Intellectually Curious
Intellectually Curious is a podcast by Mike Breault featuring over 1,400 AI-powered explorations across science, mathematics, philosophy, and personal growth. Each short-form episode is generated, refined, and published with the help of large language models—turning curiosity into an ongoing audio encyclopedia. Designed for anyone who loves learning, it offers quick dives into everything from combinatorics and cryptography to systems thinking and psychology.
Inspiration for this podcast:
"Muad'Dib learned rapidly because his first training was in how to learn. And the first lesson of all was the basic trust that he could learn. It's shocking to find how many people do not believe they can learn, and how many more believe learning to be difficult. Muad'Dib knew that every experience carries its lesson."
― Frank Herbert, Dune
Note: These podcasts were made with NotebookLM. AI can make mistakes. Please double-check any critical information.
Intellectually Curious
Mamenchisaurus: The 41% Neck and the Engineering of Gigantism
We dive into the biology of Mamenchisaurus youngii, whose neck accounted for about 41% of its body length. Learn how pneumatic bones filled with air pockets lightened the mass to roughly 0.5 g/cm^3, how overlapping ossified tendons acted as tension cables to stiffen a long neck, and how an avian-style respiratory system kept the animal breathing efficiently. And discover why a horizontal posture—not a towering reach—made the neck an energy-saving, wide-foraging tool, a masterclass in evolutionary engineering.
Note: This podcast was AI-generated, and sometimes AI can make mistakes. Please double-check any critical information.
Sponsored by Embersilk LLC