Episode

Episode 158: Quantum Electodynamics Part 1

Podcast
The Science of Everything Podcast
Published
Mar 1, 2026
Duration seconds
3070
Processing state
not_requested
Canonical source
https://www.thescienceofeverything.net/e/episode-158-quantum-electodynamics-part-1/
Audio
https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/f3kz2fqtr7smdqu8/Quantum_Electrodynamics_Part_1b1beg.mp3
JSON
/v1/public/podcasts/the-science-of-everything-podcast-533303/episodes/episode-158-quantum-electodynamics-part-1
Markdown
/podcast/the-science-of-everything-podcast-533303/episode-158-quantum-electodynamics-part-1.md

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Summary

A detailed look into the physics and mathematics of quantum electrodynamics, the theory of how light and matter interact. We discuss the generalisation of the Schrodinger equation to the Klein-Gordon and Dirac equations, and howw these describe the propogation of light and fermions respectively. We then consider the process of computing transition probabilities between quantum states, including the S matrix and perturbation theory, and Wick's theorem. Recommended pre-listening is Episode 85: Introduction to Quantum Field Theory. If you enjoyed the podcast please consider supporting the show by making a PayPal donation or becoming a Patreon supporter. https://www.patreon.com/jamesfodor https://www.paypal.me/ScienceofEverything