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The Quanta Podcast

Quanta Magazine
Mathematics
Neuroscience
Artificial Intelligence
Quantum Mechanics
Quantum Computing
Mitochondria
Climate Change
Bird Migration
Memory
Evolution
Black Holes
Infinity
General Relativity
Dark Matter
Cryptography
James Webb Space Telescope
Computer Science
Dark Energy
Quantum Cryptography
Galium Anomaly

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 q... more

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes360Founded11 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Life SciencesPhysicsScience

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Artwork for The Quanta Podcast

Latest Episodes

Combinatorial discrepancy theory is a branch of mathematics concerned with balance. If you’re making two teams — sports, trivia, you name it — how can you make sure that they’re perfectly balanced and fair, skill-wise? You start with vectors. 

On th... more

The Navier-Stokes equations are enormously successful at predicting how fluids flow and swirl. But they fail to account for the microscopic bits that make up matter. But now math based on symmetries offers a new conception of fluids and why they beha... more

Mathematicians have broken through a long-standing barrier in the study of “minimizing surfaces,” which play an important role in both math and physics.

The article New Proofs Probe Soap-Film Singularities first appeared on Quanta Magazine.

Reasoning comes in many technically defined forms, but the basic procedure is easily recognizable: arriving at a sound conclusion by linking together intermediate steps that logically follow from each other. But when it comes to artificial intelligen... more

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Recent Guests

Max Levy
Award-winning science journalist and regular contributor to Quanta Magazine
Quanta Magazine
Episode: Picking Teams With the Math of Imbalance
Steve Strogatz
Mathematician featured in the episode introduction
Episode: Audio Edition: New Proofs Probe Soap-Film Singularities
Jana Levin
Physicist featured in the episode introduction
Episode: Audio Edition: New Proofs Probe Soap-Film Singularities
Jihan Wang
Researcher from Cornell University
Cornell University
Episode: Audio Edition: New Proofs Probe Soap-Film Singularities
Christos Mantolides
Mathematician from Rice University
Rice University
Episode: Audio Edition: New Proofs Probe Soap-Film Singularities
Felix Schulze
Mathematician from University of Warwick
University of Warwick
Episode: Audio Edition: New Proofs Probe Soap-Film Singularities
Kathryn Jepsen
Editor of the dark-energy/dark-matter story and Quanta's physics editor
Quanta Magazine
Episode: A Dark Dimension Could Link Two of the Universe’s Great Unknowns
Philip Ball
Science writer and longtime contributor
Quanta Magazine (Qualia essay author)
Episode: Is Life Just Different?
Jordana Cepelewicz
Quanta math editor
Quanta Magazine
Episode: How Many Shuffles Do You Really Need to Randomize Your Deck?

Hosts

Susan Vallott
Host of the episode, guiding discussion and presenting science stories.
Samir Patel
Host of The Quanta Podcast; lead interviewer bringing editorial perspective.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 1.5k ratings
  • Dissapointimg

    I ordinarily love this podcast and have previously written great reviews. I particularly enjoy the format of discussions with the various editors who are well informed and engaging. Hence my extreme disappointment with this latest episode which was apparently an AI generated reading of the article that I’d already read in the online magazine version of Quanta. I respectfully ask that you not mix these AI generated readings with the interview formatted episodes.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Kyoung21b
    United States24 days ago
  • Thought provoking and accessible

    I love the format and the way that the host and guest erect the scaffolding of the topic in a way surfaces the key points

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    MartaJane
    United States2 months ago
  • Fascinating

    Explains complicated science concepts in a clear, engaging manner. I never knew worm memory could be so interesting!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    teaperson
    United States2 months ago
  • Great for physics

    I’ve been listening for several years; the podcasts on physics are truly enlightening.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    nsm1912
    United States3 months ago
  • Great for listening to while eating.

    Good podcast about physics and science in general, with a great diversity of topics.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    LeonBender
    Germany3 months ago

Listeners Say

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

Signal-rich discussions around math and physics consistently praised for depth.
Thoughtful, rigorous science storytelling that makes complex topics accessible.
Listeners appreciate the mix of math, physics, and biology with strong editorial voice.
High-quality guests and expert explanations, though some listeners wish for more dynamic delivery.

Chart Rankings

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

What Makes a Fluid a Fluid?
Q: So, Charlie, what's the big idea?
The big idea is to redefine what a fluid is not by intuition alone, but through a principled framework of symmetries and effective field theory, which can derive the familiar equations like Euler and Navier–Stokes from deeper, universal constraints.
Picking Teams With the Math of Imbalance
Q: What is the new advance that allows surpassing previous bounds?
The advance comes from combining algorithmic techniques with fractional splits and random perturbations to strategically fix the worst imbalance while adjusting the rest, enabling a ceiling around the fourth root of log n and opening a path to go beyond earlier limits.
Picking Teams With the Math of Imbalance
Q: So Max, what's the big idea?
The big idea is to study how to allocate a large set of objects across two groups so that the resulting discrepancy, or imbalance among many dimensions, is as small as possible, practically aiming for a bound that does not grow with the number of dimensions.
Is AI Reasoning Right for the Wrong Reasons?
Q: What changed in how people talk about large reasoning models over the last couple of years?
Air quotes around reasoning faded as models proved their usefulness and researchers began treating them as legitimate, sophisticated tools, while still grappling with uncertainties about their inner workings.
How Many Shuffles Do You Really Need to Randomize Your Deck?
Q: So what's exciting your imagination this week?
A thematic recommendation tied to the mathematical themes, plus ongoing curiosity about how stories connect math concepts to real-world ideas like magic and computation.

Audience Metrics

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

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Frequently Asked Questions About The Quanta Podcast

What is The Quanta Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show leans into deep-dive conversations at the intersection of physics, mathematics, and biology, hosted by a consistently expert lineup from a prestigious science publication. Across episodes, listeners encounter rigorous explorations of foundational ideas — from geometric regularity and high-dimensional topology to AI reasoning, quantum gravity, and the biology of memory and agency — all framed with clear explanations and guest-led perspectives. The format often features guest editors, mathematicians, physicists, and science journalists who bring both historical context and cutting-edge research, making it a strong fit for audiences that crave thorough, concept-heavy storytelling and expert synthesis of complex topics. A standout qual... more

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Which podcasts are similar to The Quanta Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Quanta Podcast:

1. The Joy of Why
2. Why This Universe?
3. Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas
4. Physics World Weekly Podcast
5. Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe

How many episodes of The Quanta Podcast are there?

The Quanta Podcast launched 11 years ago and published 360 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on The Quanta Podcast?

Recent guests on The Quanta Podcast include:

1. Max Levy
2. Steve Strogatz
3. Jana Levin
4. Jihan Wang
5. Christos Mantolides
6. Felix Schulze
7. Kathryn Jepsen
8. Philip Ball

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