Math and science may not seem like the most emotional subjects, but a new podcast aims to give them a whole lot of heart.
On Jan. 22, Quanta Magazine launched the first season of 鈥溾 a podcast series hosted by , the Jacob Gould Schurman Professor of Applied Mathematics in the 麻豆视频 and 麻豆视频. Over the course of the season鈥檚 12 weekly episodes, Strogatz interviews scientists and mathematicians about their lives and work.
Rather than focusing solely on their research pursuits, Strogatz decided to take a more personal approach.
鈥淚鈥檝e always found radio to be emotional. It鈥檚 very intimate to listen to someone talk or tell a story,鈥 he said. 鈥淎nd I think that鈥檚 the unique strength of sound and podcasting and the way people listen to podcasts often in their car or at home. The show is primarily a look at the inner lives of scientists, stuff you wouldn鈥檛 see in the newspaper. I wanted something that could be moving, or funny or surprising, as well as have scientific heft.鈥
For years, Strogatz has been an enthusiastic public communicator, with a wide range of outreach efforts. He has been a frequent guest on programs such as 鈥淩adiolab鈥 and 鈥淪cience Friday,鈥 and he has written a number of popular books, as well as articles for media outlets like Scientific American and The New Yorker. He was already mulling the idea of creating a math podcast when Quanta editor Thomas Lin asked if he might be interested in hosting a show that explored the magazine鈥檚 key areas of math, physics, biology and computer science.
Strogatz, who serves on Quanta鈥檚 science advisory board, teamed up with executive producer Ellen Horne, with whom he worked on 鈥淩adiolab.鈥 They decided to call the new podcast 鈥淭he Joy of x,鈥 after Strogatz鈥檚 2012 book of the same name, which had grown out of 鈥,鈥 an online column he wrote for the New York Times.
The title 鈥淭he Joy of x鈥 was initially a math-inspired pun on the classic 1972 manual 鈥淭he Joy of Sex,鈥 but for Strogatz the phrase has evolved to encompass more than just algebra, which makes it perfectly suited for the podcast.
鈥淪cience is about finding out answers to the unknown,鈥 he said, 鈥渁nd the show is meant to be about the joy of curiosity, of discovery, of being a scientist.鈥
Among the first season鈥檚 guests are theoretical cosmologist Janna Levin, string theorist Robbert Dijkgraaf, neurobiologist Cori Bargmann and social-cognitive psychologist Brian Nosek. Some guests are colleagues Strogatz has known for years; some are new acquaintances. But all of them were chosen, he said, because they鈥檙e either great science communicators or have fascinating stories to share.
鈥淲e want to let the listener feel like a fly on the wall as two scientists have a heart-to-heart conversation,鈥 he said. 鈥淭hey can tell me about their setbacks or their triumphs or their childhood, all kinds of intimate things. I still want it to be powerful science and educational.鈥
Strogatz interviews his guests remotely from Cornell Broadcast Studios. When the interviews are edited, he adds narration, segues and additional context when needed. Even though he isn鈥檛 talking to his subjects face to face, he has developed a few tactics 鈥 he calls them 鈥渃rowbars鈥 鈥 for encouraging people to open up.
鈥淚f you get people talking about their mentors, that usually triggers such affectionate memories,鈥 he said. 鈥淎lthough not always. Sometimes a mentor is remembered as selfish or as someone who stole a student鈥檚 work, and then they hated that person the rest of their life. But you will always get something revealing.鈥
Strogatz has worked to find the right balance between discussing life experiences and research interests, while also keeping the hourlong interviews on track. He and his producers do enough preparation beforehand to facilitate a well-informed conversation while still leaving room for spontaneity, curiosity and 鈥 sometimes 鈥 confusion.
鈥淚 want to be a surrogate for the listener. I don鈥檛 want to prepare too much. It makes me listen better, which makes the whole thing warmer,鈥 he said. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 good for me to get confused when something is confusing. Then I can ask for clarity. On the other hand, it鈥檚 disrespectful not to be prepared at all.鈥
Quanta, supported by the Simons Foundation, has already ordered a second season, which Strogatz is recording now.
In addition to asking the questions, he鈥檚 also managed to learn a thing or two himself.
鈥淚n my career, I get to teach, I get to do public outreach, and I also get to do research. In my heart of hearts, I鈥檓 a teacher more than anything else,鈥 Strogatz said. 鈥淏ut I also love being a student and getting to learn about all the parts of science that I didn鈥檛 know about before, and then trying to explain them. That鈥檚 the pleasure of being a professor. You get to do this your whole life.鈥
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