The Joy of Why
Steven Strogatz, Janna Levin and Quanta Magazine
“The Joy of Why” is a Quanta Magazine podcast about curiosity and the pursuit of knowledge. The mathematician and author Steven Strogatz and the cosmologist and author Janna Levin take turns interviewing leading researchers about the great scientific and mathematical questions of our time. New episodes are released every other Wednesday.
Quanta Magazine is a Pulitzer Prize–winning, editorially independent online publication launched and supported by the Simons Foundation to illuminate big ideas in science and math through public service journalism. Quanta’s reporters and editors focus on developments in mathematics, theoretical physics, theoretical computer science and the basic life sciences, emphasizing timely, accurate, in-depth and well-crafted articles for its broad discerning audience. In 2023, Steven Strogatz received a National Academies Eric and Wendy Schmidt Award for Excellence in Science Communications partly for his work on “The Joy of Why.”
6 Listeners
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Top 10 The Joy of Why Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best The Joy of Why episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to The Joy of Why for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite The Joy of Why episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
What Is Life?
The Joy of Why
06/15/22 • 41 min
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.
3 Listeners
What Is Quantum Field Theory and Why Is It Incomplete?
The Joy of Why
08/10/22 • 42 min
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.
2 Listeners
Can Thermodynamics Go Quantum?
The Joy of Why
09/12/24 • 43 min
The principles of thermodynamics are cornerstones of our understanding of physics. But they were discovered in the era of steam-driven technology, long before anyone dreamed of quantum mechanics.
In this episode, theoretical physicist Nicole Yunger Halpern talks to host Steven Strogatz about how physicists today are reinterpreting concepts such as work, energy and information for a quantum world.
1 Listener
02/09/23 • 2 min
As The Joy of Why podcast returns for a second season, producer Polly Stryker and host Steven Strogatz invite listeners to join them and their brilliant new guests on another voyage of discovery.
1 Listener
Where Do Space, Time and Gravity Come From?
The Joy of Why
05/04/22 • 42 min
Einstein's description of gravity as a curvature in space-time doesn't easily mesh with a universe made up of quantum wavefunctions. Theoretical physicist Sean Carroll (of the "Mindscape" podcast) tells Steven Strogatz about the mind-bending implications of the quest for quantum gravity.
1 Listener
What Can Jellyfish Teach Us About Fluid Dynamics?
The Joy of Why
06/28/23 • 43 min
Jellyfish and other aquatic creatures embody solutions to diverse problems in engineering, medicine and mathematics. John Dabiri, a fluid dynamics expert, talks with Steven Strogatz about what jellyfish can teach us about going with the flow.
The post What Can Jellyfish Teach Us About Fluid Dynamics? first appeared on Quanta Magazine
1 Listener
Untangling Why Knots Are Important
The Joy of Why
04/06/22 • 44 min
Everyone knows what a knot is. But they have special significance in math and science because their properties can help unlock hidden secrets like the biochemistry of DNA or the geometry of three-dimensional spaces. In this episode, Steven Strogatz explores the mysteries of knots with the mathematicians Colin Adams and Lisa Piccirillo.
1 Listener
Can Computers Be Mathematicians?
The Joy of Why
06/29/22 • 32 min
Artificial intelligence has bested humans at problem-solving tasks including games like chess and Go. Is mathematics research next? Steven Strogatz speaks with Kevin Buzzard, professor of pure mathematics at Imperial College London, to learn about the ongoing multidisciplinary effort to translate math into language that computers understand.
1 Listener
Is Perpetual Motion Possible at the Quantum Level?
The Joy of Why
05/04/23 • 36 min
A new phase of matter called a “time crystal” plays with our expectations of thermodynamics. The physicist Vedika Khemani talks with Steven Strogatz about its surprising quantum behavior.
The post Is Perpetual Motion Possible at the Quantum Level? first appeared on Quanta Magazine
What Causes Giant Rogue Waves?
The Joy of Why
06/14/23 • 40 min
Wave-science researcher Ton van den Bremer and Steven Strogatz discuss how rogue waves can form in relatively calm seas and whether their threat can be predicted.
The post What Causes Giant Rogue Waves? first appeared on Quanta Magazine
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FAQ
How many episodes does The Joy of Why have?
The Joy of Why currently has 49 episodes available.
What topics does The Joy of Why cover?
The podcast is about Life Sciences, Podcasts and Science.
What is the most popular episode on The Joy of Why?
The episode title 'What Is Life?' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on The Joy of Why?
The average episode length on The Joy of Why is 37 minutes.
How often are episodes of The Joy of Why released?
Episodes of The Joy of Why are typically released every 14 days.
When was the first episode of The Joy of Why?
The first episode of The Joy of Why was released on Mar 17, 2022.
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