A Problem Squared
Matt Parker and Bec Hill host a podcast dedicated to solving all kinds of problems, from the trivial to the absurd. Each episode tackles listener-submitted questions with humor and logic. The show releases new episodes on Mondays, with a playful tone and a focus on curiosity.
Episodes
141 = What If Peer Was More and What If Pi Was Four?
👬 How do you know if a work-friend is a real-friend?⭕ What would happen if Pi was 4?😴 And we have Any Other Boring-Stories…Head to our BlueSky/Twitter/Instagram to see Bec’s selfies with The Stars of Space (real and fictional), and the cute-faced Rivian Car.Why not try Hyperbolic Crochet?!https://startcrochet.com/ultimate-beginners-guide-to-hyperbolic-crochet/Why not try a checked 25x25 grid cross
140 = ABBABAAB and AI-Bah!
⚽ What’s the fairest way to pick teams?🤖 How do you discourage colleagues from using AI to write everything?🚗 And this road trip is jeopardised by playing ‘Accelerator or Break?’Thanks to all of you who sent in answers to “what are you doing while you’re listening to A Problem Squared?” - we go through as many as we possibly can in this episode!Here is kram1032’s post on Maths Stack Exchange that
A Problem... Delayed
There's no new episode of A Problem Squared this week - sorry everyone - but we will be back with your scheduled Episode 140 on MONDAY 10TH AUGUST 2026, and our normal twokly service will be resumed from MONDAY 17TH AUGUST 2026. We're delaying one episode by one week due to general busyness and time-zone clashes but rest assured you will be getting your full quota of August episodes of A P
139 = Music Down Where It’s Wetter and Throwing Darts Better
🎺 What would standard instruments sound like if they were played under water?🎯 What would be the average score of one randomly thrown dart?📂 And there’s some Any Other Business.AOB.zipOn THIS episode of A Problem Squared we’re joined by a special guest! The musical (and regularly quite wet) musical maestro Steve Pretty tells us all about playing music underwater - illustrated with some very bubbly
138 = Crossword Panels and Crossing Channels
📝 What is the perfect arrangement of black squares in a crossword?🚣 Does weight on an aqueduct increase as a boat goes over it?🛟 And there’s some Any Other Boardness (not ‘boredness’)Head to our BlueSky/Twitter/Instagram to see some crossword arrangements and some cross-bridge arrangements.Michael Keith’s Crossword research paper: http://www.gathering4gardner.org/g4g16gift/KeithMichael-GiftExchang
137 = Sound Advice and Electron Price
👂Why do some people hate the sound of whispering?💡 How much does an electron cost?😎 And there’s some Any Other BozonessOn THIS episode of A Problem Squared - which comes with our special No Whisper Guarantee - we’re joined by a special guest! The clinical psychologist Dr Jane Gregory tells us all about Misophonia. You can find out about her fantastic (and very helpful) book Sounds Like Misophonia,
136 = How to Discuss The Number e and When to Disclose the "Real Me"
#️⃣ What’s the best way to explain the number e to an 8-year-old?💗 How early in a relationship should you reveal that you’re a bit weird?🤧 And there’s some any other blow-your-nose-nessHead to our socials to see The Beautiful Old Calculator and The World’s Tallest Comedian.Matt is bringing An Evening of Unnecessary Detail to New York! The Bell House, Brooklyn on Sunday 12th July. Tickets can be fo
135 = Pasta Water Solution and QR Code Substitution
🍝 Why do we put salt in pasta water?👾 Can you put bespoke characters in to a QR Code?🌼And Spring Has Sprung (in the UK) so there’s some Any Other BloomsnessHead to our socials to see some frankly-very-silly-but-fully-operational QR Codes.Boiling and Freezing Points of Pure and Salty Water https://van.physics.illinois.edu/ask/listing/1457Matt has extended his tour - and filming the show in London i
134 = Tooth and Rock Day 2026
🤘To mark the May Birthday of Dwayne 'The' 'Tooth Fairy' 'Rock' Johnson, Episode 134 is a Tooth and Rock Special!🪨 Matt answers your rock-based queries and shares a Salt of the Perth update🦷 Bec and Dentist Sophie answer your tooth-based queries and shares an Adult Tooth Fairy updateHead to our socials to look at some incredibly detailed Salt of the Perth imagery.And related
133 = Oeuf-Bran Geometry and Huffman Decoder Tree
🥣 What percentage of a box of Weet-Bix is wheat again?🥚 What shape is an egg? 💬 What’s the most efficient way to write your name on a Pop-it Fidget Toy?👎 And would you like some AOB? We won’t take no for an answerHead to our socials to see all the Weet-Bix Pix, lots of names efficiently spelt out on a Pop-It Fidget Toy, lots of Girl Scout cookies, and a sheep being sheared by a robot…The Sheep’s B
132 = Insistuvree and Bix of Weet
🔠 Are there any English words containing four letters in alphabetical order?🥣 What percentage of a box of weet-bix is wheat?🎪 And there is some any other bah-bah-bahbahbahbah-buh-buh-businessHead to our socials to see Bec’s post-show photos and videos from her Adelaide run including Morgan and Morgan's mum’s tooth, Scott and the 6-7 shirt and Karn and his incredible APS Flipchart. You’ll also
131 = Microwave Conventions and Pythagoral Dimensions
👋 When microwaving food, should you place it in the centre, or off to the side?📐 Does the longest diagonal in a 1m sided cube in 4D square equal root 4? 🐨 And there’s some Bonus Other Business.Head to our socials to see Bec’s Photographic Exhibition of Australian Wildlife, Cubie the Moon Rover, Bec’s Poppadom Experiment, Matt’s Pythagorean Whiteboard Action, and the first glimpse of the most conf
130 = Sly Skittles Claim and Why Sniffles Name?
🌈 Is it true that "No Two Packs Of Skittles Are The Same?”🤧 Why a cold called cold?🤫 And there’s some ASMROBHead to our socials to see Matt’s Mission Patches, Matt’s Calculator, and the Skittles Combinatorics!The Liberation Laser Software by Seb Lee-Delislehttps://liberationlaser.com/ The Skittle Maths by Clare Wallacehttps://www.clarewallace.co.uk/skittlesAnd some Norfolk Punch, if you’re so
129 = People off Ground and Pound for Pound
🛫 How many people are flying in the air at any given moment?⚖️ What weighs a pound and costs a pound?🏈 And there’s some Any Other (Foot)BallnessHead to our socials to see Bec’s glasses 🤓Pat Patriot 🇺🇲and our Pound for Pound items!Here is a link to the book Flying With Confidence (which helped Producer Laura with her fear of flying and also helped her answer the problem correctly!)https://www.pengu
128 = AMA 2^7 Special
❓ Have you sent in a question for our AMA episode?❔ Have Matt and Bec answered it in this AMA episode?⁉️ Here are your AMA questions, answered!We’ll be back solving your problems as normal in Episode 129!If you’d like to see Bec at the Adelaide Fringe in March, you can get tickets here: https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/bec-hill-creates-the-perfect-show-work-in-progress-af2026 And if you’d l
127 = Labelling Consumables and Conceivable Numerals
🫘 Can we come up with some fun names for common pantry items?🔢 What's the smallest number that has never been written down in human history?🧂 And there’s a sprinkling of Any Other Business.Numberphile’s take on a number NOBODY has thought of: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdZrxkix9MkEvery Time "67" Has Been Said on Numberphile, if you dare: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlJMJfPPn
126 = Temperature Levels and Special Vessels
🧊 Why doesn’t the coldest day fall on the shortest day?🥂 If you don’t drink, what can you use fancy drinking glasses for?🏊 And we take the plunge into some Any Other Brrrrrrrness.If you’d like to read about defibrillator testing using a turkey, here’s the paper sent in by Hans: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12879378/If you’d like to see Matt and Bec - alongside Steve Mould and Helen Arney and mo
125 = Toots from Bums and Attitude Sums
💨 How many people are needed to guarantee that there is always someone farting somewhere?🔠 If you match each letter with the corresponding number in the alphabet and add them together, which words add up to 100.🏁 And there is some unfinished business.Head to our socials for pictures of Matt’s Homemade Sea Salt and Bec’s Brilliant Branding, an assortment of Massive Hourglasses, the beautiful sketch
124 = Dangerous Angling and Harmonious Wrangling
👼 What is the Angle of Death?🎼 What is the best filing system for sheet music?🎄And there’ll be some A-ho-ho-ho-BIf you have any maths-studio-based-names for the Newdio, go to the Problem Posing Page at aproblemsquared.com and select ‘Solution’ and be as funny and punny as possible!If you’d like to ask Matt and Bec anything for our special 2^7 episode in February go to the Problem Posing Page at ap
123 = The Science of Fries and Mounting Sea Level Rise
🍟 Why does the nutritional value of frozen chips change depending on whether they are cooked in an air fryer or in an oven?⛰️ How large a mountain could we make from 2.2 meters of dredged sea bed (combatting sea level rise in the process)?🃏And there’ll be some AOB, as easy as 123.Head to our socials for pics of LIVE MATHS, chip nutritional values, post-Totoro Bec, ESA Souvenirs.If you’d like to as
122 = Shocking Theories with Quickfire Queries
🔥 How many quickfire problems is it possible to solve in a single episode of A Problem Squared? 🧑💼 Why is Matt dressed like a maths teacher?🃏And we will deal out some Any Other BusinessIf you’d like to ask Matt and Bec anything for our special 2^7 episode go to the Problem Posing Page at aproblemsquared.com - select ‘Problem’ and start your message with AMA!A chicken slapping machine - click to v
121 = Bi-annuals and Diagonals
🗓️ Does bi-weekly mean every two weeks or twice a week?🧊 What is the name of the line between two opposing corners of a cube?🕑 And daylight will be saved with some Any Other Brightness.For more on Rupert and Nopert Shapes:Euler Brick: https://mathworld.wolfram.com/EulerBrick.htmlTom7 - Rupert's Snub Cube and other Math Holes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH4MviUE0_sTom7’s Print files for Platon
120 = Dealing Probability and Healing Gullibility
🃏 What are the odds of actually winning Morgan’s very specific, very fun card game?🤯 Are people more gullible now? And what are the best ways to persuade someone they are wrong?👻 And, appropriate to the season, there will be some Any Other BoooooooooooooosnessIf you have some ingenious suggestions of what Matt can do in lunar gravity, head to www.aproblemsquared.com and submit your idea as a ‘Solu
119 = Proportions by Bananas and Polygons from Lava
🍌 Is there a more consistent system of measuring things (and is it ‘Banana For Scale’)?🌋 Why and how do hexagons occur in nature?🔔 And there will be a whole Bec of Any Other BecnessHead to our socials to see Matt and Bec playing The Metre Game, lots of bananas for scale, and Matt sporting some very fetching headwear.Some further reading on the origins of ‘Banana For Scale’:https://knowyourmeme.com
118 = Rolling Eyes and Juggling Highs
🎲 What are the odds of rolling snake eyes? (And does it make for good TV?)🤹How long does it take to learn to juggle with seven balls?🛌 And there’s some Any Other Bed’n’BoardnessHead to our socials to see Matt and Bec in action, rolling dice and juggling balls!To find out more about our juggling expert Darryl J Carrington, head to his insta: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPTqhTwDEeb/?igsh=MXdyMDJv
A Problem Squared - Emergency Episode!
Unfortunately, Matt has been ill and lost his voice so we were unable to record the episode that should be coming out this week.To make up for it, we are releasing an episode of the usually-Patreon-only I Am A Wizard for you to listen to. It's the one from April this year and features a magical offer from our listener who is, apparently, a wizard - USBinPRL. But we begin with a message from Bec, w
117 = Visualising Hacks and Unusual Icy Snacks
👁️ How do you remember things if you can’t visualisethem in your mind’s eye?🍭 What’s the best shape for a freeze pop?🪣 And there’s some Any Other Beachness Head to our socials to see freeze pop pics, Matt(not that one)’s tooth and the AOB gifts! Here’s a link to the University of Exeter’s The Eye’s Mind project: https://blogs.exeter.ac.uk/eyesmind/ And here’s a selection of freeze pops and ant
116 = Guess The Right Price and Why Teeth Might Splice
￡ What’s the optimum strategy to win The Price Is Right?🦷 Why have Tim’s baby teeth fallen apart?🛠️ And there’s some Any Other Billy Bookcase BusinessHead to our socials to play along with The Price Is Right and to see a video of Ikea Wars!Here are the GIANT LETTERS sent in by Phillip:https://maps.app.goo.gl/yZaofcfNPaF5HyX17https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillside_lettersIf you’re in Edinburgh fo
115 = Jolly Good Euphemising and Hollywood Sign Sizing
🍆 What’s the “female equivalent” of phallic? What’s the font size of the Hollywood sign?🦈 And we’re always open for AOBusinessThanks to our excellent experts appearing in voicenote form - Dr Ben Whittle, Chella Quint OBE, and Linus Boman.Daan’s paper in the American Journal of Archaeology which cites this very podcast: doi.org/10.1086/735650 The world’s largest enlarged letter: https://www.pleased
114 = Delectable Dips and Dealable Decks
🃏 What’s the deal with cards?🫕 What is the perfect ratio of chips to dips?🍔 And there’s some Any Other B-B-Q-B-nessHead to our socials to see the card shuffle and patterns, Bec’s starstruck selfie, and our chips ‘n’ dips experiment!For all your homemade snacking needs:https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/tortillashttps://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/homemade-tortilla-chips-guacamole-charred-tomato-s
113 = Marg Ana Names and Mid Career Change
🚂 If you want a career change, how do you decide what to retrain as?👶 What would be a good set of names for twins or triplets?🦷 And there’s some Any Other BusiHere’s some baby naming code from Colin Beveridge: https://github.com/icecolbeveridge/zoe_namesIf you’re heading to the Edinburgh Fringe, you can get tickets to see Bec here: https://tickets.gildedballoon.co.uk/event/14:5884/And you can get
112 = Staring Safely At The Sun and Celebrations Off By One
🌞 How far away from the Sun do we have to travel before we can look at it without damaging our eyes?📆 Is there an off by one error with anniversaries?🍝 And AOB has been slow cooked and packed up in tupperware for safe storageThe starting point for Matt’s theory:https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-maximum-light-intensity-that-a-human-eye-can-withstand-without-being-damaged Astroid Mattparker: https:/
111 = Mnemonic Serenading and Mechanism Naming
🎶 Why are songs easier to remember than sentences?⚙️ Can we come up with new names (that meet strict criteria) for leader/follower motors?🌟 And it’s a glitzy, toothy, clackety AOB As discussed in the intro, here’s how to get involved with Matt’s Moon Pi Kickstarter: https://youtu.be/nGtVej1Qx5YAnd here's the link:https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/standupmaths/moon-pi-were-going-to-calculate-on-
110 = Inventive Dice and Paperwork Advice
🎲What’s the best design for non-traditional dice?📄 What should you call paperwork that doesn’t involve paper?🙋And it’s more a comment than a question in AOBHead to our socials to see Matt’s excellent Angry Man In Local Newspaper photos.If you’d like to peruse and purchase more dice variations, head here:https://mathsgear.co.uk/collections/dice If you have any paperlesspaperwork suggestions, join i
109 = Fourth Dimensions and Love Conventions
4️⃣ What would it look like to be trapped in a 4D world?🥰 What is the meaning of marriage?✨Izzy Wizzy Let’s Get AOBusyHead to our socials to see some fantastic representations of 2D meets 3D meets 4D in fiction, some magical magic, and an alphabetically perfect travel route (for 40 days in 1990).If you’re heading to the Edinburgh Fringe, you can get tickets to see Matt here:https://www.pleasance.c
108 = Proofed Mates and Proved Dates
🍻What’s the best way to politely tell a friend that they’ve had too much to drink?🗞️ Is there a way to prove that something existed before a certain date?❌And AOB brings us some friendly corrections…A useful menu of alcoholic choices…https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/ A hash of a DING!1f2b352be3c09872b3e38083ec6f0d2b22615a99c5a446a03abf24430187c484If you’re heading to the Edinburgh Fringe, you can see
107 = Megabytes and Satellites
🧱How many megabytes are actually in a gigabyte?🌕There have been some Moon Developments…😎And AOB will bring a little sunshine into your lifeHere is NASA’s Press Release about navigation on the moon:https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/somd/space-communications-navigation-program/nasa-successfully-acquires-gps-signals-on-moon/And some further reading from Matt: https://www.gpsworld.com/lugre-receiver-c
106 = Travel ABC and Art of Karate
🗺️ Is there an alphabetically perfect travel route?🪵 What can be done with karate chopped wood?🤙 And we ride the crest of the Any Other Business waveYou can find the data-basis for the alphabetically perfect travel route here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_territories_by_number_of_land_bordersHere are some of Bec’s aesthetically pleasing solutions:https://www.youtube.com/watc
105 = Next Prime Dates and Ancient Gag Rates
📆 When is the next Prime Number Day?🤣 What is the oldest joke?🪨 And we get to the rock bottom of Any Other BusinessYou can find Matt’s Divisibility Rules video here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pLz8wEQYkAYou can read more about the world’s oldest joke here:https://www.wbur.org/endlessthread/2022/08/05/sumerian-joke-oneAnd you can get your Philogelols right here:https://archive.org/details/phil
104 = Paper Spread and Pencil Lead
📃 Is a sheet of A-45 paper big enough to wrap the earth? ✏️ Why do we still call pencil graphite lead?👔 There’s business to attend to. You can find Matt and Hannah’s protractor up the shard video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckcdqlo3pYc&ab_channel=Stand-upMathsHere’s Matt’s Truncatable Prime Pencil: https://mathsgear.co.uk/products/truncatable-prime-pencil?srsltid=AfmBOorhZ6qk_IAhKnCj
103 = Heaps Splad and Paul’s Pad
🤫 Which synonyms are Caesar ciphers of each other?🎨 Bec and Matt attempt to help a listener decorate their home. 💼 The tax business briefcase is wide open. ⚔️ And battleships heats up. It’s time to go see ‘Bec Hill: Guess Who's Bec, Bec Again?’ at The Adelaide Fringe! https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/bec-hill-guess-who-s-bec-bec-again-bec-hill-s-bec-tell-a-friend-af2025You can see Matt Liv
102 = Copyright Traps and Saturday Night Gaps
✅ What’s the best way to leave your mark?🗓️ Can Saturday Night Live be on Every Day?📍 And there are some big locations in AOBTop Marks: https://neatnik.net/steganographr/#resultsSNL Spreadsheet: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/i9leqlafx0orjfp6l8a6t/weekend_whatdate.xlsx?rlkey=vetpi2qg9etbb35jq0zculjt1&e=1&st=q5vl7052&dl=0Big Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/8kf2XcYPXWnqGqn88See Matt Live! h
101 = Squear Data and The Big Banana (in an Aussie accent)
🔺 What are the most “interesting” years?🍌 Bec goes big on Big Things🎉 When Party Tricks Go Wrong🔢 And there's some numerical AOBHere’s Max-matics’ video that Matt mentioned - Turning a 2024 Ball Pyramid in to a 2025 Ball Square for NYE 2025 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXUlKCIgV8USome further reading on the 2025 maths https://aperiodical.com/2025/01/numerical-coincidences-for-2025/It’s a banger
Welcome to A Problem....Suspended!
Hello you wonderful listener, Welcome to a new year. 2025 - has a nice ring to it doesn't it?This is a short announcement to say that there will be a very short feed break - just an episode or two, don't worry - to allow us all rest for the first two weeks of January. Matt will tell you everything you need to know in his very organised PSA. Have a listen. Thank you for your continuted support and
100 = Orchestral Seats and Calculator Beef
To celebrate A Problem Squared’s 100th episode…🎼 What is the least popular instrument in an orchestra? 🍎 Matt is appalled. 🔮 Another unplanned, unexpected mystery segment! 💼 And the business briefcase is (briefly) open. A big thank you to Katie Steckles for her brilliant contributions to this episode. You can find more from her on her website: https://www.katiesteckles.co.uk/index.html, on Twitter
099 = Most Watched Films and Homonyms
099 = Most Watched Films and Homonyms✍️ What single word in the English Language has the most different meanings? 📺 Is the most consumed media of all time a holiday movie or song?🗞 There’s some Any Other Business! ⚔️ Battleships continues. If you want to find out more about the Royal Flying Doctor Service, do that here: https://www.flyingdoctor.org.au/nswact/visit/broken-hill-visitor-centre/You
098 = Something Blue and Diamond Birthdays Too
098 = Something Blue and Diamond Birthdays Too💙What are the most extreme examples of something old, something blue, something borrowed, something new? 💎What’s up with diamond birthdays? 🔥A new special one-time bonus section from Matt. 💼And a look into the business briefcase. For the Diana Spencer Tiara, look no further:https://www.sothebys.com/en/digital-catalogues/power-image-royal-aristocratic
097 = Number of Maps & Numbered Pads
097 = Number of Maps & Numbered Pads🗺 Are there enough OS maps to cover Great Britain?0️⃣ Why does zero come after nine on a mobile phone? 📰 And, of course, some AOB!If you want to see Bec’s friend Amy’s summary of accessibility in Thorpe Park and theme parks more generally, head on over to her instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/longcovidrockstar/Here is a picture of The Big Tractor: ht
096 = Movie Pairs and Moving Flares
🎞 Why would competing studios release movies in the same year that have the same concept or plot? 🔭 Why are we seeing the Aurora Borealis in the UK? 📈 Business of an any other nature. If you want to have a listen to Bec on Tom Scott’s podcast ‘Lateral’ you can do that here, at some point soon: https://open.spotify.com/show/1TthQOE4Fx6gBPW8l48cfN Their book can also be brought here! It’s really goo
095 = Friday Fears and Disco Spheres
🍀 Does the 13th really fall more frequently on Friday? 💿 How do you make a giant disco ball wearable? 🍩 And we have some any other doughness. If you want to find out more about the cardboard related event (called Number City!) Matt attended on Orkney Island, have a look at this link: https://oisf.org/fest-event/number-city/.Do send your problems and solutions to the website: www.aproblemsquared
094 = The First Podcasts and Votes Precast
💿 What did the first ever podcast sound like?🗳 How do you REALLY lose an election in the US? 📰 Business will be closed, and opened.Thank you to Emily for the Maths mittens! To see pictures of those, head over to APS socials. You can see the incredible Agree to Disagree podcast pages from 1999 here: https://web.archive.org/web/19990914040650/http://www.thealph.com/agree/ https://web.archive.org/w
093 = Game Solutions and Neil Distributions
⭕ Circle Can Tic-Tac-Toe ever be fun? 🤏What is the smallest Neil called? 🗞There’s some Any Other Business! ⚔️Battleships continues. If you want to read the works referenced by Matt in his tic-tac-toe / naughts and crosses problem, take a look below: Solo Noughts and Crosses, James Grime: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10724117.2023.2168434 Tic-tac-tome, Willy Yoners: https://www.am
092 = Broken Hands and Alexander's Bands
🌈 How many colours are really in a rainbow?🕰 How often is a broken clock is right? 💼 The Any Other Business briefcase is open. Briefly. 🏴 And we have a NEW POST CREDITS easter egg. To hear more about the brilliant and terrible Emily In Paris premier, listen to this episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/point-break-pt-1-season-04-episode-01/id1720149980?i=1000666164553If you want to see w
091 = Optimal Darts and Smelling Sharks
🎯 What is the optimal layout for a dart board? 🦈 How soon after a cut does a shark smell your blood? 📜 And there’s some AYE-YOOO-BEEEE.To see the Percy Arrangement mentioned by Matt follow this link: https://www.globaldarts.de/globalDartsEN/sport/Percysboard.htmlAnd for the “Optimal Dartboard Design” reveal, see here! https://journals.indexcopernicus.com/api/file/viewByFileId/1980058If you want to
090 = Washing Machine Lies and Lincoln Penny Highs
🧺 Why is the cycle time on my washing machines always wrong?🪙 How long will it take to sell 400 Lincoln memorial pennies for $20,000? 🔔 We have DINGS! 🧳 And the business briefcase is open! Disclaimer: You may hear a slight change in tone on Matt's audio at points throughout, that's back up audio which sounds different.If you want to find out more about the IMO, or International Mathematics Olympic
089 = Venomous Snakes and Doggy Legs
On this episode...🐍If you pooled up all the snake venom in the world would it be enough to kill all the non-immune mammals?👢Do dogs have 2 arms? Or do we have 4 legs?📜And we open the business briefcase. If you want to know more about lizard sampling, do that here: ‘Hierarchical distance sampling to estimate population sizes of common lizards across a desert ecoregion’: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.
088 = Tired Tires and Curvy Cubes
🚘 What happens when tires get tired?🧊 What is the equation for the curve on a spinning Ruibik’s cube?📜 And there’s some pin related AOB!Find out more about the counting crows here: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adl0984You can hear Bec on Ali Plumb’s podcast ‘Screen Time’ here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02r4zfx/episodes/downloadsIf you want to learn more about the EMF Festival
087 = Climbing Cliffses and Cloning Eclipses
🧗 Is it possible to climb every mountain? 🌞 Can you simulate an eclipse if you miss the real thing? 📜 And some loose ends (and change), in AOB! If you’d like to enter the very same gravel race as Matt Parker, you can find out more details here: https://sevengravelrace.com/the-race/You can listen to ‘Climb Any Mountain’ from the Sound of Music soundtrack here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKuqyS
086 = Emoji Editions and Birthday Billions
🙏 Is this emoji praying hands or a high five? 🍚 What's the best present for celebrating a billion seconds? 💼 For the first time we have Any Other Business WITH SPECIAL GUESTS!If you want a collectable (and mistake-ridden) copy of ‘Love Triangle’, with a special, limited edition book cover designed by print-artist Paul Catherall. You'll get one free while stocks last. Head over to MathsGear! https:
085 = Coin Collections and Pin Selections
🪙 How many coins would you need to sort through to collect all commemorative €2 coins in circulation? 📍How do you display enamel pins?! 💼 The Any Other Business briefcase is…mostly open. Here’s the Coupon Collector’s problem video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BstloCx8KDkYou can see more on the “Number of banknotes/coins returned from circulation in Euro Area, Euro area (changing composition),
084 = Indicators and In Da Cake-ers
In this episode...🎂 Where did birthday cake come from? 🚗 How come my indicator is never in sync with other cars waiting to turn?💼 And, as always, some business from the business briefcase.Nina, here’s that recipe for Greek Honey Cake: https://www.food.com/recipe/greek-honey-cake-428671And for more cake from around the world, look no further than this infographic: https://i.imgur.com/lhhotIE.pngHer
083 = Sunbeams and Dog Dreams
🌒 What’s the best place to see the next solar eclipse? 💤 Do animals dream? 💼 The Any Other Business briefcase is…half open. Send your problems and solutions to our website: www.aproblemsquared.com.For a detailed look at the path of the 2026 eclipse, here’s the website referenced by Matt: https://eclipsophile.com/future-eclipses-2024-2028/If you want to hear the full interview with David Pena Guzma
An Emergency Broadcast to Solve an Emergency Problem.
🔔🚨This is an emergency broadcast🚨🔔Unfortunately a bout of sudden food poisoning has got in the way of our latest recording session. Everyone's safe (now) but as you may have noticed, we're missing an episode. We've now got a new date in the diary but the podcast won't be back for two weeks - sorry about that everyone! SO in this episode, A Problem Squared presents...🧙♀️ The first EVER episode of
082 = What Is Lint and Zero Hints
In this episode...🧺 What is lint? 👌 When does zero count? 💼 And, as always, some business from the business briefcase. Please do send us your problems and solutions to the website: www.aproblemsquared.com.Bec’s got loads of gigs coming up! If you wanna go see her check out dates on her website: https://www.bechillcomedian.com/tour-gigs.Matt’s also got an Evening of Unnecessary Detail every two wee
081 = Pi Prize and Square Stairs
In this episode…🥧 Can Pi ever repeat itself? 🪜 Is it impossible for cube-based stairs to be identical?📈 And some Business of an Any Other Nature. If you want to see the biggest hand calculation in HISTORY, you can! Just head over to Matt’s YouTube channel on the 14th of March: https://www.youtube.com/@standupmathsAn Evening of Unnecessary Detail is BACK IN NEW YORK! On the 14th of April, at The Be
080 = Naming Clichés and Squaring Birthdays
In this episode…🍼 What’s the best method for naming a human child?🎊 How do you turn 45^2=2025 into a birthday celebration?📜 AYE-YOOO-BEEEE.Please do send us your problems and solutions to the website: www.aproblemsquared.comBec’s got loads of gigs coming up! If you wanna go see her check out dates on her website: https://www.bechillcomedian.com/tour-gigsMatt’s also got an Evening of Unnecessary De
079 = Driving Clockwise and Evolving Dragonflies
In this episode…⤵ Is it faster to drive around Australia in an anticlockwise direction on the inside lane? 🐉 What were dragonflies called before there were dragons?💼 Business of an ‘Any Other’ nature.New segment: Things Matt Needs Help With. If you can help with ANY of Matt’s ideas, get in touch! If you’d like to see Matt’s diagrams and GP MOTO plot, head on over to Twitter or Patreon!The podcast
078 = Spinal Taps and Star Maps
In this episode…🇺🇸 A LAT of LA chat.⭐️ If you visited each star on the Hollywood Walk of fame in alphabetical order, how far would you have to travel?📜 And some sort of Any Other Businesses. Send us your problems and your solutions to the Problem Posing Page: www.aproblemsquared.comIf you want more from A Problem Squared, you can also find us on Twitter, Instagram, Discord and of course, on Patreo
077 = Earth That Quakes and Quick Fire Takes
In this episode…🌏 How often do earthquakes take place in the same location, on the same date, in different years? 🔔 Dingletts, dingletts and more dingletts! 💨 A fundamental buoyancy error. If you want to look into the data Matt used for his earthquake problem, you can find that here: https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/hazel/view/hazards/earthquake/event-data.If you want to see the plots Matt mentions, plea
076 = Human Pasta and Strada Romana
In this first episode of 2024… 🍝 How long would human spaghetti be? 🏛 Do all roads actually lead to Rome? 📜 We have new old business for a new new year. P.S episode not intentionally Italy themed. If you want to go see Matt and Bec in LA get to the Flappers Comedy Club in Burbank on Sunday January 7th at 5pm! Bec and Matt will put on An Evening of Unnecessary Detail along with a few of their frien
075 = Roman Recursion and Role-Play Immersion
In this episode…🏺 What is the biggest roman numeral word?🎲 How do I get my friends to play D&D? 🪵 A Christmas Stumpdate!💼 And the business briefcase is OPEN.If you'd like some extra listening over the next few weeks, have a listen to Bec on Dan Schreiber’s podcast ‘We Can Be Weirdos’ you can find the link here: https://tinyurl.com/mrymvb29And if you'd like to see the Aunty Donna sketch showing
074 = Chocolate Powder Fails and Consonant/Vowel Details
On this episode…🍫 Can you prevent hot chocolate from clumping?🖊 When is a vowel a vowel? 👾 We have some Discord news! 💼 And a small amount of Business, of Any Other nature. The holidays have arrived early because, and APS DISCORD IS FINALLY HERE! Head on over using this link: https://discord.gg/pt4WsfhMCYYou too can make your computer talk! Here's a link to the Praat vowel software Matt was using
073 = Farting Thrust and Pocket Mistrust
In THIS episode…💨 How low would gravity need to be for farts to lift you off the ground?👖 Is there a solution to suboptimal trouser pockets?🔔 Ding ding ding!📜 Business, fresh from the Any Other briefcase.If you want to participate in a MathsJam near you, you can find your local event right here: https://www.mathsjam.com/And if you are a child, or an adult who has children who are fans of the show,
072 = The Perfect Paint Set and Rubik's Reset
In this episode... 🎨 What's the best hypothetical paint set? 🧊 Can a single turning pattern return a Rubik's cube to where it started? 🛰 And some Any Orbital Business! If you want to weigh in on the Reasonable / Unreasonable debate, and watch Bec in her element painting a wardrobe, follow this link: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CyJwjphMesl/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
071 = Snap Probability and Zombie Mobility
In this episode... 🃏 Is the probability in a game of snap changed if two packs of cards are used? 🧟 Can zombies ride bikes? 🥣 A commemorative plate-bowl update. 👻 And some Any Other BOoOoOosiness! If YOU want this year's APS Christmas card be sure to sign up to the Wizard Level on Patreon by the END OF NOVEMBER. You can do that here: https://www.patreon.com/aproblemsquared/membership We'll be shar
070 = Speaking Profanities and Lettered Localities
In this episode... 📣 Which words sound rude in other languages? ✏️ Which letters go where most often? 🛩 And some any aeroplane-autobahn business! Tony has give us some fantastic Maths Decor. Platonic Solid doorknobs and how to make them: https://ko-fi.com/s/642d70ef7f A couple of brilliant listeners gave us some great more information on emergency landings on the Autobahn. You can find links to
069 = Tiling Planes and Driving Planes
In this episode... - What is the optimal maths based pattern to decorate a rented home? - Is it possible to fly a plane on the autobahn? - And some bloody brilliant Any Other Business You can find more information about the Art Installation, or Zeitpyramide, Matt references in the catch up here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeitpyramide For more amazing tile patterns, check out
068 = Big Feastival and Bike Intervals
Coming to you AS-LIVE from a tent at The Big Feastival! In this wet and festivally episode... - How green is cycling really? - An update on Stawberry-gate. Again, if anyone has any information about the Time Fun jumper, please do send it to the Problem Posing Page! Check out our social media to see it if you haven't already. And finally, please send your problems and solutions to our website: a
067 = Line Times and Wide Words
In this episode… 🙏 How often do the hands of time align? 📜What is the longest one syllable word? 💼And a very large serving of AAAOOOBBBBBBBBBBBBBB After such glowing recommendations, you’ve got to go listen to Confidence Man: https://www.confidenceman.com.au/ Here’s Bec’s contribution to the Samaritvans exhibit: https://shop.sarahgraham.info/products/samarivan-bec-hill. If you find yourself in
066 = Strawberry Yields and Football Fields
In this slightly sports adjacent episode... 🍓 Are there more strawberries or old men on earth? ⚽️ Is Melbourne Rectangular Stadium more or less rectangular than the average football stadium? 🏆 Did Austrailia beat Denmark at the Women's World Cup? Find out here! 🖇 And a healthy dose of Any Other Business. You can watch Bec's striker skills in action on CBBC's Saturday Mash Up, here: https://w
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