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Artwork for The Quanta Podcast

The Quanta Podcast

Quanta Magazine
Mathematics
Neuroscience
Quantum Mechanics
Quantum Computing
Mitochondria
Climate Change
Bird Migration
Memory
Artificial Intelligence
Evolution
Cryptography
James Webb Space Telescope
Computer Science
Quantum Cryptography
Galium Anomaly
Aphantasia
Unicellular Organisms
Long-Distance Migration
General Relativity
Dark Matter

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 weeklyEpisodes339Founded11 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Life SciencesPhysicsScience

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Artwork for The Quanta Podcast

Latest Episodes

Fundamental technique lets researchers use a big, expensive “teacher” model to train a “student” model for less.

The story How Distillation Makes AI Models Smaller and Cheaper first appeared on Quanta Magazine.

Billions of years ago, battles between bacteria and viruses wrote the rulebook for how hosts and pathogens behave. Today, our immune system follows suit. On this episode of The Quanta Podcast, host Samir Patel speaks with writer Viviane Callier about... more

Most mathematicians take the notion of infinity for granted — it’s deeply rooted in math’s most fundamental assumptions. But a small group of researchers hopes to banish infinity completely. On this episode of The Quanta Podcast, host Samir Patel spe... more

In a hot spring at Yellowstone National Park, a microbe does something that life shouldn’t be able to do: It breathes oxygen and sulfur at the same time.

The story The Cells That Breathe Two Ways first appeared on Quanta Magazine.

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.

Recent Guests

Natalia Mernjavads
Graduate student in evolutionary biology and metabolism
Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf
Episode: Audio Edition: The Cells That Breathe Two Ways
Eric Boyd
Microbiologist
Montana State University
Episode: Audio Edition: The Cells That Breathe Two Ways
Ranjani Murali
Environmental microbiologist
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Episode: Audio Edition: The Cells That Breathe Two Ways
Natalie Wolchover
Regular Quanta columnist who covers physics
Quanta Magazine
Episode: Is String Theory Still Our Best Hope?
Yasemin Saplakoglu
Biology staff writer at Quanta Magazine, discussed the nuclear pore complex
Quanta Magazine
Episode: One of Nature’s Most Complex Molecular Machines
Leila Sloman
Author of the feature on formalizing math, contributor to Quanta
Quanta Magazine
Episode: The Fundamental Tension at the Heart of Math
Ephraim Steinberg
Quantum optics expert, University of Toronto
University of Toronto
Episode: Audio Edition: AI Comes Up With Bizarre Physics Experiments. But They Work.
Kyle Cranmer
Physicist focused on machine learning for physics
University of Wisconsin–Madison
Episode: Audio Edition: AI Comes Up With Bizarre Physics Experiments. But They Work.
Rose Yu
Computer scientist researching symmetries with ML
University of California, San Diego
Episode: Audio Edition: AI Comes Up With Bizarre Physics Experiments. But They Work.

Hosts

Samir Patel
Editor-in-Chief of Quanta Magazine; frequent host and interviewer on scientific topics.
Susan Vallott
Host of the Quanta Audio Edition; long-time science journalist and communicator.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 1.4k ratings
  • Quanta Podcast

    Makes the world richer.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Lynowla
    United States6 days ago
  • RoddyM

    Jordana Cepelewicz - please try to make an effort to communicate. Sloppy, lazy, drawling into a microphone isn’t cool or laid back. It’s unprofessional.

    Samir please instruct these people. Otherwise great podcast. Keep up the good work. Best wishes.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Roddyrook
    United Kingdom12 days ago
  • As good as it gets for science podcasts!

    Quanta digs deeply, soberly and comprehensively into the major aspects of maths, physics and wider science. It’s always a must-listen if you’re at all interested in these subjects.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Aidan Hancock
    United Kingdom25 days ago
  • Super Awesome Program

    An absolute gem of a program. I get to learn a phenomenal amount of high quality material. I hope this program will last forever.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    RupeHuzz
    United Statesa month ago
  • My getaway car

    Quanta Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief Samir Patel has a great voice for podcasts and is a daub hand at distilling complex ideas. There’s always something engaging and transportive in his interviews. 5*

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Jed Lukewater
    Canadaa month ago

Listeners Say

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

Overall sentiment skews positive, noting the show as a reliable source for interesting, well-researched science content.
Listeners praise the show for accessible yet rigorous science explanations and the high quality of guests and writing.
Many reviews highlight the depth, clarity, and engaging interviews, with some noting audio quality as a point of improvement.

Chart Rankings

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

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Quantum Mechanics Might Be a Secret Key to Secure Communication
Q: How does quantum key distribution work in practice?
Alice and Bob prepare and measure quantum states in ways that reveal any eavesdropping, allowing them to confirm a shared random key without exposing the actual message, and they can then use that key to encrypt communications.
Quantum Mechanics Might Be a Secret Key to Secure Communication
Q: How does quantum money relate to secure communication today?
Quantum money started as a provocative idea to use quantum properties to prevent counterfeiting, but the same quantum-information principles eventually informed how to distribute secret keys securely for communications.
Quantum Mechanics Might Be a Secret Key to Secure Communication
Q: So, Ben, what's the big idea?
There is a deep link between quantum physics and cryptography, and the discovery of this connection led to a framework—quantum information science—that underpins secure ways to process and transmit information.
Is String Theory Still Our Best Hope?
Q: Tell me a little bit about what's been happening last few years here.
Recent years have seen a bootstrap revival that uses general physical assumptions to constrain possible outcomes, strengthening the mathematical case for string theory while keeping it far from direct experimental testability, and reinforcing debates about its role in fundamental physics.
Is String Theory Still Our Best Hope?
Q: So can you start us at where string theory was first initiated?
String theory began as an attempt to describe hadrons in the 1950s-60s, with Veneziano's amplitude providing a description that pointed to strings, which later expanded to describe fundamental particles and gravity when open and closed strings were considered.

Audience Metrics

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

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
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Age Range
Household Income
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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 centers on big ideas in science, mathematics, and the nature of information, bridging rigorous research with accessible storytelling. Conversations span quantum physics, fluid dynamics, neuroscience, number theory, computation, and cosmology, often featuring live discussions with leading researchers and science writers. Listeners are likely drawn to clear explanations of complex topics, thoughtful interviews with specialists, and a pace that favors thorough exploration over quick takes. A notable strength is the collaboration with a renowned science publication, which tends to bring high-caliber guests and well-sourced discussions without sensationalism. Potential sponsors or guests can expect an audience that values depth, accurac... more

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How many episodes of The Quanta Podcast are there?

The Quanta Podcast launched 11 years ago and published 339 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. Natalia Mernjavads
2. Eric Boyd
3. Ranjani Murali
4. Natalie Wolchover
5. Yasemin Saplakoglu
6. Leila Sloman
7. Ephraim Steinberg
8. Kyle Cranmer

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.

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