British writer and broadcaster
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6 episodes with Alex Bellos
5 episodes with Alex Bellos
3 episodes with Alex Bellos
3 episodes with Alex Bellos
2 episodes with Alex Bellos
2 episodes with Alex Bellos
2 episodes with Alex Bellos
2 episodes with Alex Bellos
El mundo conoce a Colombia como la "Selección Cafetera”.Pero la relación de Brasil con el café va aún más lejos: eludió una prohibición de la FIFA y puso al café en su escudo. Citas: De la plata a la cocaína, Steve Topik; Historia do café, Ana Luiza Martins; Coffee. A global history, Jonathan Morris; The World Atlas of Coffee, James Hoffman; Pelé. Porque el fútbol importa, Brian Winter; Pelé. The autobiography, Alex Bellos; la entrevista a Paulo Cézar Cajú está tomada del documental Pelé (2021), dirigido por Nicholls y Tryhorn Música: Alen Ferreira, Maxi Martínez, Quarteto Novo, Zé da Velha y Silveiro Pontes, Yamandú Costa, Dan Lebowitz, Serge Gainsbourg, Boris Vian, y Serge Reggiani, Uniao Black Gastropolítica es un podcast escrito, narrado y editado por Maxi Guerra. El diseño de portada es de Pablo Corrado. Montevideo, 2024
Common sense? Ain't nothing common about it. Populists - like Donald Trump - love to appeal to 'common sense', while pushing ideas as contentious as they come. But what does Trump get right about how he talks to people about big ideas - and what can everyone else learn from it? And what does all this mean for how to talk about something as complex and polarised as climate change? In this episode I'm joined by Dr Dannagal Young, Professor of Communication and Political Science at the University of Delaware. Danna is the author of 'Wrong: how Media, Politics, and Identity Drive Our Appetite for Misinformation'. We talk about her amazing work on the psychological underpinnings of political tribes, including how much any of us actually like to think about complicated things at all. These new-format episodes take a long time to record, script, and edit. If you like it - that'll make me happy. Let me know your thoughts on the show - hello@yourbrainonclimate.com. Please rate, review and subscribe, and share the show on socials. Please consider chucking this humble indie podcaster a few quid at www.patreon.com/yourbrainonclimate. Owl noises = references: 07:15 - Here's a paper by Danna about lay epistemology.10:45 - Sophia Rosenfeld's book, Common Sense: A Political History 12:17 - Wikipedia entry on Thomas Paine's Common Sense.24:27 - Alex Bellos sets puzzles every week in the Guardian. 25:58 - Want to measure your own need for closure? Check out the Kruglanski scale. 44:25 - Awful lot of stuff written about using fear in climate messaging. Here's a decent piece from Scientists for Global Responsibility. 47:28 - If you've liked this episode and you haven't read Kahneman's seminal Thinking Fast and Slow, you better get on it. 52:09 - Numberphile2 on YouTube explains the Monty Hall problem (with visuals, which really helps). Your Brain on Climate is a podcast about human psychology vs the climate crisis. Contact the show: @brainclimate on Twitter, or hello@yourbrainonclimate.com. Support the show on Patreon: www.patreon.com/yourbrainonclimate. The show is hosted and produced by me, Dave Powell, who you can find @powellds on Bluesky and X/Twitter, although I don't use the latter any more. YBOC theme music and iterations thereof, by me. Lots of other lovely bed music in this episode by Rockot. Show logo by Arthur Stovell at www.designbymondial.com.
Why do some puzzles make us immediately leap to the wrong conclusion?That's the subject of Alex Bellos' new book Think Twice, which has page after page of questions designed to deceive.Alex sets Tim Harford some of his favourite puzzles. Presenter: Tim Harford Series producer: Tom Colls Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison and Janet Staples Sound mix: Donald MacDonald Editor: Richard Vadon
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss President Joe Biden's State of the Union address and Special Counsel Robert Hur's congressional testimony; crime and punishment with the Wren Collective's Jessica Brand; and Congress's move to ban the Chinese government from TikTok. Join us for Political Gabfest Live in Washington, D.C. on March 27! Tickets are on sale now. Planning to attend? Submit a Listener Chatter to gabfest@slate.com and you might be picked to chatter live. Here are some notes and references from this week's show: C-SPAN: 2024 State of the Union Address and Former Special Counsel Hur Testifies on Biden Classified Documents Report, Part 1and Part 2 House Committee on the Judiciary: Recorded Interview: Robert Hur, President Biden Transcript, Date of Interview: October 8, and Date of Interview: October 9 Kaitlan Collins for CNN: Fmr. Mar-a-Lago employee who helped move classified docs speaks with CNN Adam Serwer for The Atlantic: How Hur Misled the Country on Biden's Memory Jack Goldsmith in The New York Times: Jack Smith and Robert Hur Are the Latest Examples of a Failed Institution Erica Pandey and Russell Contreras for Axios: Blue cities go red with conservative policies on crime Michael Barbaro and Mike Baker for The New York Times's The Daily podcast: Oregon Decriminalized Drugs. Voters Now Regret It. Madaleine Rubin for The Texas Tribune: Sean Teare unseats Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg in primary Stefanie Dazio for AP: Progressive Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón advances to runoff Jeffrey M. Jones for Gallup: More Americans See U.S. Crime Problem as Serious Stephanie Sy and Shoshana Dubnow for the PBS News Hour: As concerns grown around surging violent crime, the numbers tell a different story David Leonhardt for The New York Times: Should China Own TikTok? CBS News: FBI Director Wray says China targeting U.S. civilian infrastructure, economic security Laura He for CNN: If the US bans TikTok, China will be getting a taste of its own medicine CBS Mornings: Jon Stewart on why he's going back to “The Daily Show” anchor desk Mike Pence on Fox News: TikTok is digital fentanyl and Congress, Biden must act before it's too late Josh Dawsey and Jeff Stein for The Washington Post: How Donald Trump switched to defending TikTok Here are this week's chatters: Emily: Josh Gerstein for Politico: Federal courts move against ‘judge-shopping' and John Dickerson and Jessica Levinson for CBS News Prime Time: New rules aim to prevent “judge shopping” in major court cases John: Emily Goulet for Philadelphia: Fight Like a Girl: The New Wave of High-School Wrestling and Alex Bellos for The Guardian: He ate all the pi: Japanese man memorises π to 111,700 digits David: Lend A Box Listener chatter from Steven in Queens, New York: New York Times: Soon Finds Mother For His 5 Children; Widower Discovers Six Women Eager to Marry Him and Care for His Brood. For this week's Slate Plus bonus segment, David, John, and Emily talk about marriage proposals. See Caroline Kitchener for The Atlantic: Marriage Proposals Are Stupid; Sadiba Hasan for The New York Times: 10 Great Ways to Pop the Question; and Parija Kavilanz for CNN: After 2023 wraps up, get ready for a spike in marriage proposals. In the latest Gabfest Reads, David talks with Kiley Reid about her book, Come and Get It. Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Cheyna Roth Research by Julie Huygen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss President Joe Biden's State of the Union address and Special Counsel Robert Hur's congressional testimony; crime and punishment with the Wren Collective's Jessica Brand; and Congress's move to ban the Chinese government from TikTok. Join us for Political Gabfest Live in Washington, D.C. on March 27! Tickets are on sale now. Planning to attend? Submit a Listener Chatter to gabfest@slate.com and you might be picked to chatter live. Here are some notes and references from this week's show: C-SPAN: 2024 State of the Union Address and Former Special Counsel Hur Testifies on Biden Classified Documents Report, Part 1and Part 2 House Committee on the Judiciary: Recorded Interview: Robert Hur, President Biden Transcript, Date of Interview: October 8, and Date of Interview: October 9 Kaitlan Collins for CNN: Fmr. Mar-a-Lago employee who helped move classified docs speaks with CNN Adam Serwer for The Atlantic: How Hur Misled the Country on Biden's Memory Jack Goldsmith in The New York Times: Jack Smith and Robert Hur Are the Latest Examples of a Failed Institution Erica Pandey and Russell Contreras for Axios: Blue cities go red with conservative policies on crime Michael Barbaro and Mike Baker for The New York Times's The Daily podcast: Oregon Decriminalized Drugs. Voters Now Regret It. Madaleine Rubin for The Texas Tribune: Sean Teare unseats Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg in primary Stefanie Dazio for AP: Progressive Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón advances to runoff Jeffrey M. Jones for Gallup: More Americans See U.S. Crime Problem as Serious Stephanie Sy and Shoshana Dubnow for the PBS News Hour: As concerns grown around surging violent crime, the numbers tell a different story David Leonhardt for The New York Times: Should China Own TikTok? CBS News: FBI Director Wray says China targeting U.S. civilian infrastructure, economic security Laura He for CNN: If the US bans TikTok, China will be getting a taste of its own medicine CBS Mornings: Jon Stewart on why he's going back to “The Daily Show” anchor desk Mike Pence on Fox News: TikTok is digital fentanyl and Congress, Biden must act before it's too late Josh Dawsey and Jeff Stein for The Washington Post: How Donald Trump switched to defending TikTok Here are this week's chatters: Emily: Josh Gerstein for Politico: Federal courts move against ‘judge-shopping' and John Dickerson and Jessica Levinson for CBS News Prime Time: New rules aim to prevent “judge shopping” in major court cases John: Emily Goulet for Philadelphia: Fight Like a Girl: The New Wave of High-School Wrestling and Alex Bellos for The Guardian: He ate all the pi: Japanese man memorises π to 111,700 digits David: Lend A Box Listener chatter from Steven in Queens, New York: New York Times: Soon Finds Mother For His 5 Children; Widower Discovers Six Women Eager to Marry Him and Care for His Brood. For this week's Slate Plus bonus segment, David, John, and Emily talk about marriage proposals. See Caroline Kitchener for The Atlantic: Marriage Proposals Are Stupid; Sadiba Hasan for The New York Times: 10 Great Ways to Pop the Question; and Parija Kavilanz for CNN: After 2023 wraps up, get ready for a spike in marriage proposals. In the latest Gabfest Reads, David talks with Kiley Reid about her book, Come and Get It. Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Cheyna Roth Research by Julie Huygen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss President Joe Biden's State of the Union address and Special Counsel Robert Hur's congressional testimony; crime and punishment with the Wren Collective's Jessica Brand; and Congress's move to ban the Chinese government from TikTok. Join us for Political Gabfest Live in Washington, D.C. on March 27! Tickets are on sale now. Planning to attend? Submit a Listener Chatter to gabfest@slate.com and you might be picked to chatter live. Here are some notes and references from this week's show: C-SPAN: 2024 State of the Union Address and Former Special Counsel Hur Testifies on Biden Classified Documents Report, Part 1and Part 2 House Committee on the Judiciary: Recorded Interview: Robert Hur, President Biden Transcript, Date of Interview: October 8, and Date of Interview: October 9 Kaitlan Collins for CNN: Fmr. Mar-a-Lago employee who helped move classified docs speaks with CNN Adam Serwer for The Atlantic: How Hur Misled the Country on Biden's Memory Jack Goldsmith in The New York Times: Jack Smith and Robert Hur Are the Latest Examples of a Failed Institution Erica Pandey and Russell Contreras for Axios: Blue cities go red with conservative policies on crime Michael Barbaro and Mike Baker for The New York Times's The Daily podcast: Oregon Decriminalized Drugs. Voters Now Regret It. Madaleine Rubin for The Texas Tribune: Sean Teare unseats Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg in primary Stefanie Dazio for AP: Progressive Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón advances to runoff Jeffrey M. Jones for Gallup: More Americans See U.S. Crime Problem as Serious Stephanie Sy and Shoshana Dubnow for the PBS News Hour: As concerns grown around surging violent crime, the numbers tell a different story David Leonhardt for The New York Times: Should China Own TikTok? CBS News: FBI Director Wray says China targeting U.S. civilian infrastructure, economic security Laura He for CNN: If the US bans TikTok, China will be getting a taste of its own medicine CBS Mornings: Jon Stewart on why he's going back to “The Daily Show” anchor desk Mike Pence on Fox News: TikTok is digital fentanyl and Congress, Biden must act before it's too late Josh Dawsey and Jeff Stein for The Washington Post: How Donald Trump switched to defending TikTok Here are this week's chatters: Emily: Josh Gerstein for Politico: Federal courts move against ‘judge-shopping' and John Dickerson and Jessica Levinson for CBS News Prime Time: New rules aim to prevent “judge shopping” in major court cases John: Emily Goulet for Philadelphia: Fight Like a Girl: The New Wave of High-School Wrestling and Alex Bellos for The Guardian: He ate all the pi: Japanese man memorises π to 111,700 digits David: Lend A Box Listener chatter from Steven in Queens, New York: New York Times: Soon Finds Mother For His 5 Children; Widower Discovers Six Women Eager to Marry Him and Care for His Brood. For this week's Slate Plus bonus segment, David, John, and Emily talk about marriage proposals. See Caroline Kitchener for The Atlantic: Marriage Proposals Are Stupid; Sadiba Hasan for The New York Times: 10 Great Ways to Pop the Question; and Parija Kavilanz for CNN: After 2023 wraps up, get ready for a spike in marriage proposals. In the latest Gabfest Reads, David talks with Kiley Reid about her book, Come and Get It. Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Cheyna Roth Research by Julie Huygen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Shane Meadows talks about his unconventional journey into the British film industry and his vision for more diversity in film, as he prepares to give the David Lean lecture at BAFTA.The founders of independent publishers Oneworld, Juliet Mabey and Novin Doostdar, discuss their Booker Prize hat trick as Paul Lynch becomes the third of their authors to win the prestigious literary prize.Which books will be a hit with the children in your life this Christmas? Children's broadcaster Bex Lindsay has a run down of the outstanding titles she'd recommend. And Front Row goes live to the Turner Prize ceremony at the Towner Eastbourne to find out who has won this year's prestigious prize. Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe Producer: Olivia SkinnerBex Lindsay's recommendations:The Ice Children by MG Leonard Foxlight by Katya Balen Sunshine Simpson Cooks Up a Storm by GM Linton The Football Encyclopaedia by Alex Bellos and Ben Lyttleton Luna Loves Christmas by Joseph Coelho Geoffrey Gets the Jitters by Nadia Shireen The Wonder Brothers by Frank Cottrell-Boyce
Welcome to a super sporty episode of Book Worms! To kick things off Bex got chatting to Alex Bellos and Ben Lyttleton all about their new book, The Football Encyclopedia! This book has all the football info a football superfan needs. Alex and Ben are here to tell us about their love for football and how they co-wrote this amazing book. Tom Palmer is here too, talking about his new book The Soccer Diaries: Rocky Takes LA! Rocky Race is due to fly over the pond to attend a prestigious soccer camp, but will it be that simple or will she face her own set of challenges on and off the pitch? Tom tells Bex all about it! If you've been trick or treating or watching some scary movies the past week, you might be missing spooky season! Never fear (or do fear?), we've got the perfect book for you. Read, Scream, Repeat is an anthology with writing from authors such as Elle McNicoll, Joseph Coelho, Jennifer Killick and Sharna Jackson! Discover your new favourite author, and get a few chills in while you're at it! Join Fun Kids Podcasts+: https://funkidslive.com/plusSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
When it comes to playing games, asking the right questions is everything. Where should you move first in Connect 4? What is the best property in Monopoly? And how can pi help you win rock paper scissors? In his new book Around the World in 80 Games, the award-winning mathematician Marcus du Sautoy explores the maths behind the games we love to play, and why we love to play them. Spanning millennia, countries and cultures, he discovers how maths and games have been integral to human psychology and culture. For 5x15, Marcus is in conversation with Alex Bellos a grandmaster of the puzzling world, brilliant on all things cryptic. His bestselling, award-winning books include Alex's Adventures in Numberland, Alex Through the Looking-Glass and Can You Solve My Problems? For as long as there have been people, there have been games, and for nearly as long, we have been exploring and discovering mathematics. Join us for a playful and adventurous discussion about our human passion for both. Speakers Marcus du Sautoy has been named by the Independent on Sunday as one of the UK's leading scientists, has written extensively for the Guardian, The Times and the Daily Telegraph and has appeared on Radio 4 on numerous occasions. In 2008 he was appointed to Oxford University's prestigious professorship as the Simonyi Chair for the Public Understanding of Science, a post previously held by Richard Dawkins. Alex Bellos is a grandmaster of the puzzling world, brilliant on all things cryptic. His bestselling, award-winning books include Alex's Adventures in Numberland, Alex Through the Looking-Glass and Can You Solve My Problems?, and have been translated into more than twenty languages. He is also the coauthor of two mathematical colouring books and the children's series Football School. His YouTube videos have been seen by more than twenty million people, and he writes a popular puzzle blog for the Guardian. @alexbellos Learn more about 5x15 events: 5x15stories.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/5x15stories Facebook: www.facebook.com/5x15stories Instagram: www.instagram.com/5x15stories
Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsing on the field during Monday Night Football and what came after. Slate's Ben Mathis-Lilley also joins to discuss TCU and Georgia's thrilling wins in the College Football Playoff semifinals. Finally, author Alex Bellos discusses the Brazilian soccer legend Pelé, who died last week at age 82. Hamlin (3:26): Is it fair to criticize the NFL's response to Monday's on-field crisis? College Football Playoff (25:52): How TCU and Georgia took down Michigan and Ohio State. Pelé (46:23): Remembering the greatest soccer player of all time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsing on the field during Monday Night Football and what came after. Slate's Ben Mathis-Lilley also joins to discuss TCU and Georgia's thrilling wins in the College Football Playoff semifinals. Finally, author Alex Bellos discusses the Brazilian soccer legend Pelé, who died last week at age 82. Hamlin (3:26): Is it fair to criticize the NFL's response to Monday's on-field crisis? College Football Playoff (25:52): How TCU and Georgia took down Michigan and Ohio State. Pelé (46:23): Remembering the greatest soccer player of all time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsing on the field during Monday Night Football and what came after. Slate's Ben Mathis-Lilley also joins to discuss TCU and Georgia's thrilling wins in the College Football Playoff semifinals. Finally, author Alex Bellos discusses the Brazilian soccer legend Pelé, who died last week at age 82. Hamlin (3:26): Is it fair to criticize the NFL's response to Monday's on-field crisis? College Football Playoff (25:52): How TCU and Georgia took down Michigan and Ohio State. Pelé (46:23): Remembering the greatest soccer player of all time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Abrimos la última hora con Santi García Cremades, charlando sobre números favoritos y la figura de Alex Bellos, un divulgador que realizó una encuesta para conocer el número favorito de cada persona. En la sección "Jarabe de Radio", con el médico Luis Lapuente, hablamos de música, medicina... y también cine, en concreto de la película autobiográfica de Nanni Moretti titulada “Caro diario”, “Querido diario” en español. Con Pablo Herrero conocemos cómo afrontar, de forma correcta y evitando lesiones, la vuelta a hacer deporte tras el parón del verano desde diferentes puntos de vista. Lo hacemos a través de la opinión de la gente, de trabajadores de gimnasios y de Darío Mealli, terapeuta, entrenador y creador del método Gyrotonic; y de Juan Reque, fisioterapeuta y creador del método Thimbex. Para terminar el programa de hoy, Artemio Payá hace un repaso a la actualidad musical y nos trae cinco novedades para hacer acopio de nuevas canciones tras el verano. Escuchar audio
Faced with one cake and eight hungry people, it's pretty obvious how maths underpins reality. But as mathematics gets further from common sense and into seemingly abstract territory, nature still seems to obey its rules - whether in the orbit of a planet, the number of petals on a flower, or the structure of an atom. But what exactly is the relationship between mathematics and reality? That's the impossibly difficult question CrowdScience has been set this week by our listener Sergio in Peru. It's one that's been pondered by humans for millennia: the Greek philosopher Pythagoras believed “All is number”. Is maths a human construct to help us make sense of reality - a tool, a model, a language? Does maths create its own reality? Or is it reality itself? CrowdScience explores these questions with the help of experts from the fields of philosophy, mathematics and science: Dr Eleanor Knox, Dr Eugenia Cheng, Professor Lucie Green, Alex Bellos and Stefano Centineo. Presenter: Marnie Chesterton Produced by Cathy Edwards for the BBC World Service (Photo: A young woman with her eyes closed standing in front of chalkboard, working out maths formulas. Credit: Getty Images)
On today's episode of Spectacular Vernacular, Nicole and Ben discuss the pronunciation of the name of the latest COVID variant. They also interview Alex Bellos, puzzle columnist for The Guardian and author of The Language Lover's Puzzle Book. And finally, Amanda Ripley, host of Slate's podcast How To! joins us for some wordplay. We hope you're ready to take your investigation skills to the next level. You could win a year's membership to Slate Plus. Do you have any language questions or fun facts to share? Email us at spectacular@slate.com. Produced by Jasmine Ellis. Here are some notes and references from this week's show: Ben's Wall Street Journal column on “Omicron” as the name of the new Covid variant Ben's 2020 Atlantic piece on how geographic labels for diseases can encourage xenophobia Ben's Slate piece on the puzzling legacy of Stephen Sondheim New US edition of The Language Lover's Puzzle Book by Alex Bellos Amanda Ripley's podcast, “How To!” Subscribe to Slate Plus. It's only $1 for the first month. To learn more, go to slate.com/spectacularplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of Spectacular Vernacular, Nicole and Ben discuss the pronunciation of the name of the latest COVID variant. They also interview Alex Bellos, puzzle columnist for The Guardian and author of The Language Lover's Puzzle Book. And finally, Amanda Ripley, host of Slate's podcast How To! joins us for some wordplay. We hope you're ready to take your investigation skills to the next level. You could win a year's membership to Slate Plus. Do you have any language questions or fun facts to share? Email us at spectacular@slate.com. Produced by Jasmine Ellis. Here are some notes and references from this week's show: Ben's Wall Street Journal column on “Omicron” as the name of the new Covid variant Ben's 2020 Atlantic piece on how geographic labels for diseases can encourage xenophobia Ben's Slate piece on the puzzling legacy of Stephen Sondheim New US edition of The Language Lover's Puzzle Book by Alex Bellos Amanda Ripley's podcast, “How To!” Subscribe to Slate Plus. It's only $1 for the first month. To learn more, go to slate.com/spectacularplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Everyone is different but when I need to solve a problem or think of something creative, I often lie down, close my eyes and think. And it turns out that is good advice for everyone. I start this episode with some interesting research that reveals why lying down is a good position to think in. https://lifehacker.com/need-a-creative-boost-try-lying-down-5982463 Ever have your heart broken? I think we all have at some point. Psychologist Guy Winch, author of the book How to Fix a Broken Heart (https://amzn.to/2UD20it) joins me to explain why a broken heart feels so horrible, how it is different than other forms of grief and why we need to take it more seriously. A broken heart can have negative long-lasting effects and Guy explains how to minimize those effects so you can move on with your life. What if there was no zero? In the world of numbers, zero is a relatively new addition. And it is the only number that hasn’t changed over time. It is and always has been a circle. Alex Bellos, author of the book Alex’s Adventures in Numberland (https://amzn.to/2MT3G4V) explains some of the fascination facts about numbers like: Why a minute has 60 seconds and an hour has 60 minutes; why a number for nothing (zero) was so revolutionary; why elevator buttons never use negative numbers to indicate floors below ground – and so much more. (Alex is also author of Puzzle Ninja and Soccer School . How can it be that 40% of food in the United States is wasted and thrown away? Many people use coupons and search for bargains at the supermarket and yet so much of that food never gets eaten. Listen as we explore the problem and what we can do. https://www.agweek.com/lifestyle/3937264-save-money-fish-heads-and-potato-scraps PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! We really enjoy The Jordan Harbinger Show and we think you will as well! There’s just SO much here. Check out https://jordanharbinger.com/start for some episode recommendations, OR search for The Jordan Harbinger Show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. Over the last 6 years, donations made at Walgreens in support of Red Nose Day have helped positively impact over 25 million kids. You can join in helping to change the lives of kids facing poverty. To help Walgreens support even more kids, donate today at checkout or at https://Walgreens.com/RedNoseDay. https://www.geico.com Bundle your policies and save! It's Geico easy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Czy świat sportu i świat literatury mają jakieś zbiory wspólne? Czy o fubolu można pisać literacko? I co czytają, a co powinni czytać, fani sportu. Anna Karczewska rozmawia z Piotrem Żelaznym z magazynu Kopalnia. Książki do przeczytania: Kopalnia 1,2,3,4 i 5 - praca zbiorowa pod redakcja Piotra Żelaznego David Winner „Brilliant Orange” (po angielsku) Alex Bellos „Futebol, brazylijski styl życia” Jonathan Wilson „Odwrócona piramida” Adam Leszczyński „Ludowa historia Polski” Olga Tokarczuk „Księgi Jakubowe” Michał Rauszer ” Bękarty pańszczyzny. Historia buntów chłopskich”
Today we're joined by Sunday Times Best Selling author and Guardian columnist Alex Bellos (who we met through the wonderful Tulip Siddiq MP!) Applying a mathematical way of looking at the world. Structures and quality questions exist in all forms. Alex applied this logic to the creative endeavour of writing for the Guardian as a journalist and eventually into authoring his books (see below for links). His pivots take us from journalism in the 90's, to Brazil, to bringing maths to the masses. Through storytelling, he demystifies maths and dare we say, even makes it interesting.. And if we're saying that, it's quite an achievement. Find Alex here: Twitter - @alexbellos Website - http://www.alexbellos.com/ His Guardian puzzle column - https://www.theguardian.com/profile/alexbellos His Books: The Language Lover's Puzzle Book : Lexical perplexities and cracking conundrums from across the globe - 2020 Alex's Adventures in Numberland - 2010 Alex Through the Looking-Glass : How Life Reflects Numbers, and Numbers Reflect Life - 2014 You can get hold of us here: Instagram: @pivotpointspodcast LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/pivot-points-podcast/ Twitter: @PivotPoints1 Email: pivotpointspod@gmail.com Cast & Crew Gabi Miller: www.gabriellamillercoach.com // insta: @gabriellamiller.coach Amelia Saberwal: www.kinestheticacoaching.com // insta: @kinesthetica_coaching Rob Sell - Editor / Life saver Rachel Lepley - Social Media Management. insta: rachellepley_/ Alexandra Koluba (also known as Alix Kol) - Pivot Points Jingle DShaw & Co - Logo design
Author and puzzle guru Alex Bellos talks about mathematics, writing, reviews, and his early days running a nightclub. Check out Alex's books on Amazon including his latest, The Language Lover's Puzzle Book Alex's website has more information and links to his work and here is Alex on Twitter Playlist of Alex's videos on Numberphile Elliptical Pool Table video and Cake Cutting video Please consider supporting Numberphile on Patreon With thanks to MSRI
Neste episódio o professor Rene Gabriel Faustino Júnior do curso de Biblioteconomia e do PPGCIN da UFRGS faz a mediação da conversa sobre patentes e inovação científica com a bibliotecária Renata Teixeira, formada pela UFMG, Analista de Inteligência Competitiva com foco em Tecnologias de Petróleo e Gás no Centro de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento PETROBRAS e o administrador Felipe Brandão, servidor técnico administrativo da Secretaria de desenvolvimento tecnológico (SEDETEC) da UFRGS, no setor de propriedade intelectual. SEDETEC UFRGS - https://www.ufrgs.br/sedetec/ https://www.instagram.com/sedetec_ufrgs/ Tecnologias UFRGS - https://www.ufrgs.br/empreendedorismo/tecnologias-ufrgs/ Indicações dos convidados: Os botões de Napoleão: as 17 moléculas que mudaram a história. - Penny Le Courter e Jay Burreson https://g.co/kgs/NxtRAi Alex no país dos números: uma viagem ao mundo maravilhoso da matemática. - Alex Bellos https://g.co/kgs/ACmfZo As cascas de banana do Português. - Betty Vibranovski https://g.co/kgs/wsC3gQ O ÓLEO de Lorenzo https://youtu.be/DVglxC31t-g LIYANA Link para o trailer: https://youtu.be/VOdXmTNQDZA BACURAU Link para o trailer: https://youtu.be/1DPdE1MBcQc A Guerra das patentes https://g.co/kgs/vJwPqJ Promovendo o uso das informações contidas em documentos de patentes http://hdl.handle.net/10183/183535 O Lutz - A História De Vida De José Lutzenberger https://g.co/kgs/HVMeCU Jogada de gênio https://g.co/kgs/Pa5Q5M Joy: O nome do sucesso https://g.co/kgs/7yRfwi
In this short, writer Alex Bellos tells Robert how, from the very first time humans ever used numbers, we couldn’t help but give them human-like qualities. From favorite numbers to numbers that we’re suspicious of, from 501 jeans to Oxy 10, our feelings for these digits may all come down to some serious, subconscious inner-math….a deeply human arithmetic buried in our heart.
Math can get pretty loopy, at least when we try to explain it. But according to author Alex Bellos, the most straightforward mathematical concept might be the loopiest. Then producer Mark Philips introduces us to William Basinski, a composer who loops analog tape to create a unique sort of music. One day, Basinski dug up some of his old tapes, stuck them into his player, and heard a melody in the throes of death. Life and death are a very long loop of their own, as producer Lynn Levy discovered in talking with oceanographer Craig Smith. His career began with a simple question: what happens to a whale when it dies and sinks to the sea floor? Turns out nobody was quite sure. Craig describes the curious interplay between death and life at the bottom of the ocean.
Amanda and Jenn discuss long distance romances, read-alikes for Tamora Pierce, punny titles, and more in this week’s episode of Get Booked. This episode is sponsored by Book Marks, a customizable journal to record your reading life, William Morrow Paperbacks, publisher of The Lucky One by Lori Rader-Day, and Never Kiss a Duke by Megan Frampton, published by Avon Books. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. Questions 1. Hello! Last year I read all the Tamora Pierce books and I loved them (thanks Jenn for the strong rec on these)! I’m currently reading Novice Dragoneer and also enjoying it. Can you rec me a good comp for Tamora Pierce? I’ve listened to all the Get Booked episodes so something that’s never been recommended would be awesome. Also, bonus points for a series or multiple books, I read through the Tamora Pierce books so fast! -Heather 2. I will be traveling throughout Oregon in 2020, and would love to prepare by reading some books that take place mostly in Oregon. I love ALL genres, so feel free to go wild with the recs! Thank you! -Brooke 3. Hi I’m Adah and I am 10 years old and I really like books with lots of suspense and where you just can’t stop turning page after page it’s usually realistic fiction or mystery ex: the tale of despereaux, the marvelous journey of Edward Tulane, just under the clouds and the wild robot. I would like more books like that. P.S. I really like your podcast, Thank you, -Adah 4. I am an asexual woman with a crush on my male best friend. Can you recommend a good friends-to-lovers read that is not all about sex? The characters do not need to be asexual but I prefer more of a slow burn where sex is only at the end if at all. Thank you! -Anon 5. Hello, First of all, I would like to say that I love your podcast and have been listening to it while I work (I spend a lot of time copying and pasting to excel spreadsheets as a research assistant). My boyfriend of 2 years recently graduated and was asked by the company he works for to move to another state. I am stuck in one spot because I am finishing my college degree and have decided to pursue my master’s. I am determined to believe that love prevails, and that, no matter what anyone says, I’m not naive for putting so much hope into what will be a long distance relationship of several years. I’d love some recommendations for new adult books about long distance relationships. They can be sweet or angsty. What matters to me is a relationship that feels passionate and true, and a story that seems realistic, like something I could believe in for myself. Thank you so much! -Dana 6. Hi, this year I want to get back into big fantasy/paranormal books. Last year I read mostly romance since I finished the Throne of Glass series in very quick succession and need a break. I’ve read and liked Percy Jackson, Red Queen, Three Dark Crowns, and the Vampire Academy (mostly, I had some issues with the way it ended). I have also read the first 4 books of the Outlander series but I’ve found that is something I rather watch than read along with Game of Thrones. I’ll read just about anything. Thanks so much. -Alexandra 7. Hi there! I have a TIME SENSITIVE request, I need recommendations by June 2020 if possible. I have decided to do the Pop Sugar Reading Challenge for 2020 and am struggling to find a book for the prompt “a book with a pun in the title.” Here are my general criteria: –NO COZY MYSTERIES –No m/f romance (f/f or m/m is fine) –Generally prefer nonfiction, literary fiction/contemporary fiction, historical fiction, but am willing to try just about anything other than cozy mysteries or m/f romance. Thank you -Sibyl Books Discussed Graceling by Kristin Cashore The Riddle-Master of Hed series, Patricia McKillip The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt (tw violence, harm to animals) The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. LeGuin Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia Dragons in a Bag by Zeta Elliott Tash Hearts Tolstoy by Kathryn Ormsbee (tw aphobia) Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory Play It Again by Aidan Wayne Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons (tw torture and whatnot) Master of Restless Shadows by Ginn Hale (tw: abuse & cruelty, torture, prejudice, racism, self-harm, discussion of rape) The Pun Also Rises by John Pollack Here’s Looking at Euclid by Alex Bellos
Alex Bellos is brilliant at all things mathematical, but even he can't hold a candle to the amazing mathematical feats of the supercalculators. Alex heads to Wolfsburg in Germany to meet the contestants at this year's Mental Calculation World Cup. These men and women are the fastest human number crunchers on the planet, able to multiply and divide large numbers with no need to reach for a smart phone, computer or calculator. So how do they do it, and is it a skill that any of us can learn? Alex talks to Robert Fountain, the UK's two-time winner of this prestigious prize, about his hopes for this year's competition and the mathematical magicians of the past who have inspired him. He also meets Rachel Riley, Countdown's number queen, to find out what it takes to beat the countdown clock. Produced by Alexandra Feachem. First broadcast on Tuesday 16 October, 2018.
*** This episode of the Mr Barton Maths Podcast is kindly sponsored by Qubizm, the creators of the award-winning Izak9. To find out more about their lovely product, just visit: izak9.com *** On this episode ofContinue reading The post Alex Bellos: Puzzles, Perception and Pool Tables appeared first on Mr Barton Maths Blog. No related posts.
Faced with one cake and eight hungry people, it’s pretty obvious how maths underpins reality. But as mathematics gets further from common sense and into seemingly abstract territory, nature still seems to obey its rules - whether in the orbit of a planet, the number of petals on a flower, or the structure of an atom. But what exactly is the relationship between mathematics and reality? That’s the impossibly difficult question CrowdScience has been set this week by our listener Sergio in Peru. It’s one that’s been pondered by humans for millennia: the Greek philosopher Pythagoras believed “All is number”. Is maths a human construct to help us make sense of reality - a tool, a model, a language? Does maths create its own reality? Or is it reality itself? CrowdScience explores these questions with the help of experts from the fields of philosophy, mathematics and science: Dr Eleanor Knox, Dr Eugenia Cheng, Professor Lucie Green, Alex Bellos and Stefano Centineo. Presenter: Marnie Chesterton Produced by Cathy Edwards for the BBC World Service (Photo: A young woman with her eyes closed standing in front of chalkboard, working out maths formulas. Credit: Getty Images)
Squeak, squeak, whistle, whistle! Welcome to a noisy 18th episode of Everything Under the Sun. This week we answer three questions from Alyssa, Walter and Matilda. They are: How do Dolphins Squeak? How does a Football Referee's Whistle Work? And Why do Giraffes have Such Long Necks? Find out all about how dolphins use their foreheads to squeak with Travis, who studies dolphins at the Natural History Museum, in London and so knows all about dolphins! Discover how dolphins can do impressions of each other, how they use sea sponges on their noses when they're out looking for food and why their skin is so smooth. Work out how referee's whistles work with Alex Bellos, co-author of Football School, a series of books that explain the world through football. Find out how you can win a signed copy of Alex's book on this week's show. A clue is, what do people do when they score a GOAL?! Finally hear all about giraffes necks, how they use them to fight with and why they're so long, plus the horns on their head and why they have really thick skin on their legs, like tights! Oh and why is a giraffes tongue so long, and black, and what special substance covers it to protect it from thorns? A huge thank you to Travis from the Natural History Museum, to Alex Bellos for his answer about football referee's whistles and the copy of his book The Football School and to Alyssa, Walter and Matilda for this week's questions. If you and your family enjoy this podcast please do subscribe, rate it and give it a lovely review. It really helps! Do send in your questions, there's info about how to do that on the show's website, everythingunderthesun.co.uk. All you have to do is ask an adult to record you asking your question, say your name, a bit about yourself and your age and then ask your question, then send the recording into me at molly@everythingunderthesun.co.ukThere's more info on my website www.mollyoldfield.com/podcasts For more information about my book check out:www.mollyoldfield.com/naturalwondersInstagram: @mollyoldfieldwritesTwitter: @mollyoldfieldWebsite: www.mollyoldfield.comShow website: www.everythingunderthesun.co.ukTravis on twitter: @BlogozoicAlex Bellos' on twitter: @alexbellosThe Natural History Museum: http://www.nhm.ac.uk/Thank you! Have a lovely week!Goodbye! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Imagine if your entire school revolved around football? All the lessons, from history to maths, are about football? Alex and Ben created this fantastic world, and they tell Bex all about it!
Our lives are filled with loops that hurt us, heal us, make us laugh, and, sometimes, leave us wanting more. This hour, Radiolab revisits the strange things that emerge when something happens, then happens again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and… well, again. In this episode of Radiolab, Jad and Robert try to explain an inexplicable comedy act, listen to a loop that literally dies in your ear, and they learn about a loop that sent a shudder up the collective spine of mathematicians everywhere. Finally, they talk to a woman who got to watch herself think the thought that she was watching herself think the thought that she was watching herself think the thought that ... you get the point. With Kristen Schaal and Kurt Braunohler, Alex Bellos, Steven Strogatz, Janna Levin, and Melanie Thernstrom. Plus mind-bending musical accompaniment from Laguardia Arts High School singers Nathaniel Sabat, Julian Soto, Eli Greenhoe, Kelly Efthimiu, Julia Egan, and Ruby Froom. You can find the video Christine Campbell made of her mom Mary Sue here. Support Radiolab today at Radiolab.org/donate.
When I need to solve a problem or think of something creative, I often lie down, close my eyes and think. And it turns out that is good advice for everyone. I start this episode with some interesting research that reveals why lying down is a good position to think in. https://lifehacker.com/need-a-creative-boost-try-lying-down-5982463Just about everyone has had their heart broken even you, I bet. Psychologist Guy Winch, author of the book How to Fix a Broken Heart (https://amzn.to/2UD20it) joins me to explain why a broken heart feels so horrible, how it is different than other forms of grief and why we need to take it more seriously. A broken heart can have negative long-lasting effects and Guy explains how to minimize those effects so you can move on with your life. Imagine life without zero. In the world of numbers, zero is a relatively new addition. And it is the only number that hasn’t changed over time. It is and always has been a circle. Alex Bellos, author of the book Alex’s Adventures in Numberland (https://amzn.to/2MT3G4V) explains some of the fascination facts about numbers like: Why a minute has 60 seconds and an hour has 60 minutes; why a number for nothing (zero) was so revolutionary; why elevator buttons never use negative numbers to indicate floors below ground – and so much more. (Alex is also author of Puzzle Ninja and Soccer School . How can it be that 40% of food in the United States is wasted and thrown away? Many people use coupons and search for bargains at the supermarket and yet so much of that food never gets eaten. Listen as we explore the problem and what we can do. http://www.aol.com/article/2016/02/01/save-money-with-fish-heads-and-potato-scraps /21305862/This Week's Sponsors-ADT. Go to www.ADT.com/smart to learn how ADT can design and install a smart home system for you.-Quip. Go to www.GetQuip.com/something to order a Quip toothbrush and get your first refill pack free.-Geico. Go to www.Geico.com to see how Geico can save you money on your car insurance.-Sleep Number. To find your nearest store go to www.SleepNumber.com
Bobby and Susan get to grips with fractions and decimals, and Bobby's puzzle this week features his fashion icon, the Waistcoat Wearer Gareth Southgate. Our guest is maths writer and broadcaster Alex Bellos - the self-styled 'foreign correspondent of maths' - who chats to Susan about the power of storytelling and why maths is not as geeky as it used to be.
Alex Bellos is brilliant at all things mathematical, but even he can't hold a candle to the amazing mathematical feats of the supercalculators. Alex heads to Wolfsburg in Germany to meet the contestants at this year's Mental Calculation World Cup. These men and women are the fastest human number crunchers on the planet, able to multiply and divide large numbers with no need to reach for a smart phone, computer or calculator. So how do they do it, and is it a skill that any of us can learn? Alex talks to Robert Fountain, the UK's two-time winner of this prestigious prize, about his hopes for this year's competition and the mathematical magicians of the past who have inspired him. He also meets Rachel Riley, Countdown's number queen, to find out what it takes to beat the countdown clock. Picture: The Supercalculators, Credit: Alex Bellos
Alex Bellos is brilliant at all things mathematical, but even he can't hold a candle to the amazing mathematical feats of the supercalculators. Alex heads to Wolfsburg in Germany to meet the contestants at this year's Mental Calculation World Cup. These men and women are the fastest human number crunchers on the planet, able to multiply and divide large numbers with no need to reach for a smart phone, computer or calculator. So how do they do it, and is it a skill that any of us can learn? Alex talks to Robert Fountain, the UK's two-time winner of this prestigious prize, about his hopes for this year's competition and the mathematical magicians of the past who have inspired him. He also meets Rachel Riley, Countdown's number queen, to find out what it takes to beat the countdown clock.
Venezuela, home to the world’s largest oil reserves, is a country that has been experimenting with a new so-called “socialist” economic model for twenty years. For this sin, two consecutive Venezuelan Presidents have been targeted for regime change by the architects of the “free market” World Trade System, an economic system they intend to be global. In this episode, learn the recent history of Venezuela and hear the highlights of a March 2017 Congressional hearing (which was not aired on television in the United States) during which strategies for a Venezuelan regime change were discussed, and then learn about the regime change steps that have been taken since that hearing which have unfolded exactly how the witnesses advised. Pat Grogan joins Jen for Thank Yous. Please Support Congressional Dish - Quick Links Click here to contribute a lump sum or set up a monthly contribution via PayPal Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Use your bank’s online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North Number 4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Additional Reading Report: OAS adopts resolution, could bring suspension of Venezuela by Luis Alonso Lugo, AP News, June 6, 2018. Article: Venezuela scores victory as US fails to secure votes for OAS suspension, TeleSUR, June 6, 2018. Opinion: It's time for a coup in Venezuela by Jose R. Cardenas, Foreign Policy, June 5, 2018. Report: Venezuela's 2018 presidential elections, FAS, May 24, 2018. Article: Trump's team gets payback for Rubio on Venezuelan assassination plot by Marc Caputo, Potlitico, May 22, 2018. Article: U.S. places new sanctions on Venezuela day after election by Julie Hirschfeld Davis, The New York Times, May 21, 2018. Opinion: Marco Rubio: It's time to hasten Maduro's exit from power by Marco Rubio, CNN, May 16, 2018. Article: ConocoPhillips could bring deeper trouble to Venezuela by Nick Cunningham, Business Insider, May 12, 2018. Report: ConocoPhillips wins $2 billion ruling over Venezuelan seizure by Clifford Krauss, The New York Times, April 25, 2018. Article: Exclusive: Russia secretly helped VEnezuela launch a cryptocurrency to evade U.S. sanctions by Simon Shuster, Time, March 20, 2018. Article: Tillerson floats possible Venezuelan military coup, says US does not advocate 'regime change' by Max Greenwood, The Hill, February 1, 2018. Report: Venezuela's economic crisis: Issues for Congress by Rebecca M. Nelson, Congressional Research Service, January 10, 2018. Article: Venezuela's ruling party wins surprise victory in regional elections by Scott Neuman, NPR, October 16, 2017. Report: New financial sanctions on Venezuela: Key issues, FAS, September 1, 2017. Article: Venezuela's pro-Maduro assembly seizes congressional powers by Colin Dwyer, NPR, August 18, 2017. Article: Pence vows to end 'the tragedy of tyranny' in Venezuela through 'peaceable means' by Philip Rucker, The Washington Post, August 13, 2017. Report: Trump alarms Venezuela with talk of a 'military option,' The New York Times, August 12, 2017. Article: The battle for Venezuela and its oil by Jeremy Scahill, The Intercept, August 12, 2017. Article: Venezuela's dubious new constituent assembly explained by Jennifer L. McCoy, The Washington Post, August 1, 2017. Article: In wake of 'sham election,' U.S. sanctions Venezuelan President Maduro by Colin Dwyer, NPR, July 31, 2017. Report: U.S. Petroleum trade with Venezuela: Financial and economic considerations with possible sanctions, FAS, July 27, 2017. Article: Venezuela row as National Assembly appoints judges, BBC News, July 22, 2017. Report: Exxon blocked from enforcing Venezuela arbitration award: U.S. appeals court by Jonathan Stempel, Reuters, July 11, 2017. Article: Maduro wants to rewrite Venezuela's constitution, that's rocket fuel on the fire, The Washington Post, June 10, 2017. Article: Venezuela eyes assembly vote in July; man set ablaze dies by Alexandra Ulmer and Deisy Buitrago, Reuters, June 4, 2017. Article: Riven by fire and fiery rhetoric, Venezuela decides its future in the streets by Colin Dwyer, NPR, May 5, 2017. Report: AP explains: Venezuela's 'anti-capitalist' constitution by Hannah Dreier, Yahoo News, May 4, 2017. Article: Venezuela plan to rewrite constitution branded a coup by former regional allies by Jonathan Watts and Virginia Lopez, The Guardian, May 2, 2017. Article: Venezuela's Maduro sees local elections later in 2017 by Andrew Cawthorne, Reuters, April 30, 2017. Article: Opposition parties in Venezuela prepare for elections, hoping they will come by John Otis, NPR, April 8, 2017. Article: Venezuelan court revises ruling that nullified legislature by Nicholas Casey and Patricia Torres, The New York Times, April 1, 2017. Article: Venezuela's top court and president reverse course, restore powers to legislature by Jason Slotkin, NPR, April 1, 2017. Article: Venezuela muzzles legislature, moving closer to one-man rule by Nicholas Casey and Patricia Torres, The New York Times, March 30, 2017. Article: Venezuelan political crisis grows after High Court dissolves Congress by Richard Gonzelez, NPR, March 30, 2017. Article: Venezuela court effectively shuts down congress as opposition cries 'coup' by Jim Wyss, Miami Herald, March 30, 2017. Article: Order for Venezuela to pay Exxon $1.4 bln in damages overturned - lawyer by Reuters Staff, CNBC, March 10, 2017. Report: Venezuela President Maduro hikes wages, distributes social housing, DW, January 5, 2017. Article: Did Hilary Clinton stand by as Honduras coup ushered in era of violence? by Nina Lakhani, The Guardian, August 31, 2016. Article: Inside the booming smuggling trade between Venezuela and Colombia by Ezra Kaplan, Time, March 31, 2016. Article: Venezuela's constitutional crisis: How did we get here? by Juan Cristobal Nagel, Caracas Chronicles, January 12, 2016. Article: Venezuela: What changes will the new Congress bring?, BBC News, January 7, 2016. Article: Oil giants punish Venezuela through Dutch treaty by Frank Mulder, Inter Press Service News Agency, January 4, 2016. Report: Venezuela top court blocks four lawmakers-elect from taking office by Reuters Staff, Reuters, December 30, 2015. Report: Venezuela's departing legislature approves 13 new justices by Patricia Torres and William Neuman, The New York Times, December 23, 2015. Report: Venezuela's outgoing Congress names 13 Supreme Court justices by Diego Ore, Reuters, December 23, 2015. Article: Venezuela: Curb plan to pack Supreme Court, Human Rights Watch, December 10, 2015. Article: Venezuela election: Opposition coalition secures 'supermajority' by Associated Press, The Guardian, December 8, 2015. Article: Venezuela's high-life hope hard-hit poor will abandon Chavez's legacy by Sibylla Brodzinsky, The Guardian, December 5, 2015. Article: Snowden leak reveals Obama government ordered NSA, CIA to spy on Venzuela oil firm by Charles Davis and Andrew Fishman, Common Dreams, November 19, 2015. Article: The long war: Venezuela and ExxonMobil, Telesur TV, November 18, 2015. Article: Obama vs. Chavismo by Boris Munoz, The New Yorker, March 18, 2015. Article: A tale of two countries: Venezuela, the United States and international investment by John G. Murphy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, October 17, 2014. Article: The dirty hand of the National Endowment for Democracy in Venezuela by Eva Golinger, Counter Punch, April 25, 2014. Article: The 2002 oil lockout: 10 years later by Yuleidys Hernandez Toledo, Venezuelan Analysis, December 7, 2012. Article: Declassified documents show that the US finances groups opposed to Chavez since 2002, Grupo Tortuga, September 2, 2006. Article: Documents show C.I.A knew of a coup plot in Venezuela by Juan Forero, The New York Times, December 3, 2004. Report: Documents show C.I.A knew of a coup plot in Venezuela by Juan Forero, The New York Times, December 3, 2004. Article: The coup connection by Joshua Kurlantzick, Mother Jones, November/December 2004. Article: Pyrrhus of Caracas, The Economist, January 2, 2003. Article: Strike cripples Venezuela's oil industry by Jarrett Murphy, CBS News, December 10, 2002. Article: The coup that wasn't by Marc Cooper, The Nation, September 11, 2002. Article: Our gang in Venezuela? by David Corn, The Nation, July 18, 2002. Article: American navy 'helped Venezuelan coup' by Duncan Campbell, The Guardian, April 29, 2002. Article: Venezuela coup linked to Bush team by Ed Vulliamy, The Guardian, April 21, 2002. Article: Chavez rises from very peculiar coup by Alex Bellos, The Guardian, April 15, 2002. Resources Congressional Research Service: Venezuela: Issues for Congress, 2013-2016, Mark P. Sullivan, January 23, 2017. Congressional Research Service: Venezuela: U.S. Policy Overview, May 20, 2015. Global Affairs Canada: Canadian Sanctions Related to Venezuela Government of Canada: Venezuela Sanctions House Foreign Relations Committee Hearing Transcript: The State of Democracy in Venezuela, June 24, 2004. Human Development Report 2016: Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) Library of Congress: Crude Oil Royalty Rates Organization of American States: Inter-American Democratic Charter Resolution of San Jose, Costa Rica Organization of American States: Historic Background of the Inter-American Democratic Charter Public Citizen Report: Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS): Extraordinary Corporate Power in "Trade" Deals USAID Report: Venezuela 2002-2010 Venezuelan Constitution: Title IX: Constitutional Reforms (Art. 340-350) WikiLeaks: The Global Intelligence Files Re: Reliable Source for Venezuelan Inflation Statistics? WikiLeaks: USAID/OTI Programmatic Support for Country Team 5 Point Strategy, Public Library of Diplomacy, November 9, 2006. Visual References Data: How did Venezuela change under Hugo Chavez, The Guardian, October 4, 2012 Sound Clip Sources Hearing: Democracy Promotion in a Challenging World, House Foreign Affairs Committee, June 14, 2018. Video: Debunking John Oliver on Venezuela, The Real News Network, June 9, 2018. Hearing: Advancing US Business Investment and Trade in the Americas, House Foreign Affairs Committee, June 7, 2018. Video: Pompeo calls for kicking Venezuela out of OAS and more sanctions, The Washington Post, June 4, 2018. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo: “In addition to suspension, I call on member states to apply additional pressure on the Maduro regime with financial sanctions and diplomatic isolation until such time as it takes the actions necessary to return genuine democracy and provide people desperately needed access to international humanitarian aid" Hearing: Advancing U.S. Interests Through the Organization of American States, House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee, February 14, 2018. Hearing: The Venezuela Crisis: The Malicious Influence of State and Criminal Actors, House Foreign Affairs Committee, September 13, 2017. Empire Files: Constituent Assembly Dictatorship or Democracy in Venezuela? TeleSUR English, July 19, 2017. Hearing:The Collapse of The Rule of Law in Venezuela: What the United States and the International Community Can Do to Restore Democracy, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Subcommittee, July 19, 2017. 07:15 Senator Marco Rubio: I also know this, and I do not speak for the president, but I’ve certainly spoken to the president, and I will only reiterate what he has already said, and I’ve been saying this now for a number of days: it is my—I have 100% confidence that if democracy is destroyed once and for all in Venezuela on the 30th in terms of the Maduro regime, the president of the U.S. is prepared to act unilaterally in a significant and swift way. And that is not a threat; that is the reporting of the truth. 10:38 Senator Bob Menendez: Even as their president prevents international support for the basic humanitarian needs of its citizens—blocking an effort by the National Assembly to facilitate international systems—they are voting to demand fundamental freedoms. Despite the suffering of his people, and the international outcry, Maduro insists on clinging onto the shreds of a failed ideology his predecessor and a few colleagues in the region still champion. Empire Files: Abby Martin Meets the Venezuelan Opposition, TeleSUR English, July 3, 2017. Empire Files: Venezuela Economy Minister-Sabotage, Not Socialism, is the Problem, TeleSUR English, June 17, 2017. Hearing: Venezuela's Tragic Meltdown, House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee, March 28, 2017. Hearing: Venezuela: Options for U.S. Policy, Senate Foreign Relations Committee, March 2, 2017. 21:30 Shannon O’Neil: The United States can and should also delve into Venezuela’s recent financial transactions, and specifically, its use of U.S.-based Citgo assets to collateralize its loans. CFIUS should investigate bond purchases by the Russian state-controlled oil company, Rosneft, who may, in the case of default, actually gain majority control of this critical refinery infrastructure here in the United States. 21:53 Shannon O’Neil: Multilateral initiatives are perhaps more important and potentially more fruitful as a means to influence Venezuela. This will mean working behind the scenes to galvanize opposition and condemnation for the Maduro regime. This’ll be more effective than U.S. efforts alone as it will be much harder for the Venezuelan government to dismiss the criticisms and the actions of its South American neighbors as imperialist overreach. And such a coalition is much more possible today than in any time in the recent past, due both to the accelerating repression and the breaking of the last democratic norms in Venezuela, and due to the very different stances of South America’s recently elected leaders, particularly in Peru, in Brazil, and in Argentina. The OAS remains a venue and an instrument to focus these efforts. The U.S. should call on the organization to again invoke the Inter-American Charter to evaluate Venezuela’s democratic credentials and its compliance with them, and this could lead, potentially to sanctions and suspension of Venezuela from this multilateral body. 23:00 Shannon O’Neil: And then, finally, the United States should begin preparing for change. If the Maduro regime is forced out or it collapses, the country will likely face humanitarian, economic, and financial chaos. And there’re two particular things the United States can start preparing for. The first is a wave of refugees. This will hit Venezuela’s neighbors the hardest—Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, nearby Caribbean nations. It’s important to help them with money, with supplies, potentially with personnel, and to back international NGOs in multilateral efforts to ease the suffering of these people. The second aspect to prepare for is a restructuring of Venezuela’s finances and its economy. A new government will need to renegotiate 140 billion dollars’ worth of external debt, whether or not the government has already defaulted upon it or not. And this massive undertaking will likely require an IMF rescue package and the baking of the international community and creditors. The U.S. will be vital in facilitating this as well as in helping a new government take the tough economic policy choices to turn the economy around. These will include, freeing the exchange rate, reinducing market prices, creating sustainable policies for the poor, and rooting out corruption. And thought this is complicated, the faster it occurs, the faster Venezuela’s economy will grow again. 25:30 Senator Ben Cardin: We look at ways in which we can change the direction here, and it starts with the governance. When you have a corrupt government, it’s going to be very difficult to see international organizations willing to come in to help refinance their economy. Even though they have wealth, it’s going to be difficult to figure out how that takes place unless they have basic changes in the way their government’s doing business. And we don’t see any indication that that’s taking place. So, you’ve made a couple suggestions. One is we need to work with our regional partners, which I fully agree. So let’s start with OAS, which is the entire region, as to whether it’s realistic that the Democratic Charter provisions can in fact lead to change in Venezuela. Ultimately, it will require us to have the threat of at least two-thirds of the countries if we’re going to be able to invoke the Charter with some teeth. What is the likelihood that OAS could be effective as a real force in bringing about change by the Maduro government? Mr. Feierstein? Mark Feierstein: Well, thank you very much for that question, and actually, if I can hit on your two other points as well; first, with regard to humanitarian assistance. Under the Obama administration, the USAID in fact did put together a contingency plan to provide assistance if in fact, even when, the Venezuelan government is willing to receive it, and USAID has a warehouse in Miami that’s prepared to provide assistance. I know international organizations are prepared as well. There has been some dialog between the government and the Inter-American Development Bank with regard to economic reform, though, frankly at fairly lower levels, and there’s no indication at senior levels that they’re inclined at serious attempts at economic reform. With regard to the OAS, I think that we’re much better positioned now than we were a couple years ago, and that’s because of some changes in some key governments in the region—Argentina; Peru; Brazil; there was a reference to Ecuador, a potential change there as well. And I think that patience has clearly run out with Maduro. I think countries are more inclined now to take action. There has been hesitation to do so as long as the dialog was alive and long as the Vatican was engaged. One of the challenges has been with regard to the Caribbean countries, which receive significant petroleum assistance from Venezuela, and that has somewhat silenced them, and there’s been some divisions within the Caribbean. That said, I’m hopeful that in the coming months that as the situation deteriorates in Venezuela, and as that it becomes clear that the dialog cannot be successful unless there is more pressure. And I think there needs to be three forms of pressure: There needs to be domestic mobilization within Venezuela, in the form of protests. I think there needs to be additional sanctions applied by the United States to other countries. And I think there needs to be action within the OAS, including a threat of suspension of Venezuela from the organization if it does not comply with the Inter-American Democratic Charter. 41:50 Senator Bob Menendez: Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, PDVSA, and its subsidiary, Citgo, which has energy infrastructure in the United States, are under extreme financial pressure and may not be able to pay their bills in the near future. Under a recent deal, 49.9% of Citgo was mortgaged to Rosneft, the Russian government-owned oil company run by Vladimir Putin’s crony Igor Sechin. It’s also possible that Rosneft acquired other PDVSA bonds on the open market that could bring their ownership potential to over 50%. If Citgo defaults on its debts, Rosneft, an entity currently under American sanctions because of Russia’s belligerent behavior, could come to own a majority stake in strategic U.S. energy infrastructure, including three refineries and several pipelines. Given the close ties between Rosneft and Putin, Putin’s interest in undermining the United States, and Putin’s willingness to use energy as a weapon, does this potential deal concern you should a sanctioned Russian company have control over critical U.S. energy infrastructure? I would hate to see Rosneft be the sign hanging over Fenway Park. 44:50 Senator Bob Menendez: They’re— Unknown Speaker: No, I didn’t take it that way. Sen. Menendez: —just to the administration, because I think we can chew and walk gum—I know that my dear colleague, Senator Young, had a comment for me last week. I wish he was here—we can chew and walk gum, you know, and walk at the same time, which means as we’re going through cabinet officials, doesn’t mean we couldn’t get nominations that this committee, on a bipartisan basis, is generally processed very quickly. 49:50 Senator Marco Rubio: On the USAID piece, there’s a reason why we’re not in there: they don’t let us. The Venezuelan government does not allow open aid because they deny that there’s an emergency. *51:00 Mark Feierstein: As I noted before, I think we are better positioned now than we were a couple years ago because of changes in certain governments in the region, as we talked about—Argentina, Peru, Brazil, and others. I believe that, again, in the coming months, I think that some of the—that there is an opportunity—there will be an opportunity to invoke the Charter to threaten the suspension of Venezuela from the organization. And, I guess—I noted what I think, you know, we need. We need three forms of pressure for the dialog to succeed. I agree with you: dialog has not succeeded. The government has used it to buy time, to defuse domestic protests, to keep the international community at bay. But if the opposition’s able to mobilize internally; if we’re able to apply additional sanctions, and ideally, multilateralize them; and if we’re able to mobilize countries in the OAS to invoke the Charter to threaten the suspension of Venezuela from the OAS; I think, then, there would be greater prospects for a positive outcome in Venezuela. 54:55 Senator Tom Udall: I didn’t vote in favor of increased sanctions against Venezuela (Ven-su-way-la). I thought then and I believe now they’re counterproductive and could lead to further entrenchment of the current Venezuelan (Ven-su-way-len) regime, and that’s exactly what happened. The Venezuelan (Ven-su-way-len) people, many who oppose the government, are suffering. They’re going without food, without medicine, without power, without the essentials. 55:40 Senator Tom Udall: Mr. Smilde, are you clear that taking a hardline approach to Venezuela (Ven-su-way-la) will likely lead to a Cubanization of our policies there? 56:11 Senator Tom Udall: As to Venezuela (Ven-su-way-la), can you outline what role you think the Foreign Relations Committee or others should take to encourage a multilateral effort to ensure that elections are held in 2018 and to prevent a Cubanization of policies in Venezuela (Ven-su-way-la)? 58:00 Senator Tom Udall: Dr. O’Neil, would you agree that in Venezuela (Ven-su-way-la) different factions now view the situation as a zero-sum game? 1:14:25 Shannon O’Neil: One thing that has in the past in Venezuela brought the opposition together is elections, right, is a mechanism that you’re pushing towards a particular goal. And so as we look forward for 2017, there’s a party-registration process that is about to begin, and there’s questions about who may or may not qualify there and if the National Electoral committee will actually play fair in that sense. That is something that you could rally together different groups if it’s seen unfair in terms of qualifications. And then we have pending elections that did not happen at the end of last year, regional elections that may or may not be put on the table. And so I think internally, a push for elections—because that is a constitutional mechanism for parties to participate in democracy—and perhaps outside as well, we can be pushing for these parts, even we know democracy is not existent there anymore, but can we push for elections, can we push, and that’s something, at least, to galvanize those that are not in power today. Video: Trump: "The war in Iraq was a BIG FAT MISTAKE", Youtube, February 15, 2016. Hearing: Deepening Political and Economic Crisis in Venezuela: Implications for U.S. Interests and the Western Hemisphere, Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee, C-SPAN, March 17, 2015. Hearing: Assessing Venezuela's Political Crisis: Human Rights Violations and Beyond, Senate Foreign Relations Committee, C-SPAN May 8, 2014. White House Daily Briefing: Middle East Conflict and Coup in Venezuela, C-Span, April 16, 2002. State Dept Daily Briefing: Middle East Situation and Failed Coup in Venezuela, C-SPAN, April 15, 2002. Community Suggestions Podcast: The Corbett Report: NGOs Documentary: South of the Border ~ Hugo Chavez and the New Latin America Book: The Closing of the American Mind: How Higher Education Has Failed Democracy and Impoverished the Souls of Today's Students by Allan Bloom FB Thread: Operation Regime Change - articles compiled by Ramesh Mantri See more Community Suggestions HERE. Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)
In our Oxford Mathematics Christmas Lecture Alex Bellos challenges you with some festive brainteasers as he tells the story of mathematical puzzles from the middle ages to modern day. Alex is the Guardian's puzzle blogger as well as the author of several works of popular maths, including Puzzle Ninja, Can You Solve My Problems? and Alex's Adventures in Numberland.
In our Oxford Mathematics Christmas Lecture Alex Bellos challenges you with some festive brainteasers as he tells the story of mathematical puzzles from the middle ages to modern day. Alex is the Guardian’s puzzle blogger as well as the author of several works of popular maths, including Puzzle Ninja, Can You Solve My Problems? and Alex’s Adventures in Numberland.
In 1914, Canadian Army veterinarian Harry Colebourn was traveling to the Western Front when he met an orphaned bear cub in an Ontario railway station. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll follow the adventures of Winnie the bear, including her fateful meeting with A.A. Milne and his son, Christopher Robin. We'll also marvel at some impressive finger counting and puzzle over an impassable bridge. Intro: At least two British television series have included Morse code in their theme music. A map of the American Midwest depicts an elf making chicken. Sources for our feature on Winnie the bear: Ann Thwaite, A.A. Milne, 1990. Val Shushkewich, The Real Winnie, 2005. Christopher Milne, The Enchanted Places, 1974. A.R. Melrose, ed., Beyond the World of Pooh, 1998. Paul Brody, In Which Milne's Life Is Told, 2014. Jackie Wullschläger, Inventing Wonderland, 1995. Gary Dexter, Why Not Catch-21?, 2008. Anna Tyzack, "The Story of Winnie the Pooh Laid Bare," Telegraph, Dec. 20, 2015. Lindsay Mattick, "The Story of How Winnie the Pooh Was Inspired by a Real Bear -- in Pictures," Guardian, Nov. 24, 2015. Tessa Vanderhart, "Winnie The Pooh Story Turns 99," Winnipeg Sun, Aug. 25, 2013. Jim Axelrod, "The Story of the Real Winnie the Pooh," CBS News, March 21, 2016. The Real Winnie, Ryerson University (accessed Oct. 22, 2017). "The True Tale of Winnie the Pooh, an Unlikely First World War Legacy," CBC Radio, Nov. 11, 2015. Christopher Klein, "The True Story of the Real-Life Winnie-the-Pooh," history.com, Oct. 13, 2016. Sean Coughlan, "The Skull of the 'Real' Winnie Goes on Display," BBC News, Nov. 20, 2015. "Winnie and Lieutenant Colebourn, White River, 1914," Canadian Postal Archives Database (accessed Oct. 22, 2017). Michael Palmer, "Artefact of the Month: Winnie the Bear and Lt. Colebourn Statue," Zoological Society of London, Nov. 28, 2014. "Winnie-the-Pooh: Inspired by a Canadian Bear," Canada Post Corporation (accessed Oct. 22, 2017). "Major Harry Colebourn," Canadian Great War Project (accessed Oct. 22, 2017). "The Real-Life Canadian Story of Winnie-the-Pooh," CBC Kids (accessed Oct. 22, 2017). Christopher Robin Milne feeding Winnie in her enclosure at the London Zoo in the 1920s. Listener mail: A demonstration of a binary or base 2 finger-counting method. Wikipedia, "Benford's Law" (accessed Nov. 3, 2017). "Counting," QI (accessed Nov. 3, 2017). "Sumerian/Babylonian Mathematics," The Story of Mathematics (accessed Nov. 3, 2017). Wikipedia, "Sexagesimal" (accessed Nov. 3, 2017). Wikipedia, "Chisanbop" (accessed Nov. 3, 2017). "Math Lesson Plan: Chisanbop (Korean Counting to 99)," LessonThis (accessed Nov. 3, 2017). A 3-year-old doing arithmetic using the Chisanbop method. A kindergartener doing more complicated arithmetic using the Chisanbop method. Older kids doing very fast, advanced arithmetic using a mental abacus. Wikipedia, "Mental Abacus" (accessed Nov. 3, 2017). Alex Bellos, "World's Fastest Number Game Wows Spectators and Scientists," Guardian, Oct. 29, 2012. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Jack McLachlan. You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or Google Play Music or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation on the Support Us page of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at podcast@futilitycloset.com. Thanks for listening!
Alex Bellos explores 2,000 years of puzzles, while Stephen Taylor introduces an unconventional Georgian aristocrat See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
"Is there any such thing as nothing?" This question from Bill Keck sparked a lot of head scratching. Dr Adam Rutherford and Dr Hannah Fry first consider the philosophy and physics of nothing. As Prof Frank Close, author of Nothing: A Very Short Introduction explains, nothing has intrigued great thinkers for thousands of years, from the Ancient Greeks to today's particle physicists. Otto Von Geuricke, the Mayor of Magdeburg in Germany, invented the artificial vacuum pump in the 17th Century and presented spectacular displays to demonstrate the awesome power of nothing. Cosmologist Andrew Pontzen helps Hannah search for nothing in the depths of space and inside the atom. However, as they find out, recent discoveries in subatomic physics have proved that nothing is impossible. Undeterred, the team continue the hunt for nothing by turning to mathematics. The story of zero is fraught with inspiration, competition and controversy. Banned in Florence and hated by the Church, zero had a rocky road to acceptance after its genesis in India. Hannah talks to author Alex Bellos and hears about his journey to India to see the birth of zero. Plus, Adam is sent on a mission to understand calculus and enlists the help of Jeff Heys from Montana State University. Photo: A black hole on a white background, Credit: BBC
How to beat the house and win at games. Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined on stage by mathematicians Hannah Fry and Alex Bellos, psychologist Richard Wiseman and games enthusiast Helen Zaltzman, to get their top tips for winning games and solving puzzles. Do mathematicians make better Poker players, or is psychology the key to the ultimate poker face? Will a knowledge of probability give you the ultimate winning strategy for your next game of Monopoly? (the answer is yes!). How old are the oldest puzzles and why do they involve wolves and cabbages? And how have puzzles involving wolves, cabbages and bridges resulted in the development of whole new branches of mathematics. PRODUCER: Alexandra Feachem.
Anne McElvoy meets David Rooney curator of the Winton Mathematics gallery at the Science Museum which has been redesigned by Zaha Hadid architects and explores the way maths skills are increasingly needed for jobs. She discusses the changing attitudes to mathematics in history and the present day with Alex Bellos, writer on maths puzzles, maths historian Serafina Cuomo and maths lecturer Vicky Neale. They are joined by astro-physicist Neil de Grasse Tyson who is director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History. Alex Bellos is the author of Alex Through The Looking Glass and his latest book called Can You Solve My Problems. Neil de Grasse Tyson is the author of many books including Welcome to the Universe co-written with J Richard Gott and Michael A Strauss. Vicky Neale is Whitehead Lecturer at the Mathematical Institute and Balliol College at Oxford University. Serafina Cuomo is Reader in Roman History at Birkbeck College, University of London. Producer: Harry Parker.
In the last episode the team started investigating the following inquiry, sent in to curiouscases@bbc.co.uk: 'Is there any such thing as nothing?' They discovered why quantum fluctuations and the Higgs field mean that nothing is impossible. But how about in mathematics? The story of zero is fraught with inspiration, competition and controversy. Banned in Florence and hated by the Church, zero had a rocky road to acceptance after its genesis in India. Hannah talks to author Alex Bellos and hears about his journey to India to see the birth of zero, featuring archive from 'Nirvana by Numbers' on BBC Radio 4. Plus, Adam is sent on a mission to understand calculus and enlists the help of Jeff Heys from Montana State University. If you have any Curious Cases for the team to solve please email curiouscases@bbc.co.uk Presenters: Adam Rutherford & Hannah Fry Producer: Michelle Martin.
With Alex Bellos, author of 'Can You Solve My Problems?' Presented by Sam Leith
Ken Clarke MP, jazz saxophonist Soweto Kinch, historian Melanie Lamotte and writer and puzzle-historian Alex Bellos join Libby Purves. Alex Bellos is a writer and broadcaster who writes a maths blog and a puzzle blog for the Guardian newspaper. His book Can You Solve my Problems? reveals the story of the puzzle through 125 of the world's best brainteasers, from ancient China to medieval Europe, Victorian England to modern-day Japan, with stories of espionage, mathematical breakthroughs and puzzling rivalries along the way. He has also written a children's book, Football School, which uses football to explain everything from maths to zoology and English to fashion. Can You Solve my Problems? is published by Guardian Faber. Football School is published by Walker Books. During his 46 years as the MP for Rushcliffe in Nottinghamshire, Ken Clarke has been at the very heart of government under three prime ministers. In his memoir, Kind of Blue, he charts his progress from working class scholarship boy to high political office, including four years as Chancellor of the Exchequer. His position on the left of the Conservative party often led Margaret Thatcher to question his true blue credentials, and his passionate commitment to the European project has led many fellow Conservatives to regard him with suspicion - and cost him the leadership on no fewer than three occasions. Kind of Blue - A Political Memoir, is published by Macmillan. Melanie Lamotte is a Junior Research Fellow in history at Newnham College, Cambridge, studying slavery, ethnic prejudice and early modern French colonialism. Born in Paris, she studied at the Sorbonne and at the University of Cambridge. Her fascination with history began ten years ago when she started to investigate her Caribbean origins and reconstructed her family tree, tracing it back three centuries to her slave ancestor, who was taken from the coast of Senegal to work on a sugar cane plantation on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. Soweto Kinch is a jazz saxophonist, bandleader, composer, rapper and presenter of Radio 3's Jazz Now. He is also a double MOBO-award winner and Mercury Prize nominee. He releases his new album Nonogram, which takes its cue from the language of mathematics and geometry. The album's concept revolves around a nine-sided wheel, or nonagon, with each musical point along the wheel exploring a different number or shape. Nonogram is released on Soweto Kinch Recordings. Producer: Annette Wells.
Season 3 of Book Shambles kicks off with Robin and Josie joined by mathematician, author and Pelé biographer, Alex Bellos with talk of football, Feynman, Euclid, reader offers in 1970s comic books and a whole lot more.
Mathematics is one of the most extraordinary things humans can do with their brains but where do our numerical abilities come from? Maths writer Alex Bellos looks for answers from a tribe in the Brazilian Amazon which has no words for numbers in its language. He also meets a budding mathematician who is only seven months old. Image credit: Edward Gibson
Lemurs and parrots accompany maths writer Alex Bellos as he explores the foundations of our ability to understand numbers. What are the fundamental numerical skills we share with other animals? What accounts for our species’ unique abilities to do calculations which other creatures cannot? Alex meets Teres the lemur as the Madagascan primate undergoes a maths test. He also tells the amazing story of Alex, the African grey parrot, and meets professor Irene Pepperberg who guided her feathered pupil to extraordinary mathematical achievements. (Photo: Lemurs. Credit: Andrew Luck-Baker)
The last of three episodes of Little Atoms in association with the 2015 Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books, ahead of the award ceremony on Thursday 24th September. This week Neil Denny talks with Matthew Cobb, and there’s a repeat of our interview with Alex Bellos from May 2014. The show also includes a short […] See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The last of three episodes of Little Atoms in association with the 2015 Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books, ahead of the award ceremony on Thursday 24th September. This week Neil Denny talks with Matthew Cobb, and there’s a repeat of our interview with Alex Bellos from May 2014. The show also includes a short […]
First in series. Michael Rosen and Dr Laura Wright explore the numbers one to ten and look at how we understand - and misunderstand - the language of numbers. Why is a shampoo called Zinc 24 so much more appealing than a shampoo called Zinc 31? How do we cope with offers in supermarkets? Alex Bellos and Michael Blastland explain. Producer Beth O'Dea Alex Bellos is the author of Alex Through the Looking-Glass: How Life Reflects Numbers and Numbers Reflect Life.
Loop The ancient Greeks saw magic in the geometry of an ellipse and now mathematical writer Alex Bellos has put this to use in a specially designed table for a specially designed game of pool. Premier League predictions If a martian came to earth wanting to know where each team would finish in the English Premier League this season where should he go to get the most accurate prediction?
Diabetes We heard earlier this week that there had been a 60% rise in the number of cases of diabetes in the last ten years. But is there actually some good news in these figures? Odd (attempted) burglaries Police in Leicestershire have been only sending forensic teams to attempted burglaries at houses with even numbers. The papers reported it as a scandal driven by money saving. But is it a scandal or a sensible attempt to work out how to deploy the police's tight resources? Men who pay for sex Do one in 10 men regulalrly pay for sex as a Channel 4 Documentary claimed? Loop The ancient Greeks saw magic in the geometry of an ellipse and now mathematical writer Alex Bellos has but this to use in a specially designed game of pool.
Alex Bellos talks about the world's favourite numbers... Alex Bellos, author of Alex's Adventures in Numberland, describes his quest to bring mathematics to the people by any means possible. In a wide-ranging talk which skips from Kilburn to India, via Arizona, Bellos reveals the mathematical principles that underpin the most unexpected aspects of modern-day life. He demonstrates how sports punditry is “basically a delusion” by recounting his meticulous daily experiments with bread-weighing, reveals the relationship between the work of Pythagoras and Puff Daddy’s identity crisis, and illustrates how a numerically-defined ‘golden ratio’ forms the basis for contemporary conceptions of beauty. 5x15 brings together five outstanding individuals to tell of their lives, passions and inspirations. There are only two rules - no scripts and only 15 minutes each. Learn more about 5x15 events: 5x15stories.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/5x15stories Facebook: www.facebook.com/5x15stories Instagram: www.instagram.com/5x15stories
Alex Bellos is surprised that people ask him what his favorite number is, so he decides to ask everyone what theirs is. Alex Bellos is the author of the popular science bestsellers The Grapes of Math and Here's Looking at Euclid. In a previous life he was the Guardian's South America correspondent, based in Rio, where he wrote Futebol: the Brazilian Way of Life, a book on Brazilian football. He also ghost-wrote Pele's autobiography. Alex blogs on maths for the Guardian and presents maths documentaries for BBC Radio 4. His YouTube clip on how to cut a cake has had more than 6.5 million views. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Numbers, Numbers everywhere... The Infinite Monkey Cage is back for a new series of witty, irreverent science chat. Over the coming six weeks, presenters Brian Cox and Robin Ince will be joined on stage by scientists and some well known science enthusiasts including Stephen Fry, Ross Noble, Katy Brand and Ben Miller to discuss a range of topics, from what makes us uniquely human, to whether irrationality is, in fact, genetic. In the first episode of the new series, Brian and Robin are joined by comedian and former maths undergraduate Dave Gorman, maths enthusiast and author Alex Bellos and number theorist Dr Vicky Neale to look at the joy to be found in numbers. Although many people fear maths and will admit to dreading any task that requires even basic skills of numeracy, the truth is that numbers really are everywhere and our relationship with them can, at times, be oddly emotional. Why do so many people have a favourite number, for example, and why is it most often the number 7? 7 is of course a prime number - a favourite amongst mathematicians and non-mathematicians alike, although seemingly for different reasons. Could it be however, as the panel discuss, that the reasons are not so very different, and that we are all closet mathematicians at heart?
Freakonomics guru Steven Levitt joins us to talk about an unusual experiment – getting people to agree to make major life decisions based on the toss of a coin. Is this really good social science? And what do the results tell us about decision making and happiness? And with 365 days in the year, it feels like a huge coincidence when we meet someone with the same birthday. But you only need 23 people to have a better than even chance that two will share a birthday. This counter-intuitive result is known as the birthday paradox, and the best place to look for proof is the World Cup, where 32 squads of 23 players provide an ideal data-set. Alex Bellos crunches the numbers for us. This programme was first broadcast on the BBC World Service.
"Religion Makes People More Generous"- according to The Daily Telegraph's interpretation of a new BBC poll on charitable giving. Tim Harford investigates whether there is a link between practising a religion and whether we give. Plus: Big data - the hype says it will help deliver everything from increased corporate profits to better healthcare but are we being blinded to basic statistical lessons learned over the past two hundred years? And it feels like a huge coincidence, but you only need 23 people to have a better than even chance of meeting someone with the same birthday. This is the birthday paradox, and the best place to look for proof is the World Cup, where 32 squads of 23 players provide an ideal data-set. Alex Bellos crunches the numbers for us.
This week we return to a news story we covered recently in which mathematician Alex Bellos sought to find out why people have a favourite number and what in fact the most popular numbers around the world are. So in … Continue reading →
The Man Who Counted, a book of 'Arabic' mathematical tales written by Middle Eastern scholar Malba Tahan was published in Brazil in the 1930s. It became a huge success. Malba Tahan's birthday, May 6th, is now celebrated as Brazil's National Day of Mathematics. But the author wasn't who everybody thought he was. Alex Bellos tells his story. This programme was first broadcast on the BBC World Service.
Food banks are being used by a million people in Britain according to recent newspaper reports. But what do we really know about how many people are using food banks, and does this tell us anything about whether food poverty is increasing? Plus: we remember Gary Becker; Alex Bellos tells the story of Brazil's most famous mathematician; and did a fruit and vegetable seller run the first four minute mile in 1770?
Rev Richard Coles and Andrea Catherwood with maths writer Alex Bellos, English-speaker Caroline Sarll who decided to bring her children up to be bilingual, Charlie Corr whose childhood dream came true when he met Pele, Frank McCauley from lowly Salford City FC who've caught the eye of Manchester United's famous 'Class of '92', Ken Jones who was caught in an avalanche, and Simon Duncan and Mark Atkinson whose band's name earned them a Banksy. Plus the Inheritance Tracks of writer and broadcaster Judy Finnigan.Alex Bellos's new book is Alex Through the Looking-Glass. His first maths book was the hugely acclaimed Alex's Adventures in Numberland. He set up favouritenumber.net, a global survey to find the world's favourite number. His book on Brazilian football Futebol: The Brazilian Way of Life has been revised and updated with a new chapter for the 2014 World Cup. He ghostwrote Pele: The Autobiography. He blogs about maths for The Guardian.On June 25 1966, 13 year-old Charlie Corr ran onto the pitch at Hampden to meet his football idol Pele. The moment was captured on camera and the picture was printed recently in the Sunday Mail in Scotland.Caroline Sarll and her husband are both native English speakers but she decided to bring up their two daughters to be bilingual in German.Ken Jones survived an avalanche in Transylvania in 2003. His book Darkness Descending is out now.Simon Duncan and Mark Atkinson's original band name was Exit Via The Giftshop. They changed it to Brace Yourself and gained a BanksyWriter and broadcaster Judy Finnigan's book Eloise is out now.Frank McCauley has been involved with Salford City FC for 30 years and is now a member of the committee.Producer: Dixi Stewart.
Journalist and numbers obsessive Alex Bellos travels around India to explore the fundamental numerical gifts which early Indian mathematicians gave to the world and asks whether the great religions of ancient India - Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism - had any part in their origins. The number system which the world uses today originated in India in the early centuries of the first millennium AD. It is usually called the Arabic numeral system, but in the Middle East the scheme employing the symbols 0 to 9 is correctly referred to as the Indian system. The designation of zero as a number in its own right by South Asian thinkers was arguably the greatest conceptual leap in the history of mathematics. During his numerical odyssey, Alex visits a temple in Gwalior, containing the earliest zero in India with a known date. He is also granted an audience with one of Hinduism's most revered gurus, who is also an author of books on numbers. His Holiness, the Shankaracharya of Puri tells Alex that the study of mathematics is a path to Nirvana. In conversation with India's most eminent mathematician, Professor SG Dani in Mumbai, Alex hears how early Indian philosophers toyed with numbers far more than the Greeks. Buddhists, for example, mused on a number with 53 zeros and the Jains contemplated various varieties of infinity - something that modern mathematicians do 2000 years later. Alex also dips into the current controvesy surrounding so-called Vedic mathematics. This is a collection of speed arithmetic tricks which a great guru of the early 20th Century claimed to have discovered in the Vedas, Hinduism's most sacred scriptures.(Image: One of the special zeros in its use in '270'. Credit: Andrew Luck Baker)
Physicist Brian Cox and comedian Robin Ince are joined by the Australian comedian and musician Tim Minchin and mathematician Alex Bellos to discuss randomness, probability and chance. They look at whether coincidences are far more common than one might think and how a mathematical approach can make even the most unpredictable situations... well, predictable. Producer: Alexandra Feachem.
We chat to Alex Bellos this week. You must have seen his popular maths book (illustrated by SRS guest Andy Riley); Alex's Adventures in Numberland is everywhere at the moment. But is maths really that interesting? How many loaves of bread does it take to change a bell curve? What's 'God's Number' and is it [...]
What is the basis for the common numerical counting systems found in mathematics? And, how do these vary across the globe? On this program, Alex Bellos discussed number theory.
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