The Quanta Podcast

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**The Quanta Podcast**

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 questions in science and math. Quanta specifically covers fundamental research — driven by curiosity, discovery and the overwhelming desire to know why and how. Join us every Tuesday for a stimulating conversation about the biggest ideas and the tiniest details.

(If you’ve been a fan of the Quanta Science Podcast, it will continue here. You’ll see those episodes marked as audio edition episodes every two weeks.)

Latest Episodes:

A Universal Law for the ‘Blood of the Earth’ Sep 26, 2019

Show notes

Simple physical principles can be used to describe how rivers grow everywhere from Florida to Mars.

The post A Universal Law for the ‘Blood of the Earth’ first appeared on Quanta Magazine

Should Evolution Treat Our Microbes as Part of Us? Sep 26, 2019

Show notes

How does evolution select the fittest “individuals” when they are ecosystems made up of hosts and their microbiomes? Biologist debate the need to revise theories.

The post Should Evolution Treat Our Microbes as Part of Us? first appeared on Quanta Magazine

Amateur Mathematician Finds Smallest Universal Cover Sep 06, 2019

Show notes

Through exacting geometric calculations, Philip Gibbs has found the smallest known cover for any possible shape.

The post Amateur Mathematician Finds Smallest Universal Cover first appeared on Quanta Magazine

In the Nucleus, Genes’ Activity Might Depend on Their Location Aug 29, 2019

Show notes

Using a new CRISPR-based technique, researchers are examining how the position of DNA within the nucleus affects gene expression and cell function.

The post In the Nucleus, Genes’ Activity Might Depend on Their Location first appeared on Quanta Magazine

Machine Learning Confronts the Elephant in the Room Aug 15, 2019

Show notes

A visual prank exposes an Achilles’ heel of computer vision systems: Unlike humans, they can’t do a double take.

The post Machine Learning Confronts the Elephant in the Room first appeared on Quanta Magazine

The New Science of Seeing Around Corners Aug 01, 2019

Show notes

Computer vision researchers have uncovered a world of visual signals hiding in our midst, including subtle motions that betray what’s being said and faint images of what’s around a corner.

The post The New Science of Seeing Around Corners first appeared on Quanta Magazine

Major Quantum Computing Advance Made Obsolete by Teenager Jul 18, 2019

Show notes

18-year-old Ewin Tang has proven that classical computers can solve the “recommendation problem” nearly as fast as quantum computers. The result eliminates one of the best examples of quantum speedup.

The post Major Quantum Computing Advance Made Obsolete by Teenager first appeared on Quanta Magazine

A Math Theory for Why People Hallucinate Jul 05, 2019

Show notes

Psychedelic drugs can trigger characteristic hallucinations, which have long been thought to hold clues about the brain’s circuitry. After nearly a century of study, a possible explanation is crystallizing.

The post A Math Theory for Why People Hallucinate first appeared on Quanta Magazine