Episode description

Steve goes to war against rote learning; Matt tells us how ancient numbers affect what we can and can't name our dogs; and Helen's bit is elementary, my dear listener:

- Matt's bit (00:50)

- Steve's bit (11:15)

- Helen's bit (22:00)

- Helen's bonus brassy song (37:05)

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SHOW NOTES:

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Corrections and clarifications:

- Regular listener Paul has pointed out that not ALL phone numbers can actually be used as phone numbers. The system connects on the first valid match, so phone numbers longer than 4 digits cannot start with emergency services number 999, or 111, or anything like that. The actual numbers depend on which country you're in, of course.  

- Not every IV is written as IV... @DavidDanaci sent in several examples of watchmakers who use IIII instead of IV on their watch faces: Patek Philippe, Breguet and Alange & Soehne. One large scale counter-example is the Great Clock of Westminster, aka the Elizabeth Tower clock, aka, the clock that houses Big Ben aka the massive clock in London colloquially known as Big Ben. Yes, Big Ben is the bell, not the clock or the tower. But you knew that already, right? 

- Benedikt Gocht emailed to point out that we won't be waiting for another 18 elements to reach the next noble gas, but more like 50 or 54, depending on which model you use to predict the properties of elements after 118. There go Helen's dreams of an element called "Hanon" in her lifetime...

Thanks for listening!

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