Podcasts about Quanta Magazine

How many pieces are there in the Standard Model of particle physics? 17, 30, 37, 61, 118? Or is the true answer much larger — and not even an integer? It depends on your taste for complexity — and mystery. On this episode of The Quanta Podcast, host Samir Patel and columnist Natalie Wolchover plummet down another rabbit hole, and this one goes down to the very building blocks of our reality. This topic was covered in a recent story for Quanta Magazine. Each week on The Quanta Podcast, Quanta Magazine editor in chief Samir Patel speaks with the people behind the award-winning publication to navigate through some of the most important and mind-expanding questions in science and math.

Amid the chaos of revolutionary France, one man's mathematical obsession gave way to a calculation that now underpins much of mathematics and physics. The calculation, called the Fourier transform, decomposes any function into its parts. The story What Is the Fourier Transform? first appeared on Quanta Magazine.

The groundbreaking proof assistant Lean acts as a sort of automatic quality control. It's gaining ground in the math world — in part because it can interact with AI to open new avenues of inquiry. But there are concerns, too. On this episode of The Quanta Podcast, host Samir Patel speaks with author Kevin Harnett about his new book, the first release from Quanta Books, “The Proof in the Code.” It was featured in a recent excerpt for Quanta Magazine. Each week on The Quanta Podcast, Quanta Magazine editor in chief Samir Patel speaks with the people behind the award-winning publication to navigate through some of the most important and mind-expanding questions in science and math.

How do you define a species? The question has been controversial since the days of Darwin. On this episode of The Quanta Podcast, host Samir Patel speaks with writer Marlowe Starling about how recent advances in genomics have both clarified and complicated the picture. This topic was covered in a recent story for Quanta Magazine. Each week on The Quanta Podcast, Quanta Magazine editor in chief Samir Patel speaks with the people behind the award-winning publication to navigate through some of the most important and mind-expanding questions in science and math.

Thunderstorms have captivated humanity for millennia, and yet their inner workings remain deeply mysterious. On this episode of The Quanta Podcast, guest host and Quanta senior editor Hannah Waters speaks with staff writer Charlie Wood about the new technologies that are helping physicists better understand the phenomena. This topic was covered in a recent story for Quanta Magazine. Each week on The Quanta Podcast, Quanta Magazine editor in chief Samir Patel speaks with the people behind the award-winning publication to navigate through some of the most important and mind-expanding questions in science and math. At the end of the episode, listen to an excerpt of the fourth movement of Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony, which depicts a violent thunderstorm. Piccolo represents lightning and timpani represents thunder. Courtesy of Symphony Orchestra. Deed – Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported – Creative Commons

According to Einstein's theory of gravity, black holes have only a small handful of distinguishing characteristics. Quantum theory implies they may have more. Now an experimental search finds that any of this extra ‘hair' has to be pretty short. The story Astrophysicists Find No ‘Hair' on Black Holes first appeared on Quanta Magazine.

In 2026, shock at AI's growing mathematical abilities turned into something more like wonder — and concern. On this episode of The Quanta Podcast, host Samir Patel speaks with writer Konstantin Kakaes about how AI is changing not only how mathematicians do math, but also why they do it. This topic was covered in a recent story for Quanta Magazine. Each week on The Quanta Podcast, Quanta Magazine editor in chief Samir Patel speaks with the people behind the award-winning publication to navigate through some of the most important and mind-expanding questions in science and math.

In this episode of Everyday Epigenetics: Raw. Real. Relatable., Susan Robbins sits down with physician, researcher, and science communicator Dr. Gil Carvalho for a powerful conversation about nutrition misinformation, influencer-driven fear, and what the science actually says about cholesterol, saturated fat, seed oils, oats, and popular diet trends. Dr. Gil Carvalho, founder of the Nutrition Made Simple YouTube channel, is known for breaking down complex health research into practical, understandable information without the fear tactics and sensationalism that dominate so much of the wellness world.Together, Susan and Dr. Gil unpack some of the biggest myths circulating online, including the idea that “higher cholesterol is always better,” that oats are harmful, and that seed oils are toxic. They also discuss why individualized health matters, how genetics influence risk factors like ApoB and Lp(a), and why lab work should guide decisions more than viral social media claims. This episode is a grounded, evidence-based conversation designed to help listeners think critically, ask better questions, and become stronger advocates for their own health.In this episode:Why high cholesterol should not automatically be dismissed as “healthy”The difference between cholesterol levels, ApoB, particle size, and Lp(a)How misinformation spreads through influencer cultureWhy oats are not the “worst breakfast you can eat”The truth about seed oils and inflammationHow genetics impact cardiovascular risk and dietary responsesWhy one-size-fits-all nutrition advice often backfiresThe importance of personalized nutrition and individualized lab workWhy fear-based wellness messaging can create more harm than goodHow social media oversimplifies complex health topicsThe role of lifestyle, stress, sleep, movement, and environment in long-term healthWhy learning to interpret science critically matters more than following trendsDr. Gil CarvalhoGil Carvalho is a Portuguese physician, research scientist, and science communicator known for his work in nutrition, longevity, and evidence-based health education.Born in Portugal, he earned his MD from the University of Lisbon and later obtained a PhD in Biology from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), where he trained under pioneering geneticist Seymour Benzer.Carvalho's research spans genetics, molecular biology, nutrition, behavior, aging, and neuroscience, with contributions including the identification of genetic and nutritional mechanisms underlying longevity; his work has been cited over 4,130 times as of 2023 according to Google Scholar.He has collaborated with neuroscientist Antonio Damasio on neural signal transmission and the basis of interoception, and his publications appear in prestigious outlets such as Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and Nature Methods.In addition to his academic career at the University of Southern California, Carvalho is a prominent science communicator, founding the YouTube channel Nutrition Made Simple in 2018, which has amassed over a million monthly viewers by simplifying complex dietary science for lay audiences.He contributes to organizations including the Institute of Limbic Health, and his expert insights have been featured in media like Quanta Magazine and ScienceDaily.Carvalho has received awards such as the DeLill Nasser Award for Professional Development in Genetics and a Mathers Foundation grant, underscoring his impact in bridging clinical practice, rigorous research, and public health education.RESOURCES:Connect with Dr. Gil Carvalho:Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@NutritionMadeSimpletwitter.com/NutritionMadeS3facebook.com/DrGilCarvalhotiktok.com/@nutrition.made.simpleinstagram.com/gilcarvalho.mdhttps://healthyawakening.co/2026/05/25/episode125/Connect with Susan: https://healthyawakening.co/Visit the website: healthyawakening.co/podcastFind listening links here: https://healthyawakening.co/linksP.S. Want reminders about episodes? Sign up for our newsletter, you can find the link on our podcast page! https://healthyawakening.co/podcast

Over the past decade, computer simulations have predicted tens of thousands of possible forms of ice. Though uncommon on our planet, exotic ice may exist in off-Earth environments, from cold and amorphous comet tails to the hot and crushing cores of icy planets. On this episode of The Quanta Podcast, host Samir Patel speaks with math writer Shalma Wegsman about why water is exceptionally versatile under pressure. This topic was covered in a recent story for Quanta Magazine. Each week on The Quanta Podcast, Quanta Magazine editor in chief Samir Patel speaks with the people behind the award-winning publication to navigate through some of the most important and mind-expanding questions in science and math.

Fundamental technique lets researchers use a big, expensive “teacher” model to train a “student” model for less. The story How Distillation Makes AI Models Smaller and Cheaper first appeared on Quanta Magazine.

Billions of years ago, battles between bacteria and viruses wrote the rulebook for how hosts and pathogens behave. Today, our immune system follows suit. On this episode of The Quanta Podcast, host Samir Patel speaks with writer Viviane Callier about how recent discoveries could shape how we think about the evolution of immunity. This topic was covered in a recent story for Quanta Magazine. Each week on The Quanta Podcast, Quanta Magazine editor in chief Samir Patel speaks with the people behind the award-winning publication to navigate through some of the most important and mind-expanding questions in science and math.

Most mathematicians take the notion of infinity for granted — it's deeply rooted in math's most fundamental assumptions. But a small group of researchers hopes to banish infinity completely. On this episode of The Quanta Podcast, host Samir Patel speaks with math editor Jordana Cepelewicz about the philosophy of ultrafinitism. This topic was covered in a recent story for Quanta Magazine. Each week on The Quanta Podcast, Quanta Magazine editor in chief Samir Patel speaks with the people behind the award-winning publication to navigate through some of the most important and mind-expanding questions in science and math. Audio coda music & lyrics by Michael Tilson Thomas. Vocals performed by Ben Jones. Piano performed by John Wilson.

In a hot spring at Yellowstone National Park, a microbe does something that life shouldn't be able to do: It breathes oxygen and sulfur at the same time. The story The Cells That Breathe Two Ways first appeared on Quanta Magazine.

Together, Charles Bennett and Gilles Brassard figured out how to use the laws of quantum physics to keep secret messages safe from eavesdroppers. Their efforts have earned them one of the highest awards in computing and a $1 million prize. On this episode of The Quanta Podcast, host Samir Patel speaks with staff writer Ben Brubaker about this year's Turing Prize winners, and some of the most important concepts in quantum information science. This topic was covered in a recent column for Quanta Magazine. Each week on The Quanta Podcast, Quanta Magazine editor in chief Samir Patel speaks with the people behind the award-winning publication to navigate through some of the most important and mind-expanding questions in science and math. Audio coda by Charles Bennett/IBM

Is string theory the one true “theory of everything?” Some physicists swear it's a fundamental ingredient of nature. Others wish it would just go away. On this episode of The Quanta Podcast, host Samir Patel speaks with columnist Natalie Wolchover about the mathematical developments that are keeping the theory relevant — much to the chagrin of its rather vocal critics. This topic was covered in a recent column for Quanta Magazine. Each week on The Quanta Podcast, Quanta Magazine editor in chief Samir Patel speaks with the people behind the award-winning publication to navigate through some of the most important and mind-expanding questions in science and math. This episode’s audio coda is a clip from a 2024 live show of Alchemical String Theory (AST), a collective of avant-garde string artists from Atlanta’s Improvisational Underground, performing a round at the Red Light Cafe in Atlanta.

For decades, mathematicians have struggled to understand matrices that reflect both order and randomness, like those that model semiconductors. A new method could change that. The story New Physics-Inspired Proof Probes the Borders of Disorder first appeared on Quanta Magazine.

At the center of little holes in cell nuclei is a mystery. Here, clumps of proteins wiggle disordered tails around like seaweed. They drive a molecular machine that moves countless molecules in and out of the nucleus efficiently, with little room for error. On this episode of The Quanta Podcast, host Samir Patel speaks with biology writer Yasemin Saplakoglu about how new high-def microscopy is revealing the intricacies of these nuclear pore complexes like never before. This topic was covered in a recent story for Quanta Magazine. Each week on The Quanta Podcast, Quanta Magazine editor in chief Samir Patel speaks with the people behind the award-winning publication to navigate through some of the most important and mind-expanding questions in science and math.

We tend to think of math as all about logic and rigor. But what “rigor” actually means has been shaken up quite a few times over the past few centuries. The newest attempt to formalize math comes in the form of the computer program Lean. Mathematicians have mixed feelings. On this episode of The Quanta Podcast, host Samir Patel speaks with math editor Jordana Cepelewicz about how mathematicians today are navigating the tricky balancing act between creativity and formalization. This topic was covered in a recent story for Quanta Magazine. Each week on The Quanta Podcast, Quanta Magazine editor in chief Samir Patel speaks with the people behind the award-winning publication to navigate through some of the most important and mind-expanding questions in science and math.

Artificial intelligence software is designing novel experimental protocols that improve upon the work of human physicists, although the humans are still “doing a lot of baby-sitting.” The story AI Comes Up With Bizarre Physics Experiments. But They Work. first appeared on Quanta Magazine.

Humanoid robots can run, crawl, and sort objects in flashy demos. So why can't they reliably climb stairs or open doors? On this episode of The Quanta Podcast, host Samir Patel speaks with contributing writer John Pavlus on why robots still struggle with the messy physics of the real world. This topic was covered in a recent story for Quanta Magazine. Each week on The Quanta Podcast, Quanta Magazine editor in chief Samir Patel speaks with the people behind the award-winning publication to navigate through some of the most important and mind-expanding questions in science and math. In this video, Atlas walks, runs and crawls using reinforcement learning. This work was done as part of a research partnership between Boston Dynamics and the Robots and AI (RAI) Institute: https://youtu.be/I44_zbEwz_w?si=KuKC34o_PiKs8zJP

To better understand our cosmos, some astronomers and astrophysicists go old school. Preserved beautifully on a hundred years of glass plate photographs are images of our night sky and its ever changing variations. On this episode of The Quanta Podcast, host Samir Patel speaks with writer Liz Kruesi about how these antique plates are updating our modern understanding of the universe. This topic was covered in a recent story for Quanta Magazine. Each week on The Quanta Podcast, Quanta Magazine editor in chief Samir Patel speaks with the people behind the award-winning publication to navigate through some of the most important and mind-expanding questions in science and math. Audio coda by Diana Chester. This project by Diana Chester was made possible through a Powerhouse Research Fellowship at the Museum of Arts and Applied Sciences in Sydney, Australia, a collaboration with Dr. Anna Raupach, and with the support of the Sydney Observatory and the New South Wales archives.

Image generators are designed to mimic their training data, so where does their apparent creativity come from? A recent study suggests that it's an inevitable by-product of their architecture. The story Researchers Uncover Hidden Ingredients Behind AI Creativity first appeared on Quanta Magazine.

We tend to think of neurons as the sole engine of our thoughts, emotions, and everything in between.  For decades, a group of large brain cells called astrocytes have been thought of as mere packing peanuts for the brain. But new research suggests otherwise. On this episode of The Quanta Podcast, host Samir Patel speaks with writer Ingrid Wickelgren about these big cells' big responsibilities, which include controlling brain states like hopelessness, sleep, and hunger. This topic was covered in a recent story for Quanta Magazine. Each week on The Quanta Podcast, Quanta Magazine editor in chief Samir Patel speaks with the people behind the award-winning publication to navigate through some of the most important and mind-expanding questions in science and math. Audio Coda by NASA.

Denne gang rejser RumSnak over 12 milliarder år tilbage i tiden, til det unge univers som det så ud omkring 1 milliard år efter Big Bang. Det skal nemlig handle om de såkaldte små røde prikker – 'little red dots' – som James Webb teleskopet har fundet i det tidlige univers, og som til at begynde med udfordrede vores teorier om hvordan universet fungerede dengang. Men nu er et hold af forskere fra Danmark her i januar kommet med et bud på hvad de røde pletter kan være noget – også uden at alle vores teorier falder sammen. Vi har talt med en af forfatterne til det nye studie, Kasper Elm Heintz fra DTU Space. Lyt med

By simulating ecological networks with microbes, researchers revealed properties that may make natural communities susceptible to invasion. The story The Ecosystem Dynamics That Can Make or Break an Invasion first appeared on Quanta Magazine.

Parallel universes, mysterious collapses, divided worlds. These are among the interpretations of quantum theory's relationship with reality. It's no wonder that everyone still has questions. But a century after quantum theory emerged, some of its old mysteries may be finally dissolving. On this episode of The Quanta Podcast, host Samir Patel and contributing writer Philip Ball check in on the age-old question: What ???????? reality? This topic was covered in a recent story for Quanta Magazine. Each week on The Quanta Podcast, Quanta Magazine editor in chief Samir Patel speaks with the people behind the award-winning publication to navigate through some of the most important and mind-expanding questions in science and math. Audio coda courtesy of the Institute for Quantum Computing, University of Waterloo.

By mathematically proving how individual molecules create the complex motion of fluids, three mathematicians have illuminated why time can't flow in reverse. The story Epic Effort to Ground Physics in Math Opens Up the Secrets of Time first appeared on Quanta Magazine.

What guides a bat's internal compass? It's not the stars in the sky, or the Earth's magnetic field. On this episode of The Quanta Podcast, host Samir Patel speaks with staff writer Yasemin Saplakoglu about how new research into animals' sense of direction could help explain the feeling of getting “turned around,” or even why some of us are so bad at finding our way. This topic was covered in a recent story for Quanta Magazine. Each week on The Quanta Podcast, Quanta Magazine editor in chief Samir Patel speaks with the people behind the award-winning publication to navigate through some of the most important and mind-expanding questions in science and math. Audio Coda from Prat, Y., Taub, M. & Yovel, Y. Everyday bat vocalizations contain information about emitter, addressee, context, and behavior. Sci Rep 6, 39419 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/srep39419

In reality, water doesn't glitch out. It can't instantly change direction or spurt randomly into the sky. But on a purely mathematical level, such things are possible. On this episode of The Quanta Podcast, host Samir Patel speaks with staff writer Charlie Wood about the equations that describe our rivers, whirlpools, and breezes — and the “unstable blowups” that mathematicians are probing them for. This topic was covered in a recent story for Quanta Magazine. Each week on The Quanta Podcast, Quanta Magazine editor in chief Samir Patel speaks with the people behind the award-winning publication to navigate through some of the most important and mind-expanding questions in science and math.

* Short Term Memory Loss: This week Fred Williams and Doug McBurney begin with conjectures on just why there's a shortage of computer memory chips, and how long it might last. * #A4WB: Science Daily reported that findings regarding kaolinite on Mars might be evidence of million year long rain storms, or that All Scientists Work for Walt Brown, with yet more evidence pointing to the ejecta of the of the Fountains of the Great Deep described by the Hydroplate Theory. * Electric Biology: Hear some amazing observations recently reported at Quanta Magazine about how cells, proteins and organelles are electrically signalling events that both preserve, rejuvenate and even eliminate biological materials! bringing to mind our interviews with Dr. James Oschman & Dr. Gerald Pollack: discussing energy medicine and ez-WATER and the electric and magnetic aspects of God's beautiful creation. * In The Beginning: Pre-order the 9th edition of Walt Brown's amazing, enlightening, biblically sound book explaining why Earth, (and the solar system) look the way they do! * Sponsor a Show! Go to our store, buy some biblically oriented science material and sponsor a show!

* Short Term Memory Loss: This week Fred Williams and Doug McBurney begin with conjectures on just why there's a shortage of computer memory chips, and how long it might last. * #A4WB: Science Daily reported that findings regarding kaolinite on Mars might be evidence of million year long rain storms, or that All Scientists Work for Walt Brown, with yet more evidence pointing to the ejecta of the of the Fountains of the Great Deep described by the Hydroplate Theory. * Electric Biology: Hear some amazing observations recently reported at Quanta Magazine about how cells, proteins and organelles are electrically signalling events that both preserve, rejuvenate and even eliminate biological materials! bringing to mind our interviews with Dr. James Oschman & Dr. Gerald Pollack: discussing energy medicine and ez-WATER and the electric and magnetic aspects of God's beautiful creation. * In The Beginning: Pre-order the 9th edition of Walt Brown's amazing, enlightening, biblically sound book explaining why Earth, (and the solar system) look the way they do! * Sponsor a Show! Go to our store, buy some biblically oriented science material and sponsor a show!

Every elementary particle falls into one of two categories. Collectivist bosons account for the forces that move us while individualist fermions keep our atoms from collapsing. The story Matter vs. Force: Why There Are Exactly Two Types of Particles first appeared on Quanta Magazine.

In the allegory of Plato's cave, prisoners see the world only through shadows. Extending this metaphor to AI, AI models are the prisoners and the shadows are streams of data. Are all models converging on a singular representation of reality? On this week's episode of The Quanta Podcast, host Samir Patel speaks with staff writer Ben Brubaker about how, despite being trained on entirely different data types, different models can somehow develop similar internal representations. This topic was covered in a recent story for Quanta Magazine. Each week on The Quanta Podcast, Quanta Magazine editor in chief Samir Patel speaks with the people behind the award-winning publication to navigate through some of the most important and mind-expanding questions in science and math. Audio coda: The Cave: A Parable Told By Orson Welles, Produced by Counterpoint Films, directed by Sam Weiss, and illustrated by Dick Oden. https://www.acmi.net.au/works/65888–the-cave-a-parable-told-by-orson-welles/

Particle physics hasn’t yet found the new physics needed to resolve its deepest mysteries. It's hard to know what to think about or look for. But the most devoted particle physicists are thinking and looking all the same. On this episode, host Samir Patel and columnist Natalie Wolchover discuss the first of our new series of curiosity-driven essays, Qualia, where Natalie asks particle physicists whether the field is facing a profound crisis. This topic was covered in a recent story for Quanta Magazine. Each week on The Quanta Podcast, Quanta Magazine editor in chief Samir Patel speaks with the people behind the award-winning publication to navigate through some of the most important and mind-expanding questions in science and math. Audio Coda provided by UCL High Energy Physics.

This week, we're sharing an interview with Will Gillis, author of the recently published book Did The Science Wars Take Place: The Political and Ethical Stakes of Radical Realism, published via C4SS where Gillis holds the position as The Voltairine de Cleyre Chair in Centrifugal Studies and technical coordinator. For the hour we talk about the so-called Science Wars of the 1990's, debates involving scientific approaches and shared understandings of a a measurable physical reality, post-modernism, the roles leftists and anarchists played in the debates and how cults and authoritarians employ anti-realist explanations of the world to limit their subjects' moves toward liberation. You can read more of William's writings at https://humaniterations.net and https://c4ss.org A few links to further scientific education: Quanta Magazine: https://www.quantamagazine.org/ Theoretical Minimum Lectures by Leonard Susskind: https://theoreticalminimum.com/ Milo Rossi youtube on archeology; https://www.youtube.com/@miniminuteman773 Stefan Milo youtube on archeology: www.youtube.com/@StefanMilo Angela Collier youtube on physics: https://www.youtube.com/@acollierastro self-training in physics video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cw97Tj5zxvA&pp=ygUcYW5nZWxhIGNvbGxpZXIgc2VsZi10cmFpbmluZw%3D%3D Sean Carrol's Mindscape podcast covers a lot of topics, linked from his website: https://www.preposterousuniverse.com/ . ... . .. Featured track: beatbuster by The Willows Whisper

Reversible programs run backward as easily as they run forward, saving energy in theory. After decades of research, they may soon power AI. The story How Can AI Researchers Save Energy? By Going Backward first appeared on Quanta Magazine.

We already know that what we eat, drink, and inhale can affect which parts of our DNA are expressed, and which aren't. But recent research poses a shocking idea: A dad's habits may be encoded in molecules and transmitted to his future kids. On this episode, host Samir Patel and biology editor Hannah Waters dig into the new epigenetic mouse studies exploring whether sperm cells carry more than just genetic information. This topic was covered in a recent story for Quanta Magazine. Each week on The Quanta Podcast, Quanta Magazine editor in chief Samir Patel speaks with the people behind the award-winning publication to navigate through some of the most important and mind-expanding questions in science and math. Audio coda in this episode: Motivation and reward in learning – Produced by the Institute of Human Relations at Yale University, Published by Penn State University, Psychological Cinema Register [1948].

Studies of neural metabolism reveal our brain's effort to keep us alive and the evolutionary constraints that sculpted our most complex organ. The story How Much Energy Does It Take To Think? first appeared on Quanta Magazine.

What better time to contemplate the conundrum that is zero than the start of a new year? Zero is a fairly new concept in human history and even more recent as a number. It wasn't until around the 7th century that zero was used as a number. That's when it showed up in the records of Indian mathematicians. Since then, zero has, at times, been met with some fear — at one point the city of Florence, Italy banned the number.Today, scientists seek to understand how much humans truly comprehend zero — and why it seems to be different from other numbers. That's how we ended up talking to science writer Yasemin Saplakoglu in this encore episode about the neuroscience of this number that means nothing.Read more of Yasemin's reporting on zero for Quanta Magazine. Plus, check out our episode on why big numbers break our brains.Interested in more math episodes? Let us know what kind of stories you want to hear from us in 2026 by emailing shortwave@npr.org!Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

By extending the scope of the key insight behind Fermat's Last Theorem, four mathematicians have made great strides toward building a “grand unified theory” of math. The story The Core of Fermat's Last Theorem Just Got Superpowered first appeared on Quanta Magazine.

We all know that hot coffee cools down. But quantum mechanics can enable heat to flow the “wrong” way, making hot objects hotter and cold objects colder. Now physicists think this might have an ingenious use. On this week's episode, host Samir Patel speaks with writer Philip Ball about how a new “quantum demon” may allow information to be processed in ways that classical physics does not permit. This topic was covered in a recent story for Quanta Magazine. Each week on The Quanta Podcast, Quanta Magazine editor in chief Samir Patel speaks with the people behind the award-winning publication to navigate through some of the most important and mind-expanding questions in science and math. Audio coda by Forma, courtesy of Kranky.

When pigeons outnumber pigeonholes, some birds must double up. This obvious statement — and its inverse — have deep connections to many areas of math and computer science. The story How a Problem About Pigeons Powers Complexity Theory first appeared on Quanta Magazine.

How do sellers decide how to price their goods? Competition should keep prices down, while collusion can rig higher prices (and break the law). On this week's episode, host Samir Patel speaks with staff writer Ben Brubaker about how computer scientists are using game theory to see how algorithms might result in high prices without shady backroom deals. This topic was covered in a recent story for Quanta Magazine. Each week on The Quanta Podcast, Quanta Magazine editor in chief Samir Patel speaks with the people behind the award-winning publication to navigate through some of the most important and mind-expanding questions in science and math. Tom 7’s YouTube channel Audio coda from FDR Presidential Library & Museum.

At first glance, studying the math of waves seems like it should be smooth sailing. But the equations that describe even the gentlest rolling waves are a mathematical nightmare to solve. On this week's episode, host Samir Patel speaks with math staff writer Joseph Howlett why waves are so elusive, even in a simplified world of equations. This topic was covered in a recent story for Quanta Magazine. Each week on The Quanta Podcast, Quanta Magazine editor in chief Samir Patel speaks with the people behind the award-winning publication to navigate through some of the most important and mind-expanding questions in science and math. Audio coda is “The Merry Golden Tree” by Shovel Dance Collective.

Salvador Dalí, Thomas Edison and Edgar Allan Poe all took inspiration from the state between sleep and waking life. On this week's episode, host Samir Patel speaks with biology staff writer Yasemin Saplakoglu about how brain systems dictate the strange transitions into and out of sleep. This topic was covered in a recent story for Quanta Magazine. Each week on The Quanta Podcast, Quanta Magazine editor in chief Samir Patel speaks with the people behind the award-winning publication to navigate through some of the most important and mind-expanding questions in science and math. Audio coda: Copyright in The Mike Wallace Interview with Salvador Dalí is owned by the University of Michigan Board of Regents and managed by Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. The Harry Ransom Center (HRC) at the University of Texas, Austin University Libraries, is the owner of the physical kinescope.

A powerful mathematical technique is used to model melting ice and other phenomena. But it has long been imperiled by certain “nightmare scenarios.” A new proof has removed that obstacle. The story A New Proof Smooths Out the Math of Melting first appeared on Quanta Magazine.

Recently, astrophysicists identified something peculiar: An enormous “naked” black hole with no galaxy in sight. On this week's episode, host Samir Patel speaks with physics staff writer Charlie Wood about how the strange little red dot is upending our assumptions of the first billion years of cosmic history. This topic was covered in a recent story for Quanta Magazine. Each week on The Quanta Podcast, Quanta Magazine editor in chief Samir Patel speaks with the people behind the award-winning publication to navigate through some of the most important and mind-expanding questions in science and math. Audio coda courtesy of Caltech/MIT/LIGO Lab.

Thanks to a delicate interplay between plate tectonics and life, Earth's thermostat has kept animal life thriving on our planet for half a billion years. On this week's episode, host Samir Patel speaks with contributing writer Peter Brannen about our planetary highs and lows, and the precarious goldilocks zone our animal-filled finds itself in now. This topic was covered in a recent story for Quanta Magazine. Each week on The Quanta Podcast, Quanta Magazine editor in chief Samir Patel speaks with the people behind the award-winning publication to navigate through some of the most important and mind-expanding questions in science and math. Audio coda courtesy of Martin Rietze’s YouTube channel.

A new proposal makes the case that paraparticles — a new category of quantum particle — could be created in exotic materials. The story ‘Paraparticles' Would Be a Third Kingdom of Quantum Particle first appeared on Quanta Magazine.

Imagine a set of simple building blocks that can self-assemble into any shape you want. The possibilities for such a technology could be boundless. Inspired by nature, “complexity engineering” seeks to design such blocks, building on a classic computer simulation. On this week's episode, host Samir Patel speaks with contributing writer George Musser about recent developments in so-called cellular automata. This topic was covered in a recent story for Quanta Magazine. Each week on The Quanta Podcast, Quanta Magazine editor in chief Samir Patel speaks with the people behind the award-winning publication to navigate through some of the most important and mind-expanding questions in science and math. Audio coda courtesy of the Simons Foundation.