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Are there more possible games of chess than atoms in the universe?
We investigate how the vast possibilities in a game of chess compare to the vastness of the observable universe.
Dr James Grime helps us understand the Shannon number – a famous figure on the chess side of the equation - and astronomer Professor Catherine Heymans takes on the entire observable universe.
Presenter: Tim Harford
Producers: Debbie Richford and Nathan Gower
Production Co-ordinator: Brenda Brown
Series Producer: Tom Colls
Sound Mix: Andy Fell
Editor: Richard Vadon
View all episodes
By BBC Radio 4
4.7
758758 ratings
We investigate how the vast possibilities in a game of chess compare to the vastness of the observable universe.
Dr James Grime helps us understand the Shannon number – a famous figure on the chess side of the equation - and astronomer Professor Catherine Heymans takes on the entire observable universe.
Presenter: Tim Harford
Producers: Debbie Richford and Nathan Gower
Production Co-ordinator: Brenda Brown
Series Producer: Tom Colls
Sound Mix: Andy Fell
Editor: Richard Vadon
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