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
After Black Holes Collide, a Puzzling Flash
A satellite spotted a burst of light just as gravitational waves rolled in from the collision of two black holes. Was the flash a cosmic coincidence, or do astrophysicists need to rethink what black …
00:22:29 |
Thu 10 Mar 2016
The Quantum Secret to Superconductivity
In a virtuoso experiment, physicists have revealed details of a “quantum critical point” that underlies high-temperature superconductivity.
The post The Quantum Secret to Superconductivity first appe…
00:24:21 |
Thu 03 Mar 2016
How to Build Life in a Pre-Darwinian World
Perhaps chemistry played a more instrumental role in the origin of life than scientists thought.
The post How to Build Life in a Pre-Darwinian World first appeared on Quanta Magazine
00:28:35 |
Thu 25 Feb 2016
Gravitational Waves Discovered at Long Last
Ripples in space-time have been detected a century after Einstein predicted them, launching a new era in astronomy.
The post Gravitational Waves Discovered at Long Last first appeared on Quanta Magaz…
00:34:47 |
Thu 18 Feb 2016
Scientists Debate Signatures of Alien Life
Searching for signs of life on faraway planets, astrobiologists must decide which telltale biosignature gases to target.
The post Scientists Debate Signatures of Alien Life first appeared on Quanta M…
00:25:24 |
Thu 11 Feb 2016
New Clues to How the Brain Maps Time
The same brain cells that track location in space appear to also count beats in time. The research suggests that our thoughts may take place on a mental space-time canvas.
The post New Clues to How t…
00:26:02 |
Thu 04 Feb 2016
Quantum Weirdness Now a Matter of Time
Bizarre quantum bonds connect distinct moments in time, suggesting that quantum links — not space-time — constitute the fundamental structure of the universe.
The post Quantum Weirdness Now a Matter …
00:33:47 |
Thu 28 Jan 2016
Landmark Algorithm Breaks 30-Year Impasse
Computer scientists are abuzz over a fast new algorithm for solving one of the central problems in the field.
The post Landmark Algorithm Breaks 30-Year Impasse first appeared on Quanta Magazine
00:30:13 |
Thu 14 Jan 2016
Math Quartet Joins Forces on Unified Theory
A new breakthrough that bridges number theory and geometry is just the latest triumph for a close-knit group of mathematicians.
The post Math Quartet Joins Forces on Unified Theory first appeared on …
00:30:32 |
Thu 17 Dec 2015
The Incredible Shrinking Sex Chromosome
Nature offers species a panoply of ways to determine an organism’s sex. That flexibility suggests we need not be concerned about losing sex chromosomes, but it raises the question of why such a funda…
00:30:08 |
Thu 10 Dec 2015
Nature’s Critical Warning System
Scientists are homing in on a warning signal that arises in complex systems like ecological food webs, the brain and the Earth’s climate. Could it help prevent future catastrophes?
The post Nature’s …
00:33:32 |
Thu 26 Nov 2015
How Humans Evolved Supersize Brains
Scientists have begun to identify the symphony of biological triggers that powered the extraordinary expansion of the human brain.
The post How Humans Evolved Supersize Brains first appeared on Quant…
00:36:54 |
Thu 19 Nov 2015
Mongrel Microbe Tests Story of Complex Life
A newly discovered class of microbe could help to resolve one of the biggest and most controversial mysteries in evolution — how simple microbes transformed into the complex cells that produced anima…
00:30:26 |
Thu 12 Nov 2015
A Twisted Path to Equation-Free Prediction
Complex natural systems defy analysis using a standard mathematical toolkit, so one ecologist is throwing out the equations.
The post A Twisted Path to Equation-Free Prediction first appeared on Quan…
00:31:31 |
Thu 22 Oct 2015
The Mutant Genes Behind the Black Death
Only a few genetic changes were enough to change an ordinary stomach bug into the bacteria responsible for the plague.
The post The Mutant Genes Behind the Black Death first appeared on Quanta Magazi…
00:26:39 |
Thu 15 Oct 2015
A New Map Traces the Limits of Computation
A major advance in computational complexity reveals deep connections between the classes of problems that computers can — and can’t — possibly do.
The post A New Map Traces the Limits of Computation …
00:27:16 |
Thu 08 Oct 2015
Visions of Future Physics
Nima Arkani-Hamed is championing a campaign to build the world’s largest particle collider, even as he pursues a new vision of the laws of nature.
The post Visions of Future Physics first appeared on…
00:33:17 |
Thu 01 Oct 2015
How the Body’s Trillions of Clocks Keep Time
Cellular clocks are almost everywhere. Clues to how they work are coming from the places they’re not.
The post How the Body’s Trillions of Clocks Keep Time first appeared on Quanta Magazine
00:30:33 |
Fri 25 Sep 2015
Einstein’s Parable of Quantum Insanity
Einstein refused to believe in the inherent unpredictability of the world. Is the subatomic world insane, or just subtle?
The post Einstein’s Parable of Quantum Insanity first appeared on Quanta Maga…
00:23:43 |
Wed 16 Sep 2015
A New Design for Cryptography’s Black Box
A recent cryptographic breakthrough has proven difficult to put into practice. But new advances show how near-perfect computer security might be surprisingly close at hand.
The post A New Design for …
00:24:46 |
Thu 10 Sep 2015
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are the property of Quanta Magazine ([email protected]). This content is not affiliated with or endorsed by eachpod.com.