Podcasts by The Joy of x

Deep Curiosity Inspires The Joy of Why Podcast from 2022-03-17T00:00

The noted mathematician and author Steven Strogatz explains how the conversations with experts in his new Quanta Magazine podcast address his lifelong fascination with timeless mysteries. ...

Eve Marder on the Crucial Resilience of Neurons from 2021-05-17T12:00

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

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Charlie Marcus Knows That Quantum Facts Aren’t Complicated from 2021-05-10T00:00

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.

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Amie Wilkinson Sees the Dynamic Chaos in Puff Pastry from 2021-05-03T00:00

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

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Emery Brown and the Truth About Anesthesia from 2021-04-26T00:00

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.

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Melanie Mitchell Takes AI Research Back to Its Roots from 2021-04-19T00:00

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

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Trachette Jackson Fights Cancer With Math from 2021-04-12T00:00

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

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Rediet Abebe on Using Algorithms for Social Justice from 2021-04-05T00:00

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

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Federico Ardila on Math, Music and the Space of Possibilities from 2021-03-29T00:00

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

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Sharon Glotzer’s Deep Curiosity About Order From Chaos from 2021-03-22T00:00

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

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Frank Wilczek on the Strong Force, Quarks and Dark Matter from 2021-03-15T00:00

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.

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Bonnie Bassler on Talkative Bacteria and Eavesdropping Viruses from 2021-03-08T00:00

The molecular biologist Bonnie Bassler is deciphering the chemical languages that bacteria use to coordinate their assaults on a host.

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Neil Shubin on Tiktaalik, Ballistic Tongues and Evolution from 2021-03-02T00:00

The paleontologist Neil Shubin talks with host Steven Strogatz about hunting for a 375 million-year-old fossil and finding novel traits that evolved many times.

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Podcast Preview: The Joy of x, Season Two from 2021-02-23T00:00

Hosted by Steven Strogatz, The Joy of x podcast is back with new episodes that explore the inner worlds of top-tier scientists and mathematicians like Fran...

Moon Duchin on Fair Voting and Random Walks from 2020-04-07T00:00

Can geometry save democracy from gerrymandering? Mathematician Moon Duchin discusses the possibilities with host Steven Strogatz.

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Brian Keating’s Quest for the Origin of the Universe from 2020-03-31T00:00

The astrophysicist Brian Keating talks to host Steven Strogatz about chasing the universe’s greatest mysteries — and what it’s like to have a major discovery slip through his fingers. Listen

Rebecca Goldin and Brian Nosek on Hard Truths in Math and Psychology from 2020-03-24T00:00

The mathematician Rebecca Goldin and the psychology researcher Brian Nosek speak with host Steven Strogatz about what it’s like to be the bearers of unpopular truths.

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Cori Bargmann on the Genetics of Transparent Worms, Supertasters and Cancer from 2020-03-17T00:00

The neurogenetics pioneer Cori Bargmann speaks with host Steven Strogatz about why a transparent worm became her favorite animal and how a genetic discovery she made inspired a revolutionary cancer...

Tadashi Tokieda's Special Kind of Magic from 2020-03-10T00:00

The mathematician Tadashi Tokieda and host Steven Strogatz explore what we can learn about the world from simple “toys” with remarkable physical or mathematical properties.

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Janna Levin on Seeing and Hearing Black Holes from 2020-03-03T00:00

The astrophysicist Janna Levin describes the fierce scientific beauty she finds in black holes and reveals why she took a major risk early in her career.

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John Urschel: From NFL Player to Mathematician from 2020-02-25T00:00

John Urschel, who retired from playing professional football with the Baltimore Ravens to become a mathematician, talks to host Steven Strogatz about the fascinations of graph theory that lured him...

Corina Tarnita and the Deep Mathematics of Social Insects from 2020-02-18T00:00

The mathematical biologist Corina Tarnita explains to host Steven Strogatz how quantitative modeling solved the mystery of fairy circles.

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Robbert Dijkgraaf on Exploring Quantum Reality from 2020-02-11T00:00

The mathematical physicist Robbert Dijkgraaf and host Steven Strogatz discuss the frontiers of string theory and why space and time might not be the most fundamental things in the universe. ...

Leslie Vosshall on Designer Mosquitoes and Dude Walls from 2020-02-04T00:00

Events take an interesting turn after the neurogeneticist Leslie Vosshall speaks with host Steven Strogatz about ways to make mosquitoes less deadly and the obstacles facing educational inclusivene...

Alex Kontorovich on the Absolute Truth of Pure Math from 2020-01-28T00:00

The mathematician Alex Kontorovich speaks with host Steven Strogatz about regaining his creative freedom in an intimidating collaboration and about the pleasures of spherical geometry. <...

Priya Natarajan on Black Holes and Mapping the Universe from 2020-01-22T00:00

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...

Podcast Preview: Introducing The Joy of x from 2020-01-15T00:00

Hosted by Steven Strogatz, The Joy of x podcast opens a window into the inner worlds of top-tier scientists and mathematicians while shining light on universal themes like creativity, coll...