Math & Cartography: Dr. Paula Rowinska on Map Projections, Gerrymandering & Real-World Math In this episode of Breaking Math, host Autumn interviews Dr. Paula Rowinska about her unique journey from earning a PhD in mathematics to writing about math and cartography. They discuss the fascinating connection between map-making and mathematics, debunking misconceptions about map projections and exploring key topics like the coastline paradox, gerrymandering, and the traveling salesman problem...
Sep 17, 2024•58 min
In this conversation, Gabriel and Autumn interview Jeff Perry, a career coach and author of the book 'The Intentional Engineer'. They discuss the importance of being intentional in one's career, understanding one's passions and skills, and building a strong professional network. Jeff shares his journey from being an engineer to becoming an engineer coach and offers advice on how to navigate career transitions. They also explore the concept of 'genius zones' and how to identify and leverage one's...
Sep 10, 2024•56 min
Math & Language: Creativity, Quantification, and Making Math Accessible with Ben Orlin In this episode of Breaking Math , hosts sit down with Ben Orlin , author of Math for English Majors and Math with Bad Drawings , to explore the intersection of math and language . Discover the unique skill sets required for mathematics and creativity , how math education can be made more accessible, and the role of quantification in empowering individuals across various fields, including literature and th...
Sep 03, 2024•59 min
In this episode Autumn and Dr. Jonathan Schwabish discuss the importance of strategic thinking in data visualization and the key elements of good data. He emphasizes the need to understand the data and how it was collected, as well as the importance of starting bar charts at zero. He also highlights common mistakes in data visualization, such as distorting or lying with visuals, and the potential impact of data visualization on policy decisions. Looking to the future, he discusses the role of AI...
Aug 27, 2024•53 min
In this episode, Gabriel and Autumn interview mathematician, comedian, and author Matt Parker about his latest book, "Love Triangle." They discuss the unique page numbering system in the book, which is based on the sine function, and how it adds an extra layer of discovery for readers. They also explore the use of triangles and quads in 3D modeling, the concept of Perlin noise, and the perception of randomness. The conversation touches on the intersection of mathematics and creativity, as well a...
Aug 20, 2024•1 hr
Surprise! It's a Friday episode for you! Yes, yes it is a rerun, but we wanted to share it anyways. We can't wait for our fall lineup because it's packed with surprises. See you back on Tuesday. Keywords: Black holes, gravity, universe, physics, ai, machine learning, education, statistics, engineering, humanity Subscribe to Breaking Math wherever you get your podcasts. Become a patron of Breaking Math for as little as a buck a month Follow Breaking Math on Twitter , Instagram , LinkedIn , Websit...
Aug 16, 2024•12 min
It's the last week of our summer break and we have 2 episodes this week for you as a little treat. So check out our show on Friday too for a little bit more fun. We can't wait for our fall lineup because it's packed with surprises. If you have not listened to the last two episodes, then we'd highly recommend going back and listening to those. We're choosing to present this information this way because otherwise we'd waste most of your time re-explaining concepts we've already covered. Black hole...
Aug 13, 2024•1 hr 18 min
Happy Summer! We have another week of our summer break after this episode from 2018. We will be back shortly with more content and surprises! Black holes are objects that seem exotic to us because they have properties that boggle our comparatively mild-mannered minds. These are objects that light cannot escape from, yet glow with the energy they have captured until they evaporate out all of their mass. They thus have temperature, but Einstein's general theory of relativity predicts a paradoxical...
Aug 06, 2024•56 min
Happy Summer! Check out part one of our three part series on black holes from 2018. Enjoy! The idea of something that is inescapable, at first glance, seems to violate our sense of freedom. This sense of freedom, for many, seems so intrinsic to our way of seeing the universe that it seems as though such an idea would only beget horror in the human mind. And black holes, being objects from which not even light can escape, for many do beget that same existential horror. But these objects are not e...
Jul 30, 2024•53 min
In this minisode, Autumn explores the basics in the world of journal rankings and metrics. She discusses the importance of journal rankings and how they are determined, focusing on metrics like impact factor, mathematical citation quotient (MCQ), and publication power approach (PPA). She explains how these metrics provide insights into a journal's influence and performance, but also emphasizes the need for a comprehensive evaluation of research beyond just metrics. Keywords: journal rankings, jo...
Jul 23, 2024•12 min
In this episode Autumn and Anil Ananthaswamy discuss the inspiration behind his book “Why Machines Learn” and the importance of understanding the math behind machine learning. He explains that the book aims to convey the beauty and essential concepts of machine learning through storytelling, history, sociology, and mathematics. Anil emphasizes the need for society to become gatekeepers of AI by understanding the mathematical basis of machine learning. He also explores the history of machine lear...
Jul 16, 2024•40 min
This discussion Autumn and Gabe delves into Ismar Volic's personal background and inspiration for writing the book, “ Making Democracy Count ” as well as the practical and theoretical aspects of voting systems. Additionally, the conversation explores the application of voting systems to everyday decision-making and the use of topological data analysis in understanding societal polarization. The conversation covers a wide range of topics, including data visualization, gerrymandering, electoral sy...
Jul 09, 2024•1 hr 2 min
In this conversation, Gabe and Autumn celebrate the 101st episode of Breaking Math and discuss the evolution of the podcast. They highlight the importance of creativity in teaching mathematics and share their plans to expand Breaking Math into Breaking Math Media. They also discuss the history of physics and the big questions that inform the podcast. The hosts express their desire to collaborate with listeners and explore practical applications of math in different fields. They also mention book...
Jul 02, 2024•48 min
In this episode of Breaking Math, Autumn and Gabe explore the concept of nothingness and its significance in various fields. They discuss the philosophical, scientific, mathematical, and literary aspects of nothingness, highlighting its role in understanding reality and existence. They mention books like 'Incomplete Nature' by Terence Deacon and 'Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea' by Charles Seife, which delve into the concept of absence and zero. The episode concludes by emphasizing the c...
Jun 18, 2024•20 min
In this conversation, Autumn Phaneuf interviews Zach Weinersmith, a cartoonist and writer, about the feasibility and implications of space settlement. They discuss the challenges and misconceptions surrounding space colonization, including the idea that it will make us rich, mitigate war, and make us wiser. They explore the potential of the moon and Mars as settlement options, as well as the concept of rotating space stations. They also touch on the physiological effects of space travel and the ...
May 28, 2024•34 min
In this conversation, Autumn Phaneuf and Zach Weinersmith discusses his new book, A City on Mars, which takes a humorous look at the challenges of building a Martian society. He explores the misconceptions and myths surrounding space settlement and the feasibility of colonizing Mars. He argues that space is unlikely to make anyone rich and that the idea that space will mitigate war is unsupported. He also discusses the potential benefits and limitations of settling on the Moon and Mars, as well ...
May 21, 2024•33 min
Welcome to another engaging episode of the Breaking Math Podcast! Today's episode, titled "What is the Use?," features a fascinating conversation with the renowned mathematician and author, Professor Ian Stewart. As Professor Stewart discusses his latest book "What's the Use? How Mathematics Shapes Everyday Life," we dive deep into the real-world applications of mathematics that often go unnoticed in our daily technologies, like smartphones, and their unpredictable implications in various fields...
May 14, 2024•44 min
Tom Chivers discusses his book 'Everything is Predictable: How Bayesian Statistics Explain Our World' and the applications of Bayesian statistics in various fields. He explains how Bayesian reasoning can be used to make predictions and evaluate the likelihood of hypotheses. Chivers also touches on the intersection of AI and ethics, particularly in relation to AI-generated art. The conversation explores the history of Bayes' theorem and its role in science, law, and medicine. Overall, the discuss...
May 07, 2024•49 min•Season 5Ep. 95
Summary **Tensor Poster - If you are interested in the Breaking Math Tensor Poster on the mathematics of General Relativity, email us at BreakingMathPodcast@gmail.com In this episode, Gabriel Hesch and Autumn Phaneuf interview Steve Nadis, the author of the book ' The Gravity of Math .' They discuss the mathematics of gravity, including the work of Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein, gravitational waves, black holes, and recent developments in the field. Nadis shares his collaboration with Shing-T...
Apr 30, 2024•53 min•Season 5Ep. 94
Summary : The episode discusses the 10,000 year dilemma, which is a thought experiment on how to deal with nuclear waste in the future. Today's episode is hosted by guest host David Gibson, who is the founder of the Ray Kitty Creation Workshop . (Find out more about the Ray Kitty Creation Workshop by clicking here ). Gabriel and Autumn are out this week, but will be returning in short order with 3 separate interviews with authors of some fantastic popular science and math books including: The Gr...
Apr 23, 2024•35 min•Season 5Ep. 93
An interview with Prof. Marcus du Sautoy about his book Around the Wold in Eighty Games . . . .a Mathematician Unlocks the Secrets of the World's Greatest Games . Topics covered in Today's Episode: 1. Introduction to Professor Marcus du Sautoy and the Role of Games - Impact of games on culture, strategy, and learning - The educational importance of games throughout history 2. Differences in gaming cultures across regions like India and China 3. Creative Aspects of Mathematics 4. The surprising h...
Apr 16, 2024•1 hr 15 min
Summary Brain Organelles, A.I. and Defining Intelligence in Nature- In this episode, we continue our fascinating interview with GT, a science content creator on TikTok and YouTube known for their captivating - and sometimes disturbing science content. GT can be found on the handle ‘@bearBaitOfficial’ on most social media channels. In this episode, we resume our discussion on Brain Organelles - which are grown from human stem cells - how they are being used to learn about disease, how they may be...
Apr 04, 2024•31 min•Season 5Ep. 91
This episode is inspired by a correspondence the Breaking Math Podcast had with the editors of Digital Discovery, a journal by the Royal Society of Chemistry. In this episode the hosts review a paper about how the Lean Interactive Theorem Prover, which is usually used as a tool in creating mathemtics proofs, can be used to create rigorous and robust models in physics and chemistry. Also - we have a brand new member of the Breaking Math Team! This episode is the debut episode for Autumn, CEO of C...
Mar 16, 2024•47 min•Ep. 90
This conversation explores the topic of brain organoids and their integration with robots. The discussion covers the development and capabilities of brain organoids, the ethical implications of their use, and the differences between sentience and consciousness. The conversation also delves into the efficiency of human neural networks compared to artificial neural networks, the presence of sleep in brain organoids, and the potential for genetic memories in these structures. The episode concludes ...
Mar 05, 2024•30 min•Ep. 89
This is a follow up on our previous episode on OpenAi's SORA . We attempt to answer the question, "Can OpenAi's SORA model real-world physics?" We go over the details of the technical report, we discuss some controversial opinoins by experts in the field at Nvdia and Google's Deep Mind. The transcript for episode is avialable below upon request. Help Support The Podcast by clicking on the links below: Try out ZenCastr: Use my special link ZenCastr Discount to save 30% off your first month of any...
Feb 27, 2024•34 min•Ep. 88
OpenAI's Sora, a text-to-video model, has the ability to generate realistic and imaginative scenes based on text prompts. This conversation explores the capabilities, limitations, and safety concerns of Sora. It showcases various examples of videos generated by Sora, including pirate ships battling in a cup of coffee, woolly mammoths in a snowy meadow, and golden retriever puppies playing in the snow. The conversation also discusses the technical details of Sora, such as its use of diffusion and...
Feb 20, 2024•37 min•Ep. 87
Help Support The Podcast by clicking on the links below: Try out ZenCastr w/ 30% Discount Use my special link to save 30% off your first month of any Zencastr paid plan Patreon YouTube Transcripts are available upon request. Email us at BreakingMathPodcast@gmail.com Follow us on X (Twitter) Follow us on Social Media Pages (Linktree) Visit our guest Levi McClain's Pages: youtube.com/@LeviMcClain levimcclain.com/ Summary Levi McClean discusses various topics related to music, sound, and artificial...
Feb 18, 2024•28 min•Ep. 86
We are joined today by content creator Levi McClain to discuss the mathematics behind music theory, neuroscience, and human experiences such as fear as they relate to audio processing. For a copy of the episode transcript, email us at BreakingMathPodcast@gmail.com. For more in depth discussions on these topics and more, check out Levi's channels at: Patreon.com/LeviMcClain youtube.com/@LeviMcClain Tiktok.com/@levimcclain Instagram.com/levimcclainmusic Help Support The Podcast by clicking on the ...
Feb 13, 2024•33 min•Ep. 85
Help Support The Podcast by clicking on the links below: Start YOUR podcast on ZenCastr! Use my special link ZenCastr Discount to save 30% off your first month of any Zencastr paid plan Visit our Patreon Part 2/2 of the interview with Brit Cruise, creator of the YouTube channel "Art of the Problem," about interesting mathematics,, electrical and computer engineering problems. In Part 1, we explored what 'intelligence' may be defined as by looking for examples of brains and proto-brains found in ...
Feb 06, 2024•46 min•Ep. 84
In this episode (part 1 of 2), I interview Brit Cruise, creator of the YouTube channel 'Art of the Problem.' On his channel, he recently released the video "ChatGPT: 30 Year History | How AI learned to talk." We discuss examples of intelligence in nature and what is required in order for a brain to evolve at the most basic level. We use these concepts to discuss what artificial intelligence - such as Chat GPT - both is and is not. Help Support The Podcast by clicking on the links below: Start YO...
Jan 30, 2024•37 min•Ep. 83
