Supermassive numbers

Supermassive numbers

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Are you still with us?

Are You Dead?That’s the name of an app that’s gone massively viral in China. Every two days, you click a green button to confirm you’re alive and well – but if you miss it, an emergency contact is alerted.The app is aimed towards those who live alone, so it’s got us contemplating ...  Show more

Banging the science drum

After the leaders of Japan and South Korea ended their summit with the two participating in a drumming duet, we’re marching to the beat of our own drum and exploring some rhythmic science.First, we look at nature’s drummer, the woodpecker, and why their pecking doesn’t give them ...  Show more

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The $1,000 balloon
Outside/In

Helium is full of contradictions. It’s the second most abundant element in the universe, but is relatively rare on Earth. It’s non-reactive, totally inert—yet the most valuable helium isotope is sourced from thermonuclear warheads. And even though we treat it as a disposable gas, ...  Show more

Re-release: Mind-Reading, Universe’s Brightest Object, Cinnamon
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Today, you’ll learn about mind-reading machines, the brightest object in the known universe, and the potential power punch of cinnamon. Mind-Reading •“Mind-reading devices are revealing the brain’s secrets.” by Miryam Naddaf. 2024. •“The brain-reading devices helping paralysed pe ...  Show more

How zero gave us mathematical and philosophical power | Talithia Williams
dash

The abstract numeral that changed everything, according to mathematician Talithia Williams. Before the introduction of zero, mathematics was a tangible subject, where numbers held weight and substance. With zero came the concept of a mathematical “nothing;” it turned our solid un ...  Show more

The Science of Symmetry
The Infinite Monkey Cage

Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by mathematician Marcus Du Sautoy, science journalist Adam Rutherford and comic book legend Alan Moore to discuss why symmetry seems such a pervasive phenomenon throughout our universe, and possibly beyond. The world turns on symmetry -- from t ...  Show more