# The Quanta Podcast A podcast by Quanta Magazine. 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.) Feed: https://quantapodcast.quantamagazine.org/ ## Latest episodes - [Malaria Parasite Caught in the Act of Breaking and Entering](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/c6b765cca9ea) (2026-10-27, 26 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/1185ccea-03ac-49a9-b000-bb2159ea66bb/Quanta_Ep74_FINAL.mp3 - [Audio Edition: The Quietest Mathematician Has Always Been Worth Listening To](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/ee9320f54c85) (2026-10-22, 26 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/a0c07e5c-5aa8-4896-8edd-39eb1269ebac/Quanta_301_v2.mp3 - ['Ghostly' Galaxies and the Mystery of Dark Matter](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/8d56828da7fd) (2026-10-20, 26 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/a893a9a0-c525-43b9-98c1-086e179d8e5f/Quanta_Ep73_FINAL.mp3 - [How Math Brings Together Classical Chaos, Quantum Mechanics, and Fractals](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/a35b3551255c) (2026-10-13, 30 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/58bec7dd-539d-4676-b494-e4475f2fff80/Quanta_Ep72_FINAL.mp3 - [Audio Edition: Sometimes Being First Means Seeing the End Before Anyone Else](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/0a684cf251a4) (2026-10-08, 25 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/dc0629f9-c1ee-46ee-8316-9c4f905b045f/Quanta_300_v2.mp3 - [Sea Monkeys, Jupiter, and the Mystery of Turbulence](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/78f80ed019ac) (2026-10-06, 28 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/8b245132-9a64-4395-af1f-8019d2c10a81/Quanta_Ep71_FINAL.mp3 - [‘Jumping Genes’ Are More Than Parasitic DNA](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/61bb2dd5512c) (2026-09-29, 27 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/147afdd7-bd4d-422b-8f3b-7d821a8a18e0/Quanta_Ep70_FINAL.mp3 - [Audio Edition: For Hong Wang, Living Fully in the Math World Means Threading the Needle](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/d50b77ffa37a) (2026-09-24, 28 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/ea193d32-13a2-4c37-92c1-cec6149307ba/Quanta_299_v1.mp3 - [Are the Little Red Dots Actually Black Hole Suns?](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/c77511fbfe77) (2026-09-22, 34 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/aa16ed6b-549d-4f8e-829e-0830e308ff76/Quanta_Ep69_FINAL.mp3 - [Four-Color Theorem Is Still a Math Favorite](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/8ed3aa5fb649) (2026-09-15, 30 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/daa9e892-1fb4-4981-8ba0-abe2c33fb566/Quanta_Ep68_FINAL.mp3 - [Audio Edition: ‘Reverse Mathematics’ Illuminates Why Hard Problems Are Hard](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/0d81f0c193fc) (2026-09-10, 12 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/c6afe9cb-20ee-46a3-bdb1-aad0e1c43b11/Quanta_298_v2_final.mp3 - [Does Computer Science Need Computers?](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/f83fa438e77e) (2026-09-08, 30 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/39b47a42-22bf-460e-bb0c-836dbf9acd7d/Quanta_Ep67_FINAL.mp3 - [How the Brain Compresses Our Noisy World](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/d0a78e03e35f) (2026-09-01, 32 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/0a183f0b-7e58-4f96-9a37-4ed2705a9445/Quanta_Ep66_FINAL.mp3 - [Audio Edition: A Cell So Minimal That It Challenges Definitions of Life](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/9294d879d517) (2026-08-27, 17 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/e3cbed7d-7507-49a1-95f0-944de4d4a618/Quanta_297_v2_final.mp3 - [Picking Teams With the Math of Imbalance](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/e37cd0187d45) (2026-08-25, 32 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/88a1f3e3-5e8e-4cb2-a3b3-07b59d4c6e05/Quanta_Ep65_FINAL.mp3 - [What Makes a Fluid a Fluid?](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/00eb18f7f5fb) (2026-08-18, 36 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/379c77f7-94a4-4720-bc72-f99af18aa7c1/Quanta_Ep64_FINAL.mp3 - [Audio Edition: New Proofs Probe Soap-Film Singularities](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/f1bb27cf5ed7) (2026-08-13, 15 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/5f3d5b52-46a8-4033-8542-3cde96520e27/Quanta_296_v2_final.mp3 - [Is AI Reasoning Right for the Wrong Reasons?](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/6a2c1732da1c) (2026-08-11, 39 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/bac54f20-215a-4916-a4a9-fec81b01176c/Quanta_Ep63_FINAL.mp3 - [Why Am I Left-Handed?](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/f4b5601a702d) (2026-08-04, 27 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/7a370cc3-c602-4005-aea4-727540ec5209/Quanta_Ep62_FINAL.mp3 - [Audio Edition: Old ‘Ghost’ Theory of Quantum Gravity Makes a Comeback](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/e2ceb12fc274) (2026-07-30, 22 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/25f6f271-87e0-47d2-9e17-542f664f363d/Quanta_295_v2.mp3 - [A Dark Dimension Could Link Two of the Universe’s Great Unknowns](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/79f8b966451a) (2026-07-28, 30 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/cbc62a08-7a8d-40b3-99ba-24a2f8527790/Quanta_Ep61_FINAL.mp3 - [Is Life Just Different?](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/0686b8f39f80) (2026-07-21, 36 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/29dc1281-cd6f-4dc0-9132-a65f7a7c346c/Quanta_Ep60_FINAL.mp3 - [Audio Edition: ‘World Models,’ an Old Idea in AI, Mount a Comeback](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/32003432c420) (2026-07-16, 10 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/f51b76a7-9ba8-4ad0-a831-d06d330f7ba4/Quanta_294_v2.mp3 - [How Many Shuffles Do You Really Need to Randomize Your Deck?](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/320c52dbbe33) (2026-07-14, 30 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/912ea5de-61c9-42fd-bc4a-411768cccff6/Quanta_Ep59_FINAL.mp3 - [Will We Ever Be Able To Forecast Volcanic Eruptions Like Weather?](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/45e2814dddbe) (2026-07-07, 23 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/8095b45a-4567-4750-bcdd-1321aae5fe3c/Quanta_Ep58_FINAL.mp3 - [Audio Edition: Tiny Tubes Reveal Clues to the Evolution of Complex Life](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/6132c888252b) (2026-07-02, 14 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/8481e601-e11a-4c48-810c-08c2d627d3cf/Quanta_293_v1.mp3 - [Are Memories Transferable — or Edible?](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/00481f15403f) (2026-06-30, 33 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/756f7583-4804-475a-a74d-2850fa9bb761/Quanta_Ep57_FINAL.mp3 - [How Many Elementary Particles Are There, Really?](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/ecf9c493161f) (2026-06-23, 37 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/c3841a6e-4a2f-4cb6-a900-985bbcb59d73/Quanta_Ep56_Mix_FINAL_tb.mp3 - [Audio Edition: What Is the Fourier Transform?](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/f0f25b3220ea) (2026-06-18, 13 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/d25d32c7-020d-4ab4-bcba-88578575462d/Quanta_292_v1.mp3 - [The 'Truth Machine' That Is Changing Math](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/529ed270675a) (2026-06-16, 34 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/86d6a23a-e54a-438e-a75d-95174e95e578/Quanta_Ep55_Mix_FINAL.mp3 - [Ecotypes Make the Idea of a Species Even Fuzzier](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/67a918134bb5) (2026-06-09, 28 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/9d39b58f-804c-40a8-8ea1-37e4ab2aee71/Quanta_Ep54_Mix_v3_tb.mp3 - [What Actually Causes Lightning?](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/25f37019fbbe) (2026-06-02, 22 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/cb4fa678-5953-411e-9487-2e1a5bece6af/Quanta_Ep53_FINAL.mp3 - [Audio Edition: Astrophysicists Find No ‘Hair’ on Black Holes](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/68e6ef2570d0) (2026-05-28, 13 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/45022b21-a54e-4c59-b1f8-aa09ae32a61f/Quanta_291_v1.mp3 - [The AI Revolution in Math Has Arrived](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/9d3925c6ecfe) (2026-05-26, 31 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/97fbb509-b66e-4dad-b2c5-7696c41ef890/Quanta_Ep52_FINAL.mp3 - [Ice Is Way More Complex Than It Seems](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/83bad9a2943a) (2026-05-19, 25 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/a164bcec-ce14-4fad-8ac3-058ac1c18031/Quanta_Ep51_FINAL.mp3 - [Audio Edition: How Distillation Makes AI Models Smaller and Cheaper](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/1b53ebe1a380) (2026-05-14, 9 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/52f579a6-ed4f-4e6f-9ff9-c8f76b2aa3be/Quanta_290_v1.mp3 - [Our Immune Systems Are Full of Ancient Weapons](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/4334533876c7) (2026-05-12, 30 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/9468a239-43a9-472a-948f-78f2ccba48dc/Quanta_Ep50_FINAL__1_.mp3 - [What Can We Gain by Losing Infinity?](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/676f3ce9d9a8) (2026-05-05, 31 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/2ed571db-6116-47db-82c3-653a63f34c70/Quanta_Ep49_FINAL.mp3 - [Audio Edition: The Cells That Breathe Two Ways](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/6820cd21dc9e) (2026-04-30, 14 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/4bd84b37-65c3-49e0-b203-14d5b4e53e8e/Quanta_289_v2.mp3 - [Quantum Mechanics Might Be a Secret Key to Secure Communication](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/8568717628d6) (2026-04-28, 28 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/38708504-44a7-46fc-bd3a-cd71fdd8a2d7/Quanta_Ep48_Mix_FINAL.mp3 - [Is String Theory Still Our Best Hope?](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/7f59180ac12f) (2026-04-21, 27 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/d480f83a-7523-4cdf-9ef7-bda462e9cc52/Quanta_Ep47_FINAL.mp3 - [Audio Edition: New Physics-Inspired Proof Probes the Borders of Disorder](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/73a7786a5780) (2026-04-16, 14 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/5261ebb9-de2c-4b89-8ba2-7e98002dbb10/Quanta_288_v2.mp3 - [One of Nature’s Most Complex Molecular Machines](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/21af2a955312) (2026-04-14, 24 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/8de20c12-c427-45f8-8f39-e41cbcf5075b/Quanta_Ep46_Mix_FINAL.mp3 - [The Fundamental Tension at the Heart of Math](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/57408f152ab6) (2026-04-07, 29 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/d397b321-8f7a-41f2-ae26-a8ec4c31b905/Quanta_Ep45_FINAL.mp3 - [Audio Edition: AI Comes Up With Bizarre Physics Experiments. But They Work.](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/eae0357bda65) (2026-04-02, 15 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/3884e8ef-05d4-4ad0-83d4-af9fb1d47b38/Quanta_287_v1.mp3 - [Why Do Humanoid Robots Still Struggle With the Small Stuff?](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/71e94b612a6a) (2026-03-31, 31 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/676d0481-496d-440b-9266-c44cc75b1972/Quanta_Ep44_FINAL.mp3 - [Uniting a Century of Digital and Analog Astronomy](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/9779a9a14295) (2026-03-24, 26 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/22c904fd-2f71-4f6c-9913-d44925ded443/Quanta_Ep43_FINAL.mp3 - [Audio Edition: Researchers Uncover Hidden Ingredients Behind AI Creativity](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/3fbdc9c51bc7) (2026-03-19, 12 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/b58220c3-02d5-40fe-8dc8-d768cc0ceed9/Quanta_286_v2.mp3 - [Astrocytes Might Be in Charge of the Brain](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/1d459a022921) (2026-03-17, 27 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/d3ee9c21-eac6-405c-8280-539a96f926ee/Quanta_Ep42_Mix_v3_tb_FINAL.mp3 - [The Infinite Heist - Part 2](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1021340531/a7605bcfb69f) (2026-03-10, 25 min): audio https://tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/11709/ffcdd153-a8be-4349-933e-be24ddb702ce/Quanta_Ep41_FINAL.mp3 Shows are listed from Apple Podcasts' charts and directory, and Podcast Index where it is used. Every show and episode belongs to its publisher and plays from the publisher's own feed; this site hosts none of them.