632nm

How do you actually make quantum algorithms work on real hardware?

Build your own quantum circuits in Crumble: https://algassert.com/crumble

In this episode, we speak with Craig Gidney of Google Quantum AI, whose work focuses on the practical realities of building fault-tolerant quantum computers. Gidney explains how seemingly small implementation choices, like how you perform arithmetic, can dominate the cost of entire quantum algorithms.

We explore why factoring small numbers like 15 in Shor's algorithm can be misleadingly easy, and why scaling to larger numbers requires dramatically more resources due to operations...

How do neurons convert electrical signals into chemical messages in under a millisecond?

In this episode, we speak with Thomas Südhof, Stanford neuroscientist and Nobel laureate whose discoveries revealed the molecular machinery that allows neurons to communicate at synapses. Südhof explains how an electrical impulse traveling down a neuron triggers the rapid release of neurotransmitters, transforming an electrical signal into a chemical one that can be received by the next cell.

We explore the remarkable precision of synaptic transmission, including how calcium ions trigger vesicle fusion, how specialized proteins organize the release machinery, an...

How do engineers solve problems that seem to violate the laws of physics?

In this episode, we speak with Dan Gelbart, a prolific inventor and precision engineer, about what it really means to work at the limits of physical law. From lasers and optical systems to ultra-precision manufacturing and semiconductor tools, Gelbart has spent decades designing systems where nanometers, noise, and nonlinearities matter, and where small misunderstandings of physics can block real progress.

We discuss the story of the first working laser, built by Theodore Maiman, and why it succeeded only after questioning widely accepted...

How does experience rewire the brain—and why is vision the ideal system for understanding neuroplasticity?

In this episode, we speak with Mark Bear, MIT neuroscientist and a pioneer in the study of experience-dependent plasticity. Bear explains how the visual cortex became a model system for uncovering the synaptic mechanisms that allow the brain to change, adapt, and learn, especially during early development.

We explore how visual experience shapes neural circuits, why the brain undergoes critical periods of heightened plasticity, and what classic experiments in visual deprivation revealed about how connections are strengthened or lost. Be...

How can flat surfaces shape light as powerfully as bulky lenses?

In this episode, we speak with Federico Capasso, Harvard physicist and pioneer of metasurfaces, metalenses, and nanophotonics. Capasso traces the path from his work at Bell Labs on quantum cascade lasers to the invention of metasurface optics, showing how a practical challenge—collimating light without traditional lenses—sparked a new way to control light.

We explore the physics behind metasurfaces and generalized Snell’s law, explaining how subwavelength structures enable precise control of wavefronts, phase, and polarization beyond what conventional diffractive optics or Fresnel lenses...

How do electrons behave when they’re confined to a single layer, and why do entirely new laws of physics emerge when dimensions shrink?

Papers discussed in this episode:
Experimental observation of the quantum Hall effect and Berry's phase in graphene: https://www.nature.com/articles/nature04235
Tunable Fractional Quantum Hall Phases in Bilayer Graphene: https://arxiv.org/abs/1403.2112
Room-Temperature Quantum Hall Effect in Graphene: https://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0702408

In this episode, we speak with Philip Kim, Harvard physicist and a leading experimentalist in low-dimensional quantum materials. Kim traces the experimental pa...

What makes high-temperature superconductors and “strange metals” some of the most perplexing systems in modern physics?

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Subir Sachdev: Harvard physicist and one of the leading architects of today’s understanding of quantum matter. Sachdev explains why strange metals refuse to behave like ordinary conductors, how quantum entanglement reshapes the landscape of many-body physics, and why the quest to understand cuprate superconductors continues to push both theory and experiment to their limits.

We explore the physics of the cuprate phase diagram, the collapse of quasiparticles, and the role of quantu...

Would we get a quantum computer sooner if everything was open source?

In this episode, we speak with Austin Fowler, one of the architects of quantum error correction and a pioneer of the surface code used in today’s leading quantum computers. Fowler helped lay the groundwork for scalable, fault-tolerant computation at Google Quantum AI, before leaving to advocate for a more open and collaborative model of research.

He explains why building a useful quantum computer will require millions of reliable qubits, why no known algorithm yet clearly outperforms classical computation, and why the field’s cu...

Why is syncing atomic clocks still one of the hardest problems in physics and engineering?

In this episode, we speak with Judah Levine—legendary NIST physicist and one of the key architects of modern timekeeping—about the invisible systems that hold the digital world together. Levine explains why synchronizing atomic clocks across the planet is far more complex than the clocks themselves, and why seemingly simple ideas like “round-trip delay” break down in real-world media such as fiber optics and the internet.

We explore how UTC is built from hundreds of atomic clocks, the difference between...

Why do civilizations rise, prosper, and then collapse? Here's what the math tells us.

In this episode, we sit down with Peter Turchin, complexity scientist and founder of the field of cliodynamics, which uses data and mathematical models to study the long-term cycles of history. Turchin explains his theory of elite overproduction, how societies generate too many ambitious, educated elites competing for too few positions, and why this dynamic reliably leads to polarization, inequality, and political turmoil.

We explore how his structural-demographic theory maps the recurring “boom and bust” rhythms that have shaped civilizations from anci...

You can’t copy a qubit. So how do quantum computers remember anything?

In this episode, we sit down with Mikhail Lukin, Harvard physicist and co-director of the Harvard Quantum Initiative, whose lab is building quantum computers from arrays of individually trapped atoms. Lukin explains the paradox of quantum error correction—how you can safeguard quantum information even though it can’t be copied or measured directly—and why this breakthrough may be the key to making large-scale quantum computers possible.

We dive into the strange logic of superposition, entanglement, and “small cat states,” explore what makes q...

The scientific stories behind this year's research that made people LAUGH, then THINK.

Watch the 2025 Ig Nobel Ceremony here: https://youtu.be/z1cP4xKd_L4

In this episode, we bring together three of this year’s Ig Nobel winners whose research spans psychology, food science and human biology. You’ll hear how a team of psychologists devised a counter-intuitive way to boost a narcissist’s self-confidence; how two physicists uncovered the “mozzarella phase” of pecorino cheese while perfecting cacio e pepe; and how a group studying lactation discovered that garlic changes breast-milk’s aroma and baby beh...

Science has stalled. And Adam Marblestone thinks he knows why.

Check out the Research Gap Map here: https://www.gap-map.org/?sort=rank

In this episode, we sit down with Adam Marblestone, neuroscientist, nanotechnologist, and founder of Convergent Research, to explore how new “Focused Research Organizations” (FROs) could reignite scientific progress. From DNA “ticker-tape” neural recording to optical connectomics and Neuralink, Marblestone explains how emerging neurotechnologies reveal both the brilliance and the bottlenecks of today’s research system.

We discuss why traditional funding often fails to support ambitious, interdisciplinary projects, how FROs borrow the focus...

Cheese is serious stuff. The physics behind cacio e pepe.

Watch the 2025 Ig Nobel Ceremony here: https://youtu.be/z1cP4xKd_L4

In this episode, we sit down with Daniel Busiello and Ivan Di Terlizzi, physicists whose playful kitchen experiments on the classic Roman pasta dish cacio e pepe just earned them the 2025 Ig Nobel Prize. What started as a Friday-night cooking ritual turned into a full-blown study of the “mozzarella phase” of pecorino cheese — revealing how heat, proteins, and stabilizers drive sauce breakdown and mimic the phase transitions seen in labs and nature.

W...

Your milk tastes like garlic. And babies love it.

Watch the 2025 Ig Nobel Ceremony here: https://youtu.be/z1cP4xKd_L4

In this episode, we sit down with Julie Mennella and Gary Beauchamp, winners of the 2025 Ig Nobel Prize and longtime researchers at the Monell Chemical Senses Center, whose experiments revealed that the flavors mothers eat—from garlic and carrots to alcohol—can pass into amniotic fluid and breast milk, shaping babies’ earliest taste experiences. Their work overturns decades of advice that breastfeeding diets should be bland and shows how infants actually savor these flavor...

What happens to our sense of self when someone tells us we’re smart—or not so smart?

Watch the 2025 Ig Nobel Ceremony here: https://youtu.be/z1cP4xKd_L4

In this episode, we sit down with Marcin Zajenkowski, professor of psychology at the University of Warsaw and co-winner of the 2025 Ig Nobel Prize in Psychology, for his study on how intelligence feedback affects temporary narcissism. Along with his collaborator Gilles Gignac of the University of Western Australia, Zajenkowski showed that telling people they’re above average on an IQ test can boost their feelin...

Times have changed. And cesium clocks can't keep up.

In this episode, we sit down with Jun Ye, Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics (JILA) Fellow and pioneer of optical lattice clocks, whose work has pushed timekeeping far beyond traditional cesium atomic clocks. Ye explains how combining ultra-stable lasers, frequency combs, and ultra-cold atoms produces clocks more than 100× more precise than today’s standards: so sensitive they can detect gravitational time dilation across the width of a human hair.

We explore how this next generation of atomic clocks may open windows onto gravitational waves, test Einstein’s rel...

How did cooling atoms with lasers revolutionize our understanding of time?

In this episode, we speak with Bill Phillips, Nobel Laureate in Physics, about his groundbreaking work on laser cooling and trapping of atoms: research that not only won him the Nobel Prize but also transformed modern timekeeping and technology. Phillips explains why breaking the Doppler cooling limit changed physics forever and what it means that today’s clocks can measure time differences caused by moving a device just a few millimeters in Earth’s gravity.

We discuss the history of timekeeping from sundials to atom...

What does it take to turn a banned psychedelic into an FDA-approved medicine?

Visit MAPS to read about the latest progress is psychedelic research: https://maps.org/

In this episode, we speak with Rick Doblin, founder of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), about the decades-long mission to make MDMA-assisted therapy a legal treatment for PTSD and other mental health conditions. Rick received his PhD from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government in public policy focusing on the regulation of medical use of psychedelics in 2001. Rick shares the science behind MDMA’s therapeutic effects, the st...

Life’s First Blueprint Wasn’t DNA; it was RNA.

Read Jacob Fine’s latest publication here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022283625001901

Today we spoke with Jacob Fine, graduate student researcher in Computational Biology from the University of Toronto. We explore the physics of replication, the role of entropy and information theory, and how modern biology is reconnecting with theory to understand the most fundamental question in science. Our conversation takes place in a Russian sauna, where the hot and humid environment mimics some of the conditions needed for life to begin.

<...

One of Keith Johnson’s final interviews: a brilliant mind on dark matter, water, and fusion.

Read about Keith’s legacy here: https://news.mit.edu/2025/keith-johnson-materials-scientist-independent-filmmaker-dies-0723

This episode is one of the final recorded conversations with MIT physicist Keith Johnson, who passed away just weeks after our interview. In this conversation, he unpacks his early research on the quantum structure of matter, his cold fusion theories, and how it all led to a screenplay about a young female physicist. Johnson also suggests a radical idea: water clusters in space might explain some aspects of dark...

Did the Big Bang really happen? Telescopes, dark matter & cosmic origins explored.

Join cosmologist Brian Keating as we explore the mysteries of the universe, from building telescopes at the South Pole to measuring the polarization of the cosmic microwave background and chasing signs of gravitational waves. We discuss Galileo’s influence, cosmic inflation, and how the Nobel Prize could be changed to better reflect the way we do science. 

Follow us for more technical interviews with the world’s greatest scientists:

Twitter: https://x.com/632nmPodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/632nmpod...

In this episode of the 632nm podcast, Scott Aaronson shares his early fascination with calculus at age 11 and how “rediscovering” old mathematics led him toward groundbreaking work in complexity theory. He gives a lucid explanation of P vs NP, revealing how seemingly trivial questions about verifying solutions speak to some of the deepest unsolved problems in all of computing.

Aaronson also explores the frontiers of quantum computing, from the nuances of quantum supremacy experiments to the idea of quantum money and certified randomness. He explains how amplitudes—rather than straightforward probabilities—unlock powerful interference effects, yet still face lim...

In this episode of the 632nm podcast, we explore cutting-edge ideas in epigenetics and academic publishing. Oded Rechavi reveals how C. elegans worms defy conventional genetics by passing on traits through small RNAs, and discusses how these mechanisms might reshape our understanding of heredity. We also hear about a remarkable experiment hijacking Toxoplasma gondii—the so-called “cat parasite”—to deliver proteins into the brain, opening possible routes for new therapies.

Beyond the lab, we explore problems with modern publishing, from glacial review timelines to flawed incentives that push quantity over quality. Learn how AI-driven solutions might speed up peer...

In this episode of the 632nm podcast, we explore how diamond-based nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers went from being a curiosity in gemstone physics to a transformative tool for precision magnetometry. You’ll hear how these tiny defects enable room-temperature quantum sensing, providing ultra-high spatial resolution and remarkable resilience in extreme conditions—from planetary research unlocking secrets of our solar system’s earliest days to potential biomedical diagnostics. Our guest recounts the serendipitous connections, engineering challenges, and surprising scientific discoveries along the way.

We also discuss how interdisciplinary collaborations spark new ideas, how startups and academia differ in their...

In this episode, Jeremy England reframes the origin of life debate by applying non-equilibrium physics, challenging the notion that life’s emergence must be purely biological or chemical. He describes how matter can “learn” from its environment, drawing on examples from spin glasses, protein folding, and resonating mechanical systems.

England also shares how his deep engagement with religious texts—and his unexpected cameo as “the next Darwin” in popular media—shaped his understanding of science and spirituality. From his ordination as a rabbi to his groundbreaking thermodynamic research, England offers a unique perspective on the interplay between faith, scienti...

In this episode of the 632nm podcast, we sit down with 1517 Fund’s Danielle Strachman and Michael Gibson to explore their Flux program, a unique pre-seed fellowship backing wild, unorthodox scientific and technical ideas. They share how they’ve helped founders transform “garage science” projects—like nuclear batteries, quantum computing prototypes, and cutting-edge materials—into serious startups. Along the way, they discuss the pitfalls of chasing academic prestige, the power of genuine curiosity, and how to leverage minimal resources for big ambitions.

We also learn about the flexibility of Flux’s “cannon launch” grants, what it takes to persuade invest...

In this episode of the 632nm podcast, our guest traces the evolution from the early days of Bose-Einstein condensation experiments to pioneering trapped ion quantum gateways. He reveals how breakthroughs in laser cooling and atomic clock research unexpectedly paved the way for the first quantum logic gates, beating out the BEC community at a pivotal conference. We also hear about the surprising roles of entanglement, error mitigation, and photonic interconnects in shaping modern quantum hardware.

The conversation shifts to the commercial world, where government funding, venture capital, and startup challenges collide. Our guest shares insider stories about...

In this episode of the 632nm podcast, we explore how 193nm lasers unexpectedly overtook x-ray approaches and reshaped semiconductor manufacturing. Physicist Mordechai Rothschild describes the breakthroughs that turned a once “impossible” technology into the mainstay of chip fabrication, including the discovery of specialized lenses, the invention of chemically amplified resists, and the game-changing flip to immersion lithography. We also hear candid insights on the race to push below 13.5 nanometers, where new ideas in plasma sources and advanced coatings might one day carry Moore’s Law even further.

Dr. Mordechai Rothschild is a leading physicist and technologist at MIT Li...

In this episode, physicist Federico Capasso recounts his winding path from struggling undergrad to pioneering inventor of the quantum cascade laser. He reveals how openness, daring ideas, and the bottom-up ethos at Bell Labs led to breakthroughs that redefined semiconductor research.

Capasso also discusses the blurred lines between basic and applied science, the importance of nurturing curiosity, and the serendipitous moments that propelled his career. From avalanche photodiodes to metasurfaces to quantum biology, he offers a fascinating look at how big discoveries often begin with a simple spark of wonder.

Eli Yablonovitch shares how Thomas Edison's approach of requiring "a thousand failed discoveries for every one that works" shaped his scientific philosophy. From solar cells to semiconductor lasers to photonic crystals to cell phone antennas, Yablonovitch reveals how each invention evolved from identifying fundamental physics concepts that others overlooked. He explains how his light-trapping concept now used in every solar panel stemmed from thinking about statistical mechanics. His strained semiconductor laser design, which initially faced industry resistance, eventually became the standard in all laser pointers and DVDs. Throughout his career spanning Bell Labs, Exxon, and academia, Yablonovitch demonstrates that...

Join the 632nm team as we sit down with Nobel laureate Dr. John Mather. From his childhood days of building radios and telescopes to leading NASA's groundbreaking COBE mission, learn how a spectacular failure during his PhD research unexpectedly paved the way for his Nobel Prize-winning work. And hear the story of how NASA took a chance on a 28-year-old scientist who would change our understanding of the universe.

Dr. Mather shares insights into the engineering marvels behind modern space telescopes, including the James Webb Telescope's ingenious cooling system and the concept behind hybrid ground-space observatories...

Join the 632nm team as we sit down with Harvard Professor Avi Loeb, in this fascinating exploration of astronomy, alien life, and the intersection of science and politics. From discussing the mysterious interstellar object that changed astronomy to explaining why Mars might not be the best destination for human colonization, Loeb challenges conventional wisdom with evidence-based insights. His unique perspective, shaped by his journey from growing up on a farm in Israeli to becoming a leading Harvard scientist, reminds us to think from first principles about the universe’s biggest questions.

The conversation illuminates the stories behind gr...

In this episode, the 632nm team sits down with Dan Aronovich (Data Science Decoded Podcast) to explore predictions about technology and society, starting with MIT pioneer Norbert Wiener's remarkably prescient warnings about AI from 1948. His concerns about artificial systems misinterpreting human instructions mirror modern discussions about AI alignment, while his skepticism of social sciences raises important questions about the limitations of studying human behavior.

The conversation takes an unexpected turn as it delves into demographic forecasts that paint a striking picture of humanity's future. The discussion reveals how declining global fertility rates could lead to religious groups...

The 632nm team sat down with MIT professor Seth Lloyd for a mind-bending journey through quantum mechanics, information theory, and the early days of quantum computing. Lloyd shares fascinating stories from his pioneering work in quantum information, including how he nearly got expelled from his PhD program for pursuing what was then considered a "crazy" research direction. Through engaging examples and personal anecdotes, he explains why quantum mechanics is "irreducibly weird" and how information and entropy are fundamentally the same thing.

The conversation takes unexpected turns with remarkable stories about Stephen Hawking's quantum gravity lectures, Richard Feynman's...

In this episode, the 632 team interviewed Nobel laureate Moungi Bawendi, revealing his serendipitous journey to the discovery and development of quantum dots. From a summer internship at Bell Labs to an expired bottle of chemicals that contained the perfect mixture, Bawendi shares how some of chemistry's biggest breakthroughs came from unexpected places. He draws remarkable connections between medieval stained glass artisans and modern nanotechnology, explaining how thousand-year-old techniques unknowingly pioneered the manipulation of nanoparticles.

The conversation takes us through the evolution of quantum dots from laboratory curiosity to revolutionary technology, now powering millions of modern TV displays...

In this captivating episode, we explore how Mark Bear's personal experience with congenital nystagmus sparked a revolutionary career in neuroscience. Mark shares his remarkable journey from struggling with a visual impairment to making groundbreaking discoveries about how the brain processes visual information, including the identification of a previously unknown neural pathway discovered during his undergraduate years.

The conversation delves deep into the fascinating mechanics of human vision, explaining how our brains transform input from two separate eyes into one unified visual experience. Perhaps most intriguingly, Mark reveals critical insights about the brain's developmental windows, particularly how infants...

In this eye-opening episode, former Zapata Computing CEO Yudong Chen reveals the sobering truth about quantum computing's potential impact on drug discovery and the industry's inflated market expectations. Chen explains why even with perfect quantum chemistry calculations, the business case for quantum computing in pharmaceuticals falls dramatically short of the billions being invested, with a total addressable market of only around $100M.

The conversation takes fascinating turns as Chen shares the unusual origin story of Zapata Computing, named after Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata, and traces the company's journey from quantum computing to AI. He provides crucial insights...

Dr. David Huang shares the remarkable journey of how a failed laser surgery project during his MD-PhD studies at MIT led to the invention of Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), now used in over 40 million eye procedures annually. The story includes a pivotal moment when Professor James Fujimoto volunteered as the first human subject for OCT testing when no other students would agree to have an experimental laser pointed at their eye.

The development of OCT was made possible by the 1980s telecommunications boom, which provided crucial fiber optic components. Dr. Huang's unique background combining computer science and...

Origins of life researcher Anna Wang takes us on a fascinating journey through the latest theories about how life began, revealing why Darwin's "warm little ponds" are making a comeback and how ocean spray droplets may have served as nature's first test tubes. She explains why early cell membranes were more like soap bubbles - fragile and leaky - and how these imperfections were actually crucial for primitive life to function.

The conversation explores the cutting edge of synthetic biology, where scientists are attempting to build artificial cells from scratch. Wang shares illuminating analogies, comparing their work...