The Quanta Podcast
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 curiosity, discovery and the overwhelming desire to know why and how. Join us every Tuesday for a stimulating conversation about the biggest ideas and the tiniest details.
(If you've been a fan of the Quanta Science Podcast, it will continue here. You'll see those episodes marked as audio edition episodes every two weeks.)
- Update frequency
- every 11 days
- Average duration
- 19 minutes
- Episodes
- 286
- Years Active
- 2015 - 2025
A New Blast May Have Forged Cosmic Gold
For decades, researchers believed that violent supernovas forged gold and other heavy elements. But many now argue for a different cosmic quarry.
The post A New Blast May Have Forged Cosmic Gold firs…
00:12:08 |
Thu 18 May 2017
Why Did Life Move to Land? For the View
The ancient creatures who first crawled onto land may have been lured by the informational benefit that comes from seeing through air.
The post Why Did Life Move to Land? For the View first appeared …
00:09:44 |
Thu 06 Apr 2017
New Number Systems Seek Their Lost Primes
For centuries, mathematicians tried to solve problems by adding new values to the usual numbers. Now they’re investigating the unintended consequences of that tinkering.
The post New Number Systems S…
00:07:23 |
Thu 30 Mar 2017
Researchers Tap a Sleep Switch in the Brain
Powerful new experiments have uncovered some of the molecular underpinnings of sleep.
The post Researchers Tap a Sleep Switch in the Brain first appeared on Quanta Magazine
00:08:07 |
Thu 16 Mar 2017
Experiment Reaffirms Quantum Weirdness
Physicists are closing the door on an intriguing loophole around the quantum phenomenon Einstein called “spooky action at a distance.”
The post Experiment Reaffirms Quantum Weirdness first appeared o…
00:09:42 |
Thu 09 Mar 2017
To Live Your Best Life, Do Mathematics
The ancient Greeks argued that the best life was filled with beauty, truth, justice, play and love. The mathematician Francis Su knows just where to find them.
The post To Live Your Best Life, Do Mat…
00:05:38 |
Thu 02 Mar 2017
Dividing Droplets Could Explain Life’s Origin
Researchers have discovered that simple “chemically active” droplets grow to the size of cells and spontaneously divide, suggesting they might have evolved into the first living cells.
The post Divid…
00:11:38 |
Thu 23 Feb 2017
Infant Brains Reveal How the Mind Gets Built
Is the brain a blank slate, or is it wired from birth to understand the world?
The post Infant Brains Reveal How the Mind Gets Built first appeared on Quanta Magazine
00:11:18 |
Thu 16 Feb 2017
3-D Fractals Offer Clues to Complex Systems
By folding fractals into 3-D objects, a mathematical duo hopes to gain new insight into simple equations.
The post 3-D Fractals Offer Clues to Complex Systems first appeared on Quanta Magazine
00:12:27 |
Thu 09 Feb 2017
Grand Unification Dream Kept at Bay
Physicists have failed to find disintegrating protons, throwing into limbo the beloved theory that the forces of nature were unified at the beginning of time.
The post Grand Unification Dream Kept at…
00:12:44 |
Thu 02 Feb 2017
The Art of Teaching Math and Science
The impasse in math and science instruction runs deeper than test scores or the latest educational theory. What can we learn from the best teachers on the front lines?
The post The Art of Teaching Ma…
00:23:39 |
Thu 26 Jan 2017
The Case Against Dark Matter
A proposed theory of gravity does away with dark matter, even as new astrophysical findings challenge the need for galaxies full of the invisible mystery particles.
The post The Case Against Dark Mat…
00:17:43 |
Thu 08 Dec 2016
What Sonic Black Holes Say About Real Ones
Can a fluid analogue of a black hole point physicists toward the theory of quantum gravity, or is it a red herring?
The post What Sonic Black Holes Say About Real Ones first appeared on Quanta Magazi…
00:12:31 |
Thu 24 Nov 2016
Giant Genetic Map Shows Life’s Hidden Links
In a monumental set of experiments, spread out over nearly two decades, biologists removed genes two at a time to uncover the secret workings of the cell.
The post Giant Genetic Map Shows Life’s Hidd…
00:09:12 |
Thu 17 Nov 2016
How to Cut Cake Fairly and Finally Eat It Too
Computer scientists have come up with a bounded algorithm that can fairly divide a cake among any number of people.
The post How to Cut Cake Fairly and Finally Eat It Too first appeared on Quanta Mag…
00:09:40 |
Thu 10 Nov 2016
Strange Dark Galaxy Puzzles Astrophysicists
The surprising discovery of a massive, Milky Way–size galaxy that is made of 99.99 percent dark matter has astronomers dreaming up new ideas about how galaxies form.
The post Strange Dark Galaxy Puzz…
00:16:23 |
Thu 27 Oct 2016
Hacker-Proof Code Confirmed
Computer scientists can prove certain programs to be error-free with the same certainty that mathematicians prove theorems.
The post Hacker-Proof Code Confirmed first appeared on Quanta Magazine
00:15:50 |
Thu 20 Oct 2016
Colliding Black Holes Tell New Story of Stars
Just months after their discovery, gravitational waves coming from the mergers of black holes are shaking up astrophysics.
The post Colliding Black Holes Tell New Story of Stars first appeared on Qua…
00:13:25 |
Thu 13 Oct 2016
The Neuroscience Behind Bad Decisions
Irrationality may be a consequence of the brain’s ravenous energy needs.
The post The Neuroscience Behind Bad Decisions first appeared on Quanta Magazine
00:13:34 |
Thu 22 Sep 2016
What No New Particles Means for Physics
Physicists are confronting their “nightmare scenario.” What does the absence of new particles suggest about how nature works?
The post What No New Particles Means for Physics first appeared on Quanta…
00:13:04 |
Thu 15 Sep 2016
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