Radiolab

The Middle of Everything Ever


Listen Later

After graduating from high school, without a clear plan for what to do next, Laura Andrews started asking herself a lot of questions. A spiral of big philosophical thoughts that led her to sit down and write to us with a question that was… oddly mathematical.  What is the most average size thing, if you take into account everything in the universe. So, along with mathematician Steven Strogatz, we decided to see if we could sit down and, in a friendly throwdown of guesstimates and quick calculations, rough out an answer. 

Special thanks to all the listeners who sent in their responses to this question.

Episode Credits:Reported by - Soren Wheeler and Alex NeasonProduced by - Annie McEwenwith mixing help from - Arianne WackFact-checking by - Natalie A. Middletonand Edited by  - Alex Neason

Citations:

BooksYou can find links to many books by Steven Strogatz here: https://www.stevenstrogatz.com/all-books

MediaAnd the podcast he does for Quanta Magazine, The Joy of Why, here: https://www.quantamagazine.org/tag/the-joy-of-why/

Our newsletter comes out every Wednesday. It includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Sign up (https://radiolab.org/newsletter)!Radiolab is supported by listeners like you. Support Radiolab by becoming a member of The Lab (https://members.radiolab.org/) today.Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @radiolab, and share your thoughts with us by emailing [email protected].

 

Leadership support for Radiolab’s science programming is provided by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation Initiative, and the John Templeton Foundation. Foundational support for Radiolab was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

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

RadiolabBy WNYC Studios

  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6

4.6

41,790 ratings


More shows like Radiolab

View all
Science Friday by Science Friday and WNYC Studios

Science Friday

6,061 Listeners

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! by NPR

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

38,559 Listeners

This American Life by This American Life

This American Life

90,830 Listeners

Fresh Air by NPR

Fresh Air

37,996 Listeners

The Moth by The Moth

The Moth

27,218 Listeners

Snap Judgment by Snap Judgment and PRX

Snap Judgment

11,592 Listeners

Planet Money by NPR

Planet Money

30,866 Listeners

Freakonomics Radio by Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

Freakonomics Radio

32,158 Listeners

99% Invisible by Roman Mars

99% Invisible

26,193 Listeners

TED Radio Hour by NPR

TED Radio Hour

22,127 Listeners

Invisibilia by NPR

Invisibilia

21,637 Listeners

Hidden Brain by Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam

Hidden Brain

43,270 Listeners

Science Vs by Spotify Studios

Science Vs

11,920 Listeners

The Daily by The New York Times

The Daily

111,539 Listeners

Throughline by NPR

Throughline

15,861 Listeners

Dolly Parton's America by WNYC Studios & OSM Audio

Dolly Parton's America

16,351 Listeners

The Other Latif by WNYC Studios

The Other Latif

465 Listeners

Radiolab for Kids by WNYC

Radiolab for Kids

971 Listeners