logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2022
31m 24s

How to discover your humanity… through m...

TED
About this episode

Every day, we humans do math. Whether we are obsessed with a logic puzzle on our smartphones or even just calculating a morning alarm that gives you 8 more minutes in bed, our daily lives are full of numbers, quantities, shapes and patterns. And for Francis Su—a writer and Professor of Mathematics and the Former President of the Mathematical Association of America—math is actually one of the things that makes us human. In today’s episode he talks about how mathematics can serve as a tool for social justice, how math can enhance our sense of aesthetics and beauty, why math is one of the last refuges of truth in a time where misinformation is rampant, and how we can all learn to cultivate, and even come to love, the little daily mathematics of our lives.

For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Yesterday
What the data shows about youth mental health (w/ Candice Odgers)
“Social media and screen time aren’t the most important factor in teen mental health,” says development psychologist Candice Odgers. While this claim sounds counterintuitive, Candice shares why it’s so pervasive—scary stories sell. They always have. In this episode, Candice joins ... Show More
42m 53s
Jul 17
Summer Fridays: How to get your sense of wonder back (w/ Nate DiMeo) (re-release)
How do you make sense of the present? Nate DiMeo might suggest you look at the past. Nate is the host of the podcast and book, The Memory Palace. Nate joins Chris to discuss how the past can teach us to live life in a new, rich, and complex way. Nate shares how to exercise the mu ... Show More
37m 19s
Jul 13
How to think fast and talk smart (w/ Matt Abrahams)
Matt Abrahams is a communication expert who teaches strategic communication at Stanford University, hosts the podcast Think Fast Talk Smart, and wrote the new book Think Faster, Talk Smarter. In this episode, he joins Chris to share his insights on mastering communication on the ... Show More
41m 40s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2012
The Num8er My5teries
Professor Marcus du Sautoy - mathematician, footballer and amateur musician - shows how mathematicians have contributed to our understanding of the world around us for millennia. We are all taught how fundamental maths is to the world we live in. But did you know that Wayne Roone ... Show More
52m 48s
May 2011
Is math a human invention or a human discovery?
<p>In this episode, Robert and Julie take a sweeping look at math, addressing several important questions. For example: What is math? Where does math come from? What mathematical skills are we born with and how much can we understand?</p><p> </p> Learn more about your ad-choices ... Show More
37m 58s
Dec 2021
Algorithms
We talk about the maths formulas that are increasingly part of our lives. 
6m 19s
Sep 2024
Math for English majors
If math never quite stuck for you, Ben Orlin is here to change that. He says think of math as a language. Numbers are the nouns and the arithmetic operations are verbs. This episode, learning the language of math to help you in your day-to-day life. See pcm.adswizz.com for inform ... Show More
16m 12s
Nov 2010
Mathematics in the real world
Inspired by Évariste Galois's attempts to express symmetry using mathematical equations, Professor Marcus du Sautoy explores the inextricable link between the physical world and mathematics. 
9m 22s
Jun 2022
Can Maths Explain What We Find Beautiful?
Greg and Bella are back with a brand new term of teachers giving their favourite lessons! Today it's Maths with former semi-professional footballer Mr Grindrod.In a lesson all about sequences, patterns and ratios, we'll find out how much maths goes into the things we find beautif ... Show More
42m 12s
Dec 2022
Confessions Of A Math Convert
Math is a complex, beautiful language that can help people understand the world. And sometimes math is hard! Science communicator Sadie Witkowski says the key to making math your friend is to foster your own curiosity and shed the fear of sounding dumb. That's the guiding princip ... Show More
12m 55s
Mar 2022
Is maths real?
<p>Faced with one cake and eight hungry people, it’s pretty obvious how maths underpins reality. But as mathematics gets further from common sense and into seemingly abstract territory, nature still seems to obey its rules - whether in the orbit of a planet, the number of petals ... Show More
32m 15s
Nov 2023
"Is Math Real?: How Simple Questions Lead Us to Mathematics’ Deepest Truths" by Eugenia Cheng
Today, one of the world’s most creative mathematicians offers a new way to look at math. 
11m 29s