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
OEIS A000039: Ramanujan, Mock Theta Functions, and the Curious Coefficients Behind q-Series
A guided tour of the enigmatic A000039 sequence and Ramanujan's mock theta functions. We trace how the coefficients hint at deeper structure, how Zwegers linked mock theta to harmonic Maass forms, an…
00:17:17 |
Fri 15 Nov 2024
Neodymium: The Tiny Element Shaping Big Tech and Global Politics
A deep dive into neodymium—its science, its jaw-dropping applications (powerful magnets, glass that changes color with light, lasers), and why this small element sits at the crossroads of technology …
00:18:05 |
Thu 14 Nov 2024
OEIS A000038: The 2,0,0,0… Sequence and Its Web of Connections
We dive into A000038, a deceptively simple OEIS entry that starts with 2 and then zeros. We'll explain how it's described as twice A00007 and how that relation lets us see A000038 as a shifted, doubl…
00:14:28 |
Thu 14 Nov 2024
Praesodymium: The Green Twin Behind Modern Tech
A deep dive into the surprising story of praesodymium—from its early misclassification as didymium to its pivotal role in magnets, aircraft engines, didymium glasses, and vibrant ceramics—explaining …
00:13:06 |
Wed 13 Nov 2024
OEIS A000037: Non-squares
Join us as we unpack A000037, the non-squares. We'll see how a simple floor formula generates every non-square in order, why squares have an odd number of divisors and non-squares an even one, and th…
00:14:50 |
Wed 13 Nov 2024
Power Play: Reading the Strength of Research
In this two-part deep dive, we unpack statistical power—from flipping coins to clinical trials. We explain what power is, why sample size and variability matter, and how effect size drives detectabil…
00:15:08 |
Wed 13 Nov 2024
OEIS A000036: Circle Lattice Points and the Area Mismatch
An exploration of A000036: counting lattice points (points with integer coordinates) inside a circle centered at the origin, how the discrete count compares to the circle’s area, and the mysterious P…
00:15:42 |
Tue 12 Nov 2024
Cerium Uncovered: The Rebel Lanthanide Behind Sparks, Catalysts, and Clean Tech
Join us as we explore cerium, the soft, silvery lanthanide with a secret identity: a +3/+4 oxidation state and an intermediate valence. We trace its 1803 discovery, its role in ferrocerium fire start…
00:09:21 |
Tue 12 Nov 2024
Lanthanum Unveiled: The Hidden Driver of Modern Tech
A deep dive into the silvery metal lanthanum (element 57): its discovery hiding inside cerium, its unusual electron behavior, and the surprising ways it powers modern technology. From hybrid car batt…
00:13:31 |
Mon 11 Nov 2024
Moravec's Paradox: Easy for Humans, Hard for AI
In this episode, we unpack Moravec's Paradox—the idea that easy human tasks like walking, recognizing faces, and common-sense perception are hard for machines, while abstract tasks like chess and mat…
00:10:50 |
Mon 11 Nov 2024
OEIS A000035: Parity sequence
Join us as we dive into the parity sequence a(n) = n mod 2: 0, 1, 0, 1, ... We explore how this simple alternation hides surprising depth—from appearing in the decimal expansion 0.010101… of 1/99 and…
00:11:10 |
Mon 11 Nov 2024
OEIS A000034: The deceptively simple alternating 1-2 sequence
We explore A000034, the 1,2,1,2,... sequence defined by a(n) = 1 + n mod 2, and its surprising connections. Beyond its simple pattern, it links to the base-3 digital root of n+1, a simple continued f…
00:13:40 |
Sun 10 Nov 2024
Beyond the Impossible: The Banach–Tarski Paradox Explained
An accessible dive into a mathematical illusion: a solid ball can be cut and reassembled into two copies of itself. We’ll explore the Banach–Tarski paradox, the Axiom of Choice, non-measurable sets, …
00:13:59 |
Sun 10 Nov 2024
Barium Uncovered: From Bologna Stones to Modern Medicine
A deep dive into the dense, versatile element barium—its surprising history, dramatic reactivity, and wide range of applications, from oil drilling and fireworks to medical imaging and clues about an…
00:19:40 |
Sun 10 Nov 2024
The Menage Problem: Seating, Graphs, and Knots
We unravel the classic combinatorics puzzle: seat n couples around a circle with alternating genders and no partners beside each other. Starting with the familiar 3 couples (12 valid arrangements) an…
00:13:54 |
Sat 09 Nov 2024
Caesium The Element
Learn about Caesium The Element
Note: These podcasts are AI-generated, and sometimes AI can make mistakes. Please double-check any critical information.
Sponsored by Embersilk LLC
00:25:09 |
Sat 09 Nov 2024
OEIS A000032: Lucas numbers
In this episode we explore Lucas numbers (A000032): how they start with 2 and 1, their close relationship to Fibonacci numbers and the golden ratio, and the rich web of identities and patterns they s…
00:17:11 |
Sat 09 Nov 2024
Xenon: The Stranger in the Air — A Hidden Power Behind Light, Medicine, and Space
Trace xenon's remarkable journey from 1898 discovery in trace air to its modern roles—bright lamps and headlights, safe anesthesia, advanced MRI imaging, and ion propulsion for spaceflight. We'll exp…
00:11:25 |
Sat 09 Nov 2024
Benford's Law: The Secret Pattern in Real-World Numbers
Benford's Law reveals a counterintuitive truth: in many real datasets, the leading digits aren’t evenly distributed. We’ll build intuition with a logarithmic view, explain why small digits dominate, …
00:11:17 |
Thu 07 Nov 2024
OEIS A000031: Number of binary necklaces with n beads counted up to rotation
We explore how a simple two-color necklace problem (no flips) captured by OEIS A000031 opens a gateway to rich mathematics: Euler’s totient, de Bruijn cycles, irreducible polynomials, shift registers…
00:12:15 |
Thu 07 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.