logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2023
11m 29s

"Is Math Real?: How Simple Questions Lea...

Next Big Idea Club
About this episode
Today, one of the world’s most creative mathematicians offers a new way to look at math. 
Up next
Oct 30
Your Brain on Spirituality
Can spiritual practices help us, even if we’re not sure what we believe? In How God Works: The Science Behind the Benefits of Religion, psychologist David DeSteno explores what rituals surrounding gratitude, care, and loss can teach us about living better. And in The Awakened Bra ... Show More
28m 35s
Oct 29
The New Appeal of Autocracy
What happens when people start seeing democracy not as the solution, but as the problem? In American Caesar, religion scholar Bradley Onishi examines an emerging alliance of Christian nationalists and technocratic thinkers who believe America needs a strong leader to impose order ... Show More
31m 15s
Oct 28
When Your Best Friend Isn't Human
A chatbot is always available, endlessly patient, and happy to hear about your day. But is that connection—or a convincing imitation? In Artificial Intimacy: Who We Become When We Talk to Machines, MIT’s Sherry Turkle asks what we risk when we turn to machines for companionship a ... Show More
17m 45s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2023
Ep402 - Eugenia Cheng | Is Math Real?
<p><span data-sheets-root="1" data-sheets-value= "{"1":2,"2":"Mathematician and author Eugenia Cheng visits Google to discuss her book "Is Math Real?: How Simple Questions Lead Us to Mathematics' Deepest Truths." The book aims to liberate math from its shackles to show how human ... Show More
57m 42s
Nov 2015
Math Can Equal Fun
Harvey Mudd College math professor Arthur Benjamin talks about his new book The Magic of Math: Solving for x and Figuring Out Why Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 
31m 45s
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
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
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
Oct 2023
A Mathematician Asks ‘Is Math Real?’
<p>When math is based on abstract concepts, how do we know it’s correct? Dr. Eugenia Cheng takes on that question in a new book.</p><p> </p><p>The concept of math has been around for a long time, developing independently in many different cultures. In 1650 BC, the Egyptians were ... Show More
33m 8s
Jan 2018
Eugenia Cheng on the mathematics of mathematics
Nothing annoys Eugenia Cheng more than the suggestion that there is no creativity in mathematics. Doing mathematics is not about being a human calculator, she says. She doesn't spend her time multiplying big numbers in her head. She sits in hotel bars drawing (mainly arrows) with ... Show More
27m 36s