On a new podcast, an astrophysicist digs into the launch of NASA balloon to detect high-energy particles from the cosmos.

Deep beneath the ice of Antarctica and high above its frozen expanse, University of Chicago astrophysicist Abby Vieregg is hunting for neutrinos—some of the most elusive particles in the universe. Often called “ghost particles,” these tiny messengers travel across billions of light-years, passing right through ordinary matter unnoticed.

Vieregg is among the many scientists hunting for high-energy neutrinos—an area of research that was awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics.

In this episode of the Big Brains podcast, Vieregg discusses how her team designs and launches cutting-edge radio detectors—from high-altitude NASA balloons over the South Pole to massive ice-drilling arrays in Greenland. She explains what these mysterious cosmic signals can teach us about black holes, exploding stars, and the fundamental laws of physics governing our universe:

Read this episode’s transcript.

Source: University of Chicago

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