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Podcast Profile: Breaking Math Podcast

Show Image SiteRSSApple Podcasts
160 episodes
2017 to 2025
Median: 40 minutes
Collection: Physics, Math, and Astronomy


Description (podcaster-provided):

Breaking Math is a deep-dive science, technology, engineering, AI, and mathematics podcast that explores the world through the lens of logic, patterns, and critical thinking. Hosted by Autumn Phaneuf, an expert in industrial engineering, operations research and applied mathematics, and Gabriel Hesch, an electrical engineer (host from 2016-2024) with a passion for mathematical clarity, the show is dedicated to uncovering the mathematical structures behind science, engineering, technology, and the systems that shape our future.
What began as a conversation about math as a pure and elegant discipline has evolved into a platform for bold, interdisciplinary dialogue. Each episode of Breaking Math takes listeners on an intellectual journey—whether it’s into the strange beauty of chaos theory, the ethical dilemmas of AI, the deep structures of biological evolution, or the thermodynamics of black holes. Along the way, Autumn and Gabriel interview leading thinkers and working scientists from across the spectrum: computer scientists, quantum physicists, chemists, philosophers, neuroscientists, and more.
But this isn’t just a podcast about equations—it’s a show about how mathematics influences the way we think, create, build, and understand. Breaking Math pushes back against the idea that STEM belongs behind a paywall or an academic podium. It’s for the curious, the critical, the creative—for anyone who believes that ideas should be rigorous, accessible, and infused with wonder.
If you've ever wondered:
* What’s the math behind machine learning?
* How do we quantify uncertainty in climate models?
* Can consciousness be described in AI?
* Why does beauty matter in an equation?
Then you’re in the right place.
At its heart, Breaking Math is about building bridges—between disciplines, between experts and the public, and between the abstract world of mathematics and the messy, magnificent reality we live in. With humor, clarity, and deep respect for complexity, Autumn and Gabriel invite you to rethink what math can be—and how it can help us shape a better future.
Listen wherever you get your podcasts.
Website: https://breakingmath.io [https://breakingmath.io/]
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/breakingmathmedia
Email: [email protected]


Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):

➤ Mathematics and its applications • AI and machine learning • Interviews with experts • Science and technology • Mathematical concepts and their societal impacts • Interdisciplinary connections

Breaking Math Podcast offers a deep dive into the interdisciplinary world of science, technology, engineering, artificial intelligence, and mathematics. Hosted by Autumn Phaneuf and Gabriel Hesch, the podcast explores themes ranging from chaos theory and AI ethics to practical applications of mathematics in daily life and industry. The content includes discussions about network science, artificial intelligence, and the mathematical concepts underpinning these fields. Topics such as the societal implications of AI, ethical considerations, and advancements in computer science are recurring throughout the episodes. Environmental sustainability, technological innovation, and scientific literacy are also addressed frequently.

The podcast often involves interviews with experts, allowing listeners to engage with leading thinkers from diverse fields including economics, chemistry, and quantum physics. These discussions help to uncover the mathematical structures underlying various scientific phenomena and their relevance to contemporary technology and societal issues.

Mathematics is presented as a tool for understanding and shaping the world, with episodes covering both theoretical frameworks and real-world applications. For instance, episodes explore the intersection of mathematics with democracy, emphasizing the role of data and algorithms in political processes. This podcast aims to make complex scientific ideas accessible, providing insights into both historical developments and cutting-edge research. Whether exploring the intricacies of cryptography or the mathematical modeling of black holes, Breaking Math underscores the interconnectedness of different scientific disciplines and their broader impact on society. Through its engaging and rigorous analysis, the podcast invites listeners to rethink the role of mathematics and science in addressing complex global challenges.


Episodes:
Episode Image Blueprints with Marcus du Sautoy
2025-Sep-09
59 minutes
Episode Image Unequal with Eugenia Cheng
2025-Sep-05
46 minutes
Episode Image Breaking Math: When Math Meets a Technology Glitch
2025-Aug-28
4 minutes
Episode Image Hate the Game
2025-Aug-19
34 minutes
Episode Image Dots and Lines: Hidden Networks
2025-Aug-12
37 minutes
Episode Image Robin Hood Math
2025-Aug-05
32 minutes
Episode Image What are Swim Training Patterns?
2025-Jul-29
45 minutes
Episode Image AI Ethics: Algorithms Go To College
2025-Jul-22
11 minutes
Episode Image Random Shuffle Isn't Random At All
2025-Jul-08
8 minutes
Episode Image Algorithms & AI Simplified - The Not So Mathy Version
2025-Jul-01
9 minutes
Episode Image What is Cryptography?
2025-Jun-24
40 minutes
Episode Image We Live in a Radioactive World: What is Dosimetry?
2025-Jun-17
32 minutes
Episode Image What is Life?
2025-Jun-10
41 minutes
Episode Image Fire Science: What are Photoacoustic Measurements?
2025-Jun-03
49 minutes
Episode Image What is Time?
2025-Feb-26
71 minutes
Episode Image What is Measurement?
2025-Feb-18
7 minutes
Episode Image How Analytics Can Revolutionize Affordable Energy
2024-Nov-19
41 minutes
Episode Image What is Chaos Theory?
2024-Nov-12
13 minutes
Episode Image AI in the Lab: How GPT-4 is Changing Molecules and Models
2024-Nov-05
12 minutes
Episode Image The Fluid Dynamics of Sheep
2024-Oct-29
15 minutes
Episode Image The Discovery of the Largest Prime Number: M136279841
2024-Oct-22
8 minutes
Episode Image Exploring GFlowNets and AI-Driven Material Discovery for Carbon Capture
2024-Oct-22
10 minutes
Episode Image Victorian Era Spooky Scientists & Paranormal Activity
2024-Oct-15
23 minutes
Episode Image Is AI Conscious?
2024-Oct-08
33 minutes
Episode Image Molecular dynamics simulation with GFlowNets: machine learning the importance of energy estimators in computational chemistry and drug discovery
2024-Oct-01
28 minutes
Episode Image Do Plants Know Math?
2024-Sep-24
56 minutes
Episode Image Mapmatics: A Mathematician's Guide to Navigating the World with Maps with Paulina Rowinska
2024-Sep-17
57 minutes
Episode Image The Intentional Engineer (with Jeff Perry)
2024-Sep-10
55 minutes
Episode Image Math for English Majors with Ben Orlin
2024-Sep-03
58 minutes
Episode Image What is Data Visualization? From the Expert Behind PolicyViz
2024-Aug-27
53 minutes
Episode Image Love Triangle and Other Maths (with Matt Parker)
2024-Aug-20
59 minutes
Episode Image The Black Hole Heist
2024-Aug-16
12 minutes
Episode Image Black Holes: The Abyss Part 3
2024-Aug-13
77 minutes
Episode Image Black Holes: The Abyss Part 2
2024-Aug-06
56 minutes
Episode Image Black Holes: The Abyss Part 1
2024-Jul-30
52 minutes
Episode Image What are Journal Rankings? The basics: a minisode.
2024-Jul-23
12 minutes
Episode Image Why Machines Learn: The Math Behind AI
2024-Jul-16
40 minutes
Episode Image The Intersection of Mathematics and Democracy
2024-Jul-09
62 minutes
Episode Image Math Lounge: Celebrating 101 Episodes
2024-Jul-02
47 minutes
Episode Image Minisode: Absolutely Nothing
2024-Jun-18
19 minutes
Episode Image Can We Survive on Mars? Hot Tips with Zach Weinersmith (Part 2)
2024-May-28
34 minutes
Episode Image Can We Survive on Mars? Hot Tips with Zach Weinersmith
2024-May-21
32 minutes
Episode Image What's the Use? Interview with Professor Ian Stewart
2024-May-14
44 minutes
Episode Image Bayes' Theorem Explains It All: An Interview with Tom Chivers
2024-May-07
49 minutes
Episode Image 94. Interview with Steve Nadis, Co-author of 'Gravity of Math'
2024-Apr-30
52 minutes
Episode Image 93. The 10,000 Year Problem (feat. David Gibson of Ray Kitty Creation Workship)
2024-Apr-23
34 minutes
Episode Image 92. The Mathematical Heart of Games Explored with Prof. du Sautoy
2024-Apr-16
74 minutes
Episode Image 91. Brain Organelles, AI, and Other Scary Science - An Interview with GT (Part 2)
2024-Apr-04
31 minutes
Episode Image 90. LEAN Theorem Provers used to model Physics and Chemistry
2024-Mar-16
47 minutes
Episode Image 89. Brain Organelles, AI, and the Other Scary Science - An Interview with GT (Part I)
2024-Mar-05
30 minutes
Episode Image 88. Can OpenAi's SORA learn and model real-world physics? (Part 1 of n)
2024-Feb-27
34 minutes
Episode Image 87. OpenAi SORA, Physics-Informed ML, and a.i. Fraud- Oh My!
2024-Feb-20
36 minutes
Episode Image 86. Math, Music, and Artificial Intelligence - Levi McClain Interview (Final Part)
2024-Feb-18
28 minutes
Episode Image 85. Math, Music, Neuroscience, and Fear - an Interview with Musician Levi McClain
2024-Feb-13
33 minutes
Episode Image 84. (Part 2) Intelligence in Nature v. Machine Learning - an Interview with Brit Cruise
2024-Feb-06
45 minutes
Episode Image 83. Intelligence in Nature v. Machine Learning-An Interview with Brit Cruise - Part 1 of 2
2024-Jan-30
36 minutes
Episode Image 82. A.I. and Materials Discovery - an Interview with Taylor Sparks
2024-Jan-21
17 minutes
Episode Image In Memory of Sofia Baca, Cofounder and cohost of Breaking Math
2024-Jan-11
48 minutes
Episode Image 81: Correct. Now Try Again (Multiple Approaches to the Same Problem)
2023-Jul-24
37 minutes
Episode Image 80: Physical Dimension (Dimensional Analysis)
2023-Jun-26
35 minutes
Episode Image 79: 1 2 3 (Counting)
2023-Jun-08
47 minutes
Episode Image 78: Perpetual Notion (Entropy and Thermodynamics)
2023-May-09
31 minutes
Episode Image 77: An Interview with Christopher Roblesz of MathNMore
2023-Feb-28
55 minutes
Episode Image 76: Joule Pay for This! (Energy)
2023-Jan-15
66 minutes
Episode Image 75: Existential Physics with Sabine Hossenfelder (Author Interview)
2022-Oct-13
41 minutes
Episode Image 74: Lights, Camera, Action! (3D Computer Graphics: Part I)
2022-Jun-19
42 minutes
Episode Image 73: Materialism: a Material Science Podcast Podcast Episode (Interview with Taylor Sparks)
2022-May-28
55 minutes
Episode Image 72: The Lifestyles of the Mathematical and Famous (an Interview with Author Robert Black)
2022-May-15
50 minutes
Episode Image 71: What's the Matter? An Interview with Chris Cogswell of the Mad Scientist Podcast (Material Science)
2022-Apr-12
55 minutes
Episode Image 70.1: Episode 70.1 of Breaking Math Podcast (Self-Reference)
2022-Mar-20
46 minutes
Episode Image 70: This Episode Intentionally Left Blank
2022-Mar-19
46 minutes
Episode Image 69: An Interview with Michael Brooks, Author of "The Art of More: How Mathematics Created Civilization"
2022-Jan-23
62 minutes
Episode Image P12: O My God (Big O Notation)
2022-Jan-04
22 minutes
Episode Image 68: LOL!!! SO RANDOM (Random Variables)
2021-Dec-23
34 minutes
Episode Image 67: Wrath of Math (Mathematics Used Unwisely)
2021-Dec-09
23 minutes
Episode Image P11: Feeling Lucky? (Probability and Intuition)
2021-Nov-30
30 minutes
Episode Image 66: Hayhoe, Let's Go! (An Interview With Climate Scientist Katharine Hayhoe)
2021-Nov-21
71 minutes
Episode Image P10: Chivalry is Dead (Knights and Knaves #1)
2021-Nov-14
18 minutes
Episode Image 65: An Interview with Author Ian Stewart (Book About Everyday Math)
2021-Oct-24
44 minutes
Episode Image 64: What Projection Is This? (Map Projections)
2021-Sep-29
47 minutes
Episode Image RR36: The Most Boring Episode Ever (Rerun: Math Games)
2021-Sep-19
49 minutes
Episode Image 63: Broken Voting Systems (Voting Systems and Paradoxes)
2021-Sep-05
33 minutes
Episode Image 62: The Atom Bomb of Information Operations (An Interview with John Fuisz of Veriphix)
2021-Aug-22
45 minutes
Episode Image 61: Look at this Graph! (Graph Theory)
2021-Apr-25
29 minutes
Episode Image P9: Give or Take (Back-of-the-Envelope Estimates / Fermi Problems)
2021-Apr-19
31 minutes
Episode Image 60: HAMILTON! [But Not the Musical] (Quaternions)
2021-Apr-03
29 minutes
Episode Image 59: A Good Source of Fibers (Fiber Bundles)
2021-Mar-21
42 minutes
Episode Image 58: Bringing Curvy Back (Gaussian Curvature)
2021-Mar-03
42 minutes
Episode Image P8: Tangent Tango (Morikawa's Recently Solved Problem)
2021-Feb-25
19 minutes
Episode Image P7: Root for Squares (Irrationality of the Square Root of Two)
2021-Feb-07
14 minutes
Episode Image 57: You Said How Much?! (Measure Theory)
2021-Feb-01
30 minutes
Episode Image P6: How Many Angles in a Circle? (Curvature; Euclidean Geometry)
2021-Jan-28
28 minutes
Episode Image 56: More Sheep than You Can Count (Transfinite Cardinal Numbers)
2021-Jan-24
34 minutes
Episode Image 55: Order in the Court (Transfinite Ordinal Numbers)
2021-Jan-14
31 minutes
Episode Image 54: Oodles (Large Numbers)
2020-Dec-21
27 minutes
Episode Image 53: Big Brain Time (An Interview with Peter Zeidman from the UCL Institute of Neurology)
2020-Dec-11
43 minutes
Episode Image 52: Round (Circles and Spheres)
2020-Dec-05
30 minutes
Episode Image P5: All Your Base Are Belong to Us (Fractional Base Proof)
2020-Nov-26
13 minutes
Episode Image 51: Episode "-2,0,1" (Bases; Exotic Bases)
2020-Nov-15
34 minutes
Episode Image 50: Episode "101" (Bases)
2020-Aug-31
54 minutes
Episode Image 49: Thinking Machines II (Techniques in Artificial Intelligence)
2020-May-26
57 minutes
Episode Image 48: Thinking Machines (Philosophical Basis of Artificial Intelligence)
2020-May-18
54 minutes
Episode Image P4: Go with the Flow (Conceptual Calculus: Related Rates of Change)
2020-Mar-10
36 minutes
Episode Image 47: Blast to the Past (Retrocausality)
2020-Feb-29
29 minutes
Episode Image P3: Radiativeforcenado (Radiative Forcing)
2020-Feb-03
39 minutes
Episode Image 46: Earth Irradiated (the Greenhouse Effect)
2020-Jan-20
41 minutes
Episode Image 45: Climate Denialism and Cranky Uncles (Interview with John Cook of Skeptical Science)
2019-Dec-10
25 minutes
Episode Image 44: Vestigial Math (Math That Is Not Used like It Used to Be)
2019-Nov-03
36 minutes
Episode Image P2: Walk the Dog (Calculus: Chain Rule)
2019-Oct-30
18 minutes
Episode Image 43: Interview II with Author Ben Orlin (Change is the Only Constant: the Wisdom of Calculus in a Madcap World)
2019-Oct-23
42 minutes
Episode Image P1: Peano Addition
2019-Sep-29
37 minutes
Episode Image 42: Maybe? (Probability and Statistics)
2019-Aug-15
32 minutes
Episode Image 41: Reality Is More Than Complex (Group Theory and Physics)
2019-Jul-29
54 minutes
Episode Image 39: Syntax Matters: Syntax... Matters? (Formal Grammar)
2019-May-29
33 minutes
Episode Image 38: The Great Stratagem Heist (Game Theory: Iterated Elimination of Dominated Strategies)
2019-Apr-23
32 minutes
Episode Image 37: The One Where They Parody Saw [audio fixed again] (Game Theory)
2019-Feb-25
39 minutes
Episode Image 36: The Most Boring Episode Ever. (Math Games)
2018-Nov-23
46 minutes
Episode Image 35: Please Be Discrete (Discrete Math)
2018-Nov-05
34 minutes
Episode Image 34: An Interview with Mathbot.com's JW Weatherman
2018-Oct-20
39 minutes
Episode Image 33: Interview with Math with Bad Drawings (Ben Orlin)
2018-Oct-03
40 minutes
Episode Image 32X: Black Hole Heist (Comedy Sketch)
2018-Sep-23
12 minutes
Episode Image 32: Gaze into the Abyss (Part Three; Black Holes)
2018-Sep-23
77 minutes
Episode Image 31: Into the Abyss (Part Two; Black Holes)
2018-Aug-23
56 minutes
Episode Image 30: The Abyss (Part One; Black Holes)
2018-Aug-02
51 minutes
Episode Image 29: War
2018-Jul-14
34 minutes
Episode Image 28: Bell's Infamous Theorem (Bell's Theorem)
2018-Jun-19
34 minutes
Episode Image 27: Peer Pressure (Cellular Automata)
2018-May-14
51 minutes
Episode Image 26: Infinity Shades of Grey (Paradox)
2018-Apr-26
48 minutes
Episode Image 25: Pandemic Panic (Epidemiology)
2018-Apr-13
44 minutes
Episode Image 24: Language and Entropy (Information Theory in Language)
2018-Mar-07
44 minutes
Episode Image 23: Don't Touch My Circles! (Geometry)
2018-Jan-15
52 minutes
Episode Image 22: Incomplet (Gödel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid: Chapter IV Discussion)
2017-Dec-23
56 minutes
Episode Image 21: Einstein's Biggest Idea (General Relativity)
2017-Dec-04
40 minutes
Episode Image 20: Rational (Ratios)
2017-Nov-18
40 minutes
Episode Image 19: Tune of the Hickory Stick (Beginning to Intermediate Math Education)
2017-Nov-07
39 minutes
Episode Image 18: Frequency (Fourier and Related Analyses)
2017-Oct-11
44 minutes
Episode Image 17: Navier Stoked (Vector Calculus and Navier-Stokes Equations)
2017-Oct-05
60 minutes
Episode Image BFNB2: Thought for Food (Discussion about Learning)
2017-Sep-19
71 minutes
Episode Image BFNB1: Food for Thought (Discussion about Learning)
2017-Sep-16
35 minutes
Episode Image Minisode 0.6: Four Problems
2017-Aug-18
26 minutes
Episode Image 15: Consciousness
2017-Jul-30
60 minutes
Episode Image Minisode 0.5: ___forNon___
2017-Jul-20
14 minutes
Episode Image 14: Artificial Thought (Neural Networks)
2017-Jul-11
65 minutes
Episode Image 13: Math and Prison Riots (Interview with Frank Salas)
2017-Jun-27
49 minutes
Episode Image 12: Math Factory (Algorithms)
2017-Jun-13
53 minutes
Episode Image 11: A Culture of Hacking (Hacker Culture)
2017-May-31
62 minutes
Episode Image 10: Cryptomath (Cryptography)
2017-May-16
76 minutes
Episode Image 9: Humanity 2.0 (Transhumanism)
2017-May-02
52 minutes
Episode Image Minisode 0.4: Comin' Up Next
2017-May-01
16 minutes
Episode Image Minisode 0.3: Lights, Camera, Action!
2017-Apr-20
20 minutes
Episode Image 8: Evolution and Engineering (Genetic Algorithms)
2017-Apr-18
57 minutes
Episode Image Minisode 0.2: What's Up, Bangalore?
2017-Apr-10
29 minutes
Episode Image 7: QED? Prove it. (Proofs)
2017-Apr-04
44 minutes
Episode Image Minisode 0.1: Hypercubes and Other Stranger Things
2017-Apr-01
24 minutes
Episode Image 6: Word (Linguistics)
2017-Mar-21
49 minutes
Episode Image 5: Language of the Universe (Relationship Between Physics and Math)
2017-Mar-07
48 minutes
Episode Image 4: Digital Evolution (Digital Computing)
2017-Feb-21
52 minutes
Episode Image 3: TMI (Information Theory)
2017-Feb-07
48 minutes
Episode Image 2: Wreaking Chaos (Chaos Theory)
2017-Feb-07
51 minutes
Episode Image 1: Forbidden Formulas (Elitism in Math)
2017-Feb-07
59 minutes