Digits
Digits
James Simenc
A show about numbers and us. Documentary stories about ourselves, our world, our universe--guided by a curiosity for math and numbers.
#6 Cake Envy
Welcome to the world of fair division, a world where your slice of birthday cake is always better than everyone else's.
Jul 5, 2017
30 min
#5 About Schmidt
Entomologist Dr. Justin Schmidt is known as "The King of Sting" for good reason. After decades spent subjecting himself to ant, wasp, and bee stings, the Schmidt Sting Pain Index is the bible of insect stings. Or perhaps it's a connoisseur's guide.
May 16, 2017
42 min
#4 The Dozenalist Manifesto, or Twelve is the New Ten
All of western civilization counts by tens. But what if there was a better way? A way to make basic arithmetic simpler, and multiplication tables easier to memorize? Enter number twelve.
Apr 25, 2017
24 min
#3 The Impossible Marathon, Part 2
The marathon world record stands at 2 hours 2 minutes and 57 seconds. Is it possible for a human to run the race in less than 2 hours flat? Part 2--the Kalenjin, Kenya's super-runners.
Apr 4, 2017
29 min
#2 The Impossible Marathon, Part 1
The marathon world record stands at 2 hours 2 minutes and 57 seconds. Is it possible for a human to run the race in less than 2 hours flat? Part 1--the marathon's surprising history, and how to build the perfect distance runner.
Mar 21, 2017
29 min
#1 The Vote
Maine hasn't elected a new governor with majority support in over 50 years. A 2016 citizen referendum proposes a solution, and a new website brings the power of social choice theory to the people.
Mar 7, 2017
28 min
Welcome to Digits!
A biweekly podcast about numbers and us. Documentary stories about ourselves, our world, our universe—guided by a curiosity for math and numbers. Hosted by James Simenc.
Feb 22, 2017
2 min