A Problem Squared - podcast cover

A Problem Squared

Matt Parker, Bec Hillpodcasters.spotify.com
Matt Parker and Bec Hill present: A Problem Squared. A podcast dedicated to solving problems of all kinds, such as, "What should I listen to right now?". A Podcast Squared. First one's free. You're welcome.
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Episodes

024 = Pumpkin Bores and Bumps 'n' Doors

APS 024 is out now! And it's a spooky October edition! In this episode... * What's the largest hole that can be carved in a pumpkin without the pumpkin collapsing? * How do you stop noisy ghosts rattling doors when you're trying to sleep? * And, Cupboard of Nupboard: The people have spoken!

Oct 31, 202141 min

023 = The Weight of Words and Graphene for Turds

Yes, that's right. The Weight of Words and Graphene for Turds. In this month's episode... If graphene was rolled to the size of a loo roll, how long would that roll be? What is the weight of the ink in Bec's book? Plus! The REAL answer to Earth's longest line of sight. And, Bec and Matt are reunited after two years apart. If you want want EVEN MORE from A Problem Squared, find us on Twitter, Instagram or Patreon. And as always, if you've got a problem or a solution, hit us up on our website www....

Sep 30, 202151 min

022 = Serial Writing, Lineal Sighting, and Cereal Biting

What's the best way to stay inspired when writing? Where on earth can you look the furthest away at something else, that is also on the earth? When eating cereal, what is the milk? Sauce, broth, jus or something else? Plus! Repurposing crushed bike helmets: Can you, should you?

Aug 31, 202149 min

021 = Inharmonics and Skin-harm-tonics

This is Inharmonics and Skin-harm-tonics! In this month's episode... How well can the human voice mimic a dinging bell? Bec teams up with a multi-vocalist Beardyman to tackle this one! What is the optimal use of sunscreen to create a tan and protect your skin? Plus: The results from Matt's sunny survey are IN and we have updates from episode 020. As always, if you've got a problem or a solution, hit us up on our website www.aproblemsquared.com, or on social media @AProblemSquared. If you want to...

Jul 31, 20211 hr 7 min

020 = Filling Up and Falling Down

Score! It's episode 020 of A Problem Squared, Filling Up and Falling Down! In this episode... Can we solve global warming by diluting the atmosphere? What's the funniest way to fall down without hurting yourself? Plus: The answer to last month's A Pudding Squared, and a final word on Arctic Krill. As always, if you've got a problem or a solution, hit us up on our website www.aproblemsquared.com , or on social media. You can find Matt's favourite mascot fail here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=...

Jun 30, 202151 min

019 = Wetness, Trees and Pet Mysteries

How did a hamster end up in a listener's apartment on the other side of the world? How many leaves would humans need to photosynthesise all our energy? Plus, an update on Dish Splatters: Why don't plastic things dry in the dishwasher? If you've got a problem or a solution, hit us up on our website www.aproblemsquared.com , or on social media. It's Pudding, on the 'gram For Bec's hamster habitat, look no further . And, welcome to the world of Hamster-tube. Here are some of Bec's favourite hamster...

May 31, 202150 min

018 = Make Your Vote Count & New Species Amount

This month, Matt and Bec explore voting systems in elections. Bec wonders what effect it might have to vote for a novelty candidate. And we speak to a special guest who might just know a thing or two about this. Plus a whole heap of quick-fire problem solving! Here's the video Matt mentioned that simulates alternate voting systems: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhO6jfHPFQU&ab_channel=Primer...

Apr 30, 202148 min

017 = All The Hills, Fauna Fills and Sauna Chills

How many Bec Hills could fit in Bexhill? What species would make the longest queue if you put every individual in a single line? Plus an update on Bec's coat conundrum! If you've got a problem or a solution, hit us up on our website www.aproblemsquared.com, or on social media. Thanks to www.higherdose.com for providing the sauna blanket for the fluffy jacket problem. To find out more about Mileva Marić and the campaign to have her contributions recognised, visit www.inspiring-girls.com/ig-blog/m...

Mar 31, 202146 min

016 = Biscuit Tips and Longer Trips

In this month's episode, Matt investigates what is the optimal way to share biscuits amongst a group, and Bec explores how you can elongate your holiday time using all manner of creative methods. Plus updates on short shorts and how much Coronavirus is there in the world. Send your problems at www.aproblemsquared.com And here's the study Matt referenced about perceptions of Time: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0001295...

Feb 28, 202150 min

015 = Getting Plucky and Feeling Lucky

This month Matt and Bec are problem-solving thusly: Can you cast shadow puppets on the Moon? Why do champion cyclists wear such short shorts? Is there such a thing as a lucky person? Here's a useful graphic of how the Moon orbits Earth https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/from-a-million-miles-away-nasa-camera-shows-moon-crossing-face-of-earth And this is the article referenced by Bec in the show about body hair: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/02/the-casualties-of-womens-war-on-b...

Jan 31, 202155 min

014 = Final Cheese Drama and Quick-Fire-O-Rama

It's the end of year special! We have an update on the Cheese Cover Up, the results of the listener survey, and a selection of quick-fire new problems to round off 2020. Plus, what on Earth has Matt been doing to his Christmas tree? Head to @aproblemsquared on Twitter and Instagram to see images of listeners' cheese packaging recommendations, Matt's pie charts, and Bec's framed Christmas card.

Dec 31, 202052 min

013 = Heavy Lifting and Clever Gifting

What's the most cunning way to move furniture on your own? Thoughtful ideas for Christmas presents Answers to the riddle of Pudding's Wheel, including a brilliant piece of maths by a listener. Recipe for microwave fudge: 3 cups of milk or dark chocolate bits (roughly 500g) 1 tin condensed milk 1/4 cup of butter Step 1. Microwave all ingredients for 3-5mins, stopping to stir occasionally. Step 2. Grease or line a deep tray/dish with baking paper and pour in the mix. Step 3. Refrigerate. Step 4. O...

Nov 30, 202056 min

012 = Series of Teeth and Queries of Cheese

To celebrate 12 episodes we're collecting some data! If you can, fill in the listener survey: http://thatsurvey.ilikeit.aproblemsquared.com Does this cheese look like it has 41% less packaging? https://www.dropbox.com/s/kuj16lmkgrx8w7i/41cheese.jpeg?dl=0 Here's the wikipedia page we used to make sense of shark teeth: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shark_tooth#/media/File:How_to_count_shark_teeth.png The Weaire-Phelan structure: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weaire%E2%80%93Phelan_structure What a ...

Oct 31, 20201 hr

011 = Massive Halls and Ambassadors' Balls

How long is a year of A Problem Squared podcasts? What's the qualification for a room being a room? Is the famous Ferrero Rocher advert mathematically possible? You can visit the Crafts Council campaign here: https://www.craftscouncil.org.uk/support-us/appeals-and-projects/lets-craft-packs-children Delve into luxury with the original Ferrero Rocher ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P-nZZkQqTc The best-known packings of equal circles in a circle http://hydra.nat.uni-magdeburg.de/packing/cci/d1...

Sep 30, 202048 min

010 = Heat Fighting and Typewriting

- How can you keep cool when there's no air conditioning? - What's the best thing to do with a spare room? (If you're lucky enough to have one, that is.) - How much would the Big Macadamia Nut be worth if it was an actual nut? - Why are typewriters mysterious? Matt's long-awaited topography video, inspired by a problem in the show, is here at last! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtKhbbcc1Rc You can see the typewriter patent here: https://patents.google.com/patent/US207559A/en And for Bec's 5KTS...

Aug 31, 202044 min

009 = Big Statues and Big Stack Chews

- Could pennies make a girlfriend for the Statue of Liberty? - What's the optimum burger size for your mouth? - Where is Matt's topography video? Here's Bec's burger video analysis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAc2ukZVtdk And for Bec's 5KTS t-shirt, head here: www.bechillcomedian.com/5kts/square

Jul 31, 202049 min

008 = Height Matters and Dish Splatters

- Why are kitchen counters one-size-fits-all? - Are the recorded surface areas of countries 3D? - Why don't plastic things dry in the dishwasher? Special thanks to: Gareth and Kiruna (@garethandkiruna on TikTok and PIrate & Parrot TV on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHX3-ZTmi60fYtcnO4VOPSQ ) Ed Warner from Motionspot ( https://www.motionspot.co.uk/ , www.fineandable.co.uk and @themotionspot on social media) Check out www.podcastsincolor.com for an exhaustive and excellent list of...

Jun 30, 202052 min

007 = Big Thing Fans and Retirement Plans

- What is the biggest big thing? - Is the lottery a good retirement plan? - Update on the £5,000 t-shirt. - The taster data has popped. Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/aproblemsquared Review us on apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/a-problem-squared/id1490290676 Twitter: https://twitter.com/aproblemsquared Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aproblemsquared/ This is the bear with very long legs. Very long. Legs. https://www.buzzfeed.com/bradesposito/people-are-...

May 31, 202045 min

006 = Squaring Shirts and Testing Toasters

Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/aproblemsquared Submit your data for our toaster investigation. http://bit.ly/APS_toasterdata Mike Hill wrote up his calculations as an official report. https://www.dropbox.com/s/m0njel6x5xcg0z5/T-Shirt%20Quest.docx?dl=0 Energy Scavengers: Static Electricity Could Power the World https://www.discovermagazine.com/technology/energy-scavengers-static-electricity-could-power-the-world International Electrotechnical Commission standards 60065 https://web...

Apr 30, 202037 min

005 = Airplane Stacks and Backpack Hacks

- What went wrong with the audio of episode 003? - The best place to put a backpack on a crowded train. - How many Boeing 737s will fit? - Making a perfect guest bedroom. - Bonus: Bec has feedback on Matt's rice calculation Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/aproblemsquared Review us on apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/a-problem-squared/id1490290676 Twiiter: https://twitter.com/aproblemsquared Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aproblemsquared/ Listen to the BR...

Apr 01, 202046 min

004 = Quarantine Kits and Contagion Calculus

- Why is this episode so late? - What to take when in hospital quarantine? - Tips for working at home from two pros. - Does the exponential maths of viral memes check out? Get in touch if you'd like to share your working-from-home space. We'd love to see it! https://www.instagram.com/aproblemsquared/ https://twitter.com/AProblemSquared Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/aproblemsquared

Mar 24, 202040 min

003 = Teeth Tips and Defining Decades

- When does the new decade start? - The best system for brushing teeth. - How many orders are there for Bec's show? - Top travel tips. Get in touch if you have any more travel tips! https://www.instagram.com/aproblemsquared/ https://twitter.com/AProblemSquared Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/aproblemsquared

Jan 31, 202047 min

002 = Too Much Pizza, Not Enough Space

- How much pizza is too much pizza? - What is the optimal way to store shirts? - How should Matt deal with jetlag? Update from episode 001: someone embroidered their shoes! http://twitter.com/AlexRob2001/status/1200926733807095809 SHOW 002 LINKS: Watch Bec on the Jonathan Ross show: https://youtu.be/1x9dGTSA1-I The Ri Lectures are on iPlayer now and the Ri channel a month later: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00pmbqq https://www.youtube.com/user/TheRoyalInstitution All the images we mention a...

Dec 31, 201941 min

001 = Sizing Shoes and Selling Organs

Problems featured in this episode: What's the deal with shoe sizes? Buy my body! Re-refridgeration. Nice knick-knacks for nieces. Bec Hill: http://bechillcomedian.com/ Matt Parker: http://standupmaths.com/ CORRECTIONS: 01:04 Matt says "early adapter" when he means "early adopter". But it could be both. It’s a podcast that changes you. 18:08 Bec says "4" instead of "6". Don't worry: the maths was all ok. Phew. 26:22 Bec says "implicit permission" when she means "explicit permission". She will def...

Nov 30, 201943 min
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