Festival of the Spoken Nerd podcast
Free, sponsored by brilliant.org
Podcasts are becoming an increasing part of cultural life. If you’re not familiar with the concept, imagine it as a radio show that isn’t (generally) broadcast, but is downloadable on demand. The main benefit of podcasts is that you have complete control over your listening and can binge and listen to many episodes in succession, should you be so inclined.
If you haven’t experienced Festival of the Spoken Nerd before, they are a science and maths inspired comedy trio, whose members are mathematician (and recent Zeeman Medal winner) Matt Parker, and physicists Helen Arney and Steve Mould. The trio have toured in a number of science and maths themed stage shows, and had a couple of series on BBC Radio called Domestic Science. Before lockdown, they also showcased new work in monthly shows called An Evening of Unnecessary Detail and they have evolved this new podcast concept to fill that void. The podcast is free due to its sponsorship by Brilliant.org – the maths training website.
Each podcast is around thirty minutes and is loosely based on a theme. Generally each performer takes around a third of the session with Matt exploring the mathematical phenomena related to the topic, my favourite was his investigation of how many pieces you can cut a ring doughnut into with a given number of cuts in the podcast Rings. Another topic Matt explored was aircraft safety and how misusing mathematics can cause accidents, (spoiler alert) although happily in the main example quoted the pilot glided the aeroplane to safety.
Helen and Steve tend to explore other aspects of the topic area, often more physics or chemistry based, for instance in the podcast Interstellar Steve described how we can use trigonometry to measure interstellar distances based on Earth observations, so still with a mathematical flavour. Helen is also known as the ‘Geek Songstress’ and in the podcast Fuel she treats us to a song about the ultimate source of the Earth’s fuel. In another podcast we hear some of the sounds generated by the universe.
There is a wide range of supporting material on the podcast’s website, which should enrich the listening experience. And your reviewer’s wife, a non-mathematician, confirms that she found the podcasts enjoyable, so a deep STEM interest is not required.
As a fan of the Festival of the Spoken Nerd it is not surprising that I enjoyed these podcasts, which were recorded remotely and are perhaps a good thing to have been caused by lockdown. As I have begun to return to the office, I am looking forward to listening to more episodes on my commute! I am confident that most mathematical types would enjoy them, both from the maths perspective but also the excursions into the sciences, all handled in an amusing and engaging way.
Edward Rochead CMath CSci FIMA
Dstl
The opinions expressed in this review are not necessarily those of Dstl.
Podcast review first published in Mathematics Today October 2020
