Janna Levin
@jannalevinastro.bsky.social
Theoretical Physicist. Astrophysicist. Book lover and writer. Professor Barnard/Columbia. Founding Director of Sciences @PioneerWorks, Founding editor-in-chief of Broadcast. Co-host of @quantamagazine podcast "The Joy of Why"
Reposted by Janna Levin
Birds aren't descended from dinosaurs. They 𝘢𝘳𝘦 dinosaurs. Tune in to "The Joy of Why" from @prx.org and @quantamagazine.bsky.social:
www.quantamagazine.org/do-beautiful...
BTW, this is our last episode of the season. See you all soon, and thanks for listening!
www.quantamagazine.org/do-beautiful...
BTW, this is our last episode of the season. See you all soon, and thanks for listening!
Do Beautiful Birds Have an Evolutionary Advantage? | Quanta Magazine
Richard Prum explains why he thinks feathers and vibrant traits in birds evolved not solely for survival, but also through aesthetic choice.
www.quantamagazine.org
August 21, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Birds aren't descended from dinosaurs. They 𝘢𝘳𝘦 dinosaurs. Tune in to "The Joy of Why" from @prx.org and @quantamagazine.bsky.social:
www.quantamagazine.org/do-beautiful...
BTW, this is our last episode of the season. See you all soon, and thanks for listening!
www.quantamagazine.org/do-beautiful...
BTW, this is our last episode of the season. See you all soon, and thanks for listening!
Reposted by Janna Levin
Physicists often ponder “how” the universe formed. But what does it even mean to ask “why” it began? Tune in to “The Joy of Why” from @prx.org and @quantamagazine.bsky.social with co-host @jannalevinastro.bsky.social: www.quantamagazine.org/why-did-the-...
Why Did The Universe Begin? | Quanta Magazine
In this episode of The Joy of Why, Thomas Hertog discusses his collaboration with Stephen Hawking on a provocative theory arguing that the laws of physics evolved with the universe, and how this could...
www.quantamagazine.org
July 24, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Physicists often ponder “how” the universe formed. But what does it even mean to ask “why” it began? Tune in to “The Joy of Why” from @prx.org and @quantamagazine.bsky.social with co-host @jannalevinastro.bsky.social: www.quantamagazine.org/why-did-the-...
Reposted by Janna Levin
How could the universe have created the conditions needed for life to emerge? Tune in to “The Joy of Why” from @prx.org and @quantamagazine.bsky.social with co-host @jannalevinastro.bsky.social.
Why Did The Universe Begin? | Quanta Magazine
In this episode of The Joy of Why, Thomas Hertog discusses his collaboration with Stephen Hawking on a provocative theory arguing that the laws of physics evolved with the universe, and how this…
www.quantamagazine.org
July 28, 2025 at 5:50 PM
How could the universe have created the conditions needed for life to emerge? Tune in to “The Joy of Why” from @prx.org and @quantamagazine.bsky.social with co-host @jannalevinastro.bsky.social.
This piece originally appeared in “When We Were Kids: How a Child Becomes a Scientists.” The book features a remarkable contributor list—Kurzweil, Dennett, Dawkins, Margulis, Dyson. I’ve included the Table of Contents at the close of this dispatch.
How a Child Becomes a Scientists
When We Were Kids
open.substack.com
August 18, 2025 at 6:05 PM
This piece originally appeared in “When We Were Kids: How a Child Becomes a Scientists.” The book features a remarkable contributor list—Kurzweil, Dennett, Dawkins, Margulis, Dyson. I’ve included the Table of Contents at the close of this dispatch.
Reposted by Janna Levin
The theoretical physicist Thomas Hertog believes that a sort of cosmological natural selection may have evolved our universe into one that is mysteriously fine-tuned for life. Tune in to “The Joy of Why” with co-host @jannalevin:
Why Did The Universe Begin? | Quanta Magazine
In this episode of The Joy of Why, Thomas Hertog discusses his collaboration with Stephen Hawking on a provocative theory arguing that the laws of physics evolved with the universe, and how this…
www.quantamagazine.org
July 30, 2025 at 8:04 PM
The theoretical physicist Thomas Hertog believes that a sort of cosmological natural selection may have evolved our universe into one that is mysteriously fine-tuned for life. Tune in to “The Joy of Why” with co-host @jannalevin:
And Now For Something Not Exactly Completely Different. The upward lightcone emanating from the origin isthe causal future and the downward lightcone is the causal past. Tune in, tune out with a rare groove and yet another level of understanding by DJ Black Helmut.
Read more:
jannalevin.substack.com
Read more:
jannalevin.substack.com
And Now For Something Not Exactly Completely Different
Last week we got pretty dreamy with a meditation on the nothingness that remains in the wake of the death of a massive star—the silent, unmarked threshold at the edge of a black hole. I tried to convi...
open.substack.com
July 30, 2025 at 4:56 PM
And Now For Something Not Exactly Completely Different. The upward lightcone emanating from the origin isthe causal future and the downward lightcone is the causal past. Tune in, tune out with a rare groove and yet another level of understanding by DJ Black Helmut.
Read more:
jannalevin.substack.com
Read more:
jannalevin.substack.com
Reposted by Janna Levin
In How the Universe Got Its Spots, @jannalevinastro.bsky.social blends memoir & visionary science to provide a groundbreaking personal account of her life & ideas.
Listen to a sample chapter and save 50% on this thrilling #audiobook with code BLOOM50 at checkout: press.princeton.edu/ideas/listen...
Listen to a sample chapter and save 50% on this thrilling #audiobook with code BLOOM50 at checkout: press.princeton.edu/ideas/listen...
May 2, 2025 at 2:17 PM
In How the Universe Got Its Spots, @jannalevinastro.bsky.social blends memoir & visionary science to provide a groundbreaking personal account of her life & ideas.
Listen to a sample chapter and save 50% on this thrilling #audiobook with code BLOOM50 at checkout: press.princeton.edu/ideas/listen...
Listen to a sample chapter and save 50% on this thrilling #audiobook with code BLOOM50 at checkout: press.princeton.edu/ideas/listen...
Ah, for more on life in the universe, we just published a conversation, Scientific Controversies: Aliens, www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLlK...
July 10, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Ah, for more on life in the universe, we just published a conversation, Scientific Controversies: Aliens, www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLlK...
Reposted by Janna Levin
Graph theorist Maria Chudnovsky proved the strong perfect graph theorem, which was proposed back in the 1960s. Tune in to “The Joy of Why” with co-host @jannalevinastro.bsky.social:
How Does Graph Theory Shape Our World? | Quanta Magazine
Maria Chudnovsky reflects on her journey in graph theory, her groundbreaking solution to the long-standing perfect graph problem, and the unexpected ways this abstract field intersects with everyday…
www.quantamagazine.org
July 4, 2025 at 12:07 PM
Graph theorist Maria Chudnovsky proved the strong perfect graph theorem, which was proposed back in the 1960s. Tune in to “The Joy of Why” with co-host @jannalevinastro.bsky.social:
Billions of Exoplanets, Zero Aliens?
This week, a rumination on UFO’s, disharmonious species, and extraterrestrials, inspired by Scientific Controversies: Aliens, a live event I hosted recently at Pioneer Works with astronomers Adam Frank and David Kipping.
open.substack.com/pub/jannalev...
This week, a rumination on UFO’s, disharmonious species, and extraterrestrials, inspired by Scientific Controversies: Aliens, a live event I hosted recently at Pioneer Works with astronomers Adam Frank and David Kipping.
open.substack.com/pub/jannalev...
Billions of Exoplanets, Zero Aliens?
We have sent landers to Mars, collected Moon regolith, returned samples from asteroids, beamed messages into space, and listened patiently for replies. Where are all the aliens?
open.substack.com
July 9, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Billions of Exoplanets, Zero Aliens?
This week, a rumination on UFO’s, disharmonious species, and extraterrestrials, inspired by Scientific Controversies: Aliens, a live event I hosted recently at Pioneer Works with astronomers Adam Frank and David Kipping.
open.substack.com/pub/jannalev...
This week, a rumination on UFO’s, disharmonious species, and extraterrestrials, inspired by Scientific Controversies: Aliens, a live event I hosted recently at Pioneer Works with astronomers Adam Frank and David Kipping.
open.substack.com/pub/jannalev...
I was chatting with a friend over some kind of caffeinated beverage when he asked me, “Why Black Holes?” Here is my response–after I said, “Seriously. You haven’t read my books?”
Why Black Holes? by @JannaLevin open.substack.com/pub/jannalev...?
Why Black Holes? by @JannaLevin open.substack.com/pub/jannalev...?
Why Black Holes?
I was chatting with a friend over some kind of caffeinated beverage when he asked me, “Why Black Holes?” Here is my response–after I said, “Seriously. You haven’t read my books?”
open.substack.com
July 2, 2025 at 4:09 PM
I was chatting with a friend over some kind of caffeinated beverage when he asked me, “Why Black Holes?” Here is my response–after I said, “Seriously. You haven’t read my books?”
Why Black Holes? by @JannaLevin open.substack.com/pub/jannalev...?
Why Black Holes? by @JannaLevin open.substack.com/pub/jannalev...?
Are the Aliens Hiding? | Janna Levin and @lexfridman.bsky.social youtu.be/FcbQ3eZ6yC8?...
Are the aliens hiding? | Janna Levin and Lex Fridman
YouTube video by Lex Clips
youtu.be
May 15, 2025 at 12:13 PM
Are the Aliens Hiding? | Janna Levin and @lexfridman.bsky.social youtu.be/FcbQ3eZ6yC8?...
Reposted by Janna Levin
Death Week is upon us, a five-day descent into what awaits us six feet under. In honor of Venki Ramakrishnan’s landmark event at Pioneer Works tonight, Broadcast is taking a turn towards the existential. pioneerworks.org/broadcast/se...
Death Week | Broadcast
Join us here, digital and disembodied, for a kaleidoscopic descent into what awaits us six feet under....
pioneerworks.org
April 29, 2025 at 8:27 PM
Death Week is upon us, a five-day descent into what awaits us six feet under. In honor of Venki Ramakrishnan’s landmark event at Pioneer Works tonight, Broadcast is taking a turn towards the existential. pioneerworks.org/broadcast/se...
Reposted by Janna Levin
Death is alive and well in Rumi’s poetry. His translator for @nyrb-imprints.bsky.social, Haleh Liza Gafori, shares her favorite of his lines on dying for PW Broadcast. pioneerworks.org/broadcast/ru...
Don't Come to My Grave Without a Drum | Broadcast
Lines on death by the Persian master, selected by his translator Haleh Liza Gafori.
pioneerworks.org
May 1, 2025 at 8:58 PM
Death is alive and well in Rumi’s poetry. His translator for @nyrb-imprints.bsky.social, Haleh Liza Gafori, shares her favorite of his lines on dying for PW Broadcast. pioneerworks.org/broadcast/ru...
Reposted by Janna Levin
Are large language models intelligent? Answering this question requires a messy blend of philosophy and semantics. Ellie Pavlick savors the task. Tune in to “The Joy of Why” with co-host @jannalevinastro.bsky.social:
www.quantamagazine.org/will-ai-ever...
www.quantamagazine.org/will-ai-ever...
Will AI Ever Understand Language Like Humans? | Quanta Magazine
AI may sound like a human, but that doesn’t mean that AI learns like a human. In this episode, Ellie Pavlick explains why understanding how LLMs can process language could unlock deeper insights into ...
www.quantamagazine.org
May 1, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Are large language models intelligent? Answering this question requires a messy blend of philosophy and semantics. Ellie Pavlick savors the task. Tune in to “The Joy of Why” with co-host @jannalevinastro.bsky.social:
www.quantamagazine.org/will-ai-ever...
www.quantamagazine.org/will-ai-ever...
Reposted by Janna Levin
Monika Schleier-Smith is shooting clouds of atoms with laser cooling technology to understand the building blocks of gravity. Listen to “The Joy of Why” with co-host @stevenstrogatz.com:
Can Quantum Gravity Be Created in the Lab? | Quanta Magazine
Quantum gravity could help physicists unite the currently incompatible worlds of quantum mechanics and gravity. In this episode, Monika Schleier-Smith discusses her pioneering experimental approach,…
www.quantamagazine.org
April 18, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Monika Schleier-Smith is shooting clouds of atoms with laser cooling technology to understand the building blocks of gravity. Listen to “The Joy of Why” with co-host @stevenstrogatz.com:
Reposted by Janna Levin
Few authors have reshaped the landscape of speculative fiction like @nkjemisin.bsky.social. The writer joined @jannalevinastro.bsky.social at Pioneer Works to talk science vs. fiction, Far Sector, and our apocalyptic reality. www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBb0...
N.K. Jemisin and Janna Levin on the Power of Science Fiction and Our Apocalyptic Reality
YouTube video by Pioneer Works
www.youtube.com
April 18, 2025 at 5:35 PM
Few authors have reshaped the landscape of speculative fiction like @nkjemisin.bsky.social. The writer joined @jannalevinastro.bsky.social at Pioneer Works to talk science vs. fiction, Far Sector, and our apocalyptic reality. www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBb0...
Reposted by Janna Levin
From Far Sector to the Broken Earth Trilogy,
@nkjemisin.bsky.social is constantly exploring the push and pull between innate and societal power. The writer sat down with @jannalevinastro.bsky.social to discuss how fantasy worlds can predict the future. www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBb0...
@nkjemisin.bsky.social is constantly exploring the push and pull between innate and societal power. The writer sat down with @jannalevinastro.bsky.social to discuss how fantasy worlds can predict the future. www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBb0...
April 21, 2025 at 2:33 PM
From Far Sector to the Broken Earth Trilogy,
@nkjemisin.bsky.social is constantly exploring the push and pull between innate and societal power. The writer sat down with @jannalevinastro.bsky.social to discuss how fantasy worlds can predict the future. www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBb0...
@nkjemisin.bsky.social is constantly exploring the push and pull between innate and societal power. The writer sat down with @jannalevinastro.bsky.social to discuss how fantasy worlds can predict the future. www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBb0...
Reposted by Janna Levin
“The death of an animal or a human is really the death of the vessel.” Ahead of his conversation with @jannalevinastro.bsky.social tonight, Nobel laureate Venki Ramakrishnan weighs in on the new science of dying. pioneerworks.org/broadcast/wh...
Why We Die | Broadcast
Venki Ramakrishnan says there's no gene for death.
pioneerworks.org
April 29, 2025 at 8:28 PM
“The death of an animal or a human is really the death of the vessel.” Ahead of his conversation with @jannalevinastro.bsky.social tonight, Nobel laureate Venki Ramakrishnan weighs in on the new science of dying. pioneerworks.org/broadcast/wh...
Reposted by Janna Levin
Bird brains are brilliant. Neuroscientists agree. For the latest episode of Scientific Controversies, Janna Levin sat down with ErichJarvis and Lauren Riters to discuss the fascinating neuroscience behind bird language, vocal learning, and flocking. youtu.be/b9wyVB3rGns
Birdbrains Are Brilliant. Neuroscientists Agree
YouTube video by Pioneer Works
youtu.be
February 24, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Bird brains are brilliant. Neuroscientists agree. For the latest episode of Scientific Controversies, Janna Levin sat down with ErichJarvis and Lauren Riters to discuss the fascinating neuroscience behind bird language, vocal learning, and flocking. youtu.be/b9wyVB3rGns
Ewin Tang went to college at 14. As a senior, she upended a claim about quantum computers by proving that a classical algorithm could outperform its quantum counterpart. Catch my convo with Ewin on this week’s episode of “The Joy of Why,” from @quantamagazine
So far, classical computers perform most tasks better than quantum computers can. In a new episode of “The Joy of Why,” computer scientist Ewan Tang speaks with co-host Janna Levin about the effort to understand the limitations of quantum machines. www.quantamagazine.org/what-is-the-...
What Is the True Promise of Quantum Computing? | Quanta Magazine
Despite the hype, it’s been surprisingly challenging to find quantum algorithms that outperform classical ones. In this episode, Ewin Tang discusses her pioneering work in “dequantizing” quantum algor...
www.quantamagazine.org
April 3, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Ewin Tang went to college at 14. As a senior, she upended a claim about quantum computers by proving that a classical algorithm could outperform its quantum counterpart. Catch my convo with Ewin on this week’s episode of “The Joy of Why,” from @quantamagazine