Breaking Math Podcast
Breaking Math is a deep-dive science, technology, engineering, AI, and mathematics podcast that explores the world through the lens of logic, patterns, and critical thinking. Hosted by Autumn Phaneuf, an expert in industrial engineering, operations research and applied mathematics, and Gabriel Hesch, an electrical engineer (host from 2016-2024) with a passion for mathematical clarity, the show is dedicated to uncovering the mathematical structures behind science, engineering, technology, and the systems that shape our future.
What began as a conversation about math as a pure and elegant discipline has evolved into a platform for bold, interdisciplinary dialogue. Each episode of Breaking Math takes listeners on an intellectual journey—whether it’s into the strange beauty of chaos theory, the ethical dilemmas of AI, the deep structures of biological evolution, or the thermodynamics of black holes. Along the way, Autumn and Gabriel interview leading thinkers and working scientists from across the spectrum: computer scientists, quantum physicists, chemists, philosophers, neuroscientists, and more.
But this isn’t just a podcast about equations—it’s a show about how mathematics influences the way we think, create, build, and understand. Breaking Math pushes back against the idea that STEM belongs behind a paywall or an academic podium. It’s for the curious, the critical, the creative—for anyone who believes that ideas should be rigorous, accessible, and infused with wonder.
If you've ever wondered:
* What’s the math behind machine learning?
* How do we quantify uncertainty in climate models?
* Can consciousness be described in AI?
* Why does beauty matter in an equation?
Then you’re in the right place.
At its heart, Breaking Math is about building bridges—between disciplines, between experts and the public, and between the abstract world of mathematics and the messy, magnificent reality we live in. With humor, clarity, and deep respect for complexity, Autumn and Gabriel invite you to rethink what math can be—and how it can help us shape a better future.
Listen wherever you get your podcasts.
Website: https://breakingmath.io [https://breakingmath.io/]
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/breakingmathmedia
Email: [email protected]
- Update frequency
- every 10 days
- Average duration
- 40 minutes
- Episodes
- 157
- Years Active
- 2017 - 2025
76: Joule Pay for This! (Energy)
Join Sofia Baca and her guests Millicent Oriana from Nerd Forensics and Arianna Lunarosa as they discuss energy.
The sound that you're listening to, the device that you're listening on, and the cells …
75: Existential Physics with Sabine Hossenfelder (Author Interview)
An interview with Dr. Sabine Hossenfelder about her second book Existential Physics. Sabine is host of the famous youtube show Science with Sabine.
74: Lights, Camera, Action! (3D Computer Graphics: Part I)
The world around us is a four-dimensional world; there are three spatial dimensions, and one temporal dimension. Many of these objects emit an almost unfathomable number of photons. As we developed a…
73: Materialism: a Material Science Podcast Podcast Episode (Interview with Taylor Sparks)
Physical objects are everywhere, and they're all made out of molecules, and atoms. However, the arrangement and refinement of these atoms can be the difference between a computer and sand, or between…
72: The Lifestyles of the Mathematical and Famous (an Interview with Author Robert Black)
Robert Black is an author who has written a six-book series about seven influential mathematicians, their lives, and their work. We interview him and his books, and take a peek into the lives of thes…
71: What's the Matter? An Interview with Chris Cogswell of the Mad Scientist Podcast (Material Science)
70.1: Episode 70.1 of Breaking Math Podcast (Self-Reference)
Seldom do we think about self-reference, but it is a huge part of the world we live in. Every time that we say 'myself', for instance, we are engaging in self-reference. Long ago, the Liar Paradox an…
70: This Episode Intentionally Left Blank
This episode description intentionally left blank! As in completely on purpose. Fun Fact! The creators of the Breaking Math Podcast, Sofia and Gabriel always thought it was funny that many books…
69: An Interview with Michael Brooks, Author of "The Art of More: How Mathematics Created Civilization"
Michael Brooks is a science writer who specializes in making difficult concepts easier to grasp. In his latest book, Brooks goes through several mathematical concepts and discusses their motivation, …
P12: O My God (Big O Notation)
There are times in mathematics when we are generalizing the behavior of many different, but similar, entities. One such time that this happens is the use cases of Big O notation, which include descri…
68: LOL!!! SO RANDOM (Random Variables)
The world is often uncertain, but it has only been in the last half millennium that we've found ways to interact mathematically with that concept. From its roots in death statistics, insurance, and g…
67: Wrath of Math (Mathematics Used Unwisely)
P11: Feeling Lucky? (Probability and Intuition)
Join Sofía Baca with her guest Millicent Oriana from the newly launched Nerd Forensics podcast as they discuss some apparent paradoxes in probability and Russian roulette.
Intro is "Breaking Math Them…
66: Hayhoe, Let's Go! (An Interview With Climate Scientist Katharine Hayhoe)
Katharine Hayhoe was the lead author on the 2018 US Climate Assessment report, and has spent her time since then spreading the word about climate change. She was always faced with the difficult task …
P10: Chivalry is Dead (Knights and Knaves #1)
One tells a lie, the other the truth! Have fun with Sofía and Meryl as they investigate knight, knave, and spy problems!
Intro is "Breaking Math Theme" by Elliot Smith. Music in the ads were Plug Me I…
65: An Interview with Author Ian Stewart (Book About Everyday Math)
Welcome to another engaging episode of the Breaking Math Podcast! Today's episode, titled "What is the Use?," features a fascinating conversation with the renowned mathematician and author, Professor…
64: What Projection Is This? (Map Projections)
The world is a big place with a lot of wonderful things in it. The world also happens to be spherical, which can make getting to those things a challenge if you don't have many landmarks. This is the…
RR36: The Most Boring Episode Ever (Rerun: Math Games)
This is a rerun of one of our favorite episodes! We hope that you enjoy it if you haven't listened to it yet. We'll be back next week with new content! Thank you so much for listening to Breaking Mat…
63: Broken Voting Systems (Voting Systems and Paradoxes)
Voting systems are, in modern times, essential to the way that large-scale decisions are made. The concept of voicing an opinion to be, hopefully, considered fairly is as ancient and well-established…
62: The Atom Bomb of Information Operations (An Interview with John Fuisz of Veriphix)
Forecasting is a constantly evolving science, and has been applied to complex systems; everything from the weather, to determining what customers might like to buy, and even what governments might ri…