Episode – 0819 : The Days of the Week Podcast Transcript Most of our major divisions of time are based on some sort of natural event. A year is one […]
Episode – 0811 : Astronomical Distances and the Age of the Universe
Episode – 0811 : Astronomical Distances and the Age of the Universe Podcast Transcript Every so often, astronomers will publish photos taken with an astronomical telescope and say that the […]
Episode – 0792 : Ranked Choice Voting
Episode – 0792 : Ranked Choice Voting Podcast Transcript All around the world, more jurisdictions are implementing a voting system known as ranked choice voting. Ranked choice voting is very […]
Episode – 0768 : Innumeracy
Episode – 0768 : Innumeracy Podcast Transcript Over the last several centuries, there has been a concerted effort to raise literacy rates around the world. For the most part, although […]
Episode – 0736 : Imaginary Numbers
Episode – 0736 : Imaginary Numbers Podcast Transcript In the history of mathematics, there were several times when mathematicians encountered problems that they didn’t know what to make of. It […]
Episode – 0647 : Cryptography
Episode – 0647 : Cryptography Podcast Transcript Ever since people have had secrets, people have taken measures to protect those secrets. The first methods to hide secrets were simple and […]
Episode – 0634 : The Brachistochrone Problem
Episode – 0634 : The Brachistochrone Problem Podcast Transcript In 1696, the mathematician Johann Bernoulli posited a very simple question. Assuming no friction, what was the fastest shape for an […]
Episode – 0616 : Pi Day
Episode – 0616 : Pi Day Podcast Transcript Every year on March 14, the world celebrates one of the most important mathematical constants: pi. It is a number which appears […]
Episode – 0579 : The Babbage Analytical Engine
Episode – 0579 : The Babbage Analytical Engine Podcast Transcript Computers have obviously transformed our world. You wouldn’t be listing to my voice right now if it wasn’t for computers. […]
Episode – 0559 : Prime Numbers
Episode – 0559 : Prime Numbers Podcast Transcript Prime numbers are considered to be the building blocks of mathematics. Every natural number can be broken down into the constituent prime […]
Episode – 0489 : Paradoxes
Episode – 0489 : Paradoxes Podcast Transcript 2,500 years ago, the Greek philosopher Zeno posited a quandary. If you want wanted to travel from one place to another, you first […]
Episode – 0480 : How Casinos Work
Episode – 0480 : How Casinos Work Podcast Transcript Casinos are fascinating places. They can make tons of money, but they don’t really have a product. While it is often […]
Episode – 0374 : Infinity and Beyond
Episode – 0374 : Infinity and Beyond Podcast Transcript The biggest thing there is and the biggest thing there can be is infinity, right? It literally has no bounds. In […]
Episode – 0327 : The History of Mathematical Symbols
Episode – 0327 : The History of Mathematical Symbols Transcript One of the simplest mathematical statements possible is 2+2=4. While the concept is very easy to understand, when you write […]
Episode – 0311 : Randomness
Episode – 0311 : Randomness Transcript Randomness is all around us. Many of you probably think that this podcast is pretty random given that you have no clue what each […]
Episode – 0264 : Fantasy Nobel Prizes: Isaac Newton
Episode – 0264 : Fantasy Nobel Prizes: Isaac Newton Transcript Isaac Newton is one of the most important scientists in the history of the world. His discoveries have impacted almost […]
Episode – 0218 : The Monty Hall Problem
Episode – 0218 : The Monty Hall Problem Transcript For over 30 years, Monty Hall was the host of the game show Let’s Make A Deal. In the show, they […]
Episode – 0125 : Ramanujan
Episode – 0125 : Ramanujan Transcript In 1913, a young man from the city of Madras in British India sent a letter to one of the world’s preeminent mathematicians, G.H. […]
Episode – 0072 : Who Discovered Calculus?
Episode – 0072 : Who Discovered Calculus? Transcript For the last 300 years, a debate has raged between mathematicians about who should be credited with the invention of calculus: Sir […]
Episode – 0051 : Why Doesn’t the US Use the Metric System?
Episode – 0051 : Why Doesn’t the US Use the Metric System? Transcript Of the 193 countries in the United Nations, exactly three haven’t adopted the widespread use of the […]