Math! Science! History!

In this episode of Math! Science! History!, Gabrielle uncovers the fascinating story of quasicrystals, once thought impossible, now proven to exist both in the lab and in meteorites from space. Listeners will learn how quasicrystals challenged centuries of crystallography, the math that explains their strange patterns, and the surprising ways they’re used today, from non‑stick coatings to futuristic photonics. Three Things You’ll Learn Why quasicrystals broke the old definition of crystals and forced scientists to rewrite the rules. How Penrose tilings and higher‑dimensional geometry reveal the math behind quasiperiodic order. Where quasicrystals are used today in technology, industry, and even planetary science. Resources & Links Dan Shechtman’s Nobel Lecture: Nobel Prize 2011 in Chemistry Paul J. Steinhardt, The Second Kind of Impossible (2019) Marjorie Senechal, Quasicrystals and Geometry (1995) Luca Bindi et al., “Natural Quasicrystals,” Science (2009): https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1170827 🔗 Explore more on our website: mathsciencehistory.com 📚 To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit https://a.co/d/g3OuP9h   🌍 Let’s Connect! Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mathsciencehistory.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/math.science.history Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mathsciencehistory  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/math-science-history/  Threads: https://www.threads.com/@math.science.history  YouTube: Math! Science! History! - YouTube Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mathsciencehistory  🎧 Enjoying the Podcast? ☕ Support the Show: Coffee!! PayPal Leave a review! It helps more people discover the show! Share this episode with friends & fellow history buffs! Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform Check out our merch: https://www.mathsciencehistory.com/the-store 🎵 Audio Editor: Podcast mixed by David Aviles Music: All music is public domain and has no Copyright and no rights reserved. Selections from The Little Prince by Lloyd Rodgers Pulses by P Richmond from Pixabay Marimba Ambient Music by Mircea Iancu from Pixabay A choir of fairies by Music by Alban_Gogh from Pixabay Chocolate Galaxy Waltz Music by aidanpinsent from Pixabay Alien Atmosphere Music by Musinova from Pixabay  SFX: Metallic scrape Sound Effect by floraphonic from Pixabay Shine1 Sound Effect by Benjamin Adams from Pixabay Sparkle Sound Effect by Koi Roylers from Pixabay Metal Shop Sound Effect by freesound_community from Pixabay   Until next time, carpe diem!  

In this urgent episode of Math! Science! History, Gabrielle Birchak exposes how the United States is dismantling its scientific foundation through lawsuits, defunding, censorship, and intimidation. From shuttered labs to banned books and silenced climate scientists, Gabrielle connects today’s attacks on knowledge to historical examples of authoritarian suppression—from Galileo’s house arrest to the German Reich’s university purges and Stalin’s pseudoscience. This is more than a culture war; it’s a battle for truth itself. If science falls, society falters. History has shown us the red flags—will we recognize them before it’s too late? Three key takeaways Historical Warnings – How past regimes like Germany's Third Reich, Stalin’s Soviet Union, and Mao’s China crippled their own futures by silencing science. Present-Day Threats – The U.S. government’s defunding of universities, dismantling of climate research, and politicization of curricula. How to Act – Practical ways to defend truth, support at-risk scholars, protect data, and safeguard scientific integrity globally. Resources & References ·         Scholars at Risk ·         IIE Scholar Rescue Fund ·         Union of Concerned Scientists ·         American Association for the Advancement of Science ·         Climate Mirror ·         Internet Archive ·         WHO Foundation ·         iNaturalist 🔗 Explore more on our website: mathsciencehistory.com 📚 To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit https://a.co/d/g3OuP9h  🌍 Let’s Connect! Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mathsciencehistory.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/math.science.history Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mathsciencehistory  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/math-science-history/  Threads: https://www.threads.com/@math.science.history  YouTube: Math! Science! History! - YouTube Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mathsciencehistory  🎧 Enjoying the Podcast? ☕ Support the Show: Coffee!! PayPal Leave a review! It helps more people discover the show! Share this episode with friends & fellow history buffs! Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform Check out our merch: https://www.mathsciencehistory.com/the-store Music: All music is public domain and has no Copyright and no rights reserved. Selections from The Little Prince by Lloyd Rodgers 🎵 Audio Editor: Podcast mixed by David Aviles Sound Effect by Amy from Pixabay MMM Ominous Music by Max from Pixabay Radio static by Sound Effect by DRAGON-STUDIO from Pixabay Fire swoosh Sound Effect by Krzysztof Szymanski from Pixabay Keyboard sound by Sound Effect by Rinku from Pixabay Power off sound Effect by DRAGON-STUDIO from Pixabay Evil cyberpunk drones by Bertsz from Pixabay Until next time, carpe diem!  

In this episode of Math Science History, we journey back to 8th-century England to uncover the story of Alcuin of York, a quiet but powerful force behind the Carolingian Renaissance. From his beginnings in the cathedral school of York to his influential role as Charlemagne’s advisor, Alcuin shaped the future of Western education, preserved ancient texts, and helped revive a culture of learning in a world on the brink of intellectual collapse. Discover how this humble teacher from northern England helped build the foundations for modern classrooms and script systems—and even shared a few brain-teasing puzzles along the way. Three Things You’ll Learn How Alcuin’s work at the Palace School of Charlemagne helped ignite the Carolingian Renaissance Why the trivium and quadrivium became the foundation for medieval education—and how they still echo in modern curricula The surprising origins of the wolf, goat, and cabbage river-crossing puzzle and its connection to Alcuin’s teaching style Resources and Further Reading Bullough, Donald A. Alcuin: Achievement and Reputation. Brill, 2004. McKitterick, Rosamond. Charlemagne: The Formation of a European Identity. Cambridge University Press, 2008. Folkerts, Menso. “Alcuin's Propositiones ad acuendos juvenes.” Historia Mathematica 5, no. 4 (1978): 385–404. The Alcuin Club: www.alcuinclub.org.uk 🔗 Explore more on our website: mathsciencehistory.com 📚 To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit https://a.co/d/g3OuP9h Let’s Connect! Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mathsciencehistory.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/math.science.history Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mathsciencehistory  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/math-science-history/  Threads: https://www.threads.com/@math.science.history  YouTube: Math! Science! History! - YouTube Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mathsciencehistory  🎧 Enjoying the Podcast? If you love Math, Science, History, here’s how you can help:🌟 Leave a review! It helps more people discover the show!📢 Share this episode with friends & fellow history buffs!🔔 Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform ☕ Support the Show: Coffee!! PayPal 🛍 Check out our merch: https://www.mathsciencehistory.com/the-store 🎵Audio mixed by David Aviles 🎵 Music: On Matters of Consequence from The Little Prince by Lloyd Rodgers CC0 Farseer, from Vindsvept CC 4.0Until next time, carpe diem!

Trains, telegraphs, and global trade turned local solar time into a worldwide system, yet the story didn’t stop at 24 neat slices. In this Flashcards! episode, we explore why there are more than 24 time zones, how half-hour and 45-minute offsets came to be, how the International Date Line adds extra zones, why the North Pole has no official time, and how you’d pick a clock for a polar meeting (with a nod to Nunavut coffee culture near the top of the world). G.M.T.- Great Mini Takeaways Prime Time: Why the “24-zone” model grew to include half-hour and 45-minute offsets. Date Line Design: How zigzags in the Pacific create “tomorrow” (and even UTC+14). Polar Protocol: No time zone at the North Pole, so teams pick one and sync. Links & Resources What is Greenwich Mean Time?  Royal Museums Greenwich. Royal Museums Greenwich The International Date Line explained. Timeanddate.com. Time and Date Time in Kiribati (GILT/PHOT/LINT; includes UTC+14) Overview. Time and Date Samoa’s 2011 “skipped day” (time-zone shift) Wired magazine. WIRED Alert, Nunavut (northernmost continuously inhabited place) Background. Wikipedia Tim Hortons locations in Nunavut (Iqaluit listings) Official directory. locations.timhortons.ca (Note: You’ll hear a shout-out to coffee “near the top of the world” in Nunavut; official Tim Hortons locations are listed for Iqaluit. Alert is the northernmost inhabited place, but it’s a military station without a public Tim’s listing.) (OTHER NOTE! Collaborate with us! Add to our Nerd Party Playlist!  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7hIpM6G5lrW2HzksRb3BhH?si=306ba7a9f7034f74&pt=8125ceb04b19d9a9d2132be18a5abbb2  🔗 Explore more on our website: mathsciencehistory.com 📚 To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit https://a.co/d/g3OuP9h  🌍 Let’s Connect! Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mathsciencehistory.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/math.science.history Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mathsciencehistory  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/math-science-history/  Threads: https://www.threads.com/@math.science.history  YouTube: Math! Science! History! - YouTube Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mathsciencehistory  🎧 Enjoying the Podcast? If you love Math, Science, History, here’s how you can help:🌟 Leave a review! It helps more people discover the show!📢 Share this episode with friends & fellow history buffs!🔔 Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform ☕ Support the Show: Coffee!! PayPal 🛍 Check out our merch: https://www.mathsciencehistory.com/the-store 🎵 Music: All music is public domain and has no Copyright and no rights reserved. Selections from The Little Prince by Lloyd Rodgers Until next time, carpe diem!

Time feels natural, but the way we measure it is entirely human-made. From Mesopotamian star charts and Egyptian solar calendars to Roman reforms, medieval clock towers, and modern atomic precision, this episode explores how we constructed the framework of time itself. 3 Timeless Takeaways: How ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt laid the foundations for calendars and timekeeping. Why the Babylonians chose base-60 and how it still shapes our clocks today. How mechanical clocks, trains, and atomic physics transformed time into the precise system we live by. Resources & Links Mentioned: More on the Sexagesimal System: My eponymic contribution to Sexagesimal math - Math! Science! History!™ Leap Year, Caesar’s Propaganda, and a New Calendar: Leap Year, Caesar's propaganda, and a new calendar - Math! Science! History!™ National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) on Atomic Time: https://www.nist.gov/pml/time-and-frequency-division 🔗 Explore more on our website: mathsciencehistory.com 📚 To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit https://a.co/d/g3OuP9h 🌍 Let’s Connect! Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mathsciencehistory.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/math.science.history Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mathsciencehistory  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/math-science-history/  Threads: https://www.threads.com/@math.science.history  YouTube: Math! Science! History! - YouTube Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mathsciencehistory  🎧 Enjoying the Podcast? ☕ Support the Show: Coffee!! PayPal Leave a review! It helps more people discover the show! Share this episode with friends & fellow history buffs! Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform Check out our merch: https://www.mathsciencehistory.com/the-store Music: All music is public domain and has no copyright and rights reserved. Selections from The Little Prince by Lloyd Rodgers Travelling and Discovering by Musinova from Pixabay Lake of Light by Vinsvept from Pixabay Orlando Gibbons (bap.1583-1625) - Galliard à3, for Treble & Bass Viols with Great Bass, Dr. Phillip W. Serna, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Deafening Bounce Groove by Rockot from Pixabay  Until next time, carpe diem!

We use maps all day, including Google Maps, Waze, Apple Maps. We use them without even noticing that every one of them distorts reality. In this episode, Gabrielle explains why flattening a round Earth always bends the truth, how classic projections (like Mercator) live inside today’s apps, and why those distortions shape our mental picture of the world. Practical, visual, and myth-busting, this is cartography you can feel on your daily commute.  To hear the podcast on Marie Tharp, visit: Math Science History with Gabrielle Birchak Three Coordinates to Remember Why distortion is unavoidable when projecting a 3D globe onto a flat screen (thanks, Gauss). How Web Mercator powers Google Maps/Waze, great for street-level navigation, misleading at global scales. How projection choices shape perception, from Greenland vs. Africa to who appears “big” or “central” on a map. Resources & Visuals Gall–Peters (equal-area) projection: Peters Projection Map: Everything Your Ever Wanted To Know Compare Map Projections: https://map-projections.net/compare.php Buckminster Fuller’s Dymaxion map (unfolded globe): https://www.bfi.org/about-fuller/dymaxion-map “The True Size Of…” (drag countries to compare real sizes): https://thetruesize.com 🔗 Explore more on our website: mathsciencehistory.com 📚 To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit https://a.co/d/g3OuP9h 🌍 Let’s Connect! Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mathsciencehistory.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/math.science.history Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mathsciencehistory  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/math-science-history/  Threads: https://www.threads.com/@math.science.history  YouTube: Math! Science! History! - YouTube Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mathsciencehistory  🎧 Enjoying the Podcast? If you love Math, Science, History, here’s how you can help:🌟 Leave a review! It helps more people discover the show!📢 Share this episode with friends & fellow history buffs!🔔 Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform ☕ Support the Show: Coffee!! PayPal 🛍 Check out our merch: https://www.mathsciencehistory.com/the-store 🎵 Music: All music is public domain and has no Copyright and no rights reserved. Selections from The Little Prince by Lloyd Rodgers Until next time, carpe diem!

Geologist-cartographer Marie Tharp turned echo-sounding numbers into the first global seafloor maps—revealing the Mid-Atlantic Ridge’s rift valley and helping vindicate Alfred Wegener’s once-dismissed theory of continental drift. This episode traces Tharp’s path from wartime classrooms to world-changing maps, the resistance she faced, and the recognition that finally followed. Three Key Points: How Tharp and Bruce Heezen transformed sonar data into the physiographic maps that visualized seafloor spreading. Why the Mid-Atlantic Ridge’s rift valley was a “smoking gun” for plate tectonics. How gender bias delayed credit for one of geology’s most consequential discoveries. Resources & Further Reading (links) World / Ocean Floors and Land Relief (Heezen–Tharp map) at the David Rumsey Collection. David Rumsey Map Collection Browse all Tharp items in the David Rumsey Historical Map Collection. David Rumsey Map Collection Library of Congress Heezen–Tharp Collection (finding aid & digitized items). Library of Congress Handle Resolver About Marie Tharp (Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory mini-site). marietharp.ldeo.columbia.edu Marie Tharp biography (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution). Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution SECNAV press release renaming USNS Marie Tharp (T-AGS-66), Mar 8, 2023. Navy+1 Google Doodle celebrating Marie Tharp (interactive). Google Doodleslamont.columbia.edu 🔗 Explore more on our website: mathsciencehistory.com 📚 To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit https://a.co/d/g3OuP9h  🌍 Let’s Connect! Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mathsciencehistory.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/math.science.history Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mathsciencehistory  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/math-science-history/  Threads: https://www.threads.com/@math.science.history  YouTube: Math! Science! History! - YouTube Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mathsciencehistory  🎧 Enjoying the Podcast? ☕ Support the Show: Coffee!! PayPal Leave a review! It helps more people discover the show! Share this episode with friends & fellow history buffs! Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform Check out our merch: https://www.mathsciencehistory.com/the-store Music: All music is public domain and has no Copyright and no rights reserved. Selections from The Little Prince by Lloyd Rodgers. From Page to Practice by Brian Teoh. Nature Documentary by Alisia Beats. Slow Tide by u_98673jp94.  Sound effects from Pixabay: Thank you Dragon Studio and Solarmusic Until next time, carpe diem!

In this Flashcards Friday, Gabrielle shows how you already think like a scientist. Using three simple ideas from microscopy: magnification, illumination, and focus, she connects everyday phone habits (zooming, finding good light, tapping to focus) to centuries of scientific practice. Three Flashcards Magnification: How “zooming in” reveals hidden detail, and why that mindset matters in science and daily life. Illumination: How changing the light transforms what you can see, from selfies to specimens. Focus: Why patience and fine-tuning bring true clarity (on your phone and under a lens). Links to Resources ·         Microscope Basics (Britannica): https://www.britannica.com/technology/microscope ·         Illumination & Contrast (Nikon MicroscopyU): https://www.microscopyu.com/techniques ·         Optics Primer: Lenses & Light (HyperPhysics): http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/geoopt/lenscon.html 🔗 Explore more on our website: mathsciencehistory.com 📚 To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit https://a.co/d/g3OuP9h 🌍 Let’s Connect! Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mathsciencehistory.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/math.science.history Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mathsciencehistory  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/math-science-history/  Threads: https://www.threads.com/@math.science.history  YouTube: Math! Science! History! - YouTube Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mathsciencehistory  🎧 Enjoying the Podcast? ☕ Support the Show: Coffee!! PayPal 🌟 Leave a review! It helps more people discover the show!📢 Share this episode with friends & fellow history buffs!🔔 Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform 🛍 Check out our merch: https://www.mathsciencehistory.com/the-store 🎵 Music: All music is public domain and has no Copyright and no rights reserved. On Matters of Consequence from The Little Prince by Lloyd Rodgers Until next time, carpe diem!

First crafted in the late 16th century, the microscope forever changed science by revealing worlds hidden from the naked eye. In this special repost from 2020, Gabrielle takes you through centuries of innovation—from glass lenses to high-tech marvels—and explores how this transformative tool shaped medicine, biology, and our understanding of life itself. Three key topics The origins of the microscope, including its earliest inventors and the coining of its name in 1625. How microscopes evolved from simple lenses to electron and cryo-electron imaging. The ways microscopes continue to impact scientific discovery today. Links to Resources Luke Jerram’s Glass Microbe Sculptures: https://www.lukejerram.com/ National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases – COVID-19 Images: https://www.niaid.nih.gov/news-events/novel-coronavirus-sarscov2-images History of Microscopy – Encyclopedia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/technology/microscope Explore more on our website: mathsciencehistory.com To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit https://a.co/d/g3OuP9h   🌍 Let’s Connect! Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mathsciencehistory.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/math.science.history Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mathsciencehistory  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/math-science-history/  Threads: https://www.threads.com/@math.science.history  YouTube: Math! Science! History! - YouTube Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mathsciencehistory  🎧 Enjoying the Podcast? ☕ Support the Show: Coffee!! PayPal Leave a review! It helps more people discover the show! Share this episode with friends & fellow history buffs! Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform Check out our merch: https://www.mathsciencehistory.com/the-store 🎵 Music: All music is public domain and has no Copyright and no rights reserved. Selections from The Little Prince by Lloyd Rodgers Until next time, carpe diem!

In this episode of Math! Science! History!, we explore the ethics of exploration through three lenses: the protests over modern overtourism, the historical insights of early scientific explorers, and the fictional moral compass of Star Trek’s Prime Directive. From 18th-century expeditions to the 23rd-century starship Enterprise, we examine how curiosity, respect, and humility can guide how we move through the world, whether on cobblestone streets or alien worlds. Three Things Listeners Will Learn The origins and real-world inspiration behind Star Trek’s Prime Directive. How early scientific explorers approached discovery with respect for cultures and environments. Practical ways to travel ethically in an age of overtourism. Links to Resources Louvre Museum staff strike over overcrowding: Louvre shut down by spontaneous staff strike over 'untenable' working conditions Venice overtourism measures: Venice Doubles Last-Minute 'Tourist Tax' ,  Other Cities Watch Closely - Business Insider Star Trek “The Return of the Archons” episode summary: The Return of the Archons (episode) | Memory Alpha | Fandom Star Trek Prime Directive overview: https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Prime_Directive Explore more on our website: mathsciencehistory.com To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit https://a.co/d/g3OuP9h 🎧 Enjoying the Podcast? ☕ Support the Show: Coffee!! PayPal 🌟 Leave a review! It helps more people discover the show!📢 Share this episode with friends & fellow history buffs!🔔 Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform 🌍 Let’s Connect! Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mathsciencehistory.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/math.science.history Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mathsciencehistory  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/math-science-history/  Threads: https://www.threads.com/@math.science.history  YouTube: Math! Science! History! - YouTube Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mathsciencehistory  🛍 Check out our merch: https://www.mathsciencehistory.com/the-store 🎵 Music: All music is public domain and has no Copyright and no rights reserved. Selections from The Little Prince by Lloyd Rodgers Until next time, carpe diem!

This episode bridges the ancient and the cutting-edge, tracing the legacy of 7th-century mathematician Brahmagupta, who formalized the concept of zero, to today’s quantum computing revolution. We explore how his foundational work in numerical systems underpins binary logic and, ultimately, the qubits powering modern quantum processors like Microsoft’s Majorana 1 and Google’s Willow. From historical insight to the promise of quantum-driven solutions for climate change, medicine, and cybersecurity, this episode is a testament to how human innovation builds across centuries. The key points include How Brahmagupta’s introduction of zero and rules for numbers shaped the foundation of binary and quantum logic. The latest breakthroughs in quantum computing, including Microsoft’s Majorana 1 and Google’s Willow processor. Why quantum computing could transform fields from medicine and climate modeling to global logistics and encryption. 🏛 Links & Resources: ·  Microsoft unveils Majorana 1 chip ·  Google’s Willow Processor Overview ·  History of Brahmagupta 🔗 Explore more on our website: mathsciencehistory.com 📚 To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit https://a.co/d/g3OuP9h  🌍 Let’s Connect! Website: mathsciencehistory.com Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mathsciencehistory.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/math.science.history 🎧 Enjoying the Podcast? If you love Math, Science, History, here’s how you can help:🌟 Leave a review! It helps more people discover the show!📢 Share this episode with friends & fellow history buffs!🔔 Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform ☕ Support the Show: Coffee!! PayPal 🛍 Checking out our merch: https://www.mathsciencehistory.com/the-store 🎵 Music: All music is public domain and has no Copyright and no rights reserved. Selections from The Little Prince by Lloyd Rodgers Until next time, carpe diem!!

Construction noise outside Gabrielle’s studio becomes the perfect backdrop to this week’s Flashcard Friday episode. From ancient geometry and Pythagorean ropes to Brunelleschi’s Renaissance dome and today’s AI-assisted architecture, this episode explores how math and science have always been at the heart of building human civilization. Whether it's the silent symmetry of Islamic domes or the loud clatter of skyscrapers rising, construction is the sound of applied mathematics — past and present. Three take-aways: How ancient builders used geometry, Pythagorean triples, and astronomy to align massive structures like the pyramids. The mathematical innovations behind historical architectural marvels like Brunelleschi’s dome and the Roman Pantheon. How modern construction relies on physics, calculus, AI, and computer simulations — and what those sounds mean today. Explore more on our website: mathsciencehistory.com To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit https://a.co/d/g3OuP9h  Let’s Connect! Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mathsciencehistory.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/math.science.history Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mathsciencehistory  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/math-science-history/  Threads: https://www.threads.com/@math.science.history  YouTube: Math! Science! History! - YouTube Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mathsciencehistory  Enjoying the Podcast? If you love Math, Science, History, here’s how you can help:Leave a review! It helps more people discover the show!Share this episode with friends & fellow history buffs!Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform ☕ Support the Show: Coffee!! PayPal Check out our merch: https://www.mathsciencehistory.com/the-store 🎵 Music: All music is public domain and has no Copyright and no rights reserved. Selections from The Little Prince by Lloyd Rodgers

In this episode of Math! Science! History!, Gabrielle explores the unexpected origin story of the word scientist. It all started with Mary Somerville’s 1834 book On the Connexion of the Physical Sciences, which sparked a humorous yet historic review by William Whewell. From ridicule to resistance, the term evolved amid fierce linguistic debate, public mockery, and eventual global adoption. Discover how one word came to define a profession, and why that battle still matters today. Key topics: The origin of the word "scientist," and why it was initially mocked by 19th-century intellectuals. How Mary Somerville’s work unified the physical sciences and inspired a linguistic revolution. Why scientists still face resistance, and why naming, truth, and peer-reviewed research matter more than ever. Primary Resources & Recommended Reading: Ross, Sydney. “Scientist: The Story of a Word.” Annals of Science, Vol. 18, No. 2, June 1964. Mary Somerville, On the Connexion of the Physical Sciences (1834). On the Connexion of the Physical Sciences by Mary Somerville | Project Gutenberg William Whewell, The Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences (1840) 🔗 Explore more on our website: mathsciencehistory.com 📚 To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit https://a.co/d/g3OuP9h 🌍 Let’s Connect! Website: mathsciencehistory.com Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mathsciencehistory.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/math.science.history 🎧 Enjoying the Podcast? If you love Math, Science, History, here’s how you can help:🌟 Leave a review – It helps more people discover the show!📢 Share this episode with friends & fellow history buffs!🔔 Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform ☕ Support the Show If you’d like to support Math, Science, History, consider:🛍 Checking out our merch: https://www.mathsciencehistory.com/the-store 🎙 Sponsored By: Coffee!! https://shorturl.at/bHIsc 🎵 Music: All music is public domain and has no Copyright and no rights reserved. Selections from The Little Prince by Lloyd Rodgers Until next time, carpe diem!

On this Flashcards Friday episode, Gabrielle serves up a tasty blend of chemistry, humor, and history. Coinciding with National Avocado Day, this episode dives into the life and legacy of Amedeo Avogadro, the 19th-century chemist behind the foundational theorem of gas volumes, and how his name unexpectedly became linked with everyone's favorite green fruit. From moles to molecules to memes, Gabrielle brings the science home, one chip at a time. 🌱 3 Things You'll Learn in This Episode: 1. Who Amedeo Avogadro was and what his theorem states about gas volumes. 2. How the mole (6.022 × 10²³) became a central concept in chemistry. 3. Why Avogadro’s legacy lives on in both labs and lunchrooms (thanks to Avocado Day puns!). 🔗 Resources Mentioned: National Avocado Day Info – National Today Avogadro’s Law – LibreTexts History of the Mole Concept – American Chemical Society  🔗 Explore more on our website: mathsciencehistory.com 📚 To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit https://a.co/d/g3OuP9h 🌍 Let’s Connect! Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mathsciencehistory.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/math.science.history Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mathsciencehistory  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/math-science-history/  Threads: https://www.threads.com/@math.science.history  YouTube: Math! Science! History! - YouTube Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mathsciencehistory  🎧 Enjoying the Podcast? If you love Math, Science, History, here’s how you can help:🌟 Leave a review! It helps more people discover the show!📢 Share this episode with friends & fellow history buffs!🔔 Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform ☕ Support the Show: Coffee!! PayPal 🛍 Check out our merch: https://www.mathsciencehistory.com/the-store 🎵 Music: All music is public domain and has no Copyright and no rights reserved. Selections from The Little Prince by Lloyd Rodgers Until next time, carpe diem!

Lise Meitner changed the world, and the world nearly forgot her. In this episode of Math! Science! History!, Gabrielle Birchak explores Meitner’s brilliant mind, her escape from Nazi Germany, her critical role in discovering nuclear fission, and why the Nobel Committee turned a blind eye. Join us as we honor a scientist who refused to let science become a weapon. 3 Things Listeners Will Learn: Why Lise Meitner was central to the discovery of nuclear fission, and how her contribution was overlooked by the Nobel Committee. How the rise of Nazi Germany forced her to flee her lab and live as a stateless refugee. Why Meitner refused to join the Manhattan Project and what that choice cost her legacy. Links to Resources: Some of the following resources contain affiliate links, which I may receive compensation at no cost to you. Ruth Lewin Sime’s biography: Lise Meitner: A Life in Physics Original 1939 paper by Meitner and Frisch: “Disintegration of Uranium by Neutrons” (Nature) Physics Today: A Nobel Tale of Postwar Injustice Max Planck Society's profile on Meitner: Lise Meitner Archives 🔗 Explore more on our website: mathsciencehistory.com 📚 To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit https://a.co/d/g3OuP9h 🌍 Let’s Connect! Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mathsciencehistory.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/math.science.history Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mathsciencehistory  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/math-science-history/  Threads: https://www.threads.com/@math.science.history  YouTube: Math! Science! History! - YouTube Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mathsciencehistory  🎧 Enjoying the Podcast? If you love Math, Science, History, here’s how you can help:🌟 Leave a review! It helps more people discover the show!📢 Share this episode with friends & fellow history buffs!🔔 Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform ☕ Support the Show: Coffee!! PayPal 🛍 Check out our merch: https://www.mathsciencehistory.com/the-store 🎵 Music: All music is public domain and has no Copyright and no rights reserved. Selections from The Little Prince by Lloyd RodgersSmooth Piano for Documentaries, Universfield, Free Music Archive, CC by 4.0 Hopeful, Maarten Schellekens, Free Music Archive, CC by 4.0Mourning Song, Kevin MacLeod, Free Music Archive, CC by 4.0 Snowflakes Falling - Warren City, MI - Winter Snow Storm 1-25-23 at 1:20pm by Ambient-X -- https://freesound.org/s/671357/ -- License: Attribution 4.0Walk snow and pond forage.WAV by donhill -- https://freesound.org/s/255672/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Until next time, carpe diem!

In this Flashcard Friday episode of Math, Science, History, host Gabrielle Birchak takes you into the steamy jungles of the 19th-century Malay Archipelago, where a fever-stricken explorer had a revelation that would change biology forever. Meet Alfred Russel Wallace, the naturalist whose fieldwork and tropical travels led to the theory of natural selection, at the same time as Darwin. From his challenging journey to his humility in the face of discovery, Wallace’s story reminds us that science doesn’t always happen in a lab. It sometimes happens in a mosquito-filled hut, guided by sheer determination and a passion for nature. Do you know?!  - How Alfred Russel Wallace independently developed the theory of natural selection during his expedition? - The significance of the "Wallace Line" and its impact on biogeography? - Why Wallace’s collaboration with Darwin remains a model of scientific integrity and humility? Resources: The Malay Archipelago by Alfred Russel Wallace on Project Gutenberg Short Documentary on Wallace's Life (NHM London) Visit us! Explore more on our website: mathsciencehistory.com To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit https://a.co/d/g3OuP9h 🌍 Let’s Connect! Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mathsciencehistory.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/math.science.history Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mathsciencehistory  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/math-science-history/  Threads: https://www.threads.com/@math.science.history  YouTube: Math! Science! History! - YouTube Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mathsciencehistory  🎧 Enjoying the Podcast? If you love Math, Science, History, here’s how you can help:🌟 Leave a review! It helps more people discover the show!📢 Share this episode with friends & fellow history buffs!🔔 Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform ☕ Support the Show: Coffee!! PayPal 🛍 Check out our merch: https://www.mathsciencehistory.com/the-store 🎵 Music: All music is public domain and has no Copyright and no rights reserved. Selections from The Little Prince by Lloyd Rodgers Until next time, carpe diem!

In this special podcast swap episode, Math Science History teams up with History Daily to bring you one of the most enduring mysteries in modern folklore — the legend of the Loch Ness Monster. From ancient Scottish lore to one of the most infamous photographic hoaxes of the 20th century, this captivating narrative blends history, myth, and media manipulation. Gabrielle Birchak, host of Math Science History, also shares a brief reflection on Hypatia of Alexandria and her latest book Hypatia, The Sum of Her Life, now available on Amazon. Enjoy this rich collaboration with History Daily, and discover how a blend of mystery, myth, and media shaped the global fascination with Nessie. Three things you will learn: 1. How a 1933 eyewitness account sparked worldwide interest in the Loch Ness Monster. 2. The shocking truth behind the famous “Surgeon’s Photograph” and the man who staged it. 3. How hoaxes, headlines, and history intersected to build a lasting legend. Resources & Links: Listen to History Daily on your favorite podcast platform. History Daily on Apple History Daily on Spotify History Daily is a coproduction of Airship and Noiser Explore more on our website: mathsciencehistory.com To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit https://a.co/d/g3OuP9h   🌍 Let’s Connect! Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mathsciencehistory.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/math.science.history Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mathsciencehistory  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/math-science-history/  Threads: https://www.threads.com/@math.science.history  YouTube: Math! Science! History! - YouTube Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mathsciencehistory  🎧 Enjoying the Podcast? If you love Math, Science, History, here’s how you can help:🌟 Leave a review! It helps more people discover the show!📢 Share this episode with friends & fellow history buffs!🔔 Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform ☕ Support the Show: Coffee!! PayPal 🛍 Checking out our merch: https://www.mathsciencehistory.com/the-store 🎵 Music: All music is public domain and has no Copyright and no rights reserved. Selections from The Little Prince by Lloyd Rodgers Until next time, carpe diem!  

In this episode of Math! Science! History! we take a walk through the Scottish Highlands with Peter Higgs, figuratively and historically, to uncover the quiet moment in 1964 when a simple hike sparked a revolutionary idea in physics. Discover how the weak nuclear force and electromagnetism are deeply connected by symmetry, why mass was such a mystery to physicists in the 20th century, and how the Higgs field changed everything. From the elegance of theoretical predictions to the drama of the 48-year search for the Higgs boson, this story is not just about particles, it's about patience, creativity, and discovery. 3 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode: How symmetry connects the weak nuclear force to electromagnetism and why that connection broke down. What the Higgs field is and how it gives mass to particles like W and Z bosons. Why Peter Higgs's quiet walk in the mountains became one of the most important moments in modern physics. Resources & References: CERN: The Higgs boson: What makes it special? University of Edinburgh: Brief History of the Higgs Mechanism Physics World: Peter Higgs on CERN and his career Retrospect Journal: The Peter Higgs Plaque and Its Background 🔗 Explore more on our website: mathsciencehistory.com 📚 To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit https://a.co/d/g3OuP9h 🌍 Let’s Connect! Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mathsciencehistory.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/math.science.history Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mathsciencehistory  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/math-science-history/  Threads: https://www.threads.com/@math.science.history  YouTube: Math! Science! History! - YouTube Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mathsciencehistory  🎧 Enjoying the Podcast? If you love Math, Science, History, here’s how you can help:🌟 Leave a review! It helps more people discover the show!📢 Share this episode with friends & fellow history buffs!🔔 Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform ☕ Support the Show: Coffee!! PayPal 🛍 Checking out our merch: https://www.mathsciencehistory.com/the-store 🎵 Music: All music is public domain and has no Copyright and no rights reserved. Selections from The Little Prince by Lloyd Rodgers  🎵 Audio Editor: Podcast mixed by David Aviles Until next time, carpe diem!  

✈️ Episode Overview Have you ever searched for a flight, left the tab open, and then gasped when the price jumped just a few hours later? In this Flashcards Friday episode of Math! Science! History!, Gabrielle Birchak explores the mystery behind fluctuating airline prices—and reveals that it’s not magic, but a powerful blend of mathematics, algorithms, behavioral psychology, and dynamic pricing strategies. From fare buckets and revenue management to the cookies on your browser, Gabrielle breaks down how airlines control pricing and what you can do to outsmart the system and save money.   🎓 3 Things You'll Learn in This Episode - How airline pricing algorithms use math and historical data to determine real-time ticket prices. - Why flight prices often increase after multiple searches and how your browser behavior influences fares. - Proven strategies and tools for booking smarter and avoiding price spikes.   🔗 Resources Mentioned Google Flights – Great for tracking price history and alerts Hopper – App that predicts the best times to buy flights Skyscanner – Fare comparison across airlines and booking sites ITA Matrix Airfare Search – Advanced search tool used by travel agents The Discipline of Revenue Management – For those interested in the math and economics behind pricing algorithms   🔗 Explore more on our website: mathsciencehistory.com 📚 To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit https://a.co/d/g3OuP9h 🌍 Let’s Connect! Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mathsciencehistory.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/math.science.history Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mathsciencehistory  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/math-science-history/  Threads: https://www.threads.com/@math.science.history  YouTube: Math! Science! History! - YouTube Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mathsciencehistory  🎧 Enjoying the Podcast? If you love Math, Science, History, here’s how you can help:🌟 Leave a review! It helps more people discover the show!📢 Share this episode with friends & fellow history buffs!🔔 Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform ☕ Support the Show: Coffee!! PayPal 🛍 Check out our merch: https://www.mathsciencehistory.com/the-store 🎵 Music: All music is public domain and has no Copyright and no rights reserved. Selections from The Little Prince by Lloyd Rodgers Until next time, carpe diem!

Episode Overview: What do black holes, a teenage genius, and a long ocean voyage have in common? In this Flashcard Friday episode of Math, Science, History, Gabrielle tells the incredible story of Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, who, at just 19 years old, sailed from India to England and made a discovery that would transform astrophysics forever. Armed only with a notebook and fresh ideas from quantum mechanics, Chandrasekhar calculated the limit of stellar collapse, now called the Chandrasekhar Limit, which revealed when a star collapses into a black hole. This isn't just a story about equations; it's a story about persistence, quiet genius, and the power of taking a break. 3 Things You'll Learn in This Episode: 1. What the Chandrasekhar Limit is and why it's essential for understanding black holes 2. How quantum mechanics, relativity, and statistical math came together to predict the death of stars 3. Why slowing down and giving your mind time to wander can lead to world-changing discoveries Resources: NASA: Black Holes Explained Biography of Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar – NobelPrize.org A. S. Eddington and Chandrasekhar Controversy – arXiv Chandrasekhar’s Original 1931 Paper (PDF) Explore more on our website: mathsciencehistory.com To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit https://a.co/d/g3OuP9h Let’s Connect! www.Instagram.com/math.science.history https://bsky.app/profile/mathsciencehistory.bsky.social https://www.linkedin.com/company/math-science-history/ https://www.threads.com/@math.science.history Enjoying the Podcast? If you love Math, Science, History, here’s how you can help: Leave a review – It helps more people discover the show! Share this episode with friends & fellow history buffs! Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform ☕ Support the Show! We are sponsored by Coffee!! PayPal Checking out our merch: https://www.mathsciencehistory.com/the-store Music: All music is public domain and has no Copyright and no rights reserved. On Matters of Consequence from The Little Prince by Lloyd Rodgers Until next time, carpe diem!