Shows / Particles of Thought
Particles of Thought
Ready to break your brain? Particles of Thought, the hit video podcast from the producers of NOVA is back with new mind-expanding conversations with scientists on the edge. Host Hakeem Oluseyi dives into how to hack your own anxiety, the surprising connection between dark matter and black holes, the secrets of animal communication, the hidden geometry shaping our world, and even what it means to be human. Along the way, he tackles big questions, uncovers surprising answers, and opens up…
Episodes
Particles of ThoughtFull Interview: Anxiety Hacking
Wendy Suzuki hopes you have anxiety—good anxiety. She thinks that feeling you try to avoid could actually be your edge! Wendy joins Hakeem to explore how…
- Particles of Thought
Full Interview: Anxiety Hacking
Wendy Suzuki hopes you have anxiety—good anxiety. She thinks that feeling you try to avoid could actually be your edge! Wendy joins Hakeem to explore how…
Particles of ThoughtYour Brain Needs Friends
Wendy Suzuki says the key to a beautiful brain is friendship, and she joins Hakeem to discuss why human connection can extend your life. By studying certain…
- Particles of Thought
Your Brain Needs Friends
Wendy Suzuki says the key to a beautiful brain is friendship, and she joins Hakeem to discuss why human connection can extend your life. By studying certain…
Particles of ThoughtNeuroscience of Exercise
Wendy Suzuki says just 10 minutes of movement can change your brain.But how? What’s actually happening in your head during a walk—or a workout—and why does it…
- Particles of Thought
Neuroscience of Exercise
Wendy Suzuki says just 10 minutes of movement can change your brain.But how? What’s actually happening in your head during a walk—or a workout—and why does it…
Particles of ThoughtGood Anxiety
Neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki thinks your anxiety could be a superpower. What if you stopped trying to shut it down—and started using it? Wendy joins Hakeem to…
- Particles of Thought
Good Anxiety
Neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki thinks your anxiety could be a superpower. What if you stopped trying to shut it down—and started using it? Wendy joins Hakeem to…
Particles of ThoughtFull Interview: T. rex to Birds
Steve Brusatte has the dirt on dinosaurs and joins Hakeem to trace the full 100-million-year history of the tyrannosaur dynasty, the asteroid that ended it…
- Particles of Thought
Full Interview: T. rex to Birds
Steve Brusatte has the dirt on dinosaurs and joins Hakeem to trace the full 100-million-year history of the tyrannosaur dynasty, the asteroid that ended it…
Particles of ThoughtReal World vs “Jurassic World"
Steve Brusatte, a real paleontologist, contributed to the Jurassic World franchise, but what really happens when science meets cinema? In this episode, Steve…
- Particles of Thought
Real World vs “Jurassic World"
Steve Brusatte, a real paleontologist, contributed to the Jurassic World franchise, but what really happens when science meets cinema? In this episode, Steve…
Particles of ThoughtHow Birds Survived the Asteroid
Steve Brusatte knows every bird today is a living dinosaur, and as a paleontologist, he can tell you how that happened. Steve joins Hakeem to walk through the…
- Particles of Thought
How Birds Survived the Asteroid
Steve Brusatte knows every bird today is a living dinosaur, and as a paleontologist, he can tell you how that happened. Steve joins Hakeem to walk through the…
Particles of ThoughtT. rex Family Secrets
Steve Brusatte says T. rex wasn’t always the king, and as a paleontologist, he has spent his career uncovering how it got to the top of the food chain. Steve…
- Particles of Thought
T. rex Family Secrets
Steve Brusatte says T. rex wasn’t always the king, and as a paleontologist, he has spent his career uncovering how it got to the top of the food chain. Steve…
Particles of ThoughtFull Interview: Dark Matter = Black Holes?
David Kaiser thinks the dark matter puzzle is getting closer to being solved. Nearly a century of observations, from galaxy clusters to the cosmic microwave…
- Particles of Thought
Full Interview: Dark Matter = Black Holes?
David Kaiser thinks the dark matter puzzle is getting closer to being solved. Nearly a century of observations, from galaxy clusters to the cosmic microwave…
Particles of ThoughtHunt for Mini Black Holes
David Kaiser thinks a good place to hunt for tiny black holes might be… Mars? How do you detect something microscopic, invisible, and speeding through space?…
- Particles of Thought
Hunt for Mini Black Holes
David Kaiser thinks a good place to hunt for tiny black holes might be… Mars? How do you detect something microscopic, invisible, and speeding through space?…
Particles of ThoughtAre Black Holes Dark Matter?
David Kaiser thinks tiny black holes from the dawn of time could be the solution to the dark matter puzzle. David joins Hakeem to discuss primordial black…
- Particles of Thought
Are Black Holes Dark Matter?
David Kaiser thinks tiny black holes from the dawn of time could be the solution to the dark matter puzzle. David joins Hakeem to discuss primordial black…
Particles of ThoughtWhy Dark Matter Matters
David Kaiser knows the universe is hiding something enormous – and no one can see it. Dark matter appears to be all over our universe, but what is it? As a…
- Particles of Thought
Why Dark Matter Matters
David Kaiser knows the universe is hiding something enormous – and no one can see it. Dark matter appears to be all over our universe, but what is it? As a…
Particles of ThoughtBattle to Beat Malaria
Could one of the world’s deadliest diseases be headed for the history books? Malaria’s relentless yearly death toll has driven the World Health Organization to…
- Particles of Thought
Battle to Beat Malaria
Could one of the world’s deadliest diseases be headed for the history books? Malaria’s relentless yearly death toll has driven the World Health Organization to…
Particles of ThoughtHow Many Leaves Are on a Tree? | Kirk Johnson
Need to know how many leaves are on that tree? Paleobotanist Dr. Kirk Johnson shares the surprisingly nerdy method—because you never know when leaf math will…
- Particles of Thought
How Many Leaves Are on a Tree? | Kirk Johnson
Need to know how many leaves are on that tree? Paleobotanist Dr. Kirk Johnson shares the surprisingly nerdy method—because you never know when leaf math will…
Particles of ThoughtDecoding the Great Pyramid
What engineering secrets lie within the Great Pyramid, and who really built it? Innovations like rope‑sewn boats, laser‑precise alignments, and hidden internal…
- Particles of Thought
Decoding the Great Pyramid
What engineering secrets lie within the Great Pyramid, and who really built it? Innovations like rope‑sewn boats, laser‑precise alignments, and hidden internal…
Particles of ThoughtThe Air You Breathe Is Bacteria Poop | Peter Girguis
Long before trees and grass, microbes were shaping our atmosphere. Evolutionary biologist Peter Girguis explains how ancient bacteria learned to split water…
- Particles of Thought
The Air You Breathe Is Bacteria Poop | Peter Girguis
Long before trees and grass, microbes were shaping our atmosphere. Evolutionary biologist Peter Girguis explains how ancient bacteria learned to split water…
Particles of ThoughtThe Fish That Could Walk | Sean B. Carrol
How did animals first make the giant step from water to land? Evolutionary biologist Sean B. Carroll explains how the discovery of Tiktaalik—a fossil with both…
- Particles of Thought
The Fish That Could Walk | Sean B. Carrol
How did animals first make the giant step from water to land? Evolutionary biologist Sean B. Carroll explains how the discovery of Tiktaalik—a fossil with both…
Particles of ThoughtWhen Whales Could Walk
What if whales had legs? Once upon a time, they did. Sort of. An astonishing fossil trail shows that modern whales actually evolved from hooved land mammals…
- Particles of Thought
When Whales Could Walk
What if whales had legs? Once upon a time, they did. Sort of. An astonishing fossil trail shows that modern whales actually evolved from hooved land mammals…
Particles of ThoughtHow Close Can You Safely Get to a Black Hole? | Janna Levin
Black holes aren’t the cosmic monsters Hollywood makes them out to be. Astrophysicist Janna Levin explains why they’re so hard to detect, why they’re not as…
- Particles of Thought
How Close Can You Safely Get to a Black Hole? | Janna Levin
Black holes aren’t the cosmic monsters Hollywood makes them out to be. Astrophysicist Janna Levin explains why they’re so hard to detect, why they’re not as…
Particles of ThoughtA New Law of Nature? | Robert Hazen & Michael Wong
Could the universe be governed by a law we haven’t discovered yet? Mineralogist Robert Hazen and astrobiologist Michael Wong propose a new rule—the law of…
- Particles of Thought
A New Law of Nature? | Robert Hazen & Michael Wong
Could the universe be governed by a law we haven’t discovered yet? Mineralogist Robert Hazen and astrobiologist Michael Wong propose a new rule—the law of…
Particles of ThoughtArctic Sinkholes
What happens when the Arctic’s ancient freezer starts to fail? Scientists have uncovered the truth behind giant sinkholes exploding from the frozen ground in…
- Particles of Thought
Arctic Sinkholes
What happens when the Arctic’s ancient freezer starts to fail? Scientists have uncovered the truth behind giant sinkholes exploding from the frozen ground in…
Particles of ThoughtAI Is Coming for Blue Collar Jobs | Hany Farid
AI isn’t just coming for office jobs—it’s coming for some hands-on blue collar professions, too. AI expert Hany Farid explains which jobs are safe, and which…
- Particles of Thought
AI Is Coming for Blue Collar Jobs | Hany Farid
AI isn’t just coming for office jobs—it’s coming for some hands-on blue collar professions, too. AI expert Hany Farid explains which jobs are safe, and which…
Particles of ThoughtWhat Species Can We De-Extinct? | Beth Shapiro
Scientists claimed in 2024 that they "de-extincted" the dire wolf… so what’s next, and what determines whether a species can be brought back? Evolutionary…
- Particles of Thought
What Species Can We De-Extinct? | Beth Shapiro
Scientists claimed in 2024 that they "de-extincted" the dire wolf… so what’s next, and what determines whether a species can be brought back? Evolutionary…
Particles of ThoughtEinstein’s Quantum Riddle
Quantum particles are breaking the rules of reality – or so it seems. Can they truly communicate across time and space instantly? Einstein dismissed this…
- Particles of Thought
Einstein’s Quantum Riddle
Quantum particles are breaking the rules of reality – or so it seems. Can they truly communicate across time and space instantly? Einstein dismissed this…
Particles of ThoughtWere Dinosaurs Able to Sing? | Erich Jarvis
Dinosaurs might not have been the roaring beasts many imagine. Neuroscientist Erich Jarvis explains why modern birds—living dinosaurs—offer clues about vocal…
- Particles of Thought
Were Dinosaurs Able to Sing? | Erich Jarvis
Dinosaurs might not have been the roaring beasts many imagine. Neuroscientist Erich Jarvis explains why modern birds—living dinosaurs—offer clues about vocal…
Particles of ThoughtSpace-Time Expansion, Explained | Adam Riess
If the universe is expanding, why aren’t galaxies stretching apart? Cosmologist Adam Riess breaks down the physics behind cosmic expansion, the forces that…
- Particles of Thought
Space-Time Expansion, Explained | Adam Riess
If the universe is expanding, why aren’t galaxies stretching apart? Cosmologist Adam Riess breaks down the physics behind cosmic expansion, the forces that…
Particles of ThoughtBlack Hole Apocalypse
What if black holes are hiding the answers cosmologists have been chasing for a century? Born from the explosive deaths of massive stars, black holes are so…
- Particles of Thought
Black Hole Apocalypse
What if black holes are hiding the answers cosmologists have been chasing for a century? Born from the explosive deaths of massive stars, black holes are so…
Particles of ThoughtYour Brain’s Peak Performance Mode | Heather Berlin
Why does thinking too hard ruin your rhythm? Neuroscientist Heather Berlin unpacks the science of flow states, explaining why mastery means trusting your…
- Particles of Thought
Your Brain’s Peak Performance Mode | Heather Berlin
Why does thinking too hard ruin your rhythm? Neuroscientist Heather Berlin unpacks the science of flow states, explaining why mastery means trusting your…
Particles of ThoughtBlack Hole Geometry Will Warp Your Brain | Janna Levin
Black holes can be bigger on the inside than they are on the outside. Astrophysicist Janna Levin explains how this is possible, and what that means about how…
- Particles of Thought
Black Hole Geometry Will Warp Your Brain | Janna Levin
Black holes can be bigger on the inside than they are on the outside. Astrophysicist Janna Levin explains how this is possible, and what that means about how…
Particles of ThoughtYour Brain: Perception and Control
Are we really in control of our own minds? Research suggests our sense of control may be far more fragile – and far stranger – than we imagine. From moments…
- Particles of Thought
Your Brain: Perception and Control
Are we really in control of our own minds? Research suggests our sense of control may be far more fragile – and far stranger – than we imagine. From moments…