Recent results by various authors have established a "model deformation phenomenon" in random matrix theory. Specifically, it is possible to construct pairs of random matrix models such that the limiting eigenvalue distributions are connected by push-forward under an explicitly constructible map of the plane to itself. In this paper, we argue that the analogous transformation at the finite-N level can be accomplished by applying an appropriate heat flow to the characteristic polynomial of the first model.We develop several conjectures of the following sort. We find certain pairs of random matrix models and we apply a certain heat-type operator to the characteristic polynomial p of the first model, giving a new polynomial q. We then conjecture that, when N is large, the zeros of q have the same bulk distribution as the eigenvalues of the second random matrix model. As a special case, suppose we apply the standard heat operator for time 1/N to the characteristic polynomial p of an N × N GUE matrix, giving a new polynomial q. Then we conjecture that the zeros of q will be asymptotically uniformly distributed over the unit disk.At a more refined level, we conjecture that as the characteristic polynomial of the first model evolves under the appropriate heat flow, its zeros will evolve along the characteristic curves of a certain PDE. Our conjectures are supported two rigorous results: a deformation theorem for the second moments of the characteristic polynomial and a PDE satisfied by the log potential of the zeros of a heat-evolving polynomial. Contents 1. The model deformation phenomenon in random matrix theory 2. The heat flow conjectures 2.1. The heat flow conjectures relating the circular and semicircular laws 2.2. The general additive heat flow conjecture 2.3. The general multiplicative heat flow conjecture 3. The deformation theorem for second moments of the characteristic polynomial 3.1. The second moment 3.2. Additive case 3.3. Multiplicative case 4. The PDE perspective 4.1. The PDEs for the Brown measure 4.2. The PDEs for T N and σ N 4.3. A PDE argument for the conjectures References