The Stephen Wolfram Podcast - podcast cover

The Stephen Wolfram Podcast

Wolfram Researchstephenwolfram.com
Stephen Wolfram is the creator of Mathematica, Wolfram|Alpha and 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.
Last refreshed:
Download Metacast podcast app
Podcasts are better in Metacast mobile app
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more

Episodes

Future of Science and Technology Q&A (November 14, 2025)

Stephen Wolfram answers questions from his viewers about the future of science and technology as part of an unscripted livestream series, also available on YouTube here: https://wolfr.am/youtube-sw-qa Topics discussed: How alien life would affect science - Probability and the origins of life - Computation, encoded intelligence and simulated models of civilizations - Alien math class

Nov 19, 20251 hr 13 min

History of Science & Technology Q&A (November 12, 2025)

Stephen Wolfram answers questions from his viewers about the history of science and technology as part of an unscripted livestream series, also available on YouTube here: https://wolfr.am/youtube-sw-qa Topics: Historical insights from Stephen's UK trip - Roger Penrose and the Wolfram Physics Project - Elliott 903 computer

Nov 19, 20251 hr 27 min

Business, Innovation and Managing Life (November 5, 2025)

Stephen Wolfram answers questions from his viewers about business, innovation, and managing life as part of an unscripted livestream series, also available on YouTube here: https://wolfr.am/youtube-sw-business-qa Topics discussed: Innovation, live Demos and leadership - AI Bubble, automation and the future of work - Company building and management - Global technology and development - Computational curiosities and fun ideas

Nov 19, 20251 hr 8 min

Future of Science and Technology Q&A (October 31, 2025)

Stephen Wolfram answers questions from his viewers about the future of science and technology as part of an unscripted livestream series, also available on YouTube here: https://wolfr.am/youtube-sw-qa Topics discussed: AI bubble, trajectory, scaling & hardware - Tech reliability, control & agency - Pace of progress & our ability to keep up - AI in math & research practice

Nov 19, 20251 hr 14 min

History of Science & Technology Q&A (October 1, 2025)

Stephen Wolfram answers questions from his viewers about the history of science and technology as part of an unscripted livestream series, also available on YouTube here: https://wolfr.am/youtube-sw-qa Topics: Computation in antiquity to early machines - Computation and physical reality - Historical attitudes toward computing and AI - Cantor, continuum and computability - Automata in history & fiction - How scientists are remembered - Exploring science's landmarks

Oct 07, 20251 hr 13 min

"I Have a Theory Too”: The Challenge and Opportunity of Avocational Science

Stephen reads a recent blog from https://writings.stephenwolfram.com and then answers questions live from his viewers. Read the blog along with Stephen: https://writings.stephenwolfram.com/2025/08/i-have-a-theory-too-the-challenge-and-opportunity-of-avocational-science/ Watch the original livestream on YouTube: https://youtu.be/0LCZTRy86ZY...

Sep 23, 20251 hr 16 min

History of Science & Technology Q&A (August 20, 2025)

Stephen Wolfram answers questions from his viewers about the history of science and technology as part of an unscripted livestream series, also available on YouTube here: https://wolfr.am/youtube-sw-qa Topics: Shifts in scientific roles and fields - Personal journey into computation and research - Challenges in publishing and tracing physics work - Feynman and string theory

Sep 09, 20251 hr 16 min

Future of Science and Technology Q&A (August 22, 2025)

Stephen Wolfram answers questions from his viewers about the future of science and technology as part of an unscripted livestream series, also available on YouTube here: https://wolfr.am/youtube-sw-qa Topics discussed: Breakthroughs in mathematics and new foundations - Paths for learning and practicing mathematics - Complexity and the limits of computation - The evolving nature of science

Sep 09, 20251 hr 18 min

Business, Innovation and Managing Life (August 27, 2025)

Stephen Wolfram answers questions from his viewers about business, innovation, and managing life as part of an unscripted livestream series, also available on YouTube here: https://wolfr.am/youtube-sw-business-qa Topics discussed: Education and self-learning - Patents and the innovation process - Computational thinking - Philosophy and ethics of AI - Decision-making and collaboration

Sep 09, 20251 hr 11 min

Business, Innovation and Managing Life (August 13, 2025)

Stephen Wolfram answers questions from his viewers about business, innovation, and managing life as part of an unscripted livestream series, also available on YouTube here: https://wolfr.am/youtube-sw-business-qa Topics discussed: Early academic experiences - Innovation and business dynamics - Evaluating AI companies and tools - AI Regulation - Career advice in a changing tech job market

Aug 19, 202549 min

Business, Innovation and Managing Life (July 30, 2025)

Stephen Wolfram answers questions from his viewers about business, innovation, and managing life as part of an unscripted livestream series, also available on YouTube here: wolfr.am/youtube-sw-business-qa Topics discussed: Choosing the right college - Early business lessons & company mission - Balancing leadership with personal projects - Software risks & bug management - The role of AI in business....

Aug 12, 202549 min

Future of Science and Technology Q&A (August 8, 2025)

Stephen Wolfram answers questions from his viewers about the future of science and technology as part of an unscripted livestream series, also available on YouTube here: https://wolfr.am/youtube-sw-qa Topics discussed: Topics discussed: Optics and quantum computing - AI architectures and reasoning - Bioengineering and emerging tech - Automation and algorithm design - Technology path dependence

Aug 12, 20251 hr 26 min

History of Science & Technology Q&A (August 6, 2025)

Stephen Wolfram answers questions from his viewers about the history of science and technology as part of an unscripted livestream series, also available on YouTube here: https://wolfr.am/youtube-sw-qa Topics: Historical perspectives on knowledge sharing, collaboration and AI - Scientific creativity across time - Art, science and the evolution of modern expression.

Aug 12, 20251 hr 21 min

Science & Technology Q&A for Kids (and others) [July 25, 2025]

Stephen Wolfram answers general questions from his viewers about science and technology as part of an unscripted livestream series, also available on YouTube here: https://wolfr.am/youtube-sw-qa Topics: The Big Bang and expansion of space - Mathematics and physical reality - Computational foundations of biology - The role of kids in science and technology

Jul 30, 20251 hr 11 min

History of Science & Technology Q&A (July 23, 2025)

Stephen Wolfram answers questions from his viewers about the history of science and technology as part of an unscripted livestream series, also available on YouTube here: https://wolfr.am/youtube-sw-qa Topics: Historical scientific problems and modern computation - Historical contingency in technology - Online Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences (OEIS) - Visits to scientific historical sites - History of museums and ancient artifacts - Virtual particles in physics - Einstein's Unified Field Theory...

Jul 29, 20251 hr 23 min

Future of Science and Technology Q&A (July 18, 2025)

Stephen Wolfram answers questions from his viewers about the future of science and technology as part of an unscripted livestream series, also available on YouTube here: https://wolfr.am/youtube-sw-qa Topics discussed: Personalized pedagogy and AI in education - Computer simulations vs. physical experimentation - Aging and longevity science AI, consciousness and human-machine interaction - Medical breakthroughs and disease eradication - Future of communication - Gene editing and CRISPR - Algorit...

Jul 23, 20251 hr 17 min

Business, Innovation and Managing Life (July 16, 2025)

Stephen Wolfram answers questions from his viewers about business, innovation, and managing life as part of an unscripted livestream series, also available on YouTube here: https://wolfr.am/youtube-sw-business-qa Topics discussed: Using AI in daily work and research - Interfaces and the adoption of AI technology - Computation and the future of algorithms - Modern day skills and computational thinking - Productivity and procrastination - Innovation, markets, and globalization...

Jul 22, 20251 hr 5 min

History of Science & Technology Q&A (July 2, 2025)

Stephen Wolfram answers questions from his viewers about the history of science and technology as part of an unscripted livestream series, also available on YouTube here: https://wolfr.am/youtube-sw-qa Topics: Alternate histories and missed scientific paths - How science is remembered and talked about - Scientific breakthroughs - How science gets done and who gets involved

Jul 08, 20251 hr 38 min

Science & Technology Q&A for Kids (and others) [June 20, 2025]

Stephen Wolfram answers general questions from his viewers about science and technology as part of an unscripted livestream series, also available on YouTube here: https://wolfr.am/youtube-sw-qa Topics: Black hole mergers, event horizons and why nothing gets out - Time dilation and computing near black holes - Ions

Jun 27, 20251 hr 20 min

Future of Science and Technology Q&A (June 13, 2025)

Stephen Wolfram answers questions from his viewers about the future of science and technology as part of an unscripted livestream series, also available on YouTube here: https://wolfr.am/youtube-sw-qa Topics discussed: The limits and future of software defined everything - Molecular design and biological engineering - Human enhancement and genome level modification

Jun 18, 20251 hr 26 min

Business, Innovation and Managing Life (June 11, 2025)

Stephen Wolfram answers questions from his viewers about business, innovation, and managing life as part of an unscripted livestream series, also available on YouTube here: https://wolfr.am/youtube-sw-business-qa Topics discussed: Wolfram Summer School - Computational thinking and education - Parenting and learning from family - Project habits, curiosity and life decisions

Jun 17, 20251 hr 27 min
For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android