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
Radioactivity May Fuel Life Deep Underground and Inside Other Worlds
New work suggests that the radiolytic splitting of water supports giant subsurface ecosystems of life on Earth — and could do it elsewhere, too.
The post Radioactivity May Fuel Life Deep Underground …
00:23:38 |
Thu 19 Aug 2021
DNA of Giant ‘Corpse Flower’ Parasite Surprises Biologists
The bizarre genome of the world’s most mysterious flowering plants shows how far parasites will go in stealing, deleting and duplicating DNA.
The post DNA of Giant ‘Corpse Flower’ Parasite Surprises …
00:24:08 |
Thu 05 Aug 2021
Scientists Pin Down When Earth’s Crust Cracked, Then Came to Life
New data indicating that Earth’s surface broke up about 3.2 billion years ago helps clarify how plate tectonics drove the evolution of complex life.
The post Scientists Pin Down When Earth’s Crust Cr…
00:21:18 |
Thu 22 Jul 2021
A New Twist Reveals Superconductivity’s Secrets
An unexpected superconductor was beginning to look like a fluke, but a new theory and a second discovery have revealed that emergent quasiparticles may be behind the effect.
The post A New Twist Reve…
00:21:16 |
Thu 08 Jul 2021
Statistics Postdoc Tames Decades-Old Geometry Problem
To the surprise of experts in the field, a postdoctoral statistician has solved one of the most important problems in high-dimensional convex geometry.
The post Statistics Postdoc Tames Decades-Old G…
00:21:34 |
Thu 24 Jun 2021
Mathematicians Set Numbers in Motion to Unlock Their Secrets
A new proof demonstrates the power of arithmetic dynamics, an emerging discipline that combines insights from number theory and dynamical systems.
The post Mathematicians Set Numbers in Motion to Unl…
00:26:15 |
Thu 10 Jun 2021
Artificial Neural Nets Finally Yield Clues to How Brains Learn
The learning algorithm that enables the runaway success of deep neural networks doesn’t work in biological brains, but researchers are finding alternatives that could.
The post Artificial Neural Nets…
00:20:23 |
Thu 27 May 2021
Brain’s ‘Background Noise’ May Hold Clues to Persistent Mysteries
By digging out signals hidden within the brain’s electrical chatter, scientists are getting new insights into sleep, aging and more.
The post Brain’s ‘Background Noise’ May Hold Clues to Persistent M…
00:28:33 |
Thu 13 May 2021
Rumbles on Mars Raise Hopes of Underground Magma Flows
Small and cold, Mars has long been considered a dead planet. But a series of recent discoveries has forced scientists to rethink how recently its insides stopped churning — if they ever stopped at al…
00:22:30 |
Thu 29 Apr 2021
Mathematicians Resurrect Hilbert’s 13th Problem
Long considered solved, David Hilbert’s question about seventh-degree polynomials is leading researchers to a new web of mathematical connections.
The post Mathematicians Resurrect Hilbert’s 13th Pro…
00:20:12 |
Thu 15 Apr 2021
A Newfound Source of Cellular Order in the Chemistry of Life
Inside cells, droplets of biomolecules called condensates merge, divide and dissolve. Their dance may regulate vital processes.
The post A Newfound Source of Cellular Order in the Chemistry of Life f…
00:28:11 |
Thu 01 Apr 2021
The Mystery of Mistletoe’s Missing Genes
Mistletoes have all but shut down the powerhouses of their cells. Scientists are still trying to understand the plants’ unorthodox survival strategy.
The post The Mystery of Mistletoe’s Missing Genes…
00:12:51 |
Thu 18 Mar 2021
The New History of the Milky Way
Over the past two years, astronomers have rewritten the story of our galaxy.
The post The New History of the Milky Way first appeared on Quanta Magazine
00:16:18 |
Thu 04 Mar 2021
Scientists Uncover the Universal Geometry of Geology
An exercise in pure mathematics has led to a wide-ranging theory of how the world comes together.
The post Scientists Uncover the Universal Geometry of Geology first appeared on Quanta Magazine
00:23:17 |
Thu 18 Feb 2021
The Most Famous Paradox in Physics Nears Its End
In a landmark series of calculations, physicists have proved that black holes can shed information.
The post The Most Famous Paradox in Physics Nears Its End first appeared on Quanta Magazine
00:37:36 |
Thu 04 Feb 2021
Quantum Tunnels Show How Particles Can Break the Speed of Light
Recent experiments show that particles should be able to go faster than light when they quantum mechanically “tunnel” through walls.
The post Quantum Tunnels Show How Particles Can Break the Speed o…
00:22:39 |
Thu 21 Jan 2021
Computer Scientists Break Traveling Salesperson Record
After 44 years, there’s finally a better way to find approximate solutions to the notoriously difficult traveling salesperson problem.
The post Computer Scientists Break Traveling Salesperson Record …
00:19:12 |
Thu 07 Jan 2021
Mitochondria May Hold Keys to Anxiety and Mental Health
Research hints that the energy-generating organelles of cells may play a surprisingly pivotal role in mediating anxiety and depression.
The post Mitochondria May Hold Keys to Anxiety and Mental Healt…
00:17:58 |
Wed 16 Dec 2020
The Hidden Magnetic Universe Begins to Come Into View
Astronomers are discovering that magnetic fields permeate much of the cosmos. If these fields date back to the Big Bang, they could solve a major cosmological mystery.
The post The Hidden Magnetic Un…
00:22:17 |
Thu 03 Dec 2020
Graduate Student Solves Decades-Old Conway Knot Problem
It took Lisa Piccirillo less than a week to answer a long-standing question about a strange knot discovered over half a century ago by the legendary John Conway.
The post Graduate Student Solves Deca…
00:16:41 |
Thu 19 Nov 2020
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.