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
- 1391
- Years Active
- 2024 - 2025
Radon Uncovered: A Deep Dive into the Invisible, Radioactive Gas
Join us for a thorough look at radon: what it is, where it comes from, and why it matters for homes, health, and science. We cover the Watchers incident, the evolution of radon in medicine, the main …
00:16:12 |
Sun 24 Nov 2024
Radium: From Miracle to Misgiving
A historical deep dive into radium—from the Curies’ 1898 discovery to the glow that powered a cultural craze, the early medical promise, and the tragic Radium Girls. We’ll trace how our understanding…
00:16:02 |
Sun 24 Nov 2024
Protactinium: The Nuclear Precursor and Earth’s Timekeeper
A deep dive into protactinium, from Mendeleev’s eka-tantalum prediction to its isolation in 1934, and its place between thorium and uranium in the actinide series. We explore its rare, highly radioac…
00:19:36 |
Sun 24 Nov 2024
Combinatorics on Words: Patterns, Puzzles, and Practical Code
In this Deep Dive, we explore the mathematics of sequences—the combinatorics on words. We break down binary strings, formal languages, permutation patterns, and problems on strings, and explore fasci…
00:16:37 |
Sun 24 Nov 2024
Astatine: The Ghost Element That Could Revolutionize Cancer Therapy
Join us as we chase astatine, the rarest halogen that almost vanished from Earth. We’ll trace its century-long hunt—from Mendeleev’s eka-iodine prediction to its lab-made birth in cyclotrons—and expl…
00:15:55 |
Sun 24 Nov 2024
OEIS A000048: Two-color binary necklaces with primitive period under rotation and color-swapping
A000048 counts binary necklaces of length n with two colors, where the pattern has primitive period n (no smaller repeating block), we consider rotations equivalent but not reflections (fixed orienta…
00:17:33 |
Sun 24 Nov 2024
Bismuth Unveiled: From Vanishing Spoons to Modern Tech
An exploration of bismuth—from ancient misidentifications to its extraordinary properties (diamagnetism, low thermal conductivity, and expansion upon freezing) and surprising uses: medicine (includin…
00:14:41 |
Sun 24 Nov 2024
Polonium: Discovery, Danger, and Daring Uses
Polonium is a tiny but mighty element: a rare, highly radioactive metal with two allotropes, discovered by Curie in 1898 and named after Poland. We’ll trace its history, its unusual uses—from space p…
00:15:15 |
Sun 24 Nov 2024
Thallium: Poison, Potential, and the Infrared Edge
From its 1861 flame-spectroscopy discovery to its two oxidation states, thallium reveals a surprising dual personality. We explore its roles in electronics (photoresistors, bolometers), infrared opti…
00:14:40 |
Sat 23 Nov 2024
Tungsten Unleashed: From Fire-Resistant Wonder to Isotopes and Industry
A two‑part deep dive into tungsten, exploring its jaw‑dropping properties, everyday and high‑tech uses, and the surprises it still holds—from the brittle polycrystalline metal to the ductile perfecti…
00:17:49 |
Sat 23 Nov 2024
Iridium: The Ultra-Dense, Rainbow-Named Metal Shaping Our World
In this deep dive, we explore iridium—the second-densest natural element, astonishingly brittle, with an ultra-high melting point and remarkable resistance to corrosion. We uncover why its name nods …
00:12:43 |
Sat 23 Nov 2024
Gold Uncovered: From Stardust to Silicon
A deep dive into the astonishing story of gold—from its cosmic birth in supernovae and neutron-star mergers to its earthly form. We explore what makes gold so special, its surprising uses beyond jewe…
00:19:56 |
Sat 23 Nov 2024
Platinum Uncovered: The Hidden Power of a Silent Metal
Join us for a deep dive into platinum—its rare history, extraordinary properties, and surprising roles in medicine, clean energy, and everyday tech. We'll trace its journey from ancient uses to moder…
00:16:24 |
Sat 23 Nov 2024
Lead Unveiled: A Journey from Romans to Relativity
We explore the remarkable metal lead—the reasons it's so dense yet soft, the inert pair effect and relativistic electrons that shape its chemistry, its Roman legacy and modern uses in batteries, and …
00:19:19 |
Sat 23 Nov 2024
Rhenium Revealed: The Rare Element Powering Jets, Tech, and Medicine
In this Deep Dive, we explore rhenium—one of Earth's rarest and most heat-tolerant elements. From its curious discovery to its essential roles in jet engines, high-octane fuels, electronics, vacuum t…
00:18:42 |
Sat 23 Nov 2024
Osmium Unpacked: The Dense Element with Surprising Stories
From its extraordinary density and pungent chemistry to forensic applications, Nobel Prize–winning chemistry, and a star-born origin, this episode unpacks osmium’s hidden layers and its surprising im…
00:12:36 |
Sat 23 Nov 2024
Mercury: Allure and Alarm—A History of the Double-Edged Element
From ancient tombs to modern labs, this episode traces mercury’s long, varied story—from its practical uses in medicine and industry to its dangerous toxicity via methylmercury. We explore its enviro…
00:12:58 |
Sat 23 Nov 2024
Reynolds Number: The Hidden Rule of Fluid Flow
A two‑part deep dive into the Reynolds number—the dimensionless ratio that decides whether fluids glide laminar or tumble into turbulence. We trace its origin in Osborne Reynolds’ 1883 pipe dye exper…
00:16:34 |
Sat 23 Nov 2024
Opening Paths: A Deep Dive into Chess Openings
Join us for a guided tour of chess openings, from the ECO A through E classifications to iconic examples. We'll unpack what each category feels like—flank openings, semi-open and open games, closed g…
00:10:26 |
Sat 23 Nov 2024
Tantalum: The Hidden Hero of Modern Tech
A deep dive into tantalum—from its myth-inspired name and tricky early identity to its extreme density, high melting point, and crucial roles in electronics, aerospace, and medicine. We explore how t…
00:13:04 |
Sat 23 Nov 2024
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