How the Brain Compresses Our Noisy World

How the Brain Compresses Our Noisy World

Author: Quanta Magazine September 1, 2026 Duration: 31:14
If you are well rested and full, your brain tells you that a bruised overripe apple is a piece of subpar fruit to be passed over. However, if you are exhausted and hungry, an overripe apple is categorized as much-needed food. But how is the brain able to categorize that same apple in these situations? On this episode of The Quanta Podcast, co-host Hannah Waters speaks with contributing writer Conor Feehly about how the brain manages to categorize similar sets of sensory signals in radically different ways. This topic was covered in a recent story for Quanta Magazine.   Each week on The Quanta Podcast, hear the people behind the award-winning publication navigate through some of the most important and mind-expanding questions in science and math.

Hosted by Quanta Magazine Editor-in-Chief Samir Patel, The Quanta Podcast is a series of deep, thoughtful conversations with the researchers and thinkers whose work is shaping our fundamental understanding of reality. Each episode delves into a single, profound idea, whether it's a new discovery about black holes, a breakthrough in cellular biology, or an elegant proof in pure mathematics. These aren't surface-level summaries; they are guided tours through complex concepts, made accessible through patient explanation and genuine curiosity. You'll hear directly from the scientists and mathematicians themselves, the very people behind the groundbreaking stories in Quanta Magazine, as they explain not just what they found, but how they think and why it matters. The discussions naturally unfold to explore the implications of these discoveries, revealing the often-surprising connections between different fields and the enduring mysteries that lie just beyond our current grasp. This podcast serves as an audio companion to the magazine's award-winning journalism, designed for anyone with a restless mind eager to peer over the edge of the known world. It’s about the process of inquiry as much as the answers, offering a rare and intimate look at the cutting edge of science and math from those who are actively pushing it forward.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

The Quanta Podcast
Podcast Episodes
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