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 shaping 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—into the strange beauty of chaos theory, the ethical dilemmas of AI and algorithms, the hidden math of biology and evolution, or the physics governing black holes and the cosmos. Along the way, Autumn and Noah speak with working scientists, researchers, and thinkers across fields: computer scientists, physicists, chemists, engineers, economists, philosophers, and more.
But this isn’t just a podcast about equations. It’s a show about how mathematics shapes the way we think, decide, build, and understand the world. Breaking Math pushes back against the idea that STEM belongs behind a paywall or an academic podium. It’s for the curious, the critical, and 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 and modern algorithms?
- How do we quantify uncertainty in climate and economic models?
- Can intelligence or consciousness be meaningfully described in AI?
- Why does beauty matter in an equation?
You’re in the right place.
At its heart, Breaking Math is about building bridges—between disciplines, between experts and the public, and between abstract mathematics and the messy, magnificent reality we live in. With humor, clarity, and deep respect for complexity, Autumn and Noah 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
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/breakingmathmedia
Episodes
Showing 20 of 27- How Data Science Exposes Injustice: Chad Topaz on Unlocking Justice6/10/202640 min
- Rise of the Robots: Is AI Coming for Your Job?6/2/202644 min
- The Echoing Universe: How Radio Waves, AI, and Math Could Help Us Find Aliens with Emma Chapman5/29/202647 min
- AI Solves 80-Year-Old Math Conjecture: What It Means for the Future of Mathematics5/23/202630 min
- The Science of Addiction: Dopamine, Social Media, and the Myth of Willpower with Maia Szalavitz5/21/202650 min
- Are We Being Misled by Data? Ron Wasserstein on AI, Bias, and Statistical Truth5/14/202648 min
- How Ransomware Became a Global Industry with Anja Shortland on Dark Screens5/5/202642 min
- Explaining Huge Numbers with Richard Elwes4/28/202657 min
- AI Isn’t Replacing You—It’s Changing the Rules with Sheamus McGovern4/26/202636 min
- Math and Magic with Matt Baker4/15/202651 min
- Credibility Crisis in Science with Thomas Plümper and Eric Neumayer4/7/202639 min
- Denied, Then Unstoppable: The Story of Mary T. Washington Wylie3/27/20268 min
- The Power of Connection in Math: Insights from Hortensia Soto3/24/202640 min
- Florence Nightingale: Data-Driven Reformer of Medicine3/20/202613 min
- The Math Behind Gerrymandering, Fair Representation, and Politics with Karen Saxe3/17/202635 min
- Anna Schwartz: The Economist Who Changed How We Study Economies3/13/202614 min
- Disappearing Grants, Genius Grants, and the AI Proofs with Lauren K. Williams3/11/202626 min
- Priscilla Wakefield: Empowering Women Through Financial Literacy3/6/202610 min
- Why Mathematicians Must Speak Up with Bryna Kra3/3/202631 min
- Reaching for the Extreme with Ian Stewart2/24/202644 min