Have you ever wondered what's happening on the exact opposite side of the world to you?

Wherever you are on our planet, there's a good chance you'd need a snorkel.

In this episode, we explore the concept of antipodes—the exact point on the opposite side of Earth from wherever you're standing. We discover why most antipodes end up in the ocean rather than on land and cover a whole host of fascinating geographic facts, including how the Northern Hemisphere contains the vast majority of Earth's land and population, how map projections distort our view of the planet, and why Earth's oblate spheroid shape means some antipode distances are longer than others.

Along the way, we also raise the big questions like how deep have humans ever dug into Earth and how long it would take to fall through a frictionless tunnel to your antipode.

External Links and mentions on the show:

• Jono's sketch that explains the Mercator Map Projection
• Jono references the Antipodal Map in the book Marvellous Maps by  Simon Kuestenmacher
• The 7.6 mile deep hole Jono talks about is the Kola Superdeep Borehole in Russia, initiated by Soviet scientists in 1970, primarily to better understand the earth’s crust. 
• Here's Jono's sketch about the thickness of the earth's crust being proportionally similar to the thickness of an apple's skin.
• And finally, if you want to know your exact antipode, you can look here on AntipodeMap.com

Episode Summary

00:00 What Are Antipodes

03:23 Land Distribution on Earth

04:14 Map Projections and Perspectives

07:19 Antipodal Map Overlay

08:56 Cultural References Worldwide

10:15 Etymology of Antipode

10:41 Digging Through Earth

12:44 UK Antipodes

13:29 Great Circle Routes

14:20 Earth's Oblate Shape

15:25 Tunnel Through Earth

16:34 Closing Remarks

All music on this podcast series is provided by the very talented Franc Cinelli

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When you want to measure something you take your ruler or tape measure and read off the length right?

But when it comes to measuring the length of a coastline, things get a bit tricky and totally counter intuitive. 🌊

The science and maths of measuring wiggly coastlines reveal that the smaller the unit of measure, the longer the coastline becomes. Jono recounts the origins of this phenomenon from polymath, Lewis Fry Richardson and its further exploration by Benoit B. Mandelbrot. The trio also relate the concept to various other real-world examples, including the surfaces of the brain and lungs, Romanesco cauliflower, and stock market patterns. Additionally, they touch on the philosophical implications of measurement and delve into the concept of infinity.

Episode Summary:

00:00 Introduction the Coastline Paradox

04:12 Historical Context and Discovery

14:10 Fractals and Natural World Applications

17:26 Modern Implications and Analogies

24:36 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

External Links and mentions on the show:

• Jono refers to and leans heavily on the writing of Geoffrey West in his book "Scale" to tell the story of how this was discovered.
• Rob's half-baked fact about The Standardised Meter can be expanded on here.
• This is what the self-similarity of a Romanesco Cauliflower looks like
• Here is the avenue of trees in Bushy Park, in Southwest London that Jono slalomed.
• Here are more facts on who originally defined the number 'zero' as we know it today.

All music on this podcast series is provided by the very talented Franc Cinelli

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever wondered what the colours on the Olympic flag represent?

The Olympic logo is a globally recognised brand and remarkably, it was designed over 100 years ago by the founder of the modern Olympic Games, Pierre de Coubertin.

This time, we discuss the history and symbolism of this design icon ahead of the Winter Olympic Games in Milano Cortina, Italy. We find out about its representation of unity among the five (?) continents (one for each ring), and the careful selection of the flag's colours. The episode also delves into fascinating Olympic trivia, including the evolution of the games, historical moments, and the development of the Olympic motto. Rob also shares insights from filming at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland, for his series 'The Vault,' which explores Olympic history through artefacts found in their archives.

You can watch all 10 episodes of The Vault for free here on the Olympics Channel.

Episode Summary

00:00 Introduction and Excitement for the Winter Olympics

01:42 The Genesis of the Olympic Flag

02:50 Symbolism and Design of the Olympic Flag

05:06 Pierre de Coubertin: The Visionary Behind the Olympics

05:21 Exploring Olympic History and Artifacts

09:35 Evolution of the Olympic Games and Flag

22:28 Conclusion and Farewell

All music on this podcast series is by the very talented Franc Cinelli.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How big is that pile of books next to your bed?

Tsundoku is a Japanese word for buying books and letting them pile up unread. It’s a familiar habit to book lovers everywhere — that growing stack of books you intend to read but haven’t yet. In this episode of Sketchplanations The Podcast, we explore why we buy books we don’t read, why unread books don’t always feel like a bad thing, and what this habit says about curiosity, identity, and our relationship with reading.

In this episode we embrace Tsundoku and our conversation ranges from buying too many books to the joy and guilt of collecting unread books, and how tsundoku can extend to audiobooks, hobbies, and other unread things. If you’ve ever wondered why you buy books faster than you can read them — or felt conflicted about your own unread pile — this episode is for you.

Links to items (mainly books) that we discussed:

• The book that changed Tom's life: Rocket Fuel by Gino Wickman and Mark Winters
• The book from Jono's pile he next wants to start: A few short sentences about writing by Verlyn Klinkenborg
• Robbie is most looking forward to getting started on: Whatever will be will be by Felix White
• Jono recommends cartoons about books and reading by Tom Gauld
• Big Ideas, Little Pictures is the Sketchplanations book by Jono Hey

Summary:

00:00 Introduction to Tsundoku: The Act of Collecting Unread Books

02:52 Personal Stories and Reflections on Tsundoku

05:20 The Broader Implications of Tsundoku

07:49 Books as Gifts and Their Value

10:03 The Joy and Guilt of Collecting Books

17:14 Final Thoughts and Reflections

19:34 Conclusion and Farewell

All music on this podcast series is by the very talented Franc Cinelli

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you know who your second cousins are or if you even have any? And what does "once removed" mean anyway?

Tune in to this episode as we unravel the mysteries of family relations—which we figured would be particularly helpful at the festive time of year.

We explore the subtleties of family trees, making our way to 'Second Cousins Once Removed'. We dig into the confusion around generational terms and the importance of knowing your extended family. We share a few family-related anecdotes and cultural differences, such as the Chinese family tree and Icelandic naming conventions. We strongly encourage you to follow along with the sketch at Sketchplanations.com to better understand your own family connections.

Here are the Chinese family tree names mentioned.

Episode Summary

00:00 Welcome to Sketchplanations

00:47 Understanding Family Relations

02:13 Exploring Second Cousins

06:06 Generational Differences Explained

11:48 Cultural Perspectives on Family Trees

14:57 Famous Families and Their Connections

15:08 The Mayflower Ancestor Story

15:55 Family Trees and Their Complexity

16:43 The Importance of Family Connections

18:01 Tracing Family History

21:07 Unique Family Names and Their Origins

22:28 Surname Origins and Commonality

25:58 Gender-Neutral Family Terms

27:07 Concluding Thoughts

All music on this podcast series is provided by the very talented Franc Cinelli

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Coined in the 1990s by Linda Stone, Continuous Partial Attention describes the state of being constantly connected; trying to do multiple things at once, which often leads to an ever-present, low-level form of stress. We explore how this phenomenon affects modern life, compare it to multitasking, and discuss both its positive and negative aspects. The podcast also highlights how technology has exacerbated this issue and considers potential solutions, such as mindfulness and turning off notifications, to better manage one's attention.

Links to stuff we discussed:

Dan Kahneman

Mind Over Tech

Video of Woman who Walks into Fountain Whilst Texting

The Film: Her, starring Joaquin Phoenix.

Other Sketches and podcast episodes referenced:

Phubbing episode and sketch

Phone Zombie sketch

Hegel's Dialectic: Thesis, Antithesis, Synthesis sketch

Yak Shaving episode and sketch

5 Ways to Wellbeing episode and sketch

Everyone's a Geek About Something episode and sketch

How to Instantly Feel Better episode and sketch

Picking the Perfect Present episode and sketch

Buy Jono's Book: Big Ideas, Little Pictures, for a loved one this Christmas - The Perfect Present and then some...

Summary

00:00 Introduction to Continuous Partial Attention

01:31 Depicting Continuous Partial Attention in a Sketch

04:25 Personal Experiences with Continuous Partial Attention

05:54 The Impact of Technology on Attention

08:49 Multitasking vs. Continuous Partial Attention

11:15 The Challenge of Staying Focused

17:05 The Role of Continuous Partial Attention in Different Professions

20:38 The Dilemma of Turning Off Notifications

21:15 Balancing Work and Family Life

22:03 The Art of Multitasking

22:59 The Pitfalls of Continuous Partial Attention

23:49 Turning Cognition into Automation

25:25 The Rise of Single Tasking

27:54 The Productivity of Focused Work

32:07 The Future of AI and Continuous Partial Attention

34:20 Final Thoughts and Recommendations

All music on this podcast is provided by the very talented Franc Cinelli.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What's your life expectancy trade-off for enjoying a crispy bacon sandwich? 🥓

Sir David Spiegelhalter is a celebrated Professor of Statistics at the University of Cambridge; widely accepted as one of the UK's foremost statisticians. He explains the concepts of 'micromorts' and 'microlives', which quantify risk and the impact of lifestyle choices on life expectancy. The discussion delves into acute vs. chronic risks, with practical examples such as the dangers of skydiving or how regular smoking affects longevity of life. The conversation also covers the application of statistics in medicine, the importance of randomisation in clinical trials, and the philosophical underpinnings of uncertainty. Additionally, David highlights the human capacity to judge risks, the pitfalls of intuition, and offers practical advice on dealing with uncertainty in everyday life. Lively anecdotes, insightful explanations, and practical takeaways make this episode a compelling listen for anyone interested in the intersection of statistics, risk, and daily decision-making.

David's latest book, The Art of Uncertainty is available in all good bookshops and online.

Here are some useful links to further explore some topics raised:

• The work of Ron Howard at Stanford University
• Jono's sketch on Word Spectrums
• David's many other books - including Sex by Numbers
• Poisson Distribution explained
• David tells the tale of Persi Diaconis - the Mathemagician.

Episode Summary:

00:00 Introduction, David's Background & Achievements

01:43 The Wipeout Experience

03:13 Understanding Micro-Morts

04:27 Acute vs. Chronic Risks

05:29 Micro-Morts in Everyday Activities

12:05 Introduction to Micro-Lives

18:03 Medical Applications of Data and Statistics

21:27 The Role of Uncertainty in Life

27:52 Building Resilience Over Robustness

29:18 Embracing Uncertainty in Life

33:35 Misuse of Statistics in Media and Politics

40:30 The Gamblers Fallacy and Intuition

42:29 The Uniqueness of Card Shuffles

45:43 Common Misconceptions About Probability

48:02 Practical Tips for Dealing with Uncertainty

51:33 Final Thoughts and Reflections

All music is provided by Franc Cinelli.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This genius time management hack was conceived by Francesco Cirillo. The technique involves working for 25 minutes followed by a mandatory 5-minute break, repeating this cycle three to four times before taking a longer break. We share our personal attempts at using the method, explore the psychology behind productive work cycles, the importance of taking breaks and reflect on its effectiveness in both office and home environments. We also discuss the broader context of productivity obsession and share insights from using related tools eg. online "focus buddies". The session concludes with a follow-up on how the Pomodoro Technique has worked for them a week after recording the episode, reenforcing a lot of the theory we originally set out.

Could this be our favourite procrastination buster yet!?!

External links

In the episode we reference a number of items you can find out more on here:

• Previous podcast episodes came up a lot (procrastination is a recurring theme for us): How to Instantly Feel Better; Yak Shaving; Goldilocks Tasks & The Fresh Start Effect
• Remarkably, there's currently no sketch for it, but Jono talks about The Red Queen Effect or Hypothesis - the concept of having to run to stay still.
• The Bear Focus Timer (used by Jono and now Tom as well). Available on Apple Store
• Examples of Focus Buddy or Accountability Partner websites include Focus Mate and Flow Club.

Episode Summary

00:00 Introduction to Sketchplanations Podcast

00:29 Exploring the Pomodoro Technique

01:03 Origins and Basics of the Pomodoro Technique

02:57 Implementing the Pomodoro Technique in the Office

07:23 Challenges and Adaptations of the Pomodoro Technique

17:10 Alternative Productivity Methods

18:53 Accountability and Shame in Productivity

19:40 Origins of the Pomodoro Technique

20:17 Applying Pomodoro in Different Environments

21:32 Psychological Benefits of Time Blocking

22:38 Challenges and Adaptations in the Office

23:01 Personal Admin and Procrastination

23:22 Flow and Creative Tasks

26:16 Post-pod Findings on Pomodoro Technique Usage

28:44 Final Thoughts and Outro

All music on this podcast series is kindly provided by the very talented Franc Cinelli.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Jono meets one of his heroes, as we engage in a conversation with acclaimed author, illustrator and explainer, David Macaulay.

We talk about David's journey from architecture to creating educational illustrations that make complex concepts understandable and engaging - and the Canal Lock is a great example of this from Jono's collection.

We discuss the significance of sketching for understanding and teaching intricate ideas, and reflect on some of David's famous works, including his book, 'The Way Things Work.'

David shares insights into his creative process, the importance of curiosity, and how integrating humour and playfulness in his illustrations can enhance learning.

This conversation would not be complete without questioning David about his famous woolly mammoths - used in his illustrations to help explain machines, mechanics, physics and science. 

Links

See here for more information about David as well as his bibliography.

Jono specifically references David's maths book, Mammoth Maths, when comparing his own sketch on "Parts of a Circle".

When addressing humour in Architecture, David talks about his book "Great Moments in Architecture".

Summary

00:00 Welcome to Sketchplanations - introducing David Macaulay

01:30 David's Journey into Explanations

03:42 The Way Things Work

04:35 The Joy of Learning and Teaching

04:47 Collaborating on The Way Things Work

09:54 Exploring Canal Locks

15:24 The Art of Sketching and Curiosity

20:05 The Importance of Sketching

20:34 Humour in Learning

25:07 The Origin of the Woolly Mammoth in David’s drawings

26:37 Balancing Humour and Information

30:07 Encouraging Sketching in Education

33:30 Everyday Wonders and Final Thoughts

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When describing something with numerous adjectives (eg. the big brown dog, the heavy square steel door) there's a natural order we all instinctively follow as english speakers. I don't remember ever being taught it, nor would I be able to explain it to you, but my ear can definitely tell if someone gets it wrong!

English adjectives follow a specific order. Who Knew?!?

Well, there's one person for sure:

What our special guest on this episode, award-winning author, journalist, and etymologist, Mark Forsyth, doesn't know about the English language, simply isn't worth knowing.

In our conversation, Mark breaks down the correct traditional ordering of adjectives. And Mark's passion for the English language becomes clear as he walks us through other nuances of English, such as Ablaut Reduplication (why it's Zig Zag and Splish-Splash rather than Zag-Zig or Splash-Splish), Chiasmus (inverting phrases in a speech eg. “Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.” — John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address (1961)) and many more.

Additionally, in celebration of Mark's latest book; "Rhyme and Reason : A short history of Poetry and People (for people who don’t usually read poetry)" we talk about the history of poetry and its impact on readers from medieval times to the present. We learn how poetry was once widely shared and enjoyed socially (a bit like sharing memes on social media today) and how English has natural cadences and rhythm to it, that we all make use of every day - again, without having a clue that we're doing it. And we also learn why most of us have been thinking about poetry all wrong ever since school.

In the episode, we also reference Mark's other books such as The Etymologist and The Elements of Eloquence, which can all be found here.

And you can follow Mark's musings and love of language on his blog as The Inky Fool, on Twitter, and on Instagram.

Episode Summary

00:00 Welcome & Introduction to Mark Forsyth: Wordsmith Extraordinaire

01:05 Mark Forsyth's Journey with the English Language

01:44 The Fascinating World of Words and Their Origins

02:27 Mark Forsyth's Books and Their Unique Insights

06:32 The Popularity of Poetry Through the Ages

11:06 The Decline of Poetry and Rise of Pop Lyrics

12:48 Exploring English Syntax and Adjective Order

15:03 The Intricacies of English Grammar

21:38 Fun with Language: Reduplication and Compounds

27:38 Rhyme and Reason: Poetry in Society

29:27 The Unsung Heroes of Songwriting

30:42 The Evolution of Poetry's Popularity

41:33 The Rhythms of English Language

50:54 The Charm of Limericks

54:49 The Joy of Reading Poetry Aloud

56:45 Closing Thoughts and Farewell

All music on this podcast series is provided by the wonderfully talented Franc Cinelli.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.