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 Noah Giansiracusa , a mathematician and leading voice in algorithmic literacy and technology ethics, the show is dedicated to uncovering the mathematical structures behind science, technology, and the systems…
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What does it mean to be alive? In this episode of Breaking Math , Autumn and Noah speak with Melanie Challenger, author of Alive , about one of the most profound questions in science and philosophy: how do we define life? Challenger argues that life is not simply a machine-like process or a bundle of genetic instructions. Living beings are embodied, purposeful agents. From single-celled organisms…
Neuroscientist Stuart Firestein (Columbia University) joins Breaking Math to make an extravagant claim: uncertainty isn't a weakness in science — it's the defining feature that makes progress possible. In this episode, we break down why the "one right answer" myth is one of the most damaging ideas in science, why real experts are often the most uncertain people in the room, and why authority and…
Neuroscientist, entrepreneur, and author Dr. Vivienne Ming joins Autumn and Noah to make the case that if we want better AI, we need to build better people first. We get into why AI tutors that hand students answers make learning worse, not better; what her research on "hybrid intelligence" reveals about the human traits — not the AI model — that predict elite human-AI collaboration; a wild…
In this episode, Historian and author Marc Dunkelman to explain why the 19th-century fight over railroad power is the exact fight we're about to have over algorithms and AI. Drawing on his acclaimed book Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress — and How to Bring It Back (a Best Book of the Year in the Financial Times and The Economist), Marc unpacks the two competing tools America has always used…
In this conversation we chat with Julia Angwin — Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, founder of Proof News, and former Wall Street Journal and ProPublica reporter — to make the case that journalism should function more like mathematical proof than anecdote. We cover how Angwin's team at The Markup used a decision-tree model to prove Amazon was favoring its own products in search results by an…
In this episode, Autumn and Noah talk with Kevin Hartnett about why mathematicians are willing to spend years reducing an idea to a level of detail a machine can check, whether formal verification can catch an AI that's technically correct but fundamentally misaligned, the cold-start problem that kept earlier theorem-provers niche, and what it means for the future of mathematical trust once AI can…
What happens when the evidence of injustice is buried in messy, redacted, or inaccessible data? Mathematician and data scientist Chad Topaz joins Breaking Math to discuss his book Unlocking Justice . Together, we explore policing, sentencing, public records, Rikers Island, algorithmic risk, and the limits of quantifying human lives. This is a conversation about math, power, transparency, and the…
This conversation explores the profound impact of AI and automation on the future of work, economy, and society. Featuring Martin Ford, author of 'Rise of the Robots,' the discussion covers technological progress, economic implications, policy ideas like universal basic income, and the evolving nature of jobs in an AI-driven world. Key Topics Impact of AI on employment and economy Potential of…
Dr. Emma Chapman explains radio astronomy using the fruit bowl metaphor, explores the emotional and scientific aspects of space exploration, and discusses future technologies like the Square Kilometre Array and lunar radio telescopes. The conversation highlights the poetic beauty of the universe, the importance of connection, and the role of math and AI in understanding the cosmos with her book…
This episode explores how AI, specifically OpenAI's recent breakthrough in solving an 80-year-old math conjecture, is transforming the field of mathematics. Featuring insights from Professor Daniel Litt, the discussion covers the implications of AI in mathematical research, the value of human verification, and the future of mathematical practice. Key topics AI solving long-standing mathematical…
