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EPISODE · Sep 12, 2026 · 26 MIN

How To Simulate The Universe With DFT

from PBS Space Time · host PBS

PBS Member Stations rely on viewers like you. To support your local station, go to: http://to.pbs.org/DonateSPACE Take the Space Time Fan Survey Here: https://forms.gle/wS4bj9o3rvyhfKzUA ***** Sign Up on Patreon to get access to the Space Time Discord! https://www.patreon.com/pbsspacetime If you used every particle in the observable universe to do a full quantum simulation, how big would that simulation be? At best a large molecule. That’s how insanely information dense the quantum wavefunction really is. And yet we routinely simulate systems with thousands, even millions of particles. How? By cheating. Using the ultimate compression algorithm: Density Functional Theory (DFT). Let’s learn how to cheat the universe. Check out the Space Time Merch Store https://www.pbsspacetime.com/shop Sign up for the mailing list to get episode notifications and hear special announcements! https://mailchi.mp/1a6eb8f2717d/spacetime Hosted by Matt O'Dowd Written by Graeme Gossel & Matt O'Dowd Post Production by Leonardo Scholzer, Yago Ballarini, Pedro Osinski, Adriano Leal & Stephanie Faria GFX Visualizations: Ajay Manuel Directed by Andrew Kornhaber Assistant Producer: Setare Gholipour Executive Producers: Eric Brown & Andrew Kornhaber Executives in Charge (PBS): Adam Dylewski, Maribel Lopez Director of Programming (PBS): Gabrielle Ewing Spacetime is produced by Kornhaber Brown for PBS Digital Studios. This program is produced by Kornhaber Brown, which is solely responsible for its content. © 2021 PBS. All rights reserved. End Credits Music by J.R.S. Schattenberg: https://www.youtube.com/user/MultiDroideka Special Thanks to Our Patreon Supporters Big Bang Supporters David Taiclet Ben Dimock Daniel Alexiuc Nenado763 Pravin Mansukhani Peter Barrett Nils Anderson David Neumann Charlie Leo Koguan Sandy Wu Matthew Miller Ahmad Jodeh Alexander Tamas Morgan Hough Juan Benet Vinnie Falco Fabrice Eap Mark Rosenthal David Nicklas Henry Van Styn Quasar Supporters Alex Kinsey OnlineBookClub.org Alex Kern Ethan Cohen Stephen Wilcox Yogi B Christina Oegren Mark Heising Hank S Hypernova Supporters william bryan drollere Joe Moreira Marc Armstrong Scott Gorlick Nick Berard Paul Stehr-Green Alexander Price Adam Walters Russell Pope Ben Delo Nicholas Newlin Scott Gray Антон Кочков John R. Slavik Mathew Donal Botkin John Pollock Edmund Fokschaner Joseph Salomone chuck zegar Jordan Young m0nk Daniel Muzquiz Gamma Ray Burst Supporter Avi Yashchin Michael H Lev (SHS '78) Kory Kirk Terje Vold Anatoliy Nagornyy comboy Brett Baker Jeremy Soller Jonathan Conerly Andre Stechert Ross Bohner Paul Wood Kent Durham jim bartosh Nubble Chris Navrides Scott R Calkins The Mad Mechanic Ellis Hall John H. Austin, Jr. Diana S Ben Campbell Lawrence Tholl, DVM Faraz Khan Almog Cohen Alex Edwards Ádám Kettinger MD3 Endre Pech Daniel Jennings Cameron Sampson Pratik Mukherjee Geoffrey Clarion Nate Darren Duncan Russ Creech Jeremy Reed Eric Webster David Johnston J. King Michael Barton Christopher Barron James Ramsey Justin Jermyn Mr T Andrew Mann Isaac Suttell Devon Rosenthal Oliver Flanagan Bleys Goodson Robert Walter Bruce B Ismael Montecel Simon Oliphant Mirik Gogri Mark Delagasse Mark Daniel Cohen Brandon Lattin Nickolas Andrew Freeman Shane Calimlim Tybie Fitzhugh Robert Ilardi Eric Kiebler Craig Stonaha Martin Skans The Art of Sin Graydon Goss Frederic Simon Tonyface John Robinson A G Kevin Lee justahat John Funai Cass Costello Tristan Bradley Jenkins Kyle Hofer Daniel Stříbrný Luaan AlecZero Vlad Shipulin Cody Malte Ubl King Zeckendorff Nick Virtue Scott Gossett Dan Warren Patrick Sutton John Griffith Daniel Lyons DFaulk GrowingViolet Kevin Warne Andreas Nautsch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Sep 12, 2026

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How To Simulate The Universe With DFT

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