Echoes of Electromagnetism Found in Numb...

In 1852, the mathematician Francis Guthrie was coloring in a map of English counties when he noticed that he needed only four colors. Was this always true, he wondered? The question captured the imagination of hobbyists and professionals alike — and in 1976, the mathematicians Ke ... Show More

Researchers have used metamathematical techniques to show that certain theorems that look superficially distinct are in fact logically equivalent.The article ‘Reverse Mathematics’ Illuminates Why Hard Problems Are Hard first appeared on Quanta Magazine. 

In popular culture, computer science is practically synonymous with programming. There are obviously branches of computer science in which computer hardware and software are essential, such as in the design of operating systems or the study of memory management. But in the theore ... Show More

Daniel and Katie bushwack their way between theories of gravity and electromagnetism, looking for the elusive connection.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

Magnets are inside loads of everyday electronic kit - speakers, motors, phones and more - but listener Lucas is mystified. What, he wonders, is a magnetic field?Our sleuths set out to investigate the mysterious power of magnets, with the help of wizard physicist Dr Felix Flicker, ... Show More

Music generated by quantum computers is intriguing from musical and scientific perspectives 

There is a bizarre number in maths referred to simply as ‘i’. It appears to break the rules of arithmetic - but turns out to be utterly essential for applications across engineering and physics. We’re talking about the square root of -1. WHICH MAKES NO SENSE.Professor Fry waxes l ... Show More

<p>Whether it's Art Garfunkel's mathematics degree or the structure of the chromatic scale, it's easy to correlate music and math. But why are so many musical minds also well suited for number crunching? Tune in to learn more about music and math.</p><p> </p> Learn more about you ... Show More

Daniel and Jorge talk about super complex numbers and how they might hold the secrets of the Universe. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

There is a bizarre number in maths referred to simply as ‘i’. It appears to break the rules of arithmetic - but turns out to be utterly essential for applications across engineering and physics. We are talking about the square root of -1, which makes no sense.Professor Fry waxes ... Show More

Hear how a recent discovery of the motions of galaxies is changing how cosmologists are thinking about our universe.For ad free episodes and other exclusives, join us for just $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverseOur merch is available here: https://www.shalm ... Show More