Even empty space bubbles with energy, according to quantum mechanics — and that fact affects almost every facet of physical reality. The theoretical physicist Isabel Garcia Garcia explains to Steven Strogatz why it’s so important in modern physics to understand what a true vacuum is.

The post Does Nothingness Exist? first appeared on Quanta Magazine

Abnormal waves of electrical activity can cause a heart’s muscle cells to beat out of sync. In this episode, Flavio Fenton, an expert in cardiac dynamics, talks with Steve Strogatz about ways to treat heart arrhythmias without resorting to painful defibrillators.

The post Can Math and Physics Save an Arrhythmic Heart? first appeared on Quanta Magazine

Jellyfish and other aquatic creatures embody solutions to diverse problems in engineering, medicine and mathematics. John Dabiri, a fluid dynamics expert, talks with Steven Strogatz about what jellyfish can teach us about going with the flow.

The post What Can Jellyfish Teach Us About Fluid Dynamics? first appeared on Quanta Magazine

Wave-science researcher Ton van den Bremer and Steven Strogatz discuss how rogue waves can form in relatively calm seas and whether their threat can be predicted.

The post What Causes Giant Rogue Waves? first appeared on Quanta Magazine

Consciousness, our experience of being in the world, is one of the mind’s greatest mysteries, but as the neuroscientist Anil Seth explains to Steven Strogatz, research is making progress in understanding this elusive phenomenon.

The post What Is the Nature of Consciousness? first appeared on Quanta Magazine

Several areas of physics suggest reasons to think that unobservable universes with different natural laws could lie beyond ours. The theoretical physicist David Kaplan talks with Steven Strogatz about the mysteries that a multiverse would solve.

The post Are There Reasons to Believe in a Multiverse? first appeared on Quanta Magazine

A new phase of matter called a “time crystal” plays with our expectations of thermodynamics. The physicist Vedika Khemani talks with Steven Strogatz about its surprising quantum behavior.

The post Is Perpetual Motion Possible at the Quantum Level? first appeared on Quanta Magazine

All infinities go on forever, so how is it possible for some infinities to be larger than others? The mathematician Justin Moore discusses the mysteries of infinity with Steven Strogatz.

The post How Can Some Infinities Be Bigger Than Others? first appeared on Quanta Magazine

Should Covid-19 vaccines be judged by how well they prevent disease or how well they prevent death? Anna Durbin, a public health expert and vaccine researcher, talks with Steven Strogatz about the science behind vaccines.

The post What Has the Pandemic Taught Us About Vaccines? first appeared on Quanta Magazine

Can mathematics handle things that are essentially the same without being exactly equal? Category theorist Eugenia Cheng and host Steven Strogatz discuss the power and pleasures of abstraction.

The post Is There Math Beyond the Equal Sign? first appeared on Quanta Magazine