Grappling with declining populations, and the future of quantum mechanics

Science Magazine Podcast

Science Podcast

News Commentary, News, Science

4.2 • 791 Ratings

🗓️ 4 December 2025

⏱️ 37 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

First up on the podcast, Science celebrates 100 years of quantum mechanics with a special issue covering the past, present, and future of the field. News Contributing Correspondent Zack Savitsky joins host Sarah Crespi to talk about a more philosophical approach to quantum physics and the mysterious measurement problem. Next on the show we have Anne Goujon, program director at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Laxenburg, Austria. She talks about her Expert Voices column on the uncertain future of demography and how the field is grappling with new theories on what happens after the global population peaks. How will different countries deal with falling populations? Will they try to reverse the trend? What are the goals going into the next century? This week’s episode was produced with help from Podigy. About the Science Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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0:00.0	This podcast is supported by the Icon School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the academic arm of the Mount Sinai health system in New York City, and one of America's leading research medical schools.
0:11.1	What are researchers on heart health working on to transform patient care and prolong lives?
0:16.6	Find out in a special supplement to Science magazine prepared by the Icon School of Medicine
0:21.4	at Mount Sinai in partnership with science. Visit our website at www.combe.combe-science.org
0:27.4	and search for Frontiers of Medical Research, dash heart. The icon school of medicine in Mount Sinai,
0:34.0	we find a way. This podcast is supported by Xi'N. Zhao Tong, Liverpool University,
0:39.5	a UK-China partnership advancing global education and research. In 2026, we celebrate 20 years of
0:46.5	innovation. We invite you to be part of our anniversary journey to see how we're tackling
0:51.3	tomorrow's challenges. Visit XJTLu.edu.cn slash e.n to explore our story and help write the next chapter.
1:04.3	This is a science podcast for December 4th, 2025. I'm Sarah Crespi.
1:09.9	First up, we celebrate 100 years of quantum mechanics. There's a special
1:14.2	issue this week covering the past, present, and future of the field. And as part of the issue,
1:19.5	news contributing correspondent Zach Savitsky were to feature on a more philosophical approach
1:24.9	to quantum physics and the mysterious measurement problem.
1:29.0	Next on the show we have expert voices columnist Ann Guzhan.
1:32.6	She talks about the uncertain future of demography and how the field is grappling with new theories
1:38.6	on what could happen after the global population peaks. This week, science is celebrating 100 years of quantum mechanics.
1:56.0	100 years ago in 1925, Heisenberg and Schrodinger published their complementary descriptions of the atomic world
2:02.6	using math. This week, the papers in this issue of science take stock of the current state of
2:08.7	quantum inquiry, the contributions of these theories to science and technology that are in use today,
2:14.1	and the future of the field. Also, part of this package is a feature story by contributing
2:18.7	news correspondent Zach Savitsky. He wrote about the philosophical bent of some modern physicists
	...

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