Podcast Episodes

Is Gravity Just Rising Entropy?

Season 1 Episode 12

Where does gravity come from? In both general relativity and quantum mechanics, this question is a big problem. One controversial theory proposes that the force arises from the universe's tendency to…

Published on 1 month, 2 weeks ago

Audio Edition: How Noether’s Theorem Revolutionized Physics

Season 1 Episode 11

Emmy Noether showed that fundamental physical laws are just a consequence of simple symmetries. A century later, her insights continue to shape physics.

The story How Noether’s Theorem Revolutionized …

Published on 1 month, 3 weeks ago

How Amateurs Solved a Major Computer Science Puzzle

Season 1 Episode 10

The Busy Beaver Challenge, an open online collaboration, started in 2022 to finally solve a major problem in theoretical computer science. Over time, the online community grew to include more than 20…

Published on 1 month, 3 weeks ago

The Mysterious Math of Turbulence

Season 1 Episode 9

Turbulence is a notoriously difficult phenomenon to study. Mathematicians are now starting to untangle it at its smallest scales.

This is the sixth episode of The Quanta Podcast. In each episode, Quan…

Published on 2 months ago

Audio Edition: Concept Cells Help Your Brain Abstract Information and Build Memories

Season 1 Episode 8

Individual cells in the brain light up for specific ideas. These concept neurons, once known as “Jennifer Aniston cells,” help us think, imagine and remember episodes from our lives.

The story Concept…

Published on 2 months, 1 week ago

Birds' Migratory Mitochondria

Season 1 Episode 7

Changes in the number, shape, efficiency and interconnectedness of organelles in the cells of flight muscles provide extra energy for birds’ continent-spanning feats.

This is the fifth episode of The …

Published on 2 months, 1 week ago

Singularities Are Hard to Kill

Season 1 Episode 6

Black hole and Big Bang singularities break our best theory of gravity. A trilogy of theorems hints that physicists must go to the ends of space and time to find a fix.

This is the fourth episode of T…

Published on 2 months, 2 weeks ago

Audio Edition: Heat Destroys All Order. Except for in This One Special Case.

Season 1 Episode 5

Heat is supposed to ruin anything it touches. But physicists have shown that an idealized form of magnetism is heatproof.

The story Heat Destroys All Order. Except for in This One Special Case first a…

Published on 2 months, 3 weeks ago

In Computers, Memory Is More Useful Than Time

Season 1 Episode 4

One computer scientist’s “stunning” proof is the first progress in 50 years on one of the most famous questions in computer science.

This is the third episode of our new weekly series The Quanta Podca…

Published on 2 months, 3 weeks ago

Math and Beauty in the Age of AI

Season 1 Episode 3

Mathematicians have started to prepare for a profound shift in what it means to do math.

This is the second episode of our new weekly series The Quanta Podcast, hosted by Quanta magazine Editor-in-Chi…

Published on 2 months, 4 weeks ago