Math Mutation

By Erik Seligman

What's Math Mutation about?

Welcome to Math Mutation, a podcast for people of all ages where we discuss fun, interesting, or just plain weird corners of mathematics that you would not have heard in school.(Feedback email [email protected]).

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Math Mutation episodes:

12.27.2023
Math Mutation 288: One Stone To Rule Them All
Earlier this year, after half a century of searching by many talented mathematicians, an amateur finally discovered an aperiodic monotile. (Send feedback to [email protected])
09.09.2023
Math Mutation 287: The Grim State of Modern Pizza
The surprisingly simple GRIM test, and how it helped to debunk the famous Cornell Pizza Studies. (Send feedback to [email protected])
08.27.2023
Math Mutation 286: Adventures In Translation
I discuss my experiences translating "The Revolution of Promises" by Nelson Rodriguez Chartrand. (Send feeback to [email protected])
06.29.2023
Math Mutation 285: Believe My Proofs Or Else
Have you used the logical method known as "proof by intimidation"? (Send feeback to [email protected])
04.30.2023
Math Mutation 284: Don't Square Numbers, Triangle Them
We discuss Buckminster Fuller's focus on triangles in his Synergetics. (Send feeback to [email protected])
02.27.2023
Math Mutation 283: Escape From Infinity
If we deny the existence of infinity, does math still work? (Send feeback to [email protected])
12.20.2022
Math Mutation 282: The Man With The Map
In memory of Maurice Karnaugh, we discuss the "K-Map", a nice shortcut for desinging electronic circuits. (Send feeback to [email protected])
10.30.2022
Math Mutation 281: Pascal vs Mathematics
Discussing the final decade of Blaise Pascal's life, when he decided math and physics were unworthy of study. (Send feeback to [email protected])
08.25.2022
Math Mutation 280: Rubik's Resurgence
Thanks to social media, Rubik's Cube is popular again. (Send feeback to [email protected])
06.30.2022
Math Mutation 279: Improbable Envelopes
We discuss the famous Two Envelopes paradox, along with an unconventional solution. (Send feeback to [email protected])
05.22.2022
Math Mutation 278: Bicycle Repair Man
Alan Turing's adventures in bicycle repair. (Send feeback to [email protected])
03.31.2022
Math Mutation 277: Bad Career Advice
Should you aim for a maximally "scalable" profession in order to become rich? (Send feeback to [email protected])
02.20.2022
Math Mutation 276: Don't Believe the Math
We discuss Nassim Taleb's "Ludic Fallacy", the incorrect belief that simple mathematical models accurately predict the real world. (Send feeback to [email protected])
01.22.2022
Math Mutation 275: Demanding Fair Dice
What does it take to create fair dice for an online game? (Send feeback to [email protected])
11.30.2021
Math Mutation 274: The Gomboc
A strange self-righting 3-D shape was only discovered in the 21st century. (Send feeback to [email protected])
10.31.2021
Math Mutation 273: A Maze Of Labyrinths
Why are literary and visual labyrinths from ancient and medieval times so different? (Send feeback to [email protected])
09.20.2021
Math Mutation 272: The Mathematics of Jackie Mason
How Jackie Mason derived jokes from Talmudic logic. (Send feeback to [email protected])
07.31.2021
Math Mutation 271: Too Much Testing
Think about the math before getting tested for a rare disease. (Send feeback to [email protected])
06.15.2021
Math Mutation 270: Which Way To Turn
Why are screw threads always right-handed? Or are they? (Send feeback to [email protected])
04.25.2021
Math Mutation 269: A Good Use of Downtime
(Send feeback to [email protected])
03.19.2021
Math Mutation 268: The Right Way To Gamble
(Send feeback to [email protected])
01.31.2021
Math Mutation 267: Free Will Isn't Free
Do the nondeterministic calculations of quantum physics inevitably lead to proof of free will? (Send feeback to [email protected])
12.25.2020
Math Mutation 266: A Number Is A Number
We explore Bertrand Russell's set-theoretic definition of whole numbers. (Send feeback to [email protected])
11.30.2020
Math Mutation 265: Defining Numbers, Sort of
Is there a fundamental set of axioms we can use to define whole numbers? (Send feeback to [email protected])
10.11.2020
Math Mutation 264: Unbalanced Society
We explore some of Alfred Korzybski's odd ideas about using math to remake society. (Send feeback to [email protected])
08.31.2020
Math Mutation 263: Asimov vs Doyle
Was Sherlock Holmes' archnemesis Moriarty really a mathematical genius? (Send feeback to [email protected])
07.31.2020
Math Mutation 262: My Bathroom Needs More Beryllium
How to combine magic squares and Feng Shui. (Send feeback to [email protected])
06.28.2020
Math Mutation 261: The Mystery of the S
Is the title of this podcast missing an S? (Send feeback to [email protected])
05.17.2020
Math Mutation 260: The Conway Criterion
How much can you deform hexagonal tiles and still cover your bathroom floor? (Send feeback to [email protected])
02.07.2020
Math Mutation 259: Is Reality Really Real?
Does Donald Hoffman's book "The Case Against Reality" prove everything we perceive is wrong? (Send feeback to [email protected])
01.25.2020
Math Mutation 258: Memory or Knot
Exploring the Incas' clever "quipu" system of data storage. (Send feeback to [email protected])
12.29.2019
Math Mutation 257: Turning Things Sideways in Time
Are memories just wires turned sideways in time? (Send feeback to [email protected])
11.30.2019
Math Mutation 256: Crazy Eyed Fish
How symmetry and asymmetry naturally evolve in living creatures. (Send feeback to [email protected])
10.07.2019
Math Mutation 255: Mountain Climbing with Dawkins
How Richard Dawkins' metaphor of "Mount Improbable" explains the evolution of the human eye. (Send feeback to [email protected])
08.18.2019
Math Mutation 254: How To Annoy Your Cat
The mathematics of falling cats. (Send feeback to [email protected])
07.21.2019
Math Mutation 253: Making Jewelry With Fermat
We discuss Fermat's Little Theorem, along with an elegant visual proof. (Send feeback to [email protected])
06.23.2019
Math Mutation 252: A Mathematician Translating Pushkin?
Why did a famous math author translate a classic Russian epic poem? (Send feeback to [email protected])
05.20.2019
Math Mutation 251: Paradoxes, Mathematical Oddities, and Formal Verification
Audio of a recent conference talk relating Math Mutation topics to the verification of processor designs. (Send feeback to [email protected])
03.31.2019
Math Mutation 250: Life on the Long Tail
How the Long Tail theory enables Math Mutation to exist. (Send feeback to [email protected])
02.18.2019
Math Mutation 249: The Other Half of the Battle
How poor communication of accurate math destroyed a space shuttle. (Send feeback to [email protected])
01.07.2019
Math Mutation 248: A Safe Bet
How the Base Rate Fallacy can help us find out if the sun has exploded. (Send feeback to [email protected])
12.28.2018
Math Mutation 247: Wombat Geometry
Exploring the secrets of the only animals with cubic dung. (Send feeback to [email protected])
12.02.2018
Math Mutation 246: Election Solutions Revisited
Can we use mathemtical insights to reduce the partisan conflicts surrounding ballot counting after every election? (Send feeback to [email protected])
10.08.2018
Math Mutation 245: How Far Apart Are Numbers?
What is the "right" way to draw a number line? (Send feeback to [email protected])
09.08.2018
Math Mutation 244: Is Music Just Numbers?
Do digital methods truly represent the original music, or are we missing something? (Send feeback to [email protected])
07.29.2018
Math Mutation 243: The Consciousness Continuum
Are being asleep and awake distinct states, or part of a continuous spectrum? (Send feeback to [email protected])
06.24.2018
Math Mutation 242: Effort and Impact
The pitfalls of planning using impact-effort analysis. (Send feeback to [email protected])
05.31.2018
Math Mutation 241: A Strange Fixation
The surprising properties of the number 6174, known as Kaprekar's Constant. (Send feeback to [email protected])
04.30.2018
Math Mutation 240: R.I.P. Little Twelvetoes
Discussing the late Bob Dorough's oddest song, "Little Twelvetoes". (Send feeback to [email protected])
03.31.2018
Math Mutation 239: The Shape of our Knowledge
What would a diagram of all human knowledge look like? (Send feeback to [email protected])

What's Math Mutation about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Math Mutation episodes:

Math Mutation 288: One Stone To Rule Them All

Math Mutation 287: The Grim State of Modern Pizza

Math Mutation 286: Adventures In Translation

Math Mutation 285: Believe My Proofs Or Else

Math Mutation 284: Don't Square Numbers, Triangle Them

Math Mutation 283: Escape From Infinity

Math Mutation 282: The Man With The Map

Math Mutation 281: Pascal vs Mathematics

Math Mutation 280: Rubik's Resurgence

Math Mutation 279: Improbable Envelopes

Math Mutation 278: Bicycle Repair Man

Math Mutation 277: Bad Career Advice

Math Mutation 276: Don't Believe the Math

Math Mutation 275: Demanding Fair Dice

Math Mutation 274: The Gomboc

Math Mutation 273: A Maze Of Labyrinths

Math Mutation 272: The Mathematics of Jackie Mason

Math Mutation 271: Too Much Testing

Math Mutation 270: Which Way To Turn

Math Mutation 269: A Good Use of Downtime

Math Mutation 268: The Right Way To Gamble

Math Mutation 267: Free Will Isn't Free

Math Mutation 266: A Number Is A Number

Math Mutation 265: Defining Numbers, Sort of

Math Mutation 264: Unbalanced Society

Math Mutation 263: Asimov vs Doyle

Math Mutation 262: My Bathroom Needs More Beryllium

Math Mutation 261: The Mystery of the S

Math Mutation 260: The Conway Criterion

Math Mutation 259: Is Reality Really Real?

Math Mutation 258: Memory or Knot

Math Mutation 257: Turning Things Sideways in Time

Math Mutation 256: Crazy Eyed Fish

Math Mutation 255: Mountain Climbing with Dawkins

Math Mutation 254: How To Annoy Your Cat

Math Mutation 253: Making Jewelry With Fermat

Math Mutation 252: A Mathematician Translating Pushkin?

Math Mutation 251: Paradoxes, Mathematical Oddities, and Formal Verification

Math Mutation 250: Life on the Long Tail

Math Mutation 249: The Other Half of the Battle

Math Mutation 248: A Safe Bet

Math Mutation 247: Wombat Geometry

Math Mutation 246: Election Solutions Revisited

Math Mutation 245: How Far Apart Are Numbers?

Math Mutation 244: Is Music Just Numbers?

Math Mutation 243: The Consciousness Continuum

Math Mutation 242: Effort and Impact

Math Mutation 241: A Strange Fixation

Math Mutation 240: R.I.P. Little Twelvetoes

Math Mutation 239: The Shape of our Knowledge