The Joy of x

Latest Episodes:

Eve Marder on the Crucial Resilience of Neurons May 17, 2021

Show notes

Eve Marder’s research into the plasticity and resilience of nervous systems finds universal principles guiding life’s responses to stress.

The post Eve Marder on the Crucial Resilience of Neurons first appeared on Quanta Magazine

Charlie Marcus Knows That Quantum Facts Aren’t Complicated May 10, 2021

Show notes

The secret to making a qubit for future quantum computers might depend on knowing how to tie knots in unusual materials, argues the physicist Charlie Marcus.

The post Charlie Marcus Knows That Quantum Facts Aren’t Complicated first appeared on Quanta Magazine

Amie Wilkinson Sees the Dynamic Chaos in Puff Pastry May 03, 2021

Show notes

To a dynamicist like Amie Wilkinson, understanding the universe is about knowing all the right moves.

The post Amie Wilkinson Sees the Dynamic Chaos in Puff Pastry first appeared on Quanta Magazine

Emery Brown and the Truth About Anesthesia Apr 26, 2021

Show notes

Anesthesia is very different from sleep — which is why it offers unique opportunities for studying the human brain, says the physician-researcher and statistician Emery Brown.

The post Emery Brown and the Truth About Anesthesia first appeared on Quanta Magazine

Melanie Mitchell Takes AI Research Back to Its Roots Apr 19, 2021

Show notes

To build a general artificial intelligence, we may need to know more about our own minds, argues the computer scientist Melanie Mitchell.

The post Melanie Mitchell Takes AI Research Back to Its Roots first appeared on Quanta Magazine

Trachette Jackson Fights Cancer With Math Apr 12, 2021

Show notes

Quantitative models built by the mathematical biologist Trachette Jackson can make cancer therapies safer and more effective.

The post Trachette Jackson Fights Cancer With Math first appeared on Quanta Magazine

Rediet Abebe on Using Algorithms for Social Justice Apr 05, 2021

Show notes

The computer scientist Rediet Abebe’s passion for applied mathematics closely aligns with her passion to solve problems with poverty and social inequality.

The post Rediet Abebe on Using Algorithms for Social Justice first appeared on Quanta Magazine

Federico Ardila on Math, Music and the Space of Possibilities Mar 29, 2021

Show notes

The mathematician Federico Ardila takes a creative approach to the search for useful answers hiding among inconceivably huge numbers of possible ones.

The post Federico Ardila on Math, Music and the Space of Possibilities first appeared on Quanta Magazine

Sharon Glotzer’s Deep Curiosity About Order From Chaos Mar 22, 2021

Show notes

The computational physicist Sharon Glotzer finds unifying principles that structure the chaotic dance of the particles that make up matter.

The post Sharon Glotzer’s Deep Curiosity About Order From Chaos first appeared on Quanta Magazine

Frank Wilczek on the Strong Force, Quarks and Dark Matter Mar 15, 2021

Show notes

The theoretical physicist Frank Wilczek explained what holds atomic nuclei together, and he is still pushing at the limits of what the standard model can tell us.

The post Frank Wilczek on the Strong Force, Quarks and Dark Matter first appeared on Quanta Magazine