Particles of Thought

Latest Episodes:

The Air You Breathe Is Bacteria Poop | Peter Girguis Apr 22, 2026

Show notes

Long before trees and grass, microbes were shaping our atmosphere. Evolutionary biologist Peter Girguis explains how ancient bacteria learned to split water for energy, and why their waste product changed Earth forever.

For more, check out the extended interview with Peter Girguis.

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The Fish That Could Walk | Sean B. Carrol Apr 15, 2026

Show notes

How did animals first make the giant step from water to land? Evolutionary biologist Sean B. Carroll explains how the discovery of Tiktaalik—a fossil with both fish and limb-like features—revealed a key moment in evolution.

For more, check out the extended interview with Sean B. Carroll.

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How Close Can You Safely Get to a Black Hole? | Janna Levin Apr 08, 2026

Show notes

Black holes aren’t the cosmic monsters Hollywood makes them out to be. Astrophysicist Janna Levin explains why they’re so hard to detect, why they’re not as destructive as you might assume, and how you could safely orbit much closer than you think.

For more, check out the extended interview with Janna Levin.

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A New Law of Nature? | Robert Hazen & Michael Wong Apr 01, 2026

Show notes

Could the universe be governed by a law we haven’t discovered yet? Mineralogist Robert Hazen and astrobiologist Michael Wong propose a new rule—the law of increasing functional information—to explain why complex systems evolve and why complexity keeps emerging over time.

For more, check out the extended interview with Robert Hazen and Michael Wong.

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AI Is Coming for Blue Collar Jobs | Hany Farid Mar 25, 2026

Show notes

AI isn’t just coming for office jobs—it’s coming for some hands-on blue collar professions, too. AI expert Hany Farid explains which jobs are safe, and which are at risk.

For more, check out the extended interview with Hany Farid.

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What Species Can We De-Extinct? | Beth Shapiro Mar 18, 2026

Show notes

Scientists claimed in 2024 that they "de-extincted" the dire wolf… so what’s next, and what determines whether a species can be brought back? Evolutionary biologist Beth Shapiro explains some of the factors that go into deciding what to try and bring back.

For more, check out the extended interview with Beth Shapiro.

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Were Dinosaurs Able to Sing? | Erich Jarvis Mar 11, 2026

Show notes

Dinosaurs might not have been the roaring beasts many imagine. Neuroscientist Erich Jarvis explains why modern birds—living dinosaurs—offer clues about vocal learning and why dinosaurs could have been singers.

For more, check out the extended interview with Erich Jarvis.

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Space-Time Expansion, Explained | Adam Riess Mar 04, 2026

Show notes

If the universe is expanding, why aren’t galaxies stretching apart? Cosmologist Adam Riess breaks down the physics behind cosmic expansion, the forces that resist it, and why dark energy dominates the vast spaces between.

For more, check out the extended interview with Adam Riess.

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Your Brain’s Peak Performance Mode | Heather Berlin Feb 25, 2026

Show notes

Why does thinking too hard ruin your rhythm? Neuroscientist Heather Berlin unpacks the science of flow states, explaining why mastery means trusting your brain’s hidden systems to do what they do best.

For more, check out the extended interview with Heather Berlin.

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Black Hole Geometry Will Warp Your Brain | Janna Levin Feb 18, 2026

Show notes

Black holes can be bigger on the inside than they are on the outside. Astrophysicist Janna Levin explains how this is possible, and what that means about how black holes work.

For more, check out the extended interview with Janna Levin.

Learn more aboutNOVA and subscribe to our YouTube channel.