From First Principles

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2026 Explained: Mirror Molecules (EP 63)

Why does life favor one molecular mirror image? The 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry honors Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai for nonlinear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetr

Oct 7
1 h 20 min

Nobel Prize in Physics 2026 Explained: IceCube & Neutrinos (EP 62)

Why build a telescope inside a billion tons of Antarctic ice? The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics recognizes Francis Halzen's work on IceCube and the discovery of high-energy

Oct 6
1 h 02 min

Nobel Prize in Medicine 2026 Explained: Optogenetics (EP 61)

How do you prove what a brain cell actually does? The 2026 Nobel Prize in Medicine celebrates a remarkable answer: give cells a light-sensitive protein, then switch their

Oct 5
1 h 11 min

2026 Nobel Prize Predictions: Medicine, Physics & Chemistry (EP 60)

Who could win the 2026 Nobel Prizes? From the science behind Ozempic to quantum interference and droplets inside living cells, Lester Nare and Krishna Choudhary make thei

Oct 3
40 min

Golden Goose Awards 2026: The Science Behind the Winners (Part 1) (EP 59)

What connects a noise complaint, holiday lights seen from space, and the physics of a coffee stain? Three unexpected paths from basic research to discoveries with real-wo

Sep 29
2 h 07 min

What OpenAI Actually Did to Navier-Stokes (EP 58)

What does it mean to solve an equation that describes almost every fluid around us, from the air over a wing to the water swirling down a drain? In Episode 58 of From Fi

Sep 24
4 h 09 min

What’s Next in Science? Nobel Prizes, Space Missions & More (EP 57)

What science should you be watching this fall? From Nobel Prize season to NASA’s Roman Space Telescope, Mars’ moons and Mercury, Lester Nare and Krishna Choudhary take a

Sep 14
1 h 03 min

The Yak Mutation That Could Help Repair the Brain (EP 56)

What can a yak living thousands of meters above sea level teach us about repairing the human brain? In Episode 56 of From First Principles, Lester Nare and Krishna Choud

Sep 7
1 h 35 min

Why Spin Qubits Will Win the Quantum Race (Part 2) (EP 55)

Which quantum computer will actually scale? In Part 2 of our quantum computing deep dive, Lester Nare and Krishna Choudhary move from theory to hardware—comparing superc

Aug 31
3 h 46 min

How Quantum Computing Actually Works (Part 1) (EP 54)

Quantum computers do not simply “try every answer at once.” So what do they actually do—and why have governments and technology companies spent billions trying to build t

Aug 20
2 h 11 min

What Claude Actually Did to the Riemann Hypothesis (EP 53)

Claude did not solve the Riemann Hypothesis. But what it actually did may be one of the clearest examples yet of how rapidly AI systems are changing the way difficult mat

Aug 14
1 h 47 min

The Amazon’s Hidden Civilization (One Year Anniversary) (EP 52)

In this anniversary episode, Lester Nare and Krishna Choudhary look back at how two longtime friends turned their regular conversations about science into a show now shar

Aug 6
1 h 47 min

The Tech Elon Has Been Waiting For (EP 51)

What happens when electronics can operate at temperatures hot enough to melt aluminum? In this deep-dive episode, Lester Nare and Krishna Choudhary examine a new high-te

Jul 31
1 h 44 min

AI Breaks a 90-Year Math Problem, Life’s Alphabet in Space, and Science Funding (EP 50)

Hosted by Lester Nare and Krishna Choudhary, this episode moves from astrobiology to science policy to the rapidly changing frontier of artificial intelligence and mathem

Jul 23
1 h 52 min

FIFA Data Scientists Explain Match Momentum (EP 49)

In this special interview episode, Lester Nare speaks with Juan Busso, Senior Football Data Scientist at FIFA, and Arron Ackerman, FIFA’s Team Lead for Football Performan

Jul 17
39 min

Black Hole Movies, Digital Heart Twins, and World Cup Tech (EP 48)

Hosted by Lester Nare and Krishna Choudhary, this episode returns to the FFP science rundown with stories spanning astrophysics, precision medicine, medical imaging, arti

Jul 14
1 h 48 min

America 250: The Breakthroughs That Built American Science — Part 2 (EP 47)

Hosted by Lester Nare and Krishna Choudhary, this episode is part two of our July 4th America 250 special: a celebration of the scientific, technological, institutional,

Jul 3
2 h 21 min

America 250: The Breakthroughs That Built American Science — Part 1 (EP 46)

Hosted by Lester Nare and Krishna Choudhary, this episode is part one of our July 4th America 250 special: a celebration of the scientific, technological, institutional,

Jul 2
1 h 50 min

The Physics of the World Cup: VAR, Smart Balls, and Soccer Aerodynamics (EP 45)

Hosted by Lester Nare and Krishna Choudhary, this episode is our World Cup special — a deep dive into the science, physics, engineering, and data behind the beautiful gam

Jun 29
59 min

New Rules For Heredity (Non-Mendelian Inheritance of Epigenetics) (EP 44)

Hosted by Lester Nare and Krishna Choudhary, this episode marks Krishna’s return to the studio after paternity leave — and the timing could not be more fitting. Today’s d

Jun 26
1 h 37 min

Chart trend

Position in the Science chart (US), last 90 days.

#1#67#133JulAugSepOct

#20

all-time peak

100

days in the top 50 since Aug 2025

Chart positions

Where From First Principles ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Oct 11, 2026).

#22 ▼ 1 Science US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

Easy to understand and full of exciting scientific news. There is nothing not to love about the way these two gentlemen explain news in the science world. Thank you so much. Keep the great work going guys.

Llcooldaf1 · Sep 2026

I am loving this. As someone between layman and expert I am really enjoying the format and it always makes me excited to learn more.

Bartlebytes · Aug 2026

So refreshing to hear these guys hash out some of the most complex and biggest questions and problems ever while serving it up so that a commoner such as myself can still follow and understand. Love these two! Please keep them coming!

Matthewjdebellis · Aug 2026

They cover a really broad range of topics across science, super interesting and distilled down for the curious non experts

scottydoodah · Jul 2026

Lester. My guy, my captain. Love the pod. Big fan. However, your mix is way too low relative to the commercials in your episodes and relative to every other podcast on this app. I never do this but I have to say something. I have to really crank up the volume to hear you both which would be fine but then when you cut to commercial my ears/speakers are blown out with the massive jump in audio level. Your audio levels may “look good” on your end but your show does not exist in a vacuum, look at it compared to the landscape your show exists in, I promise you’re 3 to 6 dBs lower than most, and definitely compared to the ads within your show. I genuinely like this pod and want to continue listening, it is at times a challenge because of the audio. I will happily replace this with a 5 star review if you can look into this. Thank you.

CoopCoopJamJam · Jul 2026

We strive to present a balanced view by showing a diverse range of reviews from Apple Podcasts.