The Joy of Why

Dreams are subjective, but there are ways to peer into the minds of people while they are dreaming. Steven Strogatz speaks with sleep researcher Antonio Zadra about how new experimental methods have changed our understanding of dreams.

The post Why and How Do We Dream? first appeared on Quanta Magazine

Quantum field theory may be the most successful scientific theory of all time, but there’s reason to think it’s missing something. Steven Strogatz speaks with theoretical physicist David Tong about this enigmatic theory.

The post What Is Quantum Field Theory and Why Is It Incomplete? first appeared on Quanta Magazine

Everybody gets older, but not everyone ages in the same way. In this episode, Steven Strogatz speaks with Judith Campisi and Dena Dubal, two biomedical researchers who study the aging process.

The post Why Do We Get Old, and Can Aging Be Reversed? first appeared on Quanta Magazine

What makes a proof stronger than a guess? What does evidence look like in the realm of mathematical abstraction? Hear the mathematician Melanie Matchett Wood explain how probability helps to guide number theorists toward certainty.

The post How Do Mathematicians Know Their Proofs Are Correct? first appeared on Quanta Magazine

Artificial intelligence has bested humans at problem-solving challenges like chess and Go. Is mathematics research next? Steven Strogatz speaks with mathematician Kevin Buzzard to learn about the effort to translate math into language that computers understand.

The post Can Computers Be Mathematicians? first appeared on Quanta Magazine

Without a good definition of life, how do we look for it on alien planets? Steven Strogatz speaks with Robert Hazen, a mineralogist and astrobiologist, and Sheref Mansy, a chemist, to learn more.

The post What Is Life? first appeared on Quanta Magazine

How did life arise on Earth? Steven Strogatz speaks with the Nobel Prize-winning biologist Jack Szostak and Betül Kaçar, a paleogeneticist and astrobiologist, to explore our best understanding of how we all got here.

The post How Could Life Evolve From Cyanide? first appeared on Quanta Magazine

The space telescope is one of the most ambitious scientific projects ever undertaken. Marcia Rieke and Nikole Lewis, two of the scientists leading JWST investigations, talk to Steven Strogatz about how it may transform our understanding of the universe.

The post Will the James Webb Space Telescope Reveal Another Earth? first appeared on Quanta Magazine

Einstein’s description of curved space-time doesn’t easily mesh with a universe made up of quantum wavefunctions. Theoretical physicist Sean Carroll discusses the quest for quantum gravity with host Steven Strogatz.

The post Where Do Space, Time and Gravity Come From? first appeared on Quanta Magazine

The immune system protects us from a full spectrum of pathogens, but without balance, it can end up hurting us over time, too. The immunologist Shruti Naik explains how our defenses can turn on us.

The post Why Is Inflammation a Dangerous Necessity? first appeared on Quanta Magazine

Steven Strogatz explores the mysteries of knots with the mathematicians Colin Adams and Lisa Piccirillo.

The post Untangling Why Knots Are Important first appeared on Quanta Magazine

The reasons why sleep is so vital often hide in unexpected parts of the body, as host Steven Strogatz discovers in conversations with researchers Dragana Rogulja and Alex Keene.

The post Why Do We Die Without Sleep? first appeared on Quanta Magazine

The noted mathematician and author Steven Strogatz explains how the conversations with experts in his new Quanta Magazine podcast address his lifelong fascination with timeless mysteries.

The post Deep Curiosity Inspires The Joy of Why Podcast first appeared on Quanta Magazine