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Particles of Thought

Particles of Thought

GBH 67 Episodes Aug 20, 2026

Particles of Thought is a video podcast from the producers of NOVA. Host Hakeem Oluseyi engages scientists in mind-expanding conversations on topics like hacking anxiety, dark matter and black holes, animal communication, hidden geometry, and the nature of humanity. Along the way, the show tackles big questions, uncovers surprising answers, and opens up entirely new ways to think.

Episodes

Next Dimension Geometry
Next Dimension Geometry Aug 20, 2026 27:05 Jordan Ellenberg says geometry isn’t about shapes. It’s about distance. In a tour of geometry far stranger than anything from high school, the mathematician breaks down how our ancient understanding of triangles evolved into the invisible architecture behind AI, family trees, and human relationships. Minds expand as we ask why the "closeness" between two ideas is a literal angle in a vast
AI’s Hidden Math
AI’s Hidden Math Aug 18, 2026 28:32 Jordan Ellenberg has good news: artificial intelligence is just math you can actually understand. The mathematician joins Hakeem to pull back the curtain on how large language models really work, revealing that the "miracle" of AI is closer to trial and error scaled up billions of times than anything resembling thought. Jordan breaks down why the process works so well, how every word beco
Hobbits, Neanderthals, and Dragon Man
Hobbits, Neanderthals, and Dragon Man Aug 13, 2026 57:56 Ella Al-Shamahi explores what it means to be human. She reveals the surprising truth that our ancestors shared the planet with at least seven other human species as recently as 50,000 years ago. Ella and Hakeem dig into Neanderthal culture and the mysterious Denisovans who were identified from a single finger bone. Then Ella shares something more personal: her own journey from creationist
Creationist to Evolutionary Biologist
Creationist to Evolutionary Biologist Aug 11, 2026 16:20 Ella Al-Shamahi set out to disprove the theory of evolution. Now she’s one of its greatest advocates. In this deeply personal conversation, Ella tells Hakeem her story. She started university as an avid creationist missionary with the intention of disproving evolution, and then her world started to fall apart.  This candid conversation covers what the journey from creationist to paleoanth
Rethinking Neanderthals
Rethinking Neanderthals Aug 6, 2026 21:50 Ella Al-Shamahi thinks Neanderthals have a reputation problem, and the science backs her up. For decades, the word "Neanderthal" has been shorthand for something primitive and brutish. But the archaeological record tells a more nuanced story. Ella joins Hakeem to explore what we actually know about our closest ancient relatives: how they looked, how they lived, what their culture reveals
Real Hobbits?
Real Hobbits? Aug 4, 2026 23:24 Ella Al-Shamahi says the iconic picture of human evolution is all wrong. She joins Hakeem to take apart the conventional image of the straight-line march of evolution from ape to modern human. The fossil and DNA record tells a far more complex story. As recently as 50,000 years ago, our ancestors shared the planet with at least seven other human species. From the small-statured Hobbits of
Full Interview: The Future of AI and Us
Full Interview: The Future of AI and Us Jul 30, 2026 01:08:41 Daniela Rus brings robots and AI together, and as a computer scientist and roboticist at MIT, she's here to set the record straight. She's not just studying AI from the outside. She's building it, and finding ways to make everyday life better. Daniela joins Hakeem to pull back the curtain on what AI actually is, how it really works, and where it is genuinely headed. What happens when AI l
AI Origins
AI Origins Jul 28, 2026 18:33 Daniela Rus is cutting through the AI hype and headlines to give us a real understanding of its future. As Director of MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, she has a front-row seat to what AI actually is, how it actually works, and what it can and cannot do. Daniela joins Hakeem to map out the full landscape of a field that is far richer than chatbots and large l
AI Robots
AI Robots Jul 23, 2026 23:28 Daniela Rus has built a robot you can swallow, and that is one of the less surprising things her lab is working on. At MIT's CSAIL, she is leading research at the frontier where artificial intelligence meets the physical world, and the results are unlike anything people have imagined. Daniela joins Hakeem to explore what it will really take for machines to move, reason, and interact the w
When AI Escapes the Data Center
When AI Escapes the Data Center Jul 21, 2026 31:30 Daniela Rus wants to put AI in your pocket, your car, and your dishwasher. In fact, she has already started. As one of the world's leading AI and robotics researchers, she is building a future where artificial intelligence doesn't live in a distant data center but runs quietly and efficiently on the devices around you. The key is liquid networks, AI models inspired by a tiny worm that get
Full Interview: Anxiety Hacking
Full Interview: Anxiety Hacking Jul 16, 2026 01:15:11 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 anxiety can be harnessed, rather than eliminated, and how it connects to two other powerful forces shaping your brain: exercise and human connection. What’s happening in that surge of stress—or in the “neurochemical bubble bath” after a
Your Brain Needs Friends
Your Brain Needs Friends Jul 14, 2026 28:32 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 animals, like prairie voles who develop intense love bonds, we can understand what’s going on in our heads when we connect with others. Hard data and personal stories show, the power of friendship is a shockingly important part of a h

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