Rephonic
Artwork for Breaking Math Podcast
Artificial Intelligence
Mathematics
Black Holes
Machine Learning
Economics
Game Theory
Neuroscience
Entropy
Social Media
Prime Numbers
Thermodynamics
Charlatans
Consciousness
Neural Networks
STEM Education
Data Visualization
Einstein's Theory Of Relativity
Math
Education
Radiation

Breaking Math is a deep-dive science, technology, engineering, AI, and mathematics podcast that explores the world through the lens of logic, patterns, and critical thinking. Hosted by Autumn Phaneuf, an expert in industrial engineering, operations research, and applied mathematics, and Noah Giansiracusa, a mathematician and leading voice in algorithmic literacy and technology ethics, the show is ... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes200Founded10 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
MathematicsNatural SciencesScience

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Breaking Math Podcast

Latest Episodes

What does it mean to be alive? In this episode of Breaking Math, Autumn and Noah speak with Melanie Challenger, author of Alive, about one of the most profound questions in science and philosophy: how do we define life?

Challenger argues that life i... more

Neuroscientist Stuart Firestein (Columbia University) joins Breaking Math to make an extravagant claim: uncertainty isn't a weakness in science — it's the defining feature that makes progress possible. In this episode, we break down why the "one righ... more

Neuroscientist, entrepreneur, and author Dr. Vivienne Ming joins Autumn and Noah to make the case that if we want better AI, we need to build better people first. We get into why AI tutors that hand students answers make learning worse, not better; w... more

In this episode, Historian and author Marc Dunkelman to explain why the 19th-century fight over railroad power is the exact fight we're about to have over algorithms and AI. Drawing on his acclaimed book Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress — and H... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Recent Guests

Stuart Firestein
Neuroscientist at Columbia University and author of It Could Be Otherwise
Columbia University
Episode: Why Uncertainty Is Science's Greatest Strength with Stuart Firestein
Vivienne Ming
Neuroscientist, entrepreneur, technologist, and author of Robot Proof
Robot Proof (book)
Episode: Robot Proof: Why Better AI Starts With Better People with Vivienne Ming
Marc Dunkelman
Fellow at Brown University and author of Why Nothing Works
Brown University
Episode: Why Nothing Works: Robber Barons, Algorithms & Governing AI
Julia Angwin
Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist, founder of Proof News
Proof News
Episode: Can Math Save Journalism?: Julia Angwin on Proof, Power, and Amazon's Algorithm
Kevin Hartnett
Journalist who has covered Lean since 2020 and author of The Proof in the Code
The Proof in the Code (Book)
Episode: The Proof in the Code: How Lean Is Quietly Rewriting Trust in Math (w/ Kevin Hartnett)
Chad Topaz
Mathematician and data scientist; author of Unlocking Justice
Williams College (teaches Data for Justice)
Episode: How Data Science Exposes Injustice: Chad Topaz on Unlocking Justice
Martin Ford
Software entrepreneur, futurist, author of Rise of the Robots
Author of Rise of the Robots
Episode: Rise of the Robots: Is AI Coming for Your Job?
Emma Chapman
Royal Society Research Fellow, lecturer in astrophysics
University of Nottingham
Episode: The Echoing Universe: How Radio Waves, AI, and Math Could Help Us Find Aliens with Emma Chapman
Daniel Litt
Professor at University of Toronto, involved in OpenAI project
University of Toronto / OpenAI project
Episode: AI Solves 80-Year-Old Math Conjecture: What It Means for the Future of Mathematics

Hosts

Autumn Phaneuf
Host of Breaking Math; background in industrial engineering, operations research, and applied mathematics.
Noah Giansiracusa
Co-host; mathematician and advocate for algorithmic literacy and technology ethics.

Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars from 572 ratings
  • Excellent podcast

    Entertaining and intellectually stimulating. Hosts have prepared well for each episode and ask interesting and provocative questions. A great listen!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    RW101WR
    United Statesa month ago
  • Horrible Podcast

    Wasted few minutes of my time and then deleted and unsubscribed

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    BriSel987
    United States3 months ago
  • Autumn Redefines Breaking Math: The Next Hannah Fry with a Camila Russo Flair

    Autumn has taken Breaking Math Podcast to new heights, emerging as the next Hannah Fry with her ability to make complex ideas feel both human and irresistible. Like Camila Russo, she weaves rigorous and storytelling into a narrative that pulls listeners in, making each episode feel like a both a lesson and a journey. What’s especially refreshing is her generosity. Her kindness toward authors and collaborators behind the scenes doesn’t just support the work, it enriches the show itself. Autumn is... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Euler’s Ghostwriter
    United Statesa year ago
  • Breaking math open

    Listening to Autumn’s podcasts feels like grabbing coffee with your smartest most down to earth friend - the one who casually explains complex ideas and connects them to everything. Equations meet ethics, algorithms meet art and no topic is off limits.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Mathemacize
    United Statesa year ago
  • Boring

    Just incredibly boring and really hard to listen to her read out her script.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    DanielMinden03
    Germanya year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Some critics want more consistent depth on mathematical history and fewer tangents.
Listeners praise hosts for preparedness and provocative questions but some feel the pacing and ads dominate in parts of episodes.
The show is valued for merging rigorous math with accessible storytelling and practical examples.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Why Nothing Works: Robber Barons, Algorithms & Governing AI
Q: Marc, you have a great quote in your book that encapsulates what you just discussed: government today suffers from an endemic diffusion of authority. Looking back historically, do you see precedents for undoing that diffusion without tipping into totalitarianism?
Yes. There are precedents like the Port Authority model and the way federal regulatory bodies evolved to coordinate private activity with public standards. These show that leadership can establish rules and standards, punish bad actors, and ensure private activity benefits the public, without fully nationalizing industries. The key is designing institutions that balance decisiveness with public accountability and keep decision-making accessible without giving any single group a veto.
The Proof in the Code: How Lean Is Quietly Rewriting Trust in Math (w/ Kevin Hartnett)
Q: How does Lean address AI misalignment problems like the paper clip scenario?
Lean helps capture intent by forcing formal, explicit definitions and steps, reducing ambiguity. While it cannot solve all misalignment issues, it provides a rigorous framework to verify that AI-generated proofs align with mathematical meanings and intended conclusions, serving as a critical check in AI-assisted mathematics.
The Proof in the Code: How Lean Is Quietly Rewriting Trust in Math (w/ Kevin Hartnett)
Q: What are the two parallel efforts that make Lean powerful, and who were the key drivers?
On one side was Lean itself, developed largely by Leo De Morа at Microsoft Research who envisioned a bug-free software verification environment. On the other side were mathematicians who adopted Lean to write formal proofs and build Mathlib, creating a scalable library of formalized mathematics that supported broader adoption.
The Proof in the Code: How Lean Is Quietly Rewriting Trust in Math (w/ Kevin Hartnett)
Q: Why did you decide to write the book now, and why the Lean story?
The story had reached a kind of escape velocity in mathematics by 2023, with Lean moving from a marginal effort to a widely adopted tool. The timing allowed capturing the human drama, the risk taken by initial adopters, and the evolving ecosystem around Lean, Mathlib, and formal verification as it intersected AI and modern computational proofs.
How Data Science Exposes Injustice: Chad Topaz on Unlocking Justice
Q: What does your Rikers Island case study tell us about racial equity and data access?
The case shows that data often obscures race and accountability through classifications and missing identifiers, making it hard to assess equity; yet the exercise demonstrates how even imperfect data can reveal important patterns and drive questions about policy changes.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Breaking Math Podcast

What is Breaking Math Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A thoughtful, math-forward show that uses rigorous thinking to explore science, AI, and technology through questions, proofs, and real-world implications. Episodes balance deep dives into math, uncertainty, and algorithmic ethics with accessible storytelling and practical examples, often featuring researchers, journalists, and practitioners who connect abstract ideas to policy, education, and everyday tech. Noteworthy is the ability to pair theoretical rigor with engaging hosts who foreground clarity, curiosity, and responsible use of powerful tools. Potential listeners include technical professionals, researchers, and curious thinkers seeking rigorous explanations without jargon.

Where can I find podcast stats for Breaking Math Podcast?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Breaking Math Podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Breaking Math Podcast and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Breaking Math Podcast get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Breaking Math Podcast, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Breaking Math Podcast?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Breaking Math Podcast, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Breaking Math Podcast have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Breaking Math Podcast has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Breaking Math Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Breaking Math Podcast:

1. The Joy of Why
2. The Quanta Podcast
3. The Numberphile Podcast
4. Physics World Weekly Podcast
5. Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas

How many episodes of Breaking Math Podcast are there?

Breaking Math Podcast launched 10 years ago and published 200 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Breaking Math Podcast?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Breaking Math Podcast?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Breaking Math Podcast from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Breaking Math Podcast?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Breaking Math Podcast. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Breaking Math Podcast?

Recent guests on Breaking Math Podcast include:

1. Stuart Firestein
2. Vivienne Ming
3. Marc Dunkelman
4. Julia Angwin
5. Kevin Hartnett
6. Chad Topaz
7. Martin Ford
8. Emma Chapman

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days