Quanta Science Podcast

Quanta Magazine

In-depth news about mathematics, physics, biology and computer science.

  • 21 minutes 16 seconds
    Why the Human Brain Perceives Small Numbers Better
    The discovery that the brain has different systems for representing small and large numbers provokes new questions about memory, attention and mathematics.

    The post Why the Human Brain Perceives Small Numbers Better first appeared on Quanta Magazine

    17 April 2024, 6:30 pm
  • 22 minutes 15 seconds
    Inside Scientists' Life-Saving Prediction of the Iceland Eruption
    The Reykjanes Peninsula has entered a new volcanic era. Innovative efforts to map and monitor the subterranean magma are saving lives.

    The post Inside Scientists’ Life-Saving Prediction of the Iceland Eruption first appeared on Quanta Magazine

    3 April 2024, 2:52 pm
  • 20 minutes 39 seconds
    Echoes of Electromagnetism Found in Number Theory
    A new magnum opus posits the existence of a hidden mathematical link akin to the connection between electricity and magnetism.

    The post Echoes of Electromagnetism Found in Number Theory first appeared on Quanta Magazine

    20 March 2024, 7:53 pm
  • 20 minutes 48 seconds
    Tiny Language Models Come of Age
    To better understand how neural networks learn to simulate writing, researchers trained simpler versions on synthetic children’s stories.

    The post Tiny Language Models Come of Age first appeared on Quanta Magazine

    6 March 2024, 7:07 pm
  • 21 minutes 48 seconds
    Rogue Worlds Throw Planetary Ideas Out of Orbit
    Scientists have recently discovered scores of free-floating worlds that defy classification. The new observations have forced them to rethink their theories of star and planet formation.

    The post Rogue Worlds Throw Planetary Ideas Out of Orbit first appeared on Quanta Magazine

    21 February 2024, 7:13 pm
  • 23 minutes 58 seconds
    What Makes Life Tick? Mitochondria May Keep Time for Cells
    Every species develops at its own unique tempo, leaving scientists to wonder what governs their timing. A suite of new findings suggests that cells use basic metabolic processes as clocks.

    The post What Makes Life Tick? Mitochondria May Keep Time for Cells first appeared on Quanta Magazine

    7 February 2024, 7:12 pm
  • 16 minutes 37 seconds
    An Old Conjecture Falls, Making Spheres a Lot More Complicated
    The telescope conjecture gave mathematicians a handle on ways to map one sphere to another. Now that it has been disproved, the universe of shapes has exploded.

    The post An Old Conjecture Falls, Making Spheres a Lot More Complicated first appeared on Quanta Magazine

    24 January 2024, 7:45 pm
  • 15 minutes 21 seconds
    Even Synthetic Life Forms With a Tiny Genome Can Evolve
    By watching “minimal” cells regain the fitness they lost, researchers are testing whether a genome can be too simple to evolve.

    The post Even Synthetic Life Forms With a Tiny Genome Can Evolve first appeared on Quanta Magazine

    10 January 2024, 7:43 pm
  • 13 minutes 9 seconds
    Selfish, Virus-Like DNA Can Carry Genes Between Species

    Genetic elements called Mavericks that have some viral features could be responsible for the large-scale smuggling of DNA between species. Read more at QuantaMagazine.org. Music is “Clover” by Vibe Mountain.

    20 December 2023, 7:25 pm
  • 12 minutes 47 seconds
    Exoplanets Could Help Us Learn How Planets Make Magnetism
    New observations of a faraway rocky world that might have its own magnetic field could help astronomers understand the seemingly haphazard magnetic fields swaddling our solar system’s planets.

    The post Exoplanets Could Help Us Learn How Planets Make Magnetism first appeared on Quanta Magazine

    6 December 2023, 6:30 pm
  • 15 minutes 56 seconds
    To Move Fast, Quantum Maze Solvers Must Forget the Past

    Quantum algorithms can find their way out of mazes exponentially faster than classical ones, at the cost of forgetting the paths they took. A new result suggests that the trade-off may be inevitable. Read more at QuantaMagazine.org. Music is “Confusing Disco” by Birocratic.

    21 November 2023, 7:30 pm
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