{"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 Science of Addiction: Dopamine, Social Media, and the Myth of Willpower with Maia Szalavitz","slug":"the-science-of-addiction-dopamine-social-media-and-the-myth-of-willpower-with-maia-szalavitz","published_at":"2026-05-21T01:26:55+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/breaking-math-podcast-325661/the-science-of-addiction-dopamine-social-media-and-the-myth-of-willpower-with-maia-szalavitz","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/breaking-math-podcast-325661","url":"https://rss.com/podcasts/breaking-math/2844955","audio_url":"https://content.rss.com/episodes/369257/2844955/breaking-math/2026_05_21_00_37_51_f1da2c76-fc01-4a20-9b79-5b89cb304e8c.mp3","summary":"In this episode with award-winning journalist and author Maia Szalavitz challenges the idea that addiction is simply about pleasure or willpower. Instead, she explains addiction as compulsive behavior that continues despite negative consequences — and shows why withdrawal, dependence, and addiction are not the same thing. The conversation explores “wanting” versus “liking,” why dopamine is misunderstood, how social media and AI can exploit reward systems, and why punishment often fails. Ultimately, Szalavitz argues that recovery depends less on tough love and more on connection, purpose, safety, and care. Chapters 00:00 Understanding Addiction: Definitions and Mechanisms 10:43 The Role of Dopamine in Addiction 14:18 Addiction as a Learning Disorder 16:22 Substance vs. Experience: The Nature of Addiction 20:13 Evidence-Based Methods for Overcoming Addiction 25:20 Finding Meaning and Purpose Beyond Addiction 33:30 The Pursuit of Meaningful Experiences 34:15 Understanding Dopamine and Pleasure 39:10 The Complexity of Addiction 43:00 Social Media and Addiction Dynamics 50:42 Generational Perspectives on Technology and Addiction 57:53 Lessons Learned in Addiction Science 01:02:03 Rethinking Addiction: A New Perspective 01:03:54 The Compulsive Nature of Addiction 01:04:14 Understanding Addiction Beyond Pleasure 01:05:27 The Importance of Connection and Compassion Follow Maia Szalavitz on X ( https://x.com/maiasz ) Follow Breaking Math on Substack ( https://breakingmath.substack.com/ ) X ( 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.insta…","meta_description":"In this episode with award-winning journalist and author Maia Szalavitz challenges the idea that addiction is simply about pleasure or willpower. Instead,…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3015,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/breaking-math-podcast-325661/episodes/the-science-of-addiction-dopamine-social-media-and-the-myth-of-willpower-with-maia-szalavitz/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-science-of-addiction-dopamine-social-media-and-the-myth-of-willpower-with-maia-szalavitz.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}