Twitter: @QuantaMagazine • @stevenstrogatz
Site: www.quantamagazine.org/tag/the-joy-of-x
26 episodes
2020 to 2021
Average episode: 45 minutes
Open in Apple Podcasts • RSS
Categories: Interview-Style • Math • Multidisciplinary
Podcaster's summary: The acclaimed mathematician and author Steven Strogatz interviews some of the world's leading scientists about their lives and work.
| Episodes |
| 2021-May-17 • 41 minutes Eve Marder on the Crucial Resilience of Neurons 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 |
| 2021-May-10 • 49 minutes Charlie Marcus Knows That Quantum Facts Aren’t Complicated 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 |
| 2021-May-03 • 42 minutes Amie Wilkinson Sees the Dynamic Chaos in Puff Pastry 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 |
| 2021-Apr-26 • 41 minutes Emery Brown and the Truth About Anesthesia 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 |
| 2021-Apr-19 • 41 minutes Melanie Mitchell Takes AI Research Back to Its Roots 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 |
| 2021-Apr-12 • 43 minutes Trachette Jackson Fights Cancer With Math 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 |
| 2021-Apr-05 • 44 minutes Rediet Abebe on Using Algorithms for Social Justice 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 |
| 2021-Mar-29 • 51 minutes Federico Ardila on Math, Music and the Space of Possibilities 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 |
| 2021-Mar-22 • 49 minutes Sharon Glotzer’s Deep Curiosity About Order From Chaos 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 |
| 2021-Mar-15 • 48 minutes Frank Wilczek on the Strong Force, Quarks and Dark Matter 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 |
| 2021-Mar-08 • 40 minutes Bonnie Bassler on Talkative Bacteria and Eavesdropping Viruses Bonnie Bassler, a molecular biologist at Princeton University, helped to revolutionize views on the sociability of bacteria by showing that they choreograph their collective actions through nuanced chemical conversations. In this discussion with host Steven Strogatz, Bassler describes how exquisitely sophisticated these conversations are, how bacteria wait to act until the numbers are on their side, and how viruses eavesdrop on the chatter. This episode was produced by Dana Bialek. Read more at https://www.... |
| 2021-Mar-02 • 48 minutes Neil Shubin on Tiktaalik, Ballistic Tongues and Evolution Neil Shubin, a paleontologist and evolutionary biologist at the University of Chicago who studies how new features arise in lineages of animals, is famous for his discovery of Tiktaalik roseae, a transitional fossil that marked the movement of four-legged animals onto the land. In this conversation with host Steven Strogatz, he discusses how to deduce where to find fossils of long-extinct creatures, why salamanders have such unusual tongues, and what the history of technology can teach us about evolution. T... |
| 2021-Feb-23 • 2 minutes Podcast Preview: The Joy of x, Season Two Hosted by Steven Strogatz, a mathematician and author, each episode is a window into the inner world of a top-tier scientist or mathematician. Guests come from diverse disciplines, running the spectrum from neurobiology to astrophysics. Each conversation illuminates the scientist's own research, while also shining light on more universal themes like creativity, collaboration or navigating professional challenges. Read more at QuantaMagazine.org. Music and production is by Story Mechanics. |
| 2020-Apr-07 • 51 minutes Moon Duchin on Fair Voting and Random Walks Moon Duchin, a professor of mathematics at Tufts University, uses metric geometry to help defend democracy against the threat posed by gerrymandering. But as she discusses with host Steven Strogatz, the problem of fair voting in a representative democracy can't simply be reduced to an objective function. This episode was produced by Dana Bialek. Read more at Quantamagazine.org. Production and original music by Story Mechanics. This episode was produced by Dana Bialek. Read more at Quantamagazine.org. Produc... |
| 2020-Mar-31 • 41 minutes Brian Keating’s Quest for the Origin of the Universe Imagine knowing that a discovery you've made will bring you a Nobel Prize … only to suddenly learn that it was based on an error. In 2014, Brian Keating, a professor at the Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences at the University of California, San Diego, led a team that reported finding one of cosmology's most treasured secrets: proof of the theory of cosmic inflation. But a few months later, they had to withdraw their claim as flawed. Keating talked to host Steven Strogatz about why he chases the univ... |
| 2020-Mar-24 • 46 minutes Rebecca Goldin and Brian Nosek on Hard Truths in Math and Psychology This week host Steven Strogatz speaks with two scientists whose searches for truth landed them squarely on the front lines of controversy. Rebecca Goldin, a professor of mathematical sciences at George Mason University, infuriated much of the public by making a statistically sound but unpopular argument about the safety benefits of breastfeeding. Brian Nosek, a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia, revealed that many cherished findings in his field couldn't be scientifically replicated. Thi... |
| 2020-Mar-17 • 54 minutes Cori Bargmann on the Genetics of Transparent Worms, Supertasters and Cancer Cori Bargmann is a professor of genetics and genomics, neurosciences and behavior at Rockefeller University. But to host Steven Strogatz, Bargmann's work is really all about the line between life and nonlife, and what makes it possible for something to sense its surroundings, think and respond. In this episode, Bargmann talks about being won over by a transparent worm, doing calculations at the family dinner table, and identifying a mutated gene that later inspired a revolutionary cancer treatment. This epi... |
| 2020-Mar-10 • 52 minutes Tadashi Tokieda's Special Kind of Magic The mathematician Tadashi Tokieda loves to explore the special mathematical and physical properties of the simple objects that he calls "toys" - and he's passionate about sharing what they can teach us about the world. In this episode, he takes host Steven Strogatz on a conversational tour of some of his toys' surprises and talks about his life as an artist and classical philologist before he became a professor of mathematics at Stanford University. This episode was produced by Dana Bial... |
| 2020-Mar-03 • 54 minutes Janna Levin on Seeing and Hearing Black Holes Black holes have always fascinated Janna Levin. In this episode, the Barnard College astrophysicist and Pioneer Works science director describes the fierce scientific beauty and poetry she finds in them. She also talks with host Steven Strogatz about the importance of extreme creativity in scientific discovery, and why she took a major risk early in her career. This episode was produced by Dana Bialek. Read more at QuantaMagazine.org. Production and original music by Story Mechanics. |
| 2020-Feb-25 • 45 minutes John Urschel: From NFL Player to Mathematician John Urschel is a doctoral student in mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who has already published several well-received papers. What's even more remarkable is that before pursuing his Ph.D., he played professional football for three seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. Urschel talks to host Steven Strogatz about juggling two demanding careers, his decision to trade in football for math, and the kinds of math problems that fascinate him. This episode was produced by Camille Petersen. Rea... |
| 2020-Feb-18 • 52 minutes Corina Tarnita and the Deep Mathematics of Social Insects Corina Tarnita, professor of ecology and theoretical biology at Princeton University, brings the empirical power of mathematical modeling to the study of biological systems. She explains to host Steven Strogatz how that approach can illuminate the behaviors of social insects like termites - and how it solved the mystery of fairy circles in Namibia. This episode was produced by Dana Bialek. Read more at QuantaMagazine.org. Production and original music by Story Mechanics. |
| 2020-Feb-11 • 49 minutes Robbert Dijkgraaf on Exploring Quantum Reality Robbert Dijkgraaf, a mathematical physicist and director of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, describes how art school in the Netherlands taught him how to do science. Then he and host Steven Strogatz discuss the matrix model revolution in string theory and why space and time might not be the most fundamental things in the universe. This episode was produced by Dana Bialek. Read more at QuantaMagazine.org. Production and original music by Story Mechanics. |
| 2020-Feb-04 • 58 minutes Leslie Vosshall on Designer Mosquitoes and Dude Walls Leslie Vosshall, professor of neurogenetics and behavior at the Rockefeller University, speaks with host Steven Strogatz about her research into how to make a less deadly mosquito. After she shares her thoughts on "dude walls" - the arrayed portraits of white men that often decorate academic institutions - he is moved to action at his own university to foster a more inclusive educational environment. This episode was produced by Camille Petersen and Ellen Horne. Read more at QuantaMagazine.org. Production a... |
| 2020-Jan-28 • 58 minutes Alex Kontorovich on the Absolute Truth of Pure Math Alex Kontorovich, professor of mathematics at Rutgers University, speaks with host Steven Strogatz about the intellectual satisfactions of spherical geometry and about finding his creative freedom during an intimidating collaboration with Jean Bourgain, a giant of modern mathematics. This episode was produced by Camille Petersen. Read more at QuantaMagazine.org. Original music and production by Story Mechanics. |
| 2020-Jan-22 • 66 minutes Priya Natarajan on Black Holes and Mapping the Universe In this episode, Priya Natarajan, professor of astronomy and physics at Yale University, speaks with Steven Strogatz about her lifelong fascinations, including black holes, mapping the universe and early personal computers. This episode was produced by Dana Bialek. Read more at https://www.quantamagazine.org/priya-natarajan-on-black-holes-and-mapping-the-un... Music and production is by Story Mechanics. |
| 2020-Jan-15 • 3 minutes Podcast Preview: Introducing The Joy of x Hosted by Steven Strogatz, a mathematician and author, each episode is a window into the inner world of a top-tier scientist or mathematician. Guests come from diverse disciplines, running the spectrum from neurobiology to astrophysics. Each conversation illuminates the scientist's own research, while also shining light on more universal themes like creativity, collaboration or navigating professional challenges. Read more at QuantaMagazine.org. Music and production is by Story Mechanics. |