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. T...
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Science & Medicine
The Joy of x
The acclaimed mathematician and author Steven Strogatz interviews some of the world’s leading scientists about their lives and work.
Episodes
20 of 26 episodesCharlie 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 physicis...
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 Dynam...
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-resea...
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. Th...
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 Trach...
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 soc...
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 poss...
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....
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 stand...
Bonnie Bassler on Talkative Bacteria and Eavesdropping Viruses
The molecular biologist Bonnie Bassler is deciphering the chemical languages that bacteria use to coordinate their assaults on a host. The p...
Neil Shubin on Tiktaalik, Ballistic Tongues and Evolution
The paleontologist Neil Shubin talks with host Steven Strogatz about hunting for a 375 million-year-old fossil and finding novel traits that...
Podcast Preview: The Joy of x, Season Two
Hosted by Steven Strogatz, The Joy of x podcast is back with new episodes that explore the inner worlds of top-tier scientists and mathemati...
Moon Duchin on Fair Voting and Random Walks
Can geometry save democracy from gerrymandering? Mathematician Moon Duchin discusses the possibilities with host Steven Strogatz. The post M...
Brian Keating’s Quest for the Origin of the Universe
The astrophysicist Brian Keating talks to host Steven Strogatz about chasing the universe’s greatest mysteries — and what it’s like to have...
Rebecca Goldin and Brian Nosek on Hard Truths in Math and Psychology
The mathematician Rebecca Goldin and the psychology researcher Brian Nosek speak with host Steven Strogatz about what it’s like to be the be...
Cori Bargmann on the Genetics of Transparent Worms, Supertasters and Cancer
The neurogenetics pioneer Cori Bargmann speaks with host Steven Strogatz about why a transparent worm became her favorite animal and how a g...
Tadashi Tokieda's Special Kind of Magic
The mathematician Tadashi Tokieda and host Steven Strogatz explore what we can learn about the world from simple “toys” with remarkable phys...
Janna Levin on Seeing and Hearing Black Holes
The astrophysicist Janna Levin describes the fierce scientific beauty she finds in black holes and reveals why she took a major risk early i...
John Urschel: From NFL Player to Mathematician
John Urschel, who retired from playing professional football with the Baltimore Ravens to become a mathematician, talks to host Steven Strog...