Intellectually Curious
Intellectually Curious is a podcast by Mike Breault featuring over 1,200 AI-powered explorations across science, mathematics, philosophy, and personal growth. Each short-form episode is generated, refined, and published with the help of large language models—turning curiosity into an ongoing audio encyclopedia. Designed for anyone who loves learning, it offers quick dives into everything from combinatorics and cryptography to systems thinking and psychology.
Inspiration for this podcast:
“Muad'Dib learned rapidly because his first training was in how to learn. And the first lesson of all was the basic trust that he could learn. It's shocking to find how many people do not believe they can learn, and how many more believe learning to be difficult. Muad'Dib knew that every experience carries its lesson.”
― Frank Herbert, Dune
Note: These podcasts were made with NotebookLM. AI can make mistakes. Please double-check any critical information.
- Update frequency
- every day
- Average duration
- 12 minutes
- Episodes
- 1394
- Years Active
- 2024 - 2025
Pythagorean Numbers Unlocked: Conjugates, Sequences, and Almost-Integers
Dive into the world of Pythagorean numbers: real algebraic integers whose Galois conjugates lie inside the unit circle, with the golden ratio as a centerpiece. See why powers of these numbers cling t…
00:17:02 |
Fri 29 Nov 2024
OEIS A000052: Alphabetical ordering of numbers by their English names
We dive into A000052, the OEIS sequence that sorts integers not by value but by the alphabetical order of their English names, using US spelling conventions. We'll explore how single digits and large…
00:08:23 |
Fri 29 Nov 2024
OEIS A000051: 2^n + 1
Explore A000051, the sequence a(n) = 2^n + 1. We’ll trace its tidy binary shape (11, 101, 1001, …), its rare square at n = 3 (9) proven by de Bessy in the 1600s, and its surprising web of connections…
00:10:47 |
Fri 29 Nov 2024
Newton, Calculus, and the Lucasian Legacy
Episode 3 in our Lucasian Professors series profiles Sir Isaac Newton—the second holder of the chair—tracing how private study during Cambridge's plague years yielded calculus, how the Principia unif…
00:13:57 |
Fri 29 Nov 2024
Copernicium 101: The Relativistic Heavyweight and the Island of Stability
From its synthetic birth in a collider to the hunt for stable isotopes, Copernicium tests the boundaries of chemistry. We’ll unpack its discovery, its fleeting existence, and how relativistic effects…
00:18:21 |
Thu 28 Nov 2024
Tennessine: The Fleeting Frontier of Element 117
A deep dive into the superheavy element tennessine, from its high-stakes discovery across continents to the relativistic quirks that push the rules of chemistry. Learn how scientists confirmed its ex…
00:15:44 |
Thu 28 Nov 2024
Nihonium: The Edge of the Periodic Table
An exploration of nihonium, the synthetic element whose fleeting existence tests the limits of discovery. From hot and cold fusion to calcium-48, learn how rival teams chased the same prize and how r…
00:17:01 |
Thu 28 Nov 2024
Moscovium: The Edge of the Periodic Table
Join us as we explore Moscovium, element 115—the synthetic giant that exists for fractions of a second. We'll unpack how scientists fuse americium and calcium in particle accelerators, chase the isla…
00:14:25 |
Thu 28 Nov 2024
Roentgenium: The Mysterious Atom on the Edge of the Periodic Table
In this episode, we explore roentgenium (element 111): its synthetic birth, incredibly short half-life, and the detective work that confirmed its existence. We unpack what scientists predict about it…
00:11:38 |
Thu 28 Nov 2024
Shapley Value Deep Dive: Fair Shares and Synergy
We explore the Shapley value—how to fairly allocate value among collaborators in any group. From coalitional games to marginal contributions, learn how synergy and timing matter, and what fairness pr…
00:19:28 |
Thu 28 Nov 2024
On the Edge: The Birth and Mysteries of Livermorium
In this deep-dive episode, we explore livermorium—an ultra-heavy, synthetic element perched on the edge of matter. We'll trace how scientists fuse nuclei to create it, how they detect a single atom, …
00:11:10 |
Thu 28 Nov 2024
Fluorovium: Element 114 on the Edge of Chemistry
A quick dive into the synthetic heavy element fluorovium (element 114): how it's created in particle accelerators, why it lasts only moments, the debates over its chemistry under extreme relativistic…
00:12:57 |
Thu 28 Nov 2024
Darmstadtium Unveiled: From Synthesis to the Island of Stability
A deep dive into element 110—Darmstadtium. Learn how scientists created a fleeting atom in a German lab, why its half-life is measured in seconds, how predictions guide what we can't directly observe…
00:10:07 |
Thu 28 Nov 2024
Deep Talk: Oganesson — The Reluctant Noble Gas (Element 118)
Dive into the quirks of Oganesson, the heaviest synthetic element. From how scientists synthesize it in accelerators and trace its fleeting decay to the relativistic effects that might make it more r…
00:18:26 |
Thu 28 Nov 2024
Seaborgium: A Century of Predictions, a Race to Create, and a Living Namesake
From Mendeleev’s forward-looking periodic table to a 1974 showdown between American and Soviet teams, this episode tells the story of Seaborgium—the elusive heavy element that lasts only milliseconds…
00:11:10 |
Wed 27 Nov 2024
Cold Fusion: Hype, Doubt, and the Quest for Room-Temperature Energy
From early 20th‑century claims through the 1989 Fleischmann–Pons announcement, this episode traces the roller‑coaster of cold fusion. We unpack replication attempts, DOE reviews, and the global push …
00:14:07 |
Wed 27 Nov 2024
Bohrium: The Edge of the Periodic Table
A deep dive into Bohrium, element 107: its lab-created birth in the 1970s, how scientists confirmed its existence, and the famous naming debate. We unpack isotopes, the six-atom chemical experiment, …
00:11:59 |
Wed 27 Nov 2024
Mitnerium: The Lab-Crafted Element Redefining What an Element Is
Join us for a deep dive into the synthetic element Mitnerium—how it’s made in a particle accelerator by smashing iron into bismuth, why it vanishes in seconds, and what its elusive chemistry teaches …
00:14:57 |
Wed 27 Nov 2024
Hassium at the Edge: The Race to Element 108
A deep dive into hassium, the super-heavy element at the edge of the periodic table. We trace its birth in 1978 (JINR) and 1984 (GSI), explore cold fusion and magic numbers, unpack the Transfermium W…
00:16:51 |
Wed 27 Nov 2024
Dubnium: The Transfermium Wars and the Rebel Element
A fast-paced deep dive into element 105. Learn how Dubnium is created in particle accelerators, the dramatic discovery race between JINR-Dubna and LBL Berkeley, the naming compromise that followed, a…
00:12:55 |
Wed 27 Nov 2024
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are the property of Mike Breault. This content is not affiliated with or endorsed by eachpod.com.