Maths at: Tidying & toilets

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that noone likes tidying up. So, if you want a reason to not bother then give us a listen.

Once again your regulars, Ben, Liz and Thomas, seek answers to such questions as:

• Why are people in London Freezing?
• Do butterflies fart? 
• How many toilets do you need to make everyone happy?
  

 All questions and no answers in today's Maths at:

 

Further reading: 

• House always messy? Just blame it on the second law of thermodynamics
• No more queuing at the ladies' room
• Do butterflies fart?
  

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Follow us on twitter @PodcastMathsAt, as well as @ThomasEWoolley and @benmparker.

Maths at: Magictown

WE DID IT! Another series done!

Marriages, prenancies, black holes, none of these stopped us getting the best quality maths film chat from our mouths to your ears. The question is: after all that will there be a third series?

Today's discussion points:

• Are opinion polls pointless?
• Which way does the inequality point?
• What instrument can you play?

All this and more in this weeks Maths at.

In you're interested in watching Travelling Salesman you don't need to buy it off Amazon, you can just watch it on YouTube! Look a James Stewart's pretty face below.

Further reading:

• Have a look at the New York Times' scathing review of this charming film.
• A Journalist’s Guide To Opinion Polls from the British polling council.
• Four times when having an online poll was a bad idea.

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Follow us on twitter @PodcastMathsAt, as well as @ThomasEWoolley and @benmparker.

Maths at the Movies: The Martian

Another sexy, sexy episode this week as we are joined by the NAKED MATHEMATICIAN

Dr Thomas Crawford

Get ready to feel dull by comparison!

Today's discussion points include:

• Everyone's links to Countdown;
• Thomas tells us about the Greeks;
• Can you tell the difference between Jeff Daniels and Jeff Bridges?

So put your feet up, get comfortable and get naked, as we talk about this week's movie The Martian.

If you're into watching The Martian, you can follow the link below.

Further reading links:

• There is actually a website that maintains a fact file on every episode of Countdown. Why not have a look at how Ben did?
• Recently the rover Opportunity made the news as it lasted 5,352 sols after being planned for only 90 sols, but what did it discover?

• Fancy having a go at surviving through The Martian's maths problems?

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Follow us on twitter @PodcastMathsAt, as well as @ThomasEWoolley and @benmparker.

Maths at: Valentine's day

Although we've finished our first series, we couldn't miss St Valentine's day.

What could be more romantic than scientifically analysing love and romance using mathematics?

Amongst other things we discuss:

• Why should you dump the first 37% of your partners?
• How many snogs away from Prince Charles are you?
• Are you a validator or an avoider?

Join your hosts as they show you their romantic side and be surprised that any of them actually have partners!

 

 
Further reading links:

• Ben's bunkum length of love formula;
• Drawing hearts graphically;
• Jim Murray's Maths of Marriage book or online lecture;
• Mobius strip earrings, for you significant other.

Subscribe via iTunes.
 
Follow us on twitter @PodcastMathsAt, as well as @ThomasEWoolley, @benmparker.

Maths at the Movies: Interstellar plus SPECIAL GUEST

This week we watch Interstellar.

We are very excited to be joined by the expertise of

Cat Harris

Whereas Thomas and Ben are just about good enough understand their own mathematical fields Cat has a wide range of disciplines under her belt spanning both physics and movie effects. We couldn't ask for a better guest!

If you're interested in watching Interstellar you can follow the Amazon below.

Further reading links:

• The hour long Interstellar documentary;
• The Interstellar book;
• All you could ever want to know about Sex in Space;
• Dissolving the dead with alkaline hydrolysis.

Subscribe via iTunes.
 
Follow us on twitter @PodcastMathsAt, as well as @ThomasEWoolley, @benmparker and @cat_harris_fx

Watch along with MATM: Interstellar and SPECIAL GUEST!

Next Friday we will be critiquing the maths and physics of Interstellar.

What's more, because this is the 10th episode (and because Ben and Thomas aren't physicists) we will be joined by a SPECIAL GUEST.

Not only is she a Cambridge physics graduate, but she now works in film digital effects. Who could ask for more?

Why not watch along with us? You can buy a digital version of the film through Amazon by clicking on the image below.

Maths at the Movies: Donald Duck in Mathmagic Land

In this episode we watch the movie Donald Duck in Mathmagic Land.

Well, this was just weird.

Although the animation is beautiful, can you trust the company that told you that lemmings were suicidal to teach you mathematics?

Also we cover Donald Duck's terrible gun control and the billiards game that goes on forever!

Plus bees that make jam.

If you're interested in watching Donald Duck in Mathmagic Land, you can follow the Amazon link below.

Further reading links:

• coloured honey from French bees;
• the billiards diamond system;
• Le Corbusier's mathematical architecture;
• there was a book too?

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Maths at the Movies: Proof

In this episode we watch the movie Proof.

Did Gwyneth Paltrow really prove the theorem? What theorem was she trying to prove? How many vaginas does a Time Lord have?

All these questions and more are discussed in this weeks Maths at the Movies.

If you're interested in watching Proof you can follow the Amazon link below.

Further reading links:

• more about the amazing life of Sophie Germain;
• who was Erdos?;
• calculate your Erdos number;
• what are prime numbers good for?;
• the ideas behind the Four Colour Theorem;
• buy the book of the play.

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MATM Appendix: Who the hell are we?

You've listened to us talk, but what are our credentials? What do we know? What are our backgrounds? When should you take our "facts" at face value and when should you call bullshit?

Join us in this appendix to better understand your hosts.

Further reading links:

• you can see this earlier blog post about us;
• Thomas E. Woolley's home page;
• Ben M. Parkers' profile;
• more about Liz. 

 Subscribe via ITunes.

Maths at the Movies: 21

In our first ever episode we watch the movie 21.

This film has it all: racism, sexism, disableism... and a smattering of mathematics.

Join us as we peel back the layers of gambling and card counting to reveal why you should never keep your money in your ceiling and why you'll never be as good a mathematician as Kevin Spacey.

If you're interested in watching 21 you can follow the Amazon link below.

Further reading links:

• more than you could ever want to know about the Fibonacci sequence;
• a basic strategy guide to blackjack;
• learn how to count cards from wikiHow or Scam School;
• a technical guide to the Newton-Raphson technique.

 Subscribe via iTunes.