632nm

Your milk tastes like garlic. And babies love it.Watch the 2025 Ig Nobel Ceremony here: https://youtu.be/z1cP4xKd_L4In 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 flavors instead of rejecting them.We explore how prenatal and early-life exposure to flavors can increase children’s acceptance of fruits and vegetables, what this means for formula design and picky eating, and the deep emotional link between smell, comfort, and lifelong food preferences. Mennella and Beauchamp also share stories from three decades of sensory-science research, from dairy cows and juniper berries to randomized carrot-juice trials in pregnant women, and reflect on why their “funny” Ig Nobel-winning work carries serious implications for public health.Follow us for more technical interviews with the world’s greatest scientists:Twitter: https://x.com/632nmPodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/632nmpodcast?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/632nm/about/Substack: https://632nmpodcast.substack.com/Follow our hosts!Michael Dubrovsky: https://x.com/MikeDubrovskyMisha Shalaginov: https://x.com/MYShalaginovXinghui Yin: https://x.com/XinghuiYinSubscribe:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/632nm/id1751170269Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4aVH9vT5qp5UUUvQ6Uf6ORWebsite: https://www.632nm.comTimestamps:00:00 - Intro01:38 -  What Sparked Interest in Mammalian Taste?02:57 - Myths Around Garlic and Breastfeeding04:41 - Garlic in Dairy Cows06:50 - Should We Revamp Baby Formula?08:09 - Other Foods and Other Animals11:17 - Neural Pathways for Taste and Emotion#ignobel2025 #pediatrics #garlic #behavioralscience #breastfeeding #dairy

26 Syys 14min

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_L4In 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 feelings of uniqueness and specialness—while negative feedback can dramatically lower their self-assessed intelligence.We explore how the team designed their experiment using real tests but fake feedback, what their findings reveal about everyday praise and criticism (from classrooms to parenting), and why “intelligence” carries a special weight compared with traits like empathy or emotional intelligence. Zajenkowski also explains how trait narcissism can act as a shield against negative feedback, how imposter syndrome fits on the other side of the spectrum, and what his research suggests about staying realistically positive without tipping into self-delusion.Whether you’re curious about psychology, narcissism, intelligence testing, education, or the quirks of human self-perception, this conversation offers a rare insider’s look at an award-winning experiment on how a few simple words can shift how special we feel.Timestamps:00:00 - Intro01:45 - Study Design and Background05:33 - Implications for the Education System09:50 - Why are People So Defensive About Intelligence?12:57 - Do Depressed People Reaffirm the Negative?15:11 - Are Americans Too Positive?18:43 - Couples and Mate Selection

25 Syys 21min

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 relativity in new regimes, and even help build a GPS for space travel. Ye also shares his personal journey from growing up during China’s Cultural Revolution to becoming a leader in precision measurement, and what that experience taught him about resilience, mentorship, and protecting scientific inquiry.Whether you’re curious about time, relativity, quantum physics, GPS technology, or the frontiers of precision measurement, this conversation offers a rare insider’s look at how breakthroughs in timekeeping can lead to entirely new physics.Follow us for more technical interviews with the world’s greatest scientists:Twitter: https://x.com/632nmPodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/632nmpodcast?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/632nm/about/Substack: https://632nmpodcast.substack.com/Follow our hosts!Michael Dubrovsky: https://x.com/MikeDubrovskyMisha Shalaginov: https://x.com/MYShalaginovXinghui Yin: https://x.com/XinghuiYinSubscribe:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/632nm/id1751170269Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4aVH9vT5qp5UUUvQ6Uf6ORWebsite: https://www.632nm.comTimestamps:00:00 - Intro01:17 - Why Haven't Optical Clocks Replaced Cesium Clocks?10:45 - Fundamentals of Optical Atomic Clocks17:34 - History of Atomic Clocks30:18 - What is JILA?35:01 - What brought Jun to JILA?39:33 - What does it take to get a PhD in Physics?42:40 - Jun Ye's PhD work44:36 - Limitations of Laser Stabilization50:38 - How Do We Make the Most Stable Lasers?57:28 - How to Measure Laser Coherence Times1:04:24 - Building Atomic Clocks from First Principles1:08:59 - Jun's Notable Accomplishments1:14:00 - Magic Frequencies for Optical Traps1:21:04 - Can AI Improve Atomic Clocks?1:24:00 - How Does Quantum Entanglement Affect Clocks?1:30:29 - Development of Quantum Computers1:34:23 - Pros and Cons of Nuclear Clocks1:43:49 - What Would Jun Do With Unlimited Research Funding?1:47:09 - Lessons from China's Cultural Revolution#quantumcomputing #quantumphysics #atomicclock #laser #physics #optics #astrophysics #astronomy #spacetime

23 Syys 1h 52min

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 atomic clocks, how Einstein’s relativity reshaped our view of time, and the serendipitous discovery of sub-Doppler cooling that opened the door to ultra-precise measurement, quantum computing, and fundamental tests of nature. Along the way, Phillips reflects on the culture of physics, the importance of mentorship, and the joy of discovery.Whether you’re curious about time, relativity, quantum physics, GPS technology, or the frontiers of precision measurement, this conversation offers rare insight into how science, collaboration, and curiosity converge to shape the modern world.Follow us for more technical interviews with the world’s greatest scientists:Twitter: https://x.com/632nmPodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/632nmpodcast?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/632nm/about/Substack: https://632nmpodcast.substack.com/Follow our hosts!Michael Dubrovsky: https://x.com/MikeDubrovskyMisha Shalaginov: https://x.com/MYShalaginovXinghui Yin: https://x.com/XinghuiYinSubscribe:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/632nm/id1751170269Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4aVH9vT5qp5UUUvQ6Uf6ORWebsite: [https://www.632nm.com](https://www.632nm.com/)Timestamps:00:00 - Intro01:43 - What is Time?05:49 - How Did Bill Get Into Atom Cooling?18:30 - How Do Atomic Clocks Actually Work?31:08 - History of Atomic Clocks37:18 - Laser Cooling for Atomic Clocks40:49 - How To Synchronize Atomic Clocks43:20 - How Cesium Cooling Was Developed45:48 - Pushing Beyond the Doppler Limit49:47 - The Beginning of Thor Labs52:45 - The Previous Limits were Wrong1:05:37 - How Bill Broke the Doppler Limit1:12:22 - What is Optical Pumping?1:20:27 - Can Atom Trapping Be Leveraged For Cold Fusion?1:31:32 - What Makes Bill So Lucky?1:35:25 - How Bill's Work Led to Atomic Clocks1:41:05 - What Makes Cesium So Good For Atomic Clocks?1:47:38 - Quantum Effects on Atomic Clocks1:59:02 - Bose-Einstein Condensates2:09:05 - Did Bill's Work Lead To Quantum Computing?2:11:26 - Bill's Thoughts on the Future#billphillips #nobelprize #laser #atomicclock #dopplereffect #quantumcomputing #quantumphysics #gps #physics #boseeinsteincondensate #theoreticalphysics #relativity

9 Syys 2h 24min

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 strategy for winning over regulators, and the battles over claims of neurotoxicity. We discuss the history of psychedelic research, the rise of the underground therapy movement, and how clinical trials, policy change, and cultural perception must align to move psychedelics from stigma to science.Whether you’re curious about psychedelic science, drug policy reform, FDA clinical trials, or the future of mental health treatment, this conversation delivers expert insight into the intersection of research, regulation, and real-world impact.Follow us for more technical interviews with the world’s greatest scientists:Twitter: https://x.com/632nmPodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/632nmpodcast?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/632nm/about/Substack: https://632nmpodcast.substack.com/Follow our hosts!Michael Dubrovsky: https://x.com/MikeDubrovskyMisha Shalaginov: https://x.com/MYShalaginovXinghui Yin: https://x.com/XinghuiYinSubscribe:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/632nm/id1751170269Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4aVH9vT5qp5UUUvQ6Uf6ORWebsite: [https://www.632nm.com](https://www.632nm.com/)Timestamps:00:00 - Intro01:32 - How Would Rick Describe a Psychedelic Experience?05:02 - What is Rick's Favorite Psychedelic?09:46 - The Underground is Ahead of the Research12:45 - How Rick Got Interested in Psychedelics26:39 - Can Psychedelics Stop War?40:45 - Do People Need Trauma?45:09 - Is America a Falling Empire?52:08 - What if MAPS was in the YC?55:00 - Why was MDMA the Choice to Push for Legality?1:02:22 - The Origins of Modern Psychedelic Therapy1:05:20 - Misinformation Around Psychedelics1:17:12 - How MAPS is Developing Psychedelic Therapies1:30:13 - How Should Healthy People Use Psychedelics?1:38:05 - Psychedelic Experiences as Rites of Passage1:42:02 - Finding Life's Purpose1:52:49 - Why Do Fears of Psychedelics Persist?1:56:44 - What Does It Take for Psychedelics to Get FDA Approved?2:13:55 - Rick's Pet Wolf2:23:39 - Rick's Last Interaction with his Wolf2:30:55 - Psychedelic Group Therapy2:33:37 - We Need More Psychedelic Therapists

26 Elo 2h 38min

Life’s First Blueprint Wasn’t DNA; it was RNA.Read Jacob Fine’s latest publication here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022283625001901Today 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.Follow us for more technical interviews with the world’s greatest scientists:Twitter: https://x.com/632nmPodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/632nmpodcast?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/632nm/about/Substack: https://632nmpodcast.substack.com/Follow our hosts!Michael Dubrovsky: https://x.com/MikeDubrovskyMisha Shalaginov: https://x.com/MYShalaginovXinghui Yin: https://x.com/XinghuiYinSubscribe:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/632nm/id1751170269Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4aVH9vT5qp5UUUvQ6Uf6ORWebsite: https://www.632nm.comTimestamps:00:00 - Intro01:22 - What does any theory of the origin of life need to explain?04:09 - When did people begin researching the origin of life?06:51 - Competing theories of the origin of life11:00 - The RNA world hypothesis21:38 - Biological vs computational error24:58 - Origin of life is the origin of information33:30 - Without error, there would be no life36:07 - Early compartmentalization mechanisms47:26 - What do we need to prove theories on the origin of life?57:23 - What makes a useful model for biology?1:04:44 - What inspired Jacob to investigate the origin of life?1:09:45 - Jacob's favorite theories for the origin of life1:11:58 - Do we need a Manhattan project to discover the origin of life?1:18:49 - What are the next steps for origins of life research?1:24:06 -  Has exposure to religion shaped Jacob’s perspective on science?

12 Elo 1h 31min

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-0723This 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 matter. A one-of-a-kind interview that blends science, art, and speculation.We’re honored to share this glimpse into Keith’s remarkable intellect, creativity, and curiosity. May his legacy continue to inspire.Follow us for more technical interviews with the world’s greatest scientists:Twitter: https://x.com/632nmPodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/632nmpodcast?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/632nm/about/Substack: https://632nmpodcast.substack.com/Follow our hosts!Michael Dubrovsky: https://x.com/MikeDubrovskyMisha Shalaginov: https://x.com/MYShalaginovXinghui Yin: https://x.com/XinghuiYinSubscribe:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/632nm/id1751170269Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4aVH9vT5qp5UUUvQ6Uf6ORWebsite: https://www.632nm.comTimestamps:00:00 - Intro01:03- Early Life and Education03:27 - Graduate Studies and Research Funding05:44 - Postdoctoral Work and Quantum Chemistry09:45 - Starting at MIT and Collaborations15:05 - Cold Fusion and Film Making23:38 - Keith's First Screenplay28:55 - Filming a Movie at MIT43:50 - Water Clusters and Quantum Energy53:54 - Is Cold Fusion Possible?1:07:13 - Challenges in Fusion Energy1:12:09 - Advice for Young ScientistsAPPENDIX:1:15:42 - Water Might Be Connected to Dark Matter1:24:49 - Cosmic Dust and Supernovae1:28:36 - The Role of Water in the Universe1:38:32 - The Future of Dark Matter Research1:51:27 - Water Might Have Been Created Sooner After the Big Bang#KeithJohnson #MIT #ScienceAndStorytelling #QuantumPhysics #DarkMatter #Astrobiology #BreakingSymmetry

5 Elo 2h 15min

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/632nmPodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/632nmpodcast?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/632nm/about/Substack: https://632nmpodcast.substack.com/Michael Dubrovsky: https://x.com/MikeDubrovskyMisha Shalaginov: https://x.com/MYShalaginovXinghui Yin: https://x.com/XinghuiYinSubscribe:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/632nm/id1751170269Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4aVH9vT5qp5UUUvQ6Uf6ORWebsite: https://www.632nm.com

29 Heinä 1h 43min