A Problem Squared

🪙 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=BstloCx8KDk You can see more on the “Number of banknotes/coins returned from circulation in Euro Area, Euro area (changing composition), Monthly” here: https://data.ecb.europa.eu/data/datasets/BKN/BKN.M.U2.RE10.C.20P0.AS.F.E And, Wiki Sources: “2 euro commemorative coins” on good old Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2_euro_commemorative_coins As always, send your problems and solutions to our website: www.aproblemsquared.com. And, if you want more from A Problem Squared, you can also find us on Twitter, Instagram, Discord and on Patreon.

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-428671 And for more cake from around the world, look no further than this infographic: https://i.imgur.com/lhhotIE.png Here’s the Ben Eater video referenced by Matt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRlSFm519Bo And the fascinating paper about time perception and its illusions: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2866156/ Please do send us your problems and solutions to the website: www.aproblemsquared.com If you want more from A Problem Squared, you can also find us on Twitter, Instagram, Discord and on Patreon.

🌒 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 Guzman about animal consciousness referenced by Bec, you can do that here: https://news.uchicago.edu/do-animals-dream-david-m-pena-guzman. Videos of Sky potentially dreaming will be on social media. Tell us what you think? Do dogs dream?  And, if you want more from A Problem Squared, you can also find us on Twitter, Instagram, Discord and on Patreon.

🔔🚨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 bonus podcast I'm A Wizard. 🪄A latter and very silly episode of I'm A Wizard. We HOPE this is a good solution to our emergency problem, but only you, the listener, can give us that ding. And if you'd like to hear more from the Wizards, you can join up on Patreon and give as little or as much as you like. Thanks everyone!

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 weeks at the Cockpit Theatre in Marylebone, London. There’s going to be a mathssive (get it) Evening of Unnecessary Detail Extravaganza show at the Bristol Beacon on the 12th March.Find details for those here: https://festivalofthespokennerd.com/tickets/. If you want more from A Problem Squared, you can also find us on Twitter, Instagram, Discord and on Patreon.

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/@standupmaths An Evening of Unnecessary Detail is BACK IN NEW YORK! On the 14th of April, at The Bell House in Brooklyn from 7:30pm!  You can get tickets for that here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/matt-parker-an-evening-of-unnecessary-detail-tickets-847453715877?aff=oddtdtcreator Ever wanted to know the answer to whether ALL Japanese snacks scale with the packaging imagery? Well now you can, on Bec’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-roi6FdISY&ab_channel=BecHill GO SEE BEC! She’s playing in Reading and Louth in April. You can find the dates for that, here: https://www.bechillcomedian.com/tour-gigs YOU CAN PRE-ORDER MATT’S NEW BOOK ‘Love Triangle’ NOW!  For a signed, but full priced copy with a special dust jacket follow this link: https://mathsgear.co.uk/products/love-triangle-by-matt-parker-signed Or for 21% off your pre-order, follow this link to Waterstones: https://tinyurl.com/2fdjnwwz As always, please send your problems and solutions to the Problem Solving Page, here: www.aproblemsquared.com. If you want more from A Problem Squared, you can also find us on Twitter, Instagram, Discord and on Patreon.

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.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 weeks at the Cockpit Theatre in Marylebone, London. There’s going to be a mathssive (get it) Evening of Unnecessary Detail Extravaganza show at the Bristol Beacon on the 12th March. Find details for those here: https://festivalofthespokennerd.com/tickets/ If you want more from A Problem Squared, you can also find us on Twitter, Instagram, Discord and on Patreon.

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 has officially HIT 2 MILLION! Tell us how you think we should celebrate.  As always you can send your problems and your solutions into the Problem Posing Page: www.aproblemsquared.com. If you want more from A Problem Squared, you can also find us on Twitter, Instagram, Discord and of course, on Patreon.

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.com If you want more from A Problem Squared, you can also find us on Twitter, Instagram, Discord and of course, on Patreon.

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, please head on over to ⁠Twitter⁠ or ⁠Patreon⁠.  Here are Bec's podcast recommendations: - Science Vs: https://gimletmedia.com/shows/science-vs - A Podcast of Unnecessary Detail: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/a-podcast-of-unnecessary-detail/id1441973787 - Swindled: https://swindledpodcast.com/ - Decoder Ring: https://slate.com/podcasts/decoder-ring - And of course, her own brand new podcast 'Enemy In Paris': https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/enemy-in-paris/id1720149980 As always, send us your general problems and solutions to the website: www.aproblemsquared.com. If you want more from A Problem Squared, you can also find us on Instagram and Discord.

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 friends as guest acts. Come and say hi! Matt will sign your calculator. Bec will also sign your calculator - right across the top of Matt's signature. If you want to go to that, you can get your tickets here now: https://www.flapperscomedy.com/shows/an-evening-of-unnecessary-detail/72865/ As always, send us your general problems and solutions to the website: www.aproblemsquared.com If you want more from A Problem Squared, you can find us on Twitter, Instagram, Discord and of course, on Patreon.

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/mrymvb29 And if you'd like to see the Aunty Donna sketch showing how not to explain a table top game to a new player, look no further: http://tinyurl.com/574m6m98 To watch campaigns played by Questing Time follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/c/questingtime For the Dragon Friends Podcast: https://thedragonfriends.com And for the Harmontown Podcast: https://www.harmontown.com/category/podcasts/ IF you’ve got any LA based problems, please do send them in to the Problem Solving Page: https://tinyurl.com/2s2x7az4 We'll be announcing the venue for a Podcast of Unnecessary Detailonce a venue has been found. And if you’d like to receive a belated, but signed Christmas card you can still sign up to Wizard Support on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/aproblemsquared/membership (You’ll get a digital version too!) As always, send us your general problems and solutions to the website: www.aproblemsquared.com If you want more from A Problem Squared, you can find us on Twitter, Instagram, and of course, on Patreon.

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/pt4WsfhMCY You too can make your computer talk! Here's a link to the Praat vowel software Matt was using at the start of today’s Dinglet: https://www.fon.hum.uva.nl/praat/ If you’d like to see the Vowel Space video referenced by Matt follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdldD0-kEcc And for more from linguist and phonetics expert Dr Geoff Lindsay (and with that voice, who wouldn't!) you can do that here: https://www.youtube.com/@DrGeoffLindsey If you know anything about the Apollo 11 flight diagram depicted here: https://tinyurl.com/4wjwcu6c let us know!  As always, send us your problems and solutions to the website: www.aproblemsquared.com If you want more from A Problem Squared, you can find us on Twitter, Instagram, and of course, on Patreon.

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, tell THEM to send in their problems for our kids only episode - coming soon! Don’t forget to tag the problem with the word ‘Kidition’, it’ll help us find it! If you want to commission a cool bum-bag to support a good cause, Bec mentions Second Stitch Melbourne in her dinglett. You can find a link for them here: https://www.secondstitch.org.au/ Please do send us your problems and solutions to the website: www.aproblemsquared.com If you want more from A Problem Squared, find us on Twitter, Instagram, and of course, Patreon.

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==  And if you want to see more from the colour theorist, Peter Donahue, who consulted on Bec's problem, find him on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/art.pete.repeat/?hl=en  For Martin Bellander's incredible colour graph, follow this link: https://blog.martinbellander.com/post/115411125748/the-colors-of-paintings-blue-is-the-new-orange  Please do send us your problems and solutions to the website: aproblemsquared.com.  If you want more from A Problem Squared, find us on Twitter,  Instagram. and of course Patreon.

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 sharing a link to our new Discord soon. In the meantime, go talk on the APS Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/AProblemSquared/  As always, pease send your problems and solutions to our website: aproblemsquared.com.  And if you want more from A Problem Squared, find us on Twitter,  Instagram. and Patreon.

  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 that here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highway_strip and here: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notlandeplatz_auf_Stra%C3%9Fe#Autobahn-Behelfslandepl%C3%A4tze. You can find a selection of highway and Autobahn landings captured on camera here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLj1diDwW8WWUj8vYdlo3kIBUPzxfedn_n You can now subscript to I'm A Wizard on Spotify! If you want to do that, here are instructions on how to integrate Patreon on Spotify on the app: https://support.patreon.com/hc/en-gb/articles/17201706786573-Listen-to-Patreon-exclusive-audios-on-Spotify More news about the Discord is COMING SOON!

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 Ayliean's TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ayliean/video/7276938427071876385   And if you'd like to read the Hat Tile original paper, you can do that here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10798   Here's the APS Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/AProblemSquared/   We'll share our new Discord, which we don't really know how to use yet, once we've got some mods in place so watch this space...   As always, pease send your problems and solutions to our website: aproblemsquared.com.   And if you want more from A Problem Squared, find us on Twitter,  Instagram. and Patreon.

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: aproblemsquared.com. IF you want more from A Problem Squared, find us on Twitter,  Instagram. and Patreon.  

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 Hitchen between the 22nd - 29th September 2023, go see the exhibit for real, at Arkley Fine Art on Hermitage Rd.  More about Arkley here: https://arkleyfineart.co.uk/. If you want to check out more of Sarah Graham’s work you can do that here: https://sarahgraham.info/.  If anyone has any information about the Time Fun jumper, please do send it to the Problem Posing Page!  And finally, please send your problems and solutions to our website: aproblemsquared.com. IF you want more from A Problem Squared, find us on Twitter,  Instagram. and Patreon.