How to keep quantum computers cool, whether prediction markets harm public health, and podcasting on podcasting

Science Magazine Podcast

Science Podcast

News, News Commentary, Science

4.3 • 842 Ratings

🗓️ 16 April 2026

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

First up on the podcast, quantum computers require extremely low temperatures—less than 1°C away from absolute zero. But getting down to those temperatures has usually required dilution fridges using the extremely rare and increasingly expensive isotope helium-3. Freelance science journalist Zack Savitsky joins host Sarah Crespi to discuss up-and-coming technologies that can drive down temperatures while staying helium-3–free. Next on the show, Nizan Packin, a professor of law at the Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College, talks about prediction markets as a public health threat. Early on, prediction markets were proposed as a way to make reliable forecasts from crowdsourced wisdom. With the appearance of commercial, for-profit prediction markets linked with cryptocurrency and sports betting, Nizan and colleagues ask what studies should be done to better understand potential harms to the public. Finally, in a Working Life column this week, recent Ph.D. graduate Filippo Dall’Armellina wrote about how his foray into science podcasting helped him regain enjoyment of research. He talks about why having a science-adjacent hobby was life changing. This week’s episode was produced with help from Podigy. About the Science Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This podcast is supported by the Icon School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, an international leader in research, education, and patient care.
0:07.9	The medical and graduate school is part of the Mount Sinai Health System, one of the largest academic medical systems in New York City.
0:15.6	Ranked among the top recipients of NIH funding, researchers at Mount Sinai have made breakthrough discoveries advancing the
0:22.1	health of patients. Here, clinicians and scientists push the boundaries in cardiology, cancer,
0:28.1	immunology, neuroscience, genomics, geriatrics, environmental medicine, and artificial intelligence.
0:35.2	The Icon School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, we find a way.
0:38.6	Hey, listeners, we released a second episode of our short run series, The Normals, on Tuesday.
0:43.1	Be sure to check that out, and our last episode in that series comes out on Tuesday.
0:50.3	This is a science podcast for April 16, 2026.
0:57.5	I'm Sarah Crespi. First up, new tech for keeping quantum computers cool without depending on a rare helium isotope. We hear from freelance
1:03.4	journalist Zach Savitsky for that one. Next, the potential harms of commercialized
1:08.0	prediction markets with researcher Nissan Packin, and finally
1:11.5	a bonus segment with a working life author on how podcasting changed one PhD student's life.
1:37.2	This weekend, science. This Weekend Science, freelance science writer Zach Savitsky talks about the latest in ultra-cooling technology.
1:39.3	Hi, Zach. Welcome back to the podcast.
1:40.6	Hey, Sarah. Nice to see you.
1:45.3	So there are a few drivers to getting new cooling technologies online.
1:50.2	One is that quantum computers are going to be getting bigger and they need to be cold. And our supply of helium-3, which is kind of the main element behind keeping things ultra-cold,
1:56.5	our supply of that is getting much smaller.
1:58.9	Zach, let's take quantum computers first.
2:01.1	Why do they need to be so cold?
2:03.7	All sorts of quantum technologies are very sensitive.
	...

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