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Breaking Math Podcast

Breaking Math Podcast

Gabriel Hesch and Autumn Phaneuf

1 Creator

1 Creator

Hosted by Gabriel Hesch and Autumn Phaneuf, who have advanced degrees in electrical engineering and industrial engineering/operations research respectively, come together to discuss mathematics as a pure field all in its own as well as how it describes the language of science, engineering, and even creativity.
Breaking Math brings you the absolute best in interdisciplinary science discussions - bringing together experts in varying fields including artificial intelligence, neuroscience, evolutionary biology, physics, chemistry and materials-science, and more - to discuss where humanity is headed.

website: breakingmath.io

linktree: linktree.com/breakingmathmedia

email: [email protected]

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Top 10 Breaking Math Podcast Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Breaking Math Podcast episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Breaking Math Podcast for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Breaking Math Podcast episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Breaking Math Podcast - 42: Maybe? (Probability and Statistics)
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08/15/19 • 32 min

Statistics is a field that is considered boring by a lot of people, including a huge amount of mathematicians. This may be because the history of statistics starts in a sort of humdrum way: collecting information on the population for use by the state. However, it has blossomed into a beautiful field with its fundamental roots in measure theory, and with some very interesting properties. So what is statistics? What is Bayes' theorem? And what are the differences between the frequentist and Bayesian approaches to a problem?

Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (creativecommons.org)

Ways to support the show:

Patreon Become a monthly supporter at patreon.com/breakingmath

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Breaking Math Podcast - 90. LEAN Theorem Provers used to model Physics and Chemistry
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03/16/24 • 47 min

This episode is inspired by a correspondence the Breaking Math Podcast had with the editors of Digital Discovery, a journal by the Royal Society of Chemistry. In this episode the hosts review a paper about how the Lean Interactive Theorem Prover, which is usually used as a tool in creating mathemtics proofs, can be used to create rigorous and robust models in physics and chemistry.

Also - we have a brand new member of the Breaking Math Team! This episode is the debut episode for Autumn, CEO of Cosmo Labs, occasional co-host / host of the Breaking Math Podcast, and overall contributor who has been working behind the scenes on the podcast on branding and content for the last several months. Welcome Autumn!

Autumn and Gabe discuss how the paper explores the use of interactive theorem provers to ensure the accuracy of scientific theories and make them machine-readable. The episode discusses the limitations and potential of interactive theorem provers and highlights the themes of precision and formal verification in scientific knowledge. This episode also provide resources (listed below) for listeners interested in learning more about working with the LEAN interactive theorem prover.

Takeaways

  • Interactive theorem provers can revolutionize the way scientific theories are formulated and verified, ensuring mathematical certainty and minimizing errors.
  • Interactive theorem provers require a high level of mathematical knowledge and may not be accessible to all scientists and engineers.
  • Formal verification using interactive theorem provers can eliminate human error and hidden assumptions, leading to more confident and reliable scientific findings.
  • Interactive theorem provers promote clear communication and collaboration across disciplines by forcing explicit definitions and minimizing ambiguities in scientific language. Lean Theorem Provers enable scientists to construct modular and reusable proofs, accelerating the pace of knowledge acquisition.
  • Formal verification presents challenges in terms of transforming informal proofs into a formal language and bridging the reality gap.
  • Integration of theorem provers and machine learning has the potential to enhance creativity, verification, and usefulness of machine learning models.
  • The limitations and variables in formal verification require rigorous validation against experimental data to ensure real-world accuracy.
  • Lean Theorem Provers have the potential to provide unwavering trust, accelerate innovation, and increase accessibility in scientific research.
  • AI as a scientific partner can automate the formalization of informal theories and suggest new conjectures, revolutionizing scientific exploration.
  • The impact of Lean Theorem Provers on humanity includes a shift in scientific validity, rapid scientific breakthroughs, and democratization of science.

Help Support The Podcast by clicking on the links below:

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Breaking Math Podcast - 50: Episode 101 (Bases)

50: Episode 101 (Bases)

Breaking Math Podcast

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08/31/20 • 45 min

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Breaking Math Podcast - Why Machines Learn: The Math Behind AI
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07/16/24 • 40 min

In this episode Autumn and Anil Ananthaswamy discuss the inspiration behind his book “Why Machines Learn” and the importance of understanding the math behind machine learning. He explains that the book aims to convey the beauty and essential concepts of machine learning through storytelling, history, sociology, and mathematics. Anil emphasizes the need for society to become gatekeepers of AI by understanding the mathematical basis of machine learning. He also explores the history of machine learning, including the development of neural networks, support vector machines, and kernel methods. Anil highlights the significance of the backpropagation algorithm and the universal approximation theorem in the resurgence of neural networks.

Keywords: machine learning, math, inspiration, storytelling, history, sociology, gatekeepers, neural networks, support vector machines, kernel methods, backpropagation algorithm, universal approximation theorem, AI, ML, physics, mathematics, science

You can find Anil Ananthaswamy on Twitter @anilananth and his new book “Why Machines Learn
Subscribe to Breaking Math wherever you get your podcasts.

Become a patron of Breaking Math for as little as a buck a month

Follow Breaking Math on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Website, YouTube, TikTok

Follow Autumn on Twitter and Instagram

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email: [email protected]

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Breaking Math Podcast - Rerun of 40: Save the Date (Calendrical Math)
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11/24/21 • 29 min

This is a rerun of an episode we did in 2019. It's about calendrical

A calendar is a system of dividing up time into manageable chunks so that we can reference how long ago something happened, agree on times to do things in the future, and generally just have a sense of reckoning time. This can be as simple as recognizing the seasons of the year, as arcane as the Roman Republican calendar, or as accurate as atomic clocks. So what are the origins of calendars? What is intercalation? And when is Easter?

This episode is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike-NonCommercial 4.0 International license. For more information, visit CreativeCommons.org.

[Featuring: Sofía Baca; Matt Barbeto]

--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/breakingmathpodcast/support
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Summary: The episode discusses the 10,000 year dilemma, which is a thought experiment on how to deal with nuclear waste in the future. Today's episode is hosted by guest host David Gibson, who is the founder of the Ray Kitty Creation Workshop. (Find out more about the Ray Kitty Creation Workshop by clicking here).

Gabriel and Autumn are out this week, but will be returning in short order with 3 separate interviews with authors of some fantastic popular science and math books including:

  • The Gravity of Math: How Geometry Rules the Universe by Dr. Shing-Tung Yau and Steve Nadis. This book is all about the history of our understanding of gravity from the theories of Isaac Newton to Albert Einstein and beyond, including gravitational waves, black holes, as well as some of the current uncertainties regarding a precise definition of mass. On sale now!
  • EVERYTHING IS PREDICTABLE: How Bayesian Statistics Explain Our World by Tom Chivers. Published by Simon and Schuster. This book explains the importance of Baye's Theorem in helping us to understand why highly accurate screening tests can lead to false positives, a phenomenon we saw during the Covid-19 pandemic; How a failure to account for Bayes’ Theorem has put innocent people in jail; How military strategists using the theorem can predict where an enemy will strike next, and how Baye's Theorem is helping us to understang machine learning processes - a critical skillset to have in the 21st century.
    Available 05/07/2024
  • A CITY ON MARS: Can we settle space, should we settle space, and have we really thought this through? by authors Dr. Kelly and Zach Weinersmith. Zach Weinersmith is the artist and creator of the famous cartoon strip Saturday Morning Breaking Cereal!
    We've got a lot of great episodes coming up! Stay tuned.
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Breaking Math Podcast - Math in Drag:  An Episode with Math Educator Kyne Santos
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06/04/24 • 27 min

In this conversation, Gabriel Hesch interviews Kyne Santos, an online creator who combines art, music, and performance in math education. They discuss the intersection of math and music, the controversy surrounding math and drag, and the creative side of math. They also explore topics such as topology, mathematical shapes, and influential books in math. The conversation highlights the importance of challenging traditional definitions and finding new and innovative ways to engage with math education.

Takeaways

  • Math and music have a strong connection, and math can be used to analyze, manipulate, and create music.
  • Combining art and math education can make learning math more engaging and fun.
  • Topology is a branch of mathematics that relaxes the rigid terms used in geometry and focuses on the similarities and differences between shapes.
  • Mathematical discoveries can come from playing around and exploring different possibilities.
  • Challenging traditional definitions and thinking creatively are important aspects of math education.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction: Best Song Ever Created

02:03 Introduction of Guest: Kyne Santos

03:00 Math and Drag: Combining Art and Math Education

07:45 Addressing Controversy: Math and Drag

08:15 Music and Math: The Intersection

09:14 Mathematical Shapes: Mobius Strip

10:10 Topology vs Geometry

13:01 Holes and Topology

15:14 Topology and Thought Experiments

21:13 Aperiodic Monotiles: New Math Discovery

23:02 New Shapes and Descriptive Rules

25:26 Influential Books: The Quantum Story and Incomplete Nature

27:01 Conclusion and Next Episode Preview

Subscribe to Breaking Math wherever you get your podcasts.

Become a patron of Breaking Math for as little as a buck a month

Follow Breaking Math on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Website

Follow Autumn on Twitter and Instagram

Folllow Gabe on Twitter.

email: [email protected]

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Breaking Math Podcast - Can We Survive on Mars? Hot Tips with Zach Weinersmith
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05/21/24 • 32 min

In this conversation, Autumn Phaneuf and Zach Weinersmith discusses his new book, A City on Mars, which takes a humorous look at the challenges of building a Martian society. He explores the misconceptions and myths surrounding space settlement and the feasibility of colonizing Mars. He argues that space is unlikely to make anyone rich and that the idea that space will mitigate war is unsupported. He also discusses the potential benefits and limitations of settling on the Moon and Mars, as well as the technical challenges involved.

Follow Zach Weinersmith on his website and Twitter

Subscribe to Breaking Math wherever you get your podcasts.

Become a patron of Breaking Math for as little as a buck a month

Follow Breaking Math on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Website

Follow Autumn on Twitter and Instagram

Folllow Gabe on Twitter.

email: [email protected]

A City on Mars, space settlement, Mars colonization, misconceptions, myths, feasibility, space myths, space economics, war, Moon settlement, technical challenges, logistics, math.

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FAQ

How many episodes does Breaking Math Podcast have?

Breaking Math Podcast currently has 164 episodes available.

What topics does Breaking Math Podcast cover?

The podcast is about Blockchain, Computer Science, Linguistics, Web3, Mathematics, Astrophysics, Neuroscience, Chemistry, Podcasts, Technology, Science, Physics, Nerdy, Math, Machine Learning and Biology.

What is the most popular episode on Breaking Math Podcast?

The episode title '42: Maybe? (Probability and Statistics)' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Breaking Math Podcast?

The average episode length on Breaking Math Podcast is 40 minutes.

How often are episodes of Breaking Math Podcast released?

Episodes of Breaking Math Podcast are typically released every 10 days, 6 hours.

When was the first episode of Breaking Math Podcast?

The first episode of Breaking Math Podcast was released on Feb 7, 2017.

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