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PODCAST

The Quanta Podcast

Quanta Magazine

Exploring the distant universe, the insides of cells, the abstractions of math, the complexity of information itself, and much more, The Quanta Podcast is a tour of the frontier between the known and the unknown. In each episode, Quanta Magazine Editor-in-Chief Samir Patel speaks with the minds behind the award-winning publication to navigate through some of the most important and mind-expanding questions in science and math. Quanta specifically covers fundamental research — driven by

science life sciences

All Episodes

28:40

The Fundamental Tension at the Heart of Math

The Quanta Podcast ·

2026/04/07

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

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14:37

Audio Edition: AI Comes Up With Bizarre Physics...

The Quanta Podcast ·

2026/04/02

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.

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30:54

Why Do Humanoid Robots Still Struggle With the Small...

The Quanta Podcast ·

2026/03/31

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

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25:17

Uniting a Century of Digital and Analog Astronomy

The Quanta Podcast ·

2026/03/24

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

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11:39

Audio Edition: Researchers Uncover Hidden Ingredients...

The Quanta Podcast ·

2026/03/19

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.

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26:07

Astrocytes Might Be in Charge of the Brain

The Quanta Podcast ·

2026/03/17

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

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24:35

The Infinite Heist - Part 2

The Quanta Podcast ·

2026/03/10

In 1874, Georg Cantor published one of the most important papers in math’s 4,000-year history. Some ideas in it were stolen. On this episode of The Quanta Podcast, the second of a two-parter, host Samir Patel speaks with math editor Jordana Cepelewicz about the fate of Cantor, the myths surrounding math history, and one man's search for the truth. These episodes are based on a recent Quanta story. Explore our new special series, “The Evolving Foundations of Math,” on our website.Each week

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15:49

Audio Edition: The Ecosystem Dynamics That Can Make...

The Quanta Podcast ·

2026/03/05

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.

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31:30

The Infinite Heist - Part 1

The Quanta Podcast ·

2026/03/03

In 1874, Georg Cantor published one of the most important papers in math’s 4,000-year history. Some ideas in it were stolen. On this episode of The Quanta Podcast, the first of a two-parter, host Samir Patel speaks with math editor Jordana Cepelewicz about the hard-fought journey to embed the concept of infinity into math’s foundations. The real story is a lot more complicated than the one remembered in math history. These episodes are based on a recent story; stay tuned for the conclusion

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30:05

Decoding the Mysteries of Quantum Mechanics

The Quanta Podcast ·

2026/02/24

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 𝘪𝘴 reality? This topic was covered in a recent story for Quanta Magazine

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17:29

Audio Edition: Epic Effort to Ground Physics in Math...

The Quanta Podcast ·

2026/02/19

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.

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23:59

How Animals Build a Sense of Direction

The Quanta Podcast ·

2026/02/17

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

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24:15

Mathematicians Want To Make Fluid Equations Glitch Out

The Quanta Podcast ·

2026/02/10

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

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08:05

Audio Edition: Matter vs. Force: Why There Are...

The Quanta Podcast ·

2026/02/05

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.

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28:41

Do AI Models Agree On How They Encode Reality?

The Quanta Podcast ·

2026/02/03

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

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26:24

Is Particle Physics Dead, Dying, or Just Hard?

The Quanta Podcast ·

2026/01/27

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

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09:59

Audio Edition: How Can AI Researchers Save Energy? By...

The Quanta Podcast ·

2026/01/22

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.

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32:24

Does Dad's Fitness Make Its Way Into Sperm?

The Quanta Podcast ·

2026/01/20

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

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26:32

The Shape That Can’t Pass Through Itself

The Quanta Podcast ·

2026/01/13

Imagine you’re holding two equal-size dice. Is it possible to bore a tunnel through one die that’s big enough for the other to slide through? It is — but what about other shapes? In a paper posted online in August, two researchers describe a shape with 90 vertices and 152 faces that they’ve named the Noperthedron, the first convex polyhedron that definitely cannot pass through itself. In this episode, Quanta contributor Erica Klarriech tells host Samir Patel about how the researchers

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12:26

Audio Edition: How Much Energy Does It Take To Think?

The Quanta Podcast ·

2026/01/08

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.

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333 results

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