#2 All about alliances: human, biological and atomic
Jan 26, 2021•20 min•Season 1Ep. 2
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Summary
Delve into the fascinating world of alliances, beginning with the incredible symbiotic relationship of lichen and its critical role in shaping Earth's early atmosphere. Then, discover how carbon's unique atomic structure allows it to form an astonishing range of materials, from diamonds to graphene. Finally, meet the legendary mathematician Paul Erdős, known for his extraordinary number of collaborations and his nomadic pursuit of mathematical problems.Episode description
The theme of this episode is alliances - human, biological and atomic. We start by celebrating the amazing properties of lichen, the symbiotic relationships it forms, how it shaped the earth and simply how beautiful it is to look at. Then we explore how carbon is able to create such an incredibly diverse range of materials, including soot, diamonds and graphite. We wrap up by delving into the life of renowned Hungarian mathematician Paul Erdős, the world’s greatest human alliance maker, who wrote research papers with over 500 mathematicians. On the pod are Rowan Hooper, Anna Demming and Timothy Revell. Find out more at newscientist.com/podcasts
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