In physics, one of the most important principles is the conservation of mass and energy—meaning that what goes in, must come out. After a chemical reaction, mass and energy must be accounted for. In the 1930s, scientists studying nuclear decay were puzzled to find a seeming exception to the rule. During The Elusive Neutrino and the Nature of the Cosmos, physicist Janet Conrad explains how Wolfgang Pauli came to the conclusion that the exception was no exception at all but rather exciting evidence of a new and as-yet undetectable particle.

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This program is part of The Big Idea Series, made possible with support from the John Templeton Foundation.

Recorded June 2012; Posted June 2012