Breaking Math Podcast
Episodes
Intelligent Systems: Digital Culture Shock
19 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this conversation, Dr. Katharina Reinecke explores the intersection of technology and culture, discussing how cultural assumptions shape the design...
Who is Francis Crick?
11 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This conversation delves into the life and legacy of Francis Crick, co-discoverer of the DNA structure. Dr. Matthew Cobb, the guest, explores Cr...
Mathematics and Humanity: The Untold Stories of the Great Math War
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This conversation explores the intersection of mathematics and human experience, focusing on historical figures, philosophical debates, and the ethica...
The Future of Physics: Portals to a New Reality
28 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this conversation, Dr.Vlatko Vedral discusses the complexities of quantum mechanics and its implications for our understanding of reality. He explo...
AI vs Human Intelligence: The Emergent Mind
25 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this conversation, Drs. Gaurav Suri and Jay Mcclelland delves into the intricate relationship between artificial intelligence and human cognition, ...
The Giant Leap
21 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this conversation, Dr. Caleb Scharf discusses the evolution of space exploration, drawing parallels to historical figures like Darwin. He explores ...
Dinosaurs with Rachel Ignotofsky
14 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this engaging conversation, Rachel Ignotofski discusses her new book Dinosaurs, exploring the fascination with these ancient creatures, the impact ...
Charlatans with Quico Toro
07 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this conversation, Quico discusses the nature of gullibility and the tactics used by charlatans to exploit people's beliefs. He provides insights i...
Economica with Victoria Bateman
30 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this conversation, economist Dr. Victoria Bateman discusses the critical role of women in shaping economic prosperity throughout history. She argue...
Blueprints with Marcus du Sautoy
09 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this conversation, Marcus Du Sautoy explores the intricate relationship between mathematics and various forms of art, including music, literature, ...
Unequal with Eugenia Cheng
05 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this conversation, Eugenia Cheng discusses the importance of making math accessible and engaging for everyone, particularly those who have been dis...
Breaking Math: When Math Meets a Technology Glitch
28 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s episode isn’t our usual deep dive—it’s a behind-the-scenes update. On Monday, Breaking Math vanished from Spotify, Apple, YouTube,...
Hate the Game
19 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this conversation, Dr. Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin, discusses her book “Hate the Game,” that frames life and career decisions ...
Dots and Lines: Hidden Networks
12 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this conversation, Autumn and Dr. Anthony Bonato explore the fascinating world of networks, discussing their significance in various fields, includ...
Robin Hood Math
05 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Breaking Math, Dr. Noah Giansiracusa discusses his book 'Robin Hood Math', emphasizing the importance of mathematical literacy in n...
What are Swim Training Patterns?
29 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this conversation, Dr. Christoph Bartneck discusses the intersection of swimming and computer science, exploring how mathematical patterns can enha...
AI Ethics: Algorithms Go To College
22 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Breaking Math, Autumn explores the complex world of AI ethics, focusing on its implications in education, the accuracy of AI system...
Random Shuffle Isn't Random At All
08 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we explore the intricate mathematics behind Sp0tify's (ok... and other's) shuffle feature, revealing how it is designed to feel rando...
Algorithms & AI Simplified - The Not So Mathy Version
01 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This conversation explores the intricate relationship between mathematics and artificial intelligence (AI) for people who don't want to get too math h...
What is Cryptography?
24 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This conversation delves into the intersection of quantum computing and cryptography, focusing on the implications of quantum computers for current en...
We Live in a Radioactive World: What is Dosimetry?
17 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Autumn interviews Dr. Ileana Pazos, an expert in dosimetry, discussing the critical role of radiation measurement in various in...
What is Life?
10 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this conversation, Dr. Elizabeth Strychalski discusses the fascinating field of synthetic biology, particularly focusing on synthetic cells. She sh...
Fire Science: What are Photoacoustic Measurements?
03 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Breaking Math, hosts Autumn and Gabriel explore the innovative intersections of fire science and technology with experts Amy Mensch...
What is Time?
26 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Breaking Math, Autumn and Andrew Novick delve into the intricate world of timekeeping, exploring the significance of precise time m...
What is Measurement?
18 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
SummaryThis episode of Breaking Math explores the fundamental concept of measurement, its importance in daily life, and the necessity for standardized...
How Analytics Can Revolutionize Affordable Energy
19 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Dr. Destine Nock, CEO of Peoples Energy Analytics and a Professor at Carnegie Mellon University, joins Autumn to dive deep into the w...
What is Chaos Theory?
12 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this captivating episode of Breaking Math, hosts Gabriel and Autumn dive deep into chaos theory—a fascinating branch of mathematics that explores...
AI in the Lab: How GPT-4 is Changing Molecules and Models
05 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Breaking Math, we dive deep into the transformative power of large language models (LLMs) like GPT-4 in the fields of chemistry and...
The Fluid Dynamics of Sheep
29 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Breaking Math, we explore the unexpected link between sheep herding and fluid dynamics! Did you know that the way sheep move ...
The Discovery of the Largest Prime Number: M136279841
22 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this exciting episode of Breaking Math, we explore the groundbreaking discovery of the largest prime number ever found—M136279841, a Mersenne pri...
Exploring GFlowNets and AI-Driven Material Discovery for Carbon Capture
22 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Breaking Math, hosts Gabriel Hesch and Autumn Phaneuf dive into the cutting-edge world of Generative Flow Networks (GFlowNets) and ...
Victorian Era Spooky Scientists & Paranormal Activity
15 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Explore the intriguing intersection of science and spiritualism in the Victorian era. This episode uncovers how prominent scientists like Michael Fara...
Is AI Conscious?
08 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
AI & Consciousness: Philosophical Debates, Ethical Implications & the Future of Conscious MachinesIn this episode of Breaking Math, hosts Autu...
Molecular dynamics simulation with GFlowNets: machine learning the importance of energy estimators in computational chemistry and drug discovery
01 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Breaking Math, hosts Autumn and Gabriel take a deep dive into the paper “Towards Equilibrium Molecular Conformation Generation wi...
Do Plants Know Math?
24 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mathematical Patterns in Plants: Fibonacci, Golden Ratio & Nature's Hidden Math with Christophe Gole & Nancy PickIn this episode of Breaking M...
Mapmatics: A Mathematician's Guide to Navigating the World with Maps with Paulina Rowinska
17 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Math & Cartography: Dr. Paula Rowinska on Map Projections, Gerrymandering & Real-World MathIn this episode of Breaking Math, host Autumn inter...
The Intentional Engineer (with Jeff Perry)
10 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this conversation, Gabriel and Autumn interview Jeff Perry, a career coach and author of the book 'The Intentional Engineer'. They discuss the impo...
Math for English Majors with Ben Orlin
03 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Math & Language: Creativity, Quantification, and Making Math Accessible with Ben OrlinIn this episode of Breaking Math, hosts sit down with Ben Or...
What is Data Visualization? From the Expert Behind PolicyViz
27 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Autumn and Dr. Jonathan Schwabish discuss the importance of strategic thinking in data visualization and the key elements of good data...
Love Triangle and Other Maths (with Matt Parker)
20 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Gabriel and Autumn interview mathematician, comedian, and author Matt Parker about his latest book, "Love Triangle." They discuss the...
The Black Hole Heist
16 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Surprise! It's a Friday episode for you! Yes, yes it is a rerun, but we wanted to share it anyways. We can't wait for our fall lineup because it...
Black Holes: The Abyss Part 3
13 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's the last week of our summer break and we have 2 episodes this week for you as a little treat. So check out our show on Friday too for a little bi...
Black Holes: The Abyss Part 2
06 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Happy Summer! We have another week of our summer break after this episode from 2018. We will be back shortly with more content and surprises! Black ho...
Black Holes: The Abyss Part 1
30 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Happy Summer! Check out part one of our three part series on black holes from 2018. Enjoy! The idea of something that is inescapable, at first glance,...
What are Journal Rankings? The basics: a minisode.
23 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this minisode, Autumn explores the basics in the world of journal rankings and metrics. She discusses the importance of journal rankings and how th...
Why Machines Learn: The Math Behind AI
16 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Autumn and Anil Ananthaswamy discuss the inspiration behind his book “Why Machines Learn” and the importance of understanding the ...
The Intersection of Mathematics and Democracy
09 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This discussion Autumn and Gabe delves into Ismar Volic's personal background and inspiration for writing the book, “Making Democracy Count” as we...
Math Lounge: Celebrating 101 Episodes
02 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this conversation, Gabe and Autumn celebrate the 101st episode of Breaking Math and discuss the evolution of the podcast. They highlight the import...
Minisode: Absolutely Nothing
18 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Breaking Math, Autumn and Gabe explore the concept of nothingness and its significance in various fields. They discuss the philosop...
Can We Survive on Mars? Hot Tips with Zach Weinersmith (Part 2)
28 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this conversation, Autumn Phaneuf interviews Zach Weinersmith, a cartoonist and writer, about the feasibility and implications of space settlement....
Can We Survive on Mars? Hot Tips with Zach Weinersmith
21 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this conversation, Autumn Phaneuf and Zach Weinersmith discusses his new book, A City on Mars, which takes a humorous look at the challenges of bui...
What's the Use? Interview with Professor Ian Stewart
14 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to another engaging episode of the Breaking Math Podcast! Today's episode, titled "What is the Use?," features a fascinating conversation with...
Bayes' Theorem Explains It All: An Interview with Tom Chivers
07 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Tom Chivers discusses his book 'Everything is Predictable: How Bayesian Statistics Explain Our World' and the applications of Bayesian statistics in v...
94. Interview with Steve Nadis, Co-author of 'Gravity of Math'
30 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Summary**Tensor Poster - If you are interested in the Breaking Math Tensor Poster on the mathematics of General Relativity, email us at BreakingMathPo...
93. The 10,000 Year Problem (feat. David Gibson of Ray Kitty Creation Workship)
23 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Summary: The episode discusses the 10,000 year dilemma, which is a thought experiment on how to deal with nuclear waste in the future. Tod...
92. The Mathematical Heart of Games Explored with Prof. du Sautoy
16 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
An interview with Prof. Marcus du Sautoy about his book Around the Wold in Eighty Games . . . .a Mathematician Unlocks the Secrets of the World's Grea...
91. Brain Organelles, AI, and Other Scary Science - An Interview with GT (Part 2)
04 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
SummaryBrain Organelles, A.I. and Defining Intelligence in Nature- In this episode, we continue our fascinating interview with GT, a scienc...
90. LEAN Theorem Provers used to model Physics and Chemistry
16 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is inspired by a correspondence the Breaking Math Podcast had with the editors of Digital Discovery, a journal by the Royal Society of Ch...
89. Brain Organelles, AI, and the Other Scary Science - An Interview with GT (Part I)
05 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This conversation explores the topic of brain organoids and their integration with robots. The discussion covers the development and capabilities of b...
88. Can OpenAi's SORA learn and model real-world physics? (Part 1 of n)
27 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is a follow up on our previous episode on OpenAi's SORA. We attempt to answer the question, "Can OpenAi's SORA model real-world physics?" We...
87. OpenAi SORA, Physics-Informed ML, and a.i. Fraud- Oh My!
20 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
OpenAI's Sora, a text-to-video model, has the ability to generate realistic and imaginative scenes based on text prompts. This conversation explores t...
86. Math, Music, and Artificial Intelligence - Levi McClain Interview (Final Part)
18 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Help Support The Podcast by clicking on the links below: Try out ZenCastr w/ 30% Discount Use my special link to save 30% off your first ...
85. Math, Music, Neuroscience, and Fear - an Interview with Musician Levi McClain
13 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We are joined today by content creator Levi McClain to discuss the mathematics behind music theory, neuroscience, and human experiences such as fear a...
84. (Part 2) Intelligence in Nature v. Machine Learning - an Interview with Brit Cruise
06 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Help Support The Podcast by clicking on the links below: Start YOUR podcast on ZenCastr! Use my special link ZenCastr Discount to s...
83. Intelligence in Nature v. Machine Learning-An Interview with Brit Cruise - Part 1 of 2
30 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode (part 1 of 2), I interview Brit Cruise, creator of the YouTube channel 'Art of the Problem.' On his channel, he recently released the ...
82. A.I. and Materials Discovery - an Interview with Taylor Sparks
21 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Transcripts of this episode are avialable upon request. Email us at [email protected]. In this episode Gabriel Hesch interviews...
In Memory of Sofia Baca, Cofounder and cohost of Breaking Math
11 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In October of 2023, Sofia Baca passed away unexpectedly from natural causes. Sofia was one of the founders and cohosts of the Breaking Math Podcast. I...
81: Correct. Now Try Again (Multiple Approaches to the Same Problem)
24 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Join Sofía Baca and her guests, the host and co-host of the Nerd Forensics podcast, Millicent Oriana and Jacob Urban, as they explore what it means t...
80: Physical Dimension (Dimensional Analysis)
26 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The history of mathematics, in many ways, begins with counting. Things that needed, initially, to be counted were, and often still are, just that; thi...
79: 1 2 3 (Counting)
08 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Help Support The Podcast by clicking on the links below: Try out ZenCastr w/ 30% DiscountUse my special link to save 30% off your first month of any ...
78: Perpetual Notion (Entropy and Thermodynamics)
09 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As you listen to this episode, you'll be exerting mental effort, as well as maybe exerting effort doing other things. The energy allowing your neurons...
77: An Interview with Christopher Roblesz of MathNMore
28 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Christopher Roblesz is a math educator who, until the pandemic, worked as a teacher. It was his experiences during the pandemic, and his unwavering pa...
76: Joule Pay for This! (Energy)
15 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Join Sofia Baca and her guests Millicent Oriana from Nerd Forensics and Arianna Lunarosa as they discuss energy.The sound that you're listening to, th...
75: Existential Physics with Sabine Hossenfelder (Author Interview)
13 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
An interview with Dr. Sabine Hossenfelder about her second book Existential Physics. Sabine is host of the famous youtube show Science with Sabine.&nb...
74: Lights, Camera, Action! (3D Computer Graphics: Part I)
19 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The world around us is a four-dimensional world; there are three spatial dimensions, and one temporal dimension. Many of these objects emit an almost ...
73: Materialism: a Material Science Podcast Podcast Episode (Interview with Taylor Sparks)
28 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Physical objects are everywhere, and they're all made out of molecules, and atoms. However, the arrangement and refinement of these atoms can be the d...
72: The Lifestyles of the Mathematical and Famous (an Interview with Author Robert Black)
15 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Robert Black is an author who has written a six-book series about seven influential mathematicians, their lives, and their work. We interview him and ...
71: What's the Matter? An Interview with Chris Cogswell of the Mad Scientist Podcast (Material Science)
12 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Matter is that which takes up space, and has mass. It is what we interact with, and what we are. Imagining a world without matter is to imagine light ...
70.1: Episode 70.1 of Breaking Math Podcast (Self-Reference)
20 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Seldom do we think about self-reference, but it is a huge part of the world we live in. Every time that we say 'myself', for instance, we are engaging...
70: This Episode Intentionally Left Blank
19 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode description intentionally left blank! As in completely on purpose. Fun Fact! The creators of the Breaking M...
69: An Interview with Michael Brooks, Author of "The Art of More: How Mathematics Created Civilization"
23 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Michael Brooks is a science writer who specializes in making difficult concepts easier to grasp. In his latest book, Brooks goes through several mathe...
P12: O My God (Big O Notation)
04 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There are times in mathematics when we are generalizing the behavior of many different, but similar, entities. One such time that this happens is the ...
68: LOL!!! SO RANDOM (Random Variables)
23 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The world is often uncertain, but it has only been in the last half millennium that we've found ways to interact mathematically with that concept. Fro...
67: Wrath of Math (Mathematics Used Unwisely)
09 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Mathematics is a subject that has been used for great things over time: it has helped people grow food, design shelter, and in every part of life. It ...
P11: Feeling Lucky? (Probability and Intuition)
30 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Join Sofía Baca with her guest Millicent Oriana from the newly launched Nerd Forensics podcast as they discuss some apparent paradoxes in probability...
66: Hayhoe, Let's Go! (An Interview With Climate Scientist Katharine Hayhoe)
21 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Katharine Hayhoe was the lead author on the 2018 US Climate Assessment report, and has spent her time since then spreading the word about climate chan...
P10: Chivalry is Dead (Knights and Knaves #1)
14 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
One tells a lie, the other the truth! Have fun with Sofía and Meryl as they investigate knight, knave, and spy problems!Intro is "Breaking Math Theme...
65: An Interview with Author Ian Stewart (Book About Everyday Math)
24 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to another engaging episode of the Breaking Math Podcast! Today's episode, titled "What is the Use?," features a fascinating conversation with...
64: What Projection Is This? (Map Projections)
29 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The world is a big place with a lot of wonderful things in it. The world also happens to be spherical, which can make getting to those things a challe...
RR36: The Most Boring Episode Ever (Rerun: Math Games)
19 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This is a rerun of one of our favorite episodes! We hope that you enjoy it if you haven't listened to it yet. We'll be back next week with new content...
63: Broken Voting Systems (Voting Systems and Paradoxes)
05 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Voting systems are, in modern times, essential to the way that large-scale decisions are made. The concept of voicing an opinion to be, hopefully, con...
62: The Atom Bomb of Information Operations (An Interview with John Fuisz of Veriphix)
22 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Forecasting is a constantly evolving science, and has been applied to complex systems; everything from the weather, to determining what customers migh...
61: Look at this Graph! (Graph Theory)
25 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In mathematics, nature is a constant driving inspiration; mathematicians are part of nature, so this is natural. A huge part of nature is the idea of ...
P9: Give or Take (Back-of-the-Envelope Estimates / Fermi Problems)
19 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How many piano tuners are there in New York City? How much cheese is there in Delaware? And how can you find out? All of this and more on this problem...
60: HAMILTON! [But Not the Musical] (Quaternions)
03 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
i^2 = j^2 = k^2 = ijk = -1. This deceptively simple formula, discovered by Irish mathematician William Rowan Hamilton in 1843, led to a revolution in ...
59: A Good Source of Fibers (Fiber Bundles)
21 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Mathematics is full of all sorts of objects that can be difficult to comprehend. For example, if we take a slip of paper and glue it to itself, we can...
58: Bringing Curvy Back (Gaussian Curvature)
03 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In introductory geometry classes, many of the objects dealt with can be considered 'elementary' in nature; things like tetrahedrons, spheres, cylinder...
P8: Tangent Tango (Morikawa's Recently Solved Problem)
25 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Join Sofía and Gabriel as they talk about Morikawa's recently solved problem, first proposed in 1821 and not solved until last year!Also, if you have...
P7: Root for Squares (Irrationality of the Square Root of Two)
07 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Join Sofía and Gabriel as they discuss an old but great proof of the irrationality of the square root of two.[Featuring: Sofía Baca, Gabriel Hesch]P...
57: You Said How Much?! (Measure Theory)
01 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
If you are there, and I am here, we can measure the distance between us. If we are standing in a room, we can calculate the area of where we're standi...