Particles of Thought

Ready to break your brain? Particles of Thought, the hit video podcast from the producers of NOVA is back with new mind-expanding conversations with scientists on the edge. Host Hakeem Oluseyi dives into how to hack your own anxiety, the surprising connection between dark matter and black holes, the secrets of animal communication, the hidden geometry shaping our world, and even what it means to be human. Along the way, he tackles big questions, uncovers surprising answers, and opens up entirely new ways to think. Learn more about NOVA and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Particles of Thought is a science podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 0 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts Particles of Thought, a science show with 0 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #21

  AI’s Hidden Math

  Aug 18, 202629 minS6

  Jordan Ellenberg has good news: artificial intelligence is just math you can actually understand. The mathematician joins Hakeem to pull back the curtain on how large language models really work, revealing that the "miracle" of AI is closer to trial and error scaled up billions of times than anything resembling thought. Jordan breaks down why the process works so well, how every word becomes a point in a space with hundreds of dimensions, and why your chatbot's "personality" is engineered, not accidental. Learn more about NOVA and visit our YouTube channel. -------------------------- Guest Bio: Jordan Ellenberg is a professor of mathematics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, specializing in number theory and arithmetic algebraic geometry. He is the New York Times bestselling author of How Not to Be Wrong and Shape, and his forthcoming book, Don't Be Too Sure, arrives in 2027.

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  Episode #20

  Hobbits, Neanderthals, and Dragon Man

  Aug 13, 202658 minS6

  Ella Al-Shamahi explores what it means to be human. She reveals the surprising truth that our ancestors shared the planet with at least seven other human species as recently as 50,000 years ago. Ella and Hakeem dig into Neanderthal culture and the mysterious Denisovans who were identified from a single finger bone. Then Ella shares something more personal: her own journey from creationist to one of the leading voices in paleoanthropology. Learn more about NOVA and visit our YouTube channel. -------------------------- Guest Bio: Ella Al-Shamahi is a paleoanthropologist, explorer, and presenter based in London. She specializes in human evolution and has conducted fieldwork in some of the world's most dangerous and remote regions in search of fossil evidence of our earliest ancestors. She is a TED speaker and has appeared in numerous science documentaries, including hosting NOVA and BBC’s five-part series HUMAN, available on the PBS App and NOVA’s website.

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  Episode #19

  Creationist to Evolutionary Biologist

  Aug 11, 202616 minS6

  Ella Al-Shamahi set out to disprove the theory of evolution. Now she’s one of its greatest advocates. In this deeply personal conversation, Ella tells Hakeem her story. She started university as an avid creationist missionary with the intention of disproving evolution, and then her world started to fall apart. This candid conversation covers what the journey from creationist to paleoanthropologist actually looked like, and the evidence that shifted her thinking. It is a path with personal costs and the impact of changing worldviews. It's a thoughtful reflection on science, identity, community and why empathy matters more than argument when deeply held beliefs meet new evidence. Learn more about NOVA and visit our YouTube channel. -------------------------- Guest Bio: Ella Al-Shamahi is a paleoanthropologist, explorer, and presenter based in London. She specializes in human evolution and has conducted fieldwork in some of the world's most dangerous and remote regions in search of fossil evidence of our earliest ancestors. She is a TED speaker and has appeared in numerous science documentaries, including hosting NOVA and BBC’s five-part series HUMAN, available on the PBS App and NOVA’s website.

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  Episode #18

  Rethinking Neanderthals

  Aug 6, 202622 minS6

  Ella Al-Shamahi thinks Neanderthals have a reputation problem, and the science backs her up. For decades, the word "Neanderthal" has been shorthand for something primitive and brutish. But the archaeological record tells a more nuanced story. Ella joins Hakeem to explore what we actually know about our closest ancient relatives: how they looked, how they lived, what their culture reveals about their inner lives, and if we would even recognize one walking around today. They also dig into the remarkable story of the Denisovans, a species shrouded in mystery and identified first not from a skull or skeleton, but from a single finger bone. Learn more about NOVA and visit our YouTube channel. -------------------------- Guest Bio: Ella Al-Shamahi is a paleoanthropologist, explorer, and presenter based in London. She specializes in human evolution and has conducted fieldwork in some of the world's most dangerous and remote regions in search of fossil evidence of our earliest ancestors. She is a TED speaker and has appeared in numerous science documentaries, including hosting NOVA and BBC’s five-part series HUMAN, available on the PBS App and NOVA’s website.

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  Episode #17

  Real Hobbits?

  Aug 4, 202623 minS6

  Ella Al-Shamahi says the iconic picture of human evolution is all wrong. She joins Hakeem to take apart the conventional image of the straight-line march of evolution from ape to modern human. The fossil and DNA record tells a far more complex story. As recently as 50,000 years ago, our ancestors shared the planet with at least seven other human species. From the small-statured Hobbits of Indonesia to the mysterious Denisovans of East Asia, the world was very different, and new research suggests that roughly 20% of our genome may trace back to an unknown “ghost lineage” of human species. Human evolution wasn't a straight line, it was a sprawling, interconnected web. Learn more about NOVA and visit our YouTube channel. -------------------------- Guest Bio: Ella Al-Shamahi is a paleoanthropologist, explorer, and presenter based in London. She specializes in human evolution and has conducted fieldwork in some of the world's most dangerous and remote regions in search of fossil evidence of our earliest ancestors. She is a TED speaker and has appeared in numerous science documentaries, including hosting NOVA and BBC’s five-part series HUMAN, available on the PBS App and NOVA’s website.

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