The Quanta Podcast

The Fundamental Tension at the Heart of Math

Audio Edition: AI Comes Up With Bizarre Physics Experiments. But They Work.

Artificial intelligence is being used to design novel physics experiments and analyze complex data, sometimes outperforming human capabilities. AI designed an improved interferometer for gravitational wave detection, potentially increasing sensitivity by 10-15%. Physicists are also using AI to identify symmetries in da...

Why Do Humanoid Robots Still Struggle With the Small Stuff?

Uniting a Century of Digital and Analog Astronomy

Audio Edition: Researchers Uncover Hidden Ingredients Behind AI Creativity

Astrocytes Might Be in Charge of the Brain

Audio Edition: The Ecosystem Dynamics That Can Make or Break an Invasion

The Infinite Heist - Part 1

Decoding the Mysteries of Quantum Mechanics

Audio Edition: Epic Effort to Ground Physics in Math Opens Up the Secrets of Time

How Animals Build a Sense of Direction

Mathematicians Want To Make Fluid Equations Glitch Out

Audio Edition: Matter vs. Force: Why There Are Exactly Two Types of Particles

Fundamental physics divides all elementary particles into two distinct kingdoms: bosons and fermions. Bosons, such as photons and gluons, act as collective force carriers that can occupy the same space simultaneously, a property that enables phenomena like laser beams and the fundamental forces of nature. In contrast, ...

Do AI Models Agree On How They Encode Reality?

Is Particle Physics Dead, Dying, or Just Hard?

Audio Edition: How Can AI Researchers Save Energy? By Going Backward.

Reversible computing offers a potential solution to the mounting energy demands of artificial intelligence by running programs backward as easily as forward. Traditional computing faces physical limitations because deleting data inevitably generates heat—a principle proven by physicist Rolf Landauer in 1961. By utilizi...

Does Dad's Fitness Make Its Way Into Sperm?

The Shape That Can't Pass Through Itself

Audio Edition: How Much Energy Does It Take To Think?

AI Filters Will Always Have Holes