- "Close Encounters of the Primordial Kind" (2023): https://arxiv.org/pdf/2312.17217- "Primordial Black Holes from Multifield Inflation with Non-minimal Couplings" (2022): https://arxiv.org/pdf/2205.04471- "Testing Bell's Inequality with Cosmic Photons" (2013): https://arxiv.org/pdf/1310.3288- "Planck Constraints & Gravitational-Wave Forecasts for PBH Dark Matter Seeded by Multifield Inflation" (2023): https://arxiv.org/pdf/2303.02168- "Light Scalar Fields Foster Production of Primordial Black Holes" (2025): https://arxiv.org/pdf/2504.13251- "Debye Screening of Non-Abelian Plasmas in Curved Spacetimes" (2023): https://arxiv.org/pdf/2309.15385- "Primordial Black Holes with QCD Color Charge" (2023): https://arxiv.org/pdf/2310.16877- A Brief History of Time - Stephen Hawking: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0553380168- In Search of Schrödinger's Cat - John Gribbin: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0553342533- How the Hippies Saved Physics - David Kaiser: https://www.amazon.com/dp/039334231X- Drawing Theories Apart - David Kaiser: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002Y5W2X2 Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal features long-form, technically detailed interviews with leading researchers in physics, mathematics, consciousness, and philosophy, exploring topics at the level of active research. For academics, graduate students, and anyone seeking depth beyond popular science. - Crypto: https://nowpayments.io/donation/TOE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices