
The Stephen Wolfram Podcast
Stephen Wolfram is the creator of Mathematica, Wolfram|Alpha and the Wolfram Language; the author of A New Kind of Science; and the founder and CEO of Wolfram Research. Over the course of nearly four decades, he has been a pioneer in the development and application of computational thinking—and has been responsible for many discoveries, inventions and innovations in science, technology and business.
On his podcast, Stephen discusses topics ranging from the history of science to the future of civilization and ethics of AI.
Latest episodes

Sep 18, 2020 • 2h 11min
Wolfram Physics Project: A Discussion about Physics Built by Alien Intelligences
Stephen Wolfram discusses the new Wolfram Physics Project, this time specifically for what physics might look like built by aliens. See the full Wolfram Physics Project video playlist on YouTube: https://wolfr.am/youtube-wpp

Sep 8, 2020 • 59min
Stephen Wolfram Q&A, Can Sci-Fi be Real: Episode 3
Stephen Wolfram answers audience questions about science fiction concepts as part of an unscripted livestream series.
Questions include: What will sci-fi look like in 20 years? How does the past compare to today? - Will there be a "Golden Age" for science? - Russia and the USA are only a few miles apart at some locations, still it takes more than 10 hours of flight time. Why? - Why and how do you know all this? - Do you think that we will have brain implants that allow us to access the internet anytime soon? - Is it true that only left-handed people are in their "right" minds? - Have you given any thought to adding augmented reality features into Wolfram|Alpha for Android?
See the full Q&A video playlist: https://wolfr.am/youtube-sw-qa

Sep 8, 2020 • 1h 25min
Stephen Wolfram Q&A, Can Sci-Fi be Real: Episode 2
Stephen Wolfram answers audience questions about science fiction concepts as part of an unscripted livestream series.
Questions include: How long before we colonize Mars? - Why isn't a Tricorder available yet? - How would teleportation work if we could make it happen? - Why don't we have flying cars yet? - Can you explain the physical difference between a 1 volt and a 2 volt battery? - Can we manipulate the weather and formation of clouds in quantum state or create new kind of quantum equipment? - Is there any merit to discussion about such questions, given that actualization of our sci-fi dreams is never literal? - What are your thoughts on starshot projects that will attempt shooting satellites to the Alpha Centauri system with lasers? - Could a technologically advanced civilization arise on a planet completely covered in water? - Can a tardigrade survive on Mars? - Why aren't prehistoric animals resurrected yet? - Can you engineer a seed to grow a house?
See the full Q&A video playlist: https://wolfr.am/youtube-sw-qa

Sep 8, 2020 • 1h 32min
Stephen Wolfram Q&A, Can Sci-Fi be Real: Episode 1
Stephen Wolfram answers audience questions about science fiction concepts as part of an unscripted livestream series.
Questions include: Could our pets become intelligent enough to take over the world? - What would faster-than-light travel look like (visually)? - How could we make a force field? - Does your physics model allow me to build a warp drive? -
Are there any practical 'exploits' that you think may be possible as a result of your model? -
Do you think an organism living through its whole evolution in 3D space can survive entering a higher dimensional area? - How can we use dark matter to accelerate the expansion of the universe and/or stretch space like inside the TARDIS? - Is simulated consciousness the logical endpoint for humanity as a whole? - Would it be possible for an intelligent species to create the conditions of a new universe?
See the full Q&A video playlist: https://wolfr.am/youtube-sw-qa

Aug 10, 2020 • 31min
Stephen Wolfram Q&A: How Does the Internet Work?
Stephen Wolfram answers audience questions about science and technology as part of an unscripted livestream series.
Questions include: How can you connect to the internet without wifi? How does 5G technology work?
See the full Q&A video playlist: https://wolfr.am/youtube-sw-qa

Aug 10, 2020 • 41min
Stephen Wolfram Q&A: How Do Computers Work?
Stephen Wolfram answers audience questions about science and technology as part of an unscripted livestream series.
Questions include: Should we teach kids how computers work? How does a computer work inside?
See the full Q&A video playlist: https://wolfr.am/youtube-sw-qa

Aug 7, 2020 • 43min
Stephen Wolfram Q&A: Can Intelligence be Quantified?
Stephen Wolfram answers audience questions about science and technology as part of an unscripted livestream series.
Questions include: Can intelligence be quantified? What is the correspondence between intelligence and comprehension? How effectively can we communicate with animals?
See the full Q&A video playlist: https://wolfr.am/youtube-sw-qa

Jul 22, 2020 • 34min
Stephen Wolfram Q&A, Education & Career: Episode 2
Stephen Wolfram answers audience questions about education and careers as part of an unscripted livestream series.
Questions include:
What careers would you recommend for an engineer? - What's your take on specialization vs generalization? - What physical experiments do you recommend for kids? - What role did you play in your kids' education? - Can you recommend any fun projects for a starting programmer?
See the full Q&A video playlist: https://wolfr.am/youtube-sw-qa

Jul 22, 2020 • 32min
Stephen Wolfram Q&A, Education & Career: Episode 1
Stephen Wolfram answers audience questions about education and careers as part of an unscripted livestream series.
Questions include: Does the increased use of computational languages make us forget the basics of math? - How do you recommend students with a solid calculus background to learn physics and mathematics? - Why do many old technical institutions use manual calculation rather than modern computational tools? - What book behind you has had the most impact on you and your peers? - How can one improve their mathematical and scientific thinking? - Do you have a suggestion for someone who finds math fascinating but has difficulty with homework and tests? - How can someone be good at one kind of math/programming and bad at another?
See the full Q&A video playlist: https://wolfr.am/youtube-sw-qa

Jul 16, 2020 • 43min
Stephen Wolfram Q&A, Mathematics & Computation: Episode 2
Stephen Wolfram answers audience questions about mathematics and computation as part of an unscripted livestream series.
Questions include: What is the most curious property of prime numbers? How far are we from building self-replicating Von Neumann machines? How do online advertisers know what I want?
See the full Q&A video playlist: https://wolfr.am/youtube-sw-qa