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 ThoughtWhat Exactly Is a Law of Nature? | Robert Hazen & Michael Wong
What’s the difference between a fact, a law, and a theory? Mineralogist Robert Hazen and astrobiologist Michael Wong unpack the hierarchy of scientific ideas…
- Particles of Thought
What Exactly Is a Law of Nature? | Robert Hazen & Michael Wong
What’s the difference between a fact, a law, and a theory? Mineralogist Robert Hazen and astrobiologist Michael Wong unpack the hierarchy of scientific ideas…
Particles of ThoughtHow Many Microbes Live on Earth? | Peter Girguis
Sorry, Beyoncé, it turns out microbes rule the world. Microbiologist Peter Girguis explains how to conceptualize just how many microbes are on Earth… and how…
- Particles of Thought
How Many Microbes Live on Earth? | Peter Girguis
Sorry, Beyoncé, it turns out microbes rule the world. Microbiologist Peter Girguis explains how to conceptualize just how many microbes are on Earth… and how…
Particles of ThoughtHunt for the Oldest DNA
Scientists have discovered the oldest DNA ever found: tiny fragments hidden in the dirt. The idea that soil could hold genetic traces from creatures that…
- Particles of Thought
Hunt for the Oldest DNA
Scientists have discovered the oldest DNA ever found: tiny fragments hidden in the dirt. The idea that soil could hold genetic traces from creatures that…
Particles of ThoughtWhy Tropical Trees Don’t Have Rings | Kirk Johnson
Growth rings on trees can measure time, allowing scientists to date things from the deep past. But, paleobotantist Dr. Kirk Johnson explains why, in the…
- Particles of Thought
Why Tropical Trees Don’t Have Rings | Kirk Johnson
Growth rings on trees can measure time, allowing scientists to date things from the deep past. But, paleobotantist Dr. Kirk Johnson explains why, in the…
Particles of ThoughtHow Weight Loss Drugs Were Inspired by Gila Monsters | Sean B. Carroll
Nature has been solving problems for billions of years. Evolutionary biologist Sean B. Carroll reveals why scientists still turn to evolution’s inventions for…
- Particles of Thought
How Weight Loss Drugs Were Inspired by Gila Monsters | Sean B. Carroll
Nature has been solving problems for billions of years. Evolutionary biologist Sean B. Carroll reveals why scientists still turn to evolution’s inventions for…
Particles of ThoughtIntroducing NOVA Remix
Science's most astonishing breakthroughs, from whale evolution and thawing permafrost to black holes and quantum entanglement, to the hidden chambers of the…
- Particles of Thought
Introducing NOVA Remix
Science's most astonishing breakthroughs, from whale evolution and thawing permafrost to black holes and quantum entanglement, to the hidden chambers of the…
Particles of ThoughtDe-Extincted” Dire Wolf Pups Are Growing Up | Beth Shapiro
In 2024, scientists claimed they achieved the unthinkable: the birth of dire wolf pups, reviving a species that vanished thousands of years ago. Now, those…
- Particles of Thought
De-Extincted” Dire Wolf Pups Are Growing Up | Beth Shapiro
In 2024, scientists claimed they achieved the unthinkable: the birth of dire wolf pups, reviving a species that vanished thousands of years ago. Now, those…
Particles of ThoughtHow AI Is Taking “Future-Proof” Jobs | Hany Farid
Is AI coming for your job? AI Expert Hany Farid breaks down how AI is taking jobs once considered “future-proof” and shares his advice to prepare young people…
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How AI Is Taking “Future-Proof” Jobs | Hany Farid
Is AI coming for your job? AI Expert Hany Farid breaks down how AI is taking jobs once considered “future-proof” and shares his advice to prepare young people…
Particles of ThoughtDiscovering Dark Energy and the Hubble Tension with Adam Riess
What does it feel like to make one of the biggest discoveries in physics? Adam Riess knows — because his work revealed that the universe isn’t just expanding…
- Particles of Thought
Discovering Dark Energy and the Hubble Tension with Adam Riess
What does it feel like to make one of the biggest discoveries in physics? Adam Riess knows — because his work revealed that the universe isn’t just expanding…
Particles of ThoughtHubble Tension, Explained | Adam Riess
The universe isn’t adding up—and it’s creating a crisis in cosmology. Nobel Prize winner Adam Riess explains why measurements of the universe’s expansion rate…
- Particles of Thought
Hubble Tension, Explained | Adam Riess
The universe isn’t adding up—and it’s creating a crisis in cosmology. Nobel Prize winner Adam Riess explains why measurements of the universe’s expansion rate…
Particles of ThoughtEinstein’s “Biggest Blunder” | Adam Riess
Discovering dark energy wasn’t just thrilling—it was terrifying. Nobel Prize Winner Adam Riess explains the nerve-wracking process behind confirming that the…
- Particles of Thought
Einstein’s “Biggest Blunder” | Adam Riess
Discovering dark energy wasn’t just thrilling—it was terrifying. Nobel Prize Winner Adam Riess explains the nerve-wracking process behind confirming that the…
Particles of ThoughtHow Fame Affects the Brain | Heather Berlin
Fame can hijack the brain like a drug—activating the same reward circuits that fuel a relentless chase for dopamine highs. Neuroscientist Heather Berlin…
- Particles of Thought
How Fame Affects the Brain | Heather Berlin
Fame can hijack the brain like a drug—activating the same reward circuits that fuel a relentless chase for dopamine highs. Neuroscientist Heather Berlin…
Particles of ThoughtHow Fossils Form and How to Find Them | Kirk Johnson
Fossilization isn’t luck - it’s geology. Paleobotanist Kirk Johnson explains how fossils only form in certain conditions, the tricks to finding them, and why…
- Particles of Thought
How Fossils Form and How to Find Them | Kirk Johnson
Fossilization isn’t luck - it’s geology. Paleobotanist Kirk Johnson explains how fossils only form in certain conditions, the tricks to finding them, and why…
Particles of ThoughtWhy Only Some Species Can Talk—and Dance | Erich Jarvis
Speech is rare in the animal kingdom because it requires a very specific brain architecture. Neuroscientist Erich Jarvis explains how duplicating neural…
- Particles of Thought
Why Only Some Species Can Talk—and Dance | Erich Jarvis
Speech is rare in the animal kingdom because it requires a very specific brain architecture. Neuroscientist Erich Jarvis explains how duplicating neural…
Particles of ThoughtEvolution of New Species, Venom, Wings, and More with Sean B. Carroll
How does evolution invent entirely new things, like limbs, wings, and venom? Evolutionary biologist Sean B. Carroll joins us to reveal the hidden rules behind…
- Particles of Thought
Evolution of New Species, Venom, Wings, and More with Sean B. Carroll
How does evolution invent entirely new things, like limbs, wings, and venom? Evolutionary biologist Sean B. Carroll joins us to reveal the hidden rules behind…
Particles of ThoughtHow the Fruit Fly Revolutionized Biology | Sean B. Carroll
From legs on heads to missing eyes, fruit fly mutations exposed the genetic toolkit that builds all animals. Evolutionary Biologist Sean B. Carroll shows how…
- Particles of Thought
How the Fruit Fly Revolutionized Biology | Sean B. Carroll
From legs on heads to missing eyes, fruit fly mutations exposed the genetic toolkit that builds all animals. Evolutionary Biologist Sean B. Carroll shows how…
Particles of ThoughtThe Evolution of Venom & Antivenom | Sean B. Carroll
From snakes to jellyfish, venom is one of evolution’s most lethal inventions. Evolutionary Biologist Sean B. Carroll reveals how this deadly innovation…
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The Evolution of Venom & Antivenom | Sean B. Carroll
From snakes to jellyfish, venom is one of evolution’s most lethal inventions. Evolutionary Biologist Sean B. Carroll reveals how this deadly innovation…
Particles of ThoughtA Black Hole Is a Place, Not a Thing | Janna Levin
The edge of a black hole isn’t what you think. Astrophysicist Janna Levin dives into the event horizon, the one-way transition where space and time warp so…
- Particles of Thought
A Black Hole Is a Place, Not a Thing | Janna Levin
The edge of a black hole isn’t what you think. Astrophysicist Janna Levin dives into the event horizon, the one-way transition where space and time warp so…
Particles of ThoughtHow To Recognize Alien Life | Peter Girguis
There’s no single ‘smoking gun’ for life beyond Earth. Microbiologist Peter Girguis explains the subtle fingerprints scientists hunt for—and why finding them…
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How To Recognize Alien Life | Peter Girguis
There’s no single ‘smoking gun’ for life beyond Earth. Microbiologist Peter Girguis explains the subtle fingerprints scientists hunt for—and why finding them…
Particles of ThoughtCan We Make Animals Talk? | Erich Jarvis
Scientists are editing genes for human speech into mice to see if they can learn vocal patterns. Neuroscientist Erich Jarvis explains how this could unlock not…
- Particles of Thought
Can We Make Animals Talk? | Erich Jarvis
Scientists are editing genes for human speech into mice to see if they can learn vocal patterns. Neuroscientist Erich Jarvis explains how this could unlock not…
Particles of ThoughtDe-Extinction, Dire Wolves, and Jurassic Park with Beth Shapiro
Can we bring extinct species back to life? Evolutionary biologist Beth Shapiro claims we just did. As Chief Science Officer at Colossal, her team made…
- Particles of Thought
De-Extinction, Dire Wolves, and Jurassic Park with Beth Shapiro
Can we bring extinct species back to life? Evolutionary biologist Beth Shapiro claims we just did. As Chief Science Officer at Colossal, her team made…
Particles of ThoughtDe-Extinction: A How-To Guide | Beth Shapiro
Jurassic Park got it all wrong. Beth Shapiro would know… she’s Chief Science Officer at Colossal, the genetic engineering company that recently made headlines…
- Particles of Thought
De-Extinction: A How-To Guide | Beth Shapiro
Jurassic Park got it all wrong. Beth Shapiro would know… she’s Chief Science Officer at Colossal, the genetic engineering company that recently made headlines…
Particles of ThoughtHow AI Deepfakes Are Really Made | Hany Farid
The deepfake game is getting real. Deepfake detective Hany Farid gets under the hood of AI and explains exactly how it can now make such convincing fake…
- Particles of Thought
How AI Deepfakes Are Really Made | Hany Farid
The deepfake game is getting real. Deepfake detective Hany Farid gets under the hood of AI and explains exactly how it can now make such convincing fake…
Particles of ThoughtWhat's My Brain Doing? Goosebumps & Other Strange Phenomena | Heather Berlin
Ever wonder why you get déjà vu? Or why you keep losing your keys? Your brain does some weird stuff. Neuroscientist Heather Berlin explains the surprising…
- Particles of Thought
What's My Brain Doing? Goosebumps & Other Strange Phenomena | Heather Berlin
Ever wonder why you get déjà vu? Or why you keep losing your keys? Your brain does some weird stuff. Neuroscientist Heather Berlin explains the surprising…
Particles of ThoughtWhen Black Holes Collide | Janna Levin
Space itself rings with gravitational waves when black holes collide—the most powerful events detected since the Big Bang. Astrophysicist Janna Levin reveals…
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When Black Holes Collide | Janna Levin
Space itself rings with gravitational waves when black holes collide—the most powerful events detected since the Big Bang. Astrophysicist Janna Levin reveals…
Particles of ThoughtLeopard Spots on Mars? NASA’s Big Discovery, Explained | Peter Girguis
Could a Martian rock hold the most promising sign of life beyond Earth? Microbiologist Peter Girguis unpacks NASA’s stunning discovery of ‘leopard spots’ on a…
- Particles of Thought
Leopard Spots on Mars? NASA’s Big Discovery, Explained | Peter Girguis
Could a Martian rock hold the most promising sign of life beyond Earth? Microbiologist Peter Girguis unpacks NASA’s stunning discovery of ‘leopard spots’ on a…
Particles of ThoughtSinkholes in Florida Reveal Amazing Fossils | Kirk Johnson
A sinkhole can become a time capsule full of skeletons - layers upon layers of beasts that once walked the Earth - and Florida’s landscape is full of them…
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Sinkholes in Florida Reveal Amazing Fossils | Kirk Johnson
A sinkhole can become a time capsule full of skeletons - layers upon layers of beasts that once walked the Earth - and Florida’s landscape is full of them…
Particles of ThoughtHow to Detect Deepfakes: Recognizing AI-Generated Content | Hany Farid
In a world flooded with fake videos and voice recordings that seem real, how can you detect deepfakes? Turns out, there are some aspects of the physical world…
- Particles of Thought
How to Detect Deepfakes: Recognizing AI-Generated Content | Hany Farid
In a world flooded with fake videos and voice recordings that seem real, how can you detect deepfakes? Turns out, there are some aspects of the physical world…
Particles of ThoughtExtremophiles, the Deep Sea, and Alien Life with Peter Girguis
What do deep-sea microbes and Martian “leopard spots” have in common? Marine biologist Peter Girguis thinks they might both hold clues to finding life beyond…
- Particles of Thought
Extremophiles, the Deep Sea, and Alien Life with Peter Girguis
What do deep-sea microbes and Martian “leopard spots” have in common? Marine biologist Peter Girguis thinks they might both hold clues to finding life beyond…
Particles of ThoughtBird Song and the Evolution of Language with Erich Jarvis
Talking, singing, even dancing — they all trace back to a rare superpower: vocal learning. But humans aren’t the only animals that have it. Neuroscientist…
- Particles of Thought
Bird Song and the Evolution of Language with Erich Jarvis
Talking, singing, even dancing — they all trace back to a rare superpower: vocal learning. But humans aren’t the only animals that have it. Neuroscientist…