{"podcast":{"title":"Breaking Math Podcast","slug":"breaking-math-podcast-325661","podcast_index_feed_id":325661,"rss_url":"https://media.rss.com/breaking-math/feed.xml","website_url":"https://breakingmath.io","image_url":"https://media.rss.com/breaking-math/20260128_120149_db52c06c727767171b7ad28e5f6a32af.png","author":"Autumn Phaneuf & Noah Giansiracusa","episode_count":192,"summary":"Breaking Math is a deep-dive science, technology, engineering, AI, and mathematics podcast that explores the world through the lens of logic, patterns, and critical thinking. Hosted by Autumn Phaneuf , an expert in industrial engineering, operations research, and applied mathematics, and Noah Giansiracusa , a mathematician and leading voice in algorithmic literacy and technology ethics, the show is dedicated to uncovering the mathematical structures behind science, technology, and the systems shaping our future. What began as a conversation about math as a pure and elegant discipline has evolved into a platform for bold, interdisciplinary dialogue. Each episode of Breaking Math takes listeners on an intellectual journey—into the strange beauty of chaos theory, the ethical dilemmas of AI and algorithms, the hidden math of biology and evolution, or the physics governing black holes and the cosmos. Along the way, Autumn and Noah speak with working scientists, researchers, and thinkers across fields: computer scientists, physicists, chemists, engineers, economists, philosophers, and more. But this isn’t just a podcast about equations. It’s a show about how mathematics shapes the way w…","last_synced_at":null,"page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/breaking-math-podcast-325661"},"episode":{"title":"The Math Behind Gerrymandering, Fair Representation, and Politics with Karen Saxe","slug":"the-math-behind-gerrymandering-fair-representation-and-politics-with-karen-saxe","published_at":"2026-03-17T05:29:15+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/breaking-math-podcast-325661/the-math-behind-gerrymandering-fair-representation-and-politics-with-karen-saxe","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/breaking-math-podcast-325661","url":"https://rss.com/podcasts/breaking-math/2635292","audio_url":"https://content.rss.com/episodes/369257/2635292/breaking-math/2026_03_17_04_17_49_c4ee8ef7-a012-4b3e-b7c6-28d7be57c1cf.mp3","summary":"Mathematics quietly shapes some of the most important decisions in public life, from redistricting and congressional apportionment to federal research funding and AI policy. In this episode, Autumn and Noah speak with Dr. Karen Saxe, Senior Vice President of Government Relations at the American Mathematical Society, about how mathematical ideas influence representation, fairness, education, and the future of research. From gerrymandering and geometric compactness to life inside the U.S. Senate and the growing policy debates around AI, Karen reveals how deeply math is woven into the systems that govern everyday life. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the Conversation 01:15 The Hot Tea in DC 01:24 Gerrymandering and Mathematics 03:42 Understanding Gerrymandering and Redistricting 08:07 The Role of Mathematicians in Politics 12:19 Experiences in the Senate with Al Franken 19:32 Government Relations and the Role of Mathematics 23:01 The Impact of AI on Mathematics and Policy 28:41 Community Readiness for AI Transformations 29:22 Diversity in Education and Its Challenges 29:40 Bridging Mathematics and Politics 29:58 Career Pathways: Academia to Policy Follow Karen Saxe on LinkedIn ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-saxe-5015038a/ ) Website ( https://www.ams.org/government ) Follow Breaking Math on Substack ( https://breakingmath.substack.com/ ) Twitter ( https://x.com/breakingmathpod ) Instagram ( https://www.instagram.com/breakingmathmedia/ ) Bluesky ( https://bsky.app/profile/breakingmath.bsky.social ) Website ( https://www.breakingmath.io/ ) YouTube ( https://www.youtube.com/@BreakingMathPod ) Follow Noah on Instagram ( https://www.instagram.com/profnoahgian/ ) Twitter ( https://x.com/ProfNoahGian ) Bluesky ( https://bsky.app/profile/profnoahgian.bsky.social ) Follow Autum…","meta_description":"Mathematics quietly shapes some of the most important decisions in public life, from redistricting and congressional apportionment to federal research fun…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2118,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/breaking-math-podcast-325661/episodes/the-math-behind-gerrymandering-fair-representation-and-politics-with-karen-saxe/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/breaking-math-podcast-325661/the-math-behind-gerrymandering-fair-representation-and-politics-with-karen-saxe.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}