One of Nature’s Most Complex Molecular Machines

One of Nature’s Most Complex Molecular Machines

Author: Quanta Magazine April 14, 2026 Duration: 23:20
At the center of little holes in cell nuclei is a mystery. Here, clumps of proteins wiggle disordered tails around like seaweed. They drive a molecular machine that moves countless molecules in and out of the nucleus efficiently, with little room for error. On this episode of The Quanta Podcast, host Samir Patel speaks with biology writer Yasemin Saplakoglu about how new high-def microscopy is revealing the intricacies of these nuclear pore complexes like never before. This topic was covered in a recent story for Quanta Magazine.   Each week on The Quanta Podcast, Quanta Magazine editor in chief Samir Patel speaks with the people behind the award-winning publication to 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: 100

The Quanta Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Exotic New Superconductors Delight and Confound [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:23
Three new species of superconductivity were spotted this year, illustrating the myriad ways electrons can join together to form a frictionless quantum soup. The post Exotic New Superconductors Delight and Confound first…
It Might Be Possible to Detect Gravitons After All [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:29
A new experimental proposal suggests detecting a particle of gravity is far easier than anyone imagined. Now physicists are debating what it would really prove. The post It Might Be Possible to Detect Gravitons After All…
How the Human Brain Contends With the Strangeness of Zero [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:20
Zero, which was invented late in history, is special among numbers. New studies are uncovering how the brain creates something out of nothing. The post How the Human Brain Contends With the Strangeness of Zero first appe…
The Hidden World of Electrostatic Ecology [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:10
Invisibly to us, insects and other tiny creatures use static electricity to travel, avoid predators, collect pollen and more. New experiments explore how evolution may have influenced this phenomenon. The post The Hidden…
The Cellular Secret to Resisting the Pressure of the Deep Sea [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:08
Cell membranes from comb jellies reveal a new kind of adaptation to the deep sea: curvy lipids that conform to an ideal shape under pressure. The post The Cellular Secret to Resisting the Pressure of the Deep Sea first a…
Computer Scientists Prove That Heat Destroys Quantum Entanglement [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:17
While devising a new quantum algorithm, four researchers accidentally established a hard limit on entanglement. The post Computer Scientists Prove That Heat Destroys Quantum Entanglement first appeared on Quanta Magazine
Physicists Pinpoint the Quantum Origin of the Greenhouse Effect [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:04
Carbon dioxide’s powerful heat-trapping effect has been traced to a quirk of its quantum structure. The finding may explain climate change better than any computer model. The post Physicists Pinpoint the Quantum Origin o…
What Happens in a Mind That Can't 'See' Mental Images [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:35
Neuroscience research into people with aphantasia, who don’t experience mental imagery, is revealing how imagination works and demonstrating the sweeping variety in our subjective experiences. The post What Happens in a…
What Could Explain the Gallium Anomaly? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:00
Physicists have ruled out a mundane explanation for the strange findings of an old Soviet experiment, leaving open the possibility that the results point to a new fundamental particle. The post What Could Explain the Gal…
Cryptographers Discover a New Foundation for Quantum Secrecy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:11
Researchers have proved that secure quantum encryption is possible in a world without hard problems. The post Cryptographers Discover a New Foundation for Quantum Secrecy first appeared on Quanta Magazine