# When the Cosmic Web Spins

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/paul-talks-science-7078474/when-the-cosmic-web-spins
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/paul-talks-science-7078474/when-the-cosmic-web-spins.md
Podcast: [Paul Talks Science](https://stenobird.com/podcast/paul-talks-science-7078474)
Published: 2026-02-16T04:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/paul-talks-science/episodes/When-the-Cosmic-Web-Spins-e3f4vos
Audio file: https://anchor.fm/s/f816aa78/podcast/play/115555548/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-1-15%2F418169389-44100-2-681327cb2be8b.m4a
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/paul-talks-science-7078474/episodes/when-the-cosmic-web-spins
Duration seconds: 1474

## Resource

What if the largest structures in the Universe aren’t just expanding — but spinning? In this episode, host Paul Adepoju explores one of the most intriguing recent developments in cosmology: evidence that a vast cosmic filament stretching tens of millions of light-years may be rotating. The conversation builds on Paul’s feature for Physics Magazine , originally developed as the winning pitch of the Quantum Pitch Competition — launched by Physics Magazine in partnership with Physics World to mark the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology. His article described how astronomers detected large-scale galactic motion using radiation produced by tiny quantum “spin flips” in hydrogen atoms. Read it here . Drawing on that reporting and an in-depth interview with astrophysicist Dr. Madalina Tudorache, this episode examines how galaxies align along cosmic filaments, how neutral-hydrogen observations reveal coordinated motion, and why angular momentum at these scales is reshaping questions about galaxy formation and large-scale structure. Along the way, we connect quantum-scale measurements — the 21-centimeter hydrogen transition — to observations of the cosmic web, discuss the role of South Africa’s MeerKAT telescope in enabling the discovery, and reflect on how global collaboration and African radio-astronomy infrastructure are influencing frontier astrophysics. This episode unpacks the discovery, the physics behind it, and the broader story of how we come to understand motion across the Universe.

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## Transcript

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