Discover the Quanta Podcast: Dive into Science and Innovation with Quanta Magazine!

The Quanta Podcast brings you fresh discussions on the fascinating world of science and mathematics. As the editor-in-chief of Quanta Magazine, I’m continually impressed by the expertise and enthusiasm of our team. Each week, I’ll chat with our writers and editors, exploring the stories that spark curiosity and thought.

The first episode launches on May 20, and in this teaser, I chat with executive editor Michael Moyer about what Quanta covers, how we’ve evolved, and our latest series on “Science, Promise and Peril in the Age of AI.”

Join us every Tuesday for lively conversations about essential ideas and discoveries in science.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, or your favorite app. You can also stream it directly from Quanta.

I’ve been a science journalist for 20 years, and one thing stands out about the team at Quanta: their passion for conveying complex topics. This podcast is a way to share those inner discussions and insights with you.

In this trailer episode, I introduce Michael Moyer, who has been part of Quanta since 2014. We discuss how the magazine has changed and our focus on fundamental science.

MICHAEL MOYER: I joined Quanta when we were just getting started. Back then, we mostly covered physics. But over time, we’ve expanded our scope to include biology and mathematics. We focus on fundamental questions about how the universe operates.

Michael explains that Quanta is distinct because we dive into basic science rather than applied science. This means we explore the “why” behind scientific principles rather than their immediate applications. For example, in physics, we explore the mysteries of quantum mechanics and gravity—two theories that don’t yet fit together seamlessly.

Interestingly, recent surveys indicate a growing public interest in basic science, especially with rapid AI advancements reshaping the field. A study by the National Science Foundation reports that over half of Americans are excited about science’s future and its potential to improve lives.

As we create the new series on AI, we look at how it’s revolutionizing both basic and applied sciences. For instance, AI is helping scientists formulate new questions and even redefine research methods. Just last year, two Nobel Prizes were awarded to discoveries closely tied to AI, highlighting its impact across disciplines.

Michael’s most surprising insight? Interpretability research. This area seeks to decode what happens inside neural networks, like those powering ChatGPT. Despite having detailed maps of these networks, understanding how they produce complex outputs remains challenging. It’s akin to having a detailed grid of a city but still getting lost in it.

Michael highlights, “AI operates as a ‘Black Box.’ We can analyze individual components, yet the overall process continues to surprise us.”

Our podcast aims to enlighten listeners about how AI is intersecting with fundamental science, revealing the deep undercurrents of modern scientific inquiry. In future episodes, we’ll feature stories that illustrate the evolving landscape of science through the lens of AI. There’s much to uncover, and we’re excited to share it with you!

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