More or Less: Behind the Stats

Ed Sheeran and the mathematics of musical coincidences


Listen Later

After beating a plagiarism claim in court, musician Ed Sheeran said that musical coincidences were inevitable with only 12 notes to choose from… but what do the numbers say? Mathematician and concert pianist Eugenia Cheng takes us through the mathematics of music and explains how the power of exponentials mean that just a handful of notes can open up a seemingly endless world of musical variety.

Presenter: Tim Harford

Producer: Nathan Gower
Programme Coordinator: Janet Staples
Sound Engineer: Neil Churchill

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

More or Less: Behind the StatsBy BBC Radio 4

  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7

4.7

752 ratings


More shows like More or Less: Behind the Stats

View all
In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,411 Listeners

From Our Own Correspondent by BBC Radio 4

From Our Own Correspondent

385 Listeners

Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,815 Listeners

Thinking Allowed by BBC Radio 4

Thinking Allowed

312 Listeners

Business Daily by BBC World Service

Business Daily

530 Listeners

Science In Action by BBC World Service

Science In Action

342 Listeners

The Bottom Line by BBC Radio 4

The Bottom Line

34 Listeners

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4 by BBC Radio 4

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4

2,096 Listeners

World Business Report by BBC World Service

World Business Report

307 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

2,068 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,054 Listeners

The Life Scientific by BBC Radio 4

The Life Scientific

246 Listeners

Moral Maze by BBC Radio 4

Moral Maze

81 Listeners

BBC Inside Science by BBC Radio 4

BBC Inside Science

395 Listeners

Page 94: The Private Eye Podcast by Page 94: The Private Eye Podcast

Page 94: The Private Eye Podcast

297 Listeners

Curious Cases by BBC Radio 4

Curious Cases

773 Listeners

The Briefing Room by BBC Radio 4

The Briefing Room

81 Listeners

CrowdScience by BBC World Service

CrowdScience

473 Listeners

Newscast by BBC News

Newscast

681 Listeners

Evil Genius with Russell Kane by BBC Sounds

Evil Genius with Russell Kane

338 Listeners

Sliced Bread by BBC Radio 4

Sliced Bread

126 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,041 Listeners

Sport's Strangest Crimes by BBC Radio 5 Live

Sport's Strangest Crimes

85 Listeners

Uncanny by BBC Radio 4

Uncanny

611 Listeners

Dua Lipa: At Your Service by BBC Sounds

Dua Lipa: At Your Service

990 Listeners

Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley by BBC Radio 4

Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley

450 Listeners

Powerplay by BBC Radio 5 Live

Powerplay

5 Listeners

Believe in Magic by BBC Sounds

Believe in Magic

599 Listeners

Uncharted with Hannah Fry by BBC Radio 4

Uncharted with Hannah Fry

112 Listeners

The Global Story by BBC World Service

The Global Story

184 Listeners

Miss Me? by BBC Sounds

Miss Me?

294 Listeners

The History Podcast by BBC Radio 4

The History Podcast

21 Listeners