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59 episodes since Jul 2025, with Krishna Choudhary and Lester Nare. Search by title or subject, or browse by year.

59 episodes

202639 episodes

  1. EP 59

    Golden Goose Awards 2026: The Science Behind the Winners (Part 1)

    Explore the science behind the 2026 Golden Goose Awards, from ultrasound that destroys tumors to NASA’s night lights and the deep physics of everyday life.

    Golden Goose Awards 2026: The Science Behind the Winners (Part 1)
  2. EP 58

    What OpenAI Actually Did to Navier-Stokes

    From Newton’s laws to finite-time blowup: what OpenAI’s Navier-Stokes claim means for fluid mathematics, scientific credit and AI research.

    What OpenAI Actually Did to Navier-Stokes
  3. EP 57

    What’s Next in Science? Nobel Prizes, Space Missions & More

    Nobel season, the value of basic research, and the space missions to watch: Roman, Mars’ moons and Mercury. Plus a tour of FFP’s favorite episodes.

    What’s Next in Science? Nobel Prizes, Space Missions & More
  4. EP 56

    The Yak Mutation That Could Help Repair the Brain

    A high-altitude genetic adaptation led researchers to a new neuron-to-glia signaling pathway that promotes myelin repair in preclinical models.

    The Yak Mutation That Could Help Repair the Brain
  5. EP 55

    Why Spin Qubits Will Win the Quantum Race (Part 2)

    Part II of our quantum computing deep dive compares the leading hardware architectures, and asks whether silicon’s greatest advantage is not simply making good qubits, but making quantum computers that can actually scale.

    Why Spin Qubits Will Win the Quantum Race (Part 2)
  6. EP 54

    How Quantum Computing Actually Works (Part 1)

    Part I of our quantum computing deep dive traces the field from Bell and Feynman to Deutsch and Shor—and explains what quantum computers actually do differently from classical machines.

    How Quantum Computing Actually Works (Part 1)
  7. EP 53

    What Claude Actually Did to the Riemann Hypothesis

    Claude takes a real run at the Riemann Hypothesis, forcing us to ask what agentic AI can now do in mathematics, before we open the summer transfer window for America’s scientists.

    What Claude Actually Did to the Riemann Hypothesis
  8. EP 52

    The Amazon’s Hidden Civilization (One Year Anniversary)

    For FFP’s first anniversary, we uncover the densely populated precolonial Amazon, imagine what our civilization will leave behind, and build the first shelves of the From First Principles library.

    The Amazon’s Hidden Civilization (One Year Anniversary)
  9. EP 51

    The Tech Elon Has Been Waiting For

    A graphene-based memory device works at 1,300°F, opening new possibilities for extreme-environment electronics, in-memory AI, planetary exploration, and data centers in space.

    The Tech Elon Has Been Waiting For
  10. EP 50

    AI Breaks a 90-Year Math Problem, Life’s Alphabet in Space, and Science Funding

    Asteroid samples reveal life’s molecular alphabet, Washington battles over who controls science funding, and AI produces a counterexample to a 90-year-old mathematics conjecture.

    AI Breaks a 90-Year Math Problem, Life’s Alphabet in Space, and Science Funding
  11. EP 49

    FIFA Data Scientists Explain Match Momentum

    FIFA data scientists Juan Busso and Arron Ackerman explain how player tracking, pitch control, space creation, and threat are transformed into the World Cup’s Match Momentum visualization.

    FIFA Data Scientists Explain Match Momentum
  12. EP 48

    Black Hole Movies, Digital Heart Twins, and World Cup Tech

    From an Earth-sized telescope imaging a changing black hole to digital heart surgery and World Cup sensor controversies, this rundown explores the science behind some of today’s most fascinating stories.

    Black Hole Movies, Digital Heart Twins, and World Cup Tech
  13. EP 47

    America 250: The Breakthroughs That Built American Science — Part 2

    Part two of our America 250 special traces American science from Sputnik to the AI age, covering Apollo, ARPANET, CRISPR, LIGO, mRNA vaccines, JWST, transformers, and the future of science funding.

    America 250: The Breakthroughs That Built American Science — Part 2
  14. EP 46

    America 250: The Breakthroughs That Built American Science — Part 1

    Part one of our America 250 special traces the inventions, institutions, and scientific breakthroughs — from Franklin to Sputnik — that helped build the United States into a global scientific power.

    America 250: The Breakthroughs That Built American Science — Part 1
  15. EP 45

    The Physics of the World Cup: VAR, Smart Balls, and Soccer Aerodynamics

    A World Cup special on the science behind the beautiful game, from VAR and smart-ball sensors to soccer ball aerodynamics, pitch engineering, and match momentum analytics.

    The Physics of the World Cup: VAR, Smart Balls, and Soccer Aerodynamics
  16. EP 44

    New Rules For Heredity (Non-Mendelian Inheritance of Epigenetics)

    A new mouse genetics paper suggests that non-Mendelian epigenetic inheritance may be more common in mammals than previously thought.

    New Rules For Heredity (Non-Mendelian Inheritance of Epigenetics)
  17. EP 43

    Dr. Michael Blanton on Open Data, Galaxy Surveys, and the Future of Astronomy

    Dr. Michael Blanton joins us to talk SDSS, open data, Rubin, Carnegie, and the mystery of why the universe’s biggest galaxies stop forming stars.

    Dr. Michael Blanton on Open Data, Galaxy Surveys, and the Future of Astronomy
  18. EP 42

    How Scientists Actually Study Dark Matter

    A first principles interview with astrophysicist Dan Gilman on what dark matter is, why strong gravitational lensing matters, and how the next generation of surveys could reveal the universe’s hidden structure.

    How Scientists Actually Study Dark Matter
  19. EP 41

    Dr. John Mulchaey on Carnegie Science and the Future of Astronomy

    A wide-ranging interview with Carnegie Science President John Mulchaey on dark matter, giant telescopes, exoplanets, science funding, and why eclipses still matter.

    Dr. John Mulchaey on Carnegie Science and the Future of Astronomy
  20. EP 40

    Ant Scans, Lunar Chickpeas, Hidden Galaxies & Superconductivity

    A fast-moving rundown on 3D-scanned ants, chickpeas grown in simulated moon soil, AI-discovered Hubble anomalies, and the path to room-temperature superconductivity.

    Ant Scans, Lunar Chickpeas, Hidden Galaxies & Superconductivity
  21. EP 39

    The Prometheus Constellation: Dramaturgical and Scientific Analysis of the Physicists in Oppenheimer

    A movie cast list turned into a deep dive on quantum mechanics, black holes, nuclear physics, and the greatest minds of the 20th century.

    The Prometheus Constellation: Dramaturgical and Scientific Analysis of the Physicists in Oppenheimer
  22. EP 38

    Harder Than Diamond? The New Hexagonal Diamond Breakthrough

    A 50-year debate, a harder-than-diamond claim, and some very funny peer review drama.

    Harder Than Diamond? The New Hexagonal Diamond Breakthrough
  23. EP 37

    Artemis II: Deep Dive on the Moon Flyby, Earthset, and Reentry

    From Earthset and Earthrise to eclipse shots and skip-entry reentry, this is our full Artemis II deep dive.

    Artemis II: Deep Dive on the Moon Flyby, Earthset, and Reentry
  24. EP 36

    Artemis II, Claude Code Leak, iPhone Spyware & Project Hail Mary

    Artemis 2, the Claude Code leak, cats as cancer models, leaked iPhone spyware, and the science of Project Hail Mary.

    Artemis II, Claude Code Leak, iPhone Spyware & Project Hail Mary
  25. EP 35

    Can AI Help Wake Coma Patients? The Science of Consciousness

    A deep dive into how an AI model used real brain data to map coma circuits, predict new mechanisms of unconsciousness, and point to a possible target for restoring wakefulness.

    Can AI Help Wake Coma Patients? The Science of Consciousness
  26. EP 34

    AI Cancer Vaccines, Strange Fish, Ketamine, and Ancient Life

    AI-designed dog cancer vaccines, weird fish evolution, ketamine for depression, and how life rebounded after the asteroid.

    AI Cancer Vaccines, Strange Fish, Ketamine, and Ancient Life
  27. EP 33

    Can Human Neurons Really Play Doom? The Science Behind Wetware

    Did a dish of human neurons really learn to play Doom—or is the wetware story more hype than breakthrough?

    Can Human Neurons Really Play Doom? The Science Behind Wetware
  28. EP 32

    5,000-Year-Old Bacteria, Solar Storms, Dogs, and Meta’s AI War

    Ancient cave bacteria, solar storms, dog personality genes, and Yann LeCun’s billion-dollar break from Meta AI.

    5,000-Year-Old Bacteria, Solar Storms, Dogs, and Meta’s AI War
  29. EP 31

    Optovolution: Teaching Proteins to Think Like Computers

    A new EPFL breakthrough uses light and the cell cycle to evolve proteins that can switch, compute, and behave more like software.

    Optovolution: Teaching Proteins to Think Like Computers
  30. EP 30

    Can We Stop an Asteroid? The Physics Behind NASA’s DART Mission

    How NASA’s DART mission proved we can nudge an asteroid—and maybe save Earth.

    Can We Stop an Asteroid? The Physics Behind NASA’s DART Mission
  31. EP 29

    Astrobiology’s Biggest Survival Test + A Vaccine Against Everything?

    How life could survive a trip from Mars—and how one vaccine might protect against many pathogens.

    Astrobiology’s Biggest Survival Test + A Vaccine Against Everything?
  32. EP 28

    Dark Galaxies, Fuzzy Dark Matter, and an Alzheimer’s Breakthrough

    A candidate “dark galaxy”, plus the exercise may protect against Alzheimer’s.

    Dark Galaxies, Fuzzy Dark Matter, and an Alzheimer’s Breakthrough
  33. EP 27

    Dream Engineering, the Proton Radius Puzzle, and an ALS Breakthrough

    Dream engineering, the proton radius puzzle, and a real predictive ALS model.

    Dream Engineering, the Proton Radius Puzzle, and an ALS Breakthrough
  34. EP 26

    Winter Olympics Deep Dive: Ice Physics, Performance Pressure, and Climate Change

    Why ice is slippery, why athletes choke, and why winter sports are changing.

    Winter Olympics Deep Dive: Ice Physics, Performance Pressure, and Climate Change
  35. EP 25

    Plants, Quantum Sensors, and Predicting Cancer Evolution

    A plant enzyme breakthrough, entangled quantum sensors, and cancer evolution forecasting.

    A plant missing enzyme solves a 50-year biosynthesis mystery, entangled atomic clouds push quantum sensing beyond the SQL, and ALFA-K predicts how aneuploid cancers evolve under treatment.
  36. EP 24

    Artemis II, Apollo, and the Physics of Going Back to the Moon

    How Artemis II works—and why Apollo denial collapses under physics.

    A first-principles Artemis II deep dive—SLS, Orion, free-return trajectories, and translunar injection—plus a clean teardown of the biggest Apollo hoax claims.
  37. EP 23

    JWST's "Little Red Dots," TimeVaults, and the Dawn of Math

    Little Red Dots, TimeVaults biology, and ancient math in Halaf pottery.

    JWST's Little Red Dots and the early black-hole puzzle, Harvard/Broad's TimeVaults for time-series gene expression, Halaf pottery that may encode geometric sequences—and a quick Cloud9 dark-halo follow-up.
  38. EP 22

    Cloud9 Dark Matter Halo, Jellyfish Sleep, and String Theory Hidden in Nature

    String-theory biology, jellyfish sleep, and a possible naked dark-matter halo.

    String-theory geometry shows up in real biological networks, jellyfish sleep may be DNA repair, and Cloud9 could be a starless dark-matter halo.
  39. EP 21

    Roman Concrete, Brain "Cognitive Legos," DeepSeek, and Econophysics

    Roman concrete, compositional brains, DeepSeek scaling, and market impact physics.

    Roman Concrete, Brain "Cognitive Legos," DeepSeek, and Econophysics

202520 episodes

  1. EP 20

    The Physics Behind Fusion's Biggest Problem

    Season 1 finale: reconnection, a Loureiro tribute, and Season 2 plans.

    The Physics Behind Fusion's Biggest Problem
  2. EP 19

    The Race to the Double Helix — Watson, Crick, Franklin & the Real Story of DNA

    A single-story deep dive on DNA's discovery and its moral baggage.

    The Race to the Double Helix — Watson, Crick, Franklin & the Real Story of DNA
  3. EP 18

    3I/ATLAS Explained, Forensic Fingerprints & Alzheimer's Breakthrough

    Interstellar object, forensic leap, and an Alzheimer's immune rethink.

    3I/ATLAS Explained, Forensic Fingerprints & Alzheimer's Breakthrough
  4. EP 17

    Hypersonic Physics, Deep Sea Life & Princeton's Millisecond Qubits

    Hypersonics, alien-life analogs, and a millisecond qubit.

    Hypersonic Physics, Deep Sea Life & Princeton's Millisecond Qubits
  5. EP 16

    Octopus Camouflage, Orcas vs. Sharks, Civet Coffee & Sub-Diffraction Telescope Tech

    Camouflage pigment, orca strategy, civet coffee, and sharper telescopes.

    Octopus Camouflage, Orcas vs. Sharks, Civet Coffee & Sub-Diffraction Telescope Tech
  6. EP 15

    AI-Generated Genomes, Retinal Implants, and Palomar's Mystery Lights Explained

    AI cancer genomes, bionic vision, and Palomar transient skepticism.

    AI-Generated Genomes, Retinal Implants, and Palomar's Mystery Lights Explained
  7. EP 14

    Chen Ning Yang — The Man Who Unlocked Symmetry

    Chen Ning Yang, parity violation, and the birth of Yang–Mills.

    Chen Ning Yang — The Man Who Unlocked Symmetry
  8. EP 13

    Portable Muon Beams, Sodium Batteries, and the Secret to Long Life

    Muons, sodium batteries, and naked-mole-rat longevity biology.

    Portable Muon Beams, Sodium Batteries, and the Secret to Long Life
  9. EP 12

    From Princeton to the Nobel Prizes — How FFP Started + 2025 Nobel Recap

    Nobel recap, FFP origin story, and a science-policy reality check.

    From Princeton to the Nobel Prizes — How FFP Started + 2025 Nobel Recap
  10. EP 11

    From Cells to Circuits to Crystals — 2025 Nobel Prizes Unpacked

    A 2-hour Nobel Week mega-episode: Medicine, Physics, Chemistry.

    From Cells to Circuits to Crystals — 2025 Nobel Prizes Unpacked
  11. EP 10

    AI Supercharges CRISPR & LIGO

    A 2.5-hour special that sets the table for Nobel Prize Week.

    AI Supercharges CRISPR & LIGO
  12. EP 9

    China's AI Breakthrough, Time Crystals, Hidden Viruses, & Brightest Cosmic Signal

    Explore AI, time crystals, hidden viruses and fast radio bursts.

    China's AI Breakthrough, Time Crystals, Hidden Viruses, & Brightest Cosmic Signal
  13. EP 8

    Strongest Evidence for Alien Life? (Mars, K2-18b & JWST)

    The strongest evidence yet for biosignatures on Mars.

    Strongest Evidence for Alien Life? (Mars, K2-18b & JWST)
  14. EP 7

    Interstellar Visitor 3I/Atlas, Human Longevity Plateau, New No-Sort Plastic & Analog AI

    Interstellar 3I/Atlas, longevity limits, plastic recycling, and analog AI.

    Interstellar Visitor 3I/Atlas, Human Longevity Plateau, New No-Sort Plastic & Analog AI
  15. EP 6

    New Supernova, Virus+Bacteria vs Cancer, Electron Spin, Bee Superfood

    Supernova, cancer microbes, spintronics, and bee superfood.

    New Supernova, Virus+Bacteria vs Cancer, Electron Spin, Bee Superfood
  16. EP 5

    Hacking The Human Brain, Unlocking Our DNA, Unbreakable Diamonds & The Quantum Magician

    Mind-reading BCIs, human genetic switches, tougher diamonds, and quantum history.

    Hacking The Human Brain, Unlocking Our DNA, Unbreakable Diamonds & The Quantum Magician
  17. EP 4

    3rd Interstellar Visitor, Rubin's Sky Camera, AI CRISPR Boost & T. rex Blood Vessels

    Interstellar 3I ATLAS, Rubin, safer CRISPR, and T. rex vessels.

    3rd Interstellar Visitor, Rubin's Sky Camera, AI CRISPR Boost & T. rex Blood Vessels
  18. EP 3

    Oldest Molecule, Programmable Proteins, Europa Radar & Light's Double Life

    First molecules, recoded proteins, Europa radar, and double-slit physics.

    Oldest Molecule, Programmable Proteins, Europa Radar & Light's Double Life
  19. EP 2

    Hidden Star in Betelgeuse, Dancing Atoms, Ultra-High-Energy Cosmic Rays & VR Immunity

    Betelgeuse, quantum atoms, OMG cosmic rays, and deep-space navigation.

    Hidden Star in Betelgeuse, Dancing Atoms, Ultra-High-Energy Cosmic Rays & VR Immunity
  20. EP 1

    Earth's 1-ms Day, Baby Solar Systems, Record Black Hole, CRISPR Hack & AI Indiana Jones

    Earth spin, baby planets, black-hole waves, CRISPR, and AI history.

    Earth's 1-ms Day, Baby Solar Systems, Record Black Hole, CRISPR Hack & AI Indiana Jones