Jun 22

Ebola update, World Cup heat risks, dad brains

In this episode of Science Quickly, we start with a quick update on the Ebola outbreak surging in parts of Africa. Host Rachel Feltman is then joined by Scientific American’s senior desk editor for life science Andrea Thompson to discuss what rising temperatures mean for the FIFA ... Show More

13m 10s

Jun 19

How common viruses could quietly raise your cancer risk

In this episode of Science Quickly, one of SciAm’s Young American Scientists, biologist Jaye Gardiner, explores how common viral infections may raise cancer risk—not just through genetic mutations but by reshaping the body’s “extracellular matrix” of molecules that support cells ... Show More

15m 34s

Jun 17

The neuroscientist decoding how the brain learns

In this episode, host Rachel Feltman interviews neuroscientist Kauê M. Costa, who is among Scientific American’s inaugural cohort of Young American Scientists honorees. Costa shares how being surprised by experiments has led him to new ways of thinking about learning in the brain ... Show More

19m 22s

Sep 2024

The Hidden Secrets of Math: Invented or Discovered? (Part 2)

Where does math come from? Mathematicians are still debating whether math is an inherent part of nature or an invention of the human mind. Mathematics communicator and drag queen Kyne will guide you through the question of what math really is in this three-part Friday miniseries. ... Show More

13m 28s

Sep 2024

The Hidden Secrets of Math: Beauty and Power (Part 1)

Mathematics communicator and drag queen Kyne Santos will help you discover the beauty and power of math in this three-part Friday miniseries. Kyne takes us back to ancient Greece to illustrate the elegance of mathematics. We meet mathematician Tom Crawford, who combines fieldwork ... Show More

14m 26s

May 2011

Is math a human invention or a human discovery?

In this episode, Robert and Julie take a sweeping look at math, addressing several important questions. For example: What is math? Where does math come from? What mathematical skills are we born with and how much can we understand? Learn more about your ad-choices ... Show More

37m 58s

Mar 2022

Is maths real?

Faced with one cake and eight hungry people, it’s pretty obvious how maths underpins reality. But as mathematics gets further from common sense and into seemingly abstract territory, nature still seems to obey its rules - whether in the orbit of a planet, the number of petals ... Show More

32m 15s

Jul 2022

From the Vault: The Origins of Numeracy

What are numbers and where does our number sense come from? Is numeracy an innate part of our biology, or is it a cultural invention? In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the origins of numbers. (originally published 6/15/2021)See omnystudio. ... Show More

54 m

Oct 2023

A Mathematician Asks ‘Is Math Real?’

When math is based on abstract concepts, how do we know it’s correct? Dr. Eugenia Cheng takes on that question in a new book. The concept of math has been around for a long time, developing independently in many different cultures. In 1650 BC, the Egyptians were ... Show More

33m 8s

Dec 2022

Confessions Of A Math Convert

Math is a complex, beautiful language that can help people understand the world. And sometimes math is hard! Science communicator Sadie Witkowski says the key to making math your friend is to foster your own curiosity and shed the fear of sounding dumb. That's the guiding princip ... Show More

12m 55s

Sep 2024

Our Mathematical Universe with Grant Sanderson (3Blue1Brown)

Is math discovered or invented? Neil deGrasse Tyson & Chuck Nice explore information theory, talking to aliens with prime numbers, Mandelbrot sets, and why math is often called the "language of the universe" with Grant Sanderson, the math educator behind YouTube channel 3Blue1 ... Show More

56m 56s

Nov 2023

Abstract Mathematology (UH, IS MATH REAL?) with Eugenia Cheng

Math wants to be friends. Let mathematician, author and Abstract Mathematologist Dr. Eugenia Cheng introduce you to a secret world: the artsy and emotional side of math. Dr. Cheng helps answer the age-old and (recently viral) question, “IS MATH REAL?” We chat about Fibonacci s ... Show More

1h 17m

The Hidden Secrets of Math: Invented or ...