A New Chapter for Breaking Math
Friends, Integrals, and fellow lovers of good questions—this moment matters.
Friends, Integrals, and fellow lovers of good questions—this moment matters.
If you’re new here—welcome.
There’s a high probability you signed up for this mailing list at some point over the last few years… and then didn’t hear much from us. That’s on me. We have a pretty nice size mailing list and then had a Substack, we meant to use it regularly, and then the show—and life—moved faster than our systems did.
But this feels like the right moment to use this space with intention.
Because Breaking Math is entering a new chapter.
I joined the team a little over two years ago with a clear goal: to help grow the show, broaden its reach, and expand the writing side of Breaking Math. Many of you know me from my work in journalism, AI, crypto, engineering, and technology—and I wanted the show to reflect that same range. Math doesn’t live in isolation. It shows up in algorithms, markets, policy decisions, scientific discovery, and the quiet systems that shape everyday life. Writing felt like the right way to explore that depth alongside the audio.
After nine incredible years, Gabriel Hesch has officially retired from the show. Breaking Math exists because of his original vision: long, careful conversations about mathematics, curiosity, and the belief that understanding the world is a form of empowerment. His insistence on clarity, respect for learners, and refusal to talk down to the audience shaped the DNA of this podcast.
This isn’t a dramatic ending. It’s a thoughtful one. Gabriel built something lasting, and now he’s stepping back with the same care he brought to the work itself. I’m deeply grateful for the foundation he laid, his years of friendship, and for the trust he passed forward.
And that brings me to what’s next.
Over the past six months, I’ve been collaborating closely with Noah Giansiracusa—first as a guest, then as a recurring voice on and off camera, and eventually as something harder to label. What began as strong on-mic chemistry turned into long off-mic conversations about teaching, public scholarship, algorithms, fairness, confusion, and what it actually means to communicate math responsibly in a rapidly changing world.
Somewhere along the way, that collaboration turned into a genuine friendship.
What surprised us both was how quickly you noticed. Emails started coming in after episodes asking if Noah would be back. Then more emails. Then messages that were essentially, “Please tell me he’s becoming a regular.” You don’t always get feedback that clear as a creator—but this was unmistakable.
So I’m really happy to say: Noah is officially joining Breaking Math as my co-host.
He’s a professor of mathematics, an award-winning mathematician, and the author of Robin Hood Math. More importantly, he shares the core instinct that has always driven this show: math should make people feel more capable, not smaller. We don’t simplify ideas until they’re hollow—we work to make them navigable, contextual, and honest.
That shared philosophy matters.
As we make this transition, I also want to be clearer about where different parts of this community live.
You’ve been added to this Substack mailing list, which we’ll use for longer reflections, essays, and announcements—pieces that benefit from space, nuance, and slower thinking. Maybe other guests writing in as well.
But Patreon is where we’re building conversation. We really want to collaborate with you!!!
That’s where we’ll ask for your input on future episodes, get some awkward behind the scenes moments, have a backlog of old episodes, early episodes, collect questions for guests, test ideas we’re unsure about, and invite you into the process of shaping where the show goes next. Breaking Math has always been strongest as a dialogue, not a broadcast—and we want to protect that.
If you’ve been here since the early days, thank you for growing with us.
If you’re new, I’m really glad you found your way here.
And if you signed up years ago and forgot you were on this list—welcome back.
This next era of Breaking Math feels more collaborative, more intentional, and more human than ever.
More soon.
Always,
Autumn