Math! Science! History!

Statistics are awesome! If you know the data, stats can get you out of any argument. The history of statistics goes back over 5,000 years. And get this, one of the most prominent statisticians was not an academic mathematician. And all the details are in the podcast! If you are interested in learning more about the history of math and science, please visit me at www. MathScienceHistory.com ! And w...

Despite his multiple honorary doctorates and being named Chicagoan of the Year,  Chemist Dr. Percy Julian found himself up a tree with a shotgun, defending his family and his house. How and why did such a prominent individual have to resort to such measures to protect all that he worked for? The details are all in the podcast! Visit me at  www. MathScienceHistory.com  ! And while you're there, ple...

Thomas Fuller. He was born in 1710 in Africa. He was known as the Virginia calculator. Benjamin Rush wanted to see slavery abolished. He believed that Fuller was the perfect individual to make his case. The details are all in the podcast! Visit me at  www. MathScienceHistory.com  ! And while you're there, please feel free to buy me a cup of coffee! To purchase Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life, visit ...

Cryptography has evolved in such a distinctive way that we can now use it for cryptocurrency, authentication, privacy, and to deter recent advancements in quantum code-breaking. The details are all in the podcast! Visit me at  www. MathScienceHistory.com  ! And while you're there, please feel free to buy me a cup of coffee! To purchase Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life, visit  https://a.co/d/eU41Uun  ...

There was that time on May 6, 1910, when a red ball of light approached our Earth's sky as King Edward the seventh suffered a series of heart attacks and died. However, in that same month, as the ball grew brighter and approached closer to our planet, on May 19, 1910, Oliver Wendell Holmes and his wife Fanny went to a Naval Observatory on Massachusetts Avenue to observe this ball of light. They en...

How does one get a haircut during a pandemic? It's almost as puzzling as Georg Cantor's Barber Puzzle!  If you are interested in reading more about the set theory behind the Barber Puzzle, please visit me at www. MathScienceHistory.com  !  And while you're there, please feel free to buy me a cup of coffee, because every cup of coffee keeps my podcast up and running!  To purchase Hypatia: The Sum o...

What do one brilliant woman, one Democratic Senator and one Republican Congressman have to do with the very first Earth Day? The details are all in the podcast! Visit me at  www. MathScienceHistory.com  ! And while you're there, please feel free to buy me a cup of coffee! To purchase Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life, visit  https://a.co/d/eU41Uun   Thank you for listening! Until next week, carpe diem!...

On April 13, 1625, Galileo's friend Giovanni Faber, wrote a letter to Prince Federico Angelo Cesi about this fascinating tool that could magnify small items. He referred to it as the "microscope" that is derived from the Greek words micron, which means small, and skopein , which means to look at. The details are all in the podcast! Visit me at  www. MathScienceHistory.com  ! And while you're there...

Even after Dr. Charles Drew's passing, his name lived on. His home was designated as a National Historic Landmark. The United States Postal Service honored him, schools have been named after him, and a United States Navy ship has been named after him. Also, in 2002, he was listed as one of the 100 greatest African Americans. The details are all in the podcast! Visit me at  www. MathScienceHistory....

What is most mathematically wonderful about Chaos Theory is the reminder that we can find ordered structures in the chaos that surrounds us. These structures are actually the mathematical tools that we use to find order.  If you are interested in reading more about the history of math and science, please visit my website, https://www.mathsciencehistory.com  - and while you are there, please feel f...

Emmy Noether was born on March 23, 1882. In her lifetime, she changed the landscape of algebra and physics. Einstein referred to her as a significant creative mathematical genius! Her mathematics and the story of her life are astounding! If you are interested in learning more about Noether's Theorem, I have videos on my Website at www. MathScienceHistory.com  ! So please, visit me! And while you'r...

In 1834 the scientist William Whewell proposed a term that would combine the activities of physicists, chemists, philosophers, philologists, and mathematicians. That word was Scientist! But, there was push back and entertaining infighting in Britain about the absurdity of the word and it's all in the podcast! If you are interested in reading more about the word scientist , I have links on my Websi...

This year, February 28 is not the last day of the month! Happy Leap Year! If you aren't familiar with the origins of Leap Year, have I got a story for you!! I also explain how Leap Year is organized!  If you are interested in reading stories about the history of math and science, please feel free to visit me at my blog at www. MathScienceHistory.com !  To purchase Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life, vis...

It's Black History Month! Dr. Angie Turner King left a huge legacy in the world of black academia in STEM. She didn't just forge a path, she built a highway for African Americans in STEM. Her legacy includes Katherine Johnson and Jasper Brown, just to name a couple. She was voted as a favorite professor and she helped to change the landscape of academic diversity.  If you are interested in reading...

It's Black History Month! This week, I talk about Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson. She is America's first black, female physicist to earn her doctorate.  This month I am honoring the black, noble goddesses in STEM who inspire, motivate, and forge paths for those who have been marginalized. Each week I talk about one of my favorite sheroes who succeeded despite our structural racism and antiquated gender b...

It's Black History Month! This week, I introduce Dr. Roger Arliner Young. She was America's first black, female zoologist to get her doctorate.  This month I'll be honoring the black, noble goddesses in STEM who inspire, motivate, and forge paths for those who have been marginalized. Each week I'll talk about one of my favorite sheroes who succeeded despite our structural racism and antiquated gen...

January 27 marks the 188th anniversary of Lewis Carrol's birthday. Many people know him as the author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Many don't know that he was also a mathematician, who wove logic into his story.  If you are interested in seeing diagrams and an explanation of the logic that he used in the Mad Hatter Tea Party dialogue, or are interested in reading literature by scientists a...

In the 19th century, rollercoasters were new and exciting. Sometimes too exciting. Like, a 12 G-force, break your neck exciting! How was this even possible in 1895?! If you are interested in reading more about the physics and math of these early rollercoasters, or are interested in learning more about the history of math and science, please visit me at www. MathScienceHistory.com  ! To buy my book...

The story about Hypatia of Alexandria is almost 2,000 years old. She was one of our earliest female mathematicians, astronomers, philosophers, and professors. But above all of that, she was loved by Alexandria! So why was she murdered?! The answer is in the podcast! If you are interested in reading more about the history of math and science, please visit me on my blog at  www. MathScienceHistory.c...

The 2020s are upon us!! One hundred years ago, the 1920s produced a wealth of technology and discoveries! But, did you know that the other 20s since the first century brought us some amazing math, science, and technology?!  If you are interested in reading more about the history of math and science, please visit me on my blog at www. MathScienceHistory.com ! To purchase Hypatia: The Sum of Her Lif...

The holidays are upon us! What better way to celebrate than sharing a fun logic puzzle about five weird scientists and their holiday celebration. For the sake of the puzzle, let us just assume that these scientists are neighbors, and all exist in the same era. They include William Buckland, Tycho Brahe, Ilya Ivanovich Ivanov, Stubbins Ffirth, and Pythagoras. I will post my answers next week on my...

Admiral Grace Murray Hopper was born on December 9, 1906, in New York, New York. The story of her brilliance and her life is inspiring. She exemplified perseverance. From college to the Navy to her work with compilers, she never gave up! I have a video on my Website of her interview on 60 Minutes, which is one of my favorites. www. MathScienceHistory.com   To purchase Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life,...

When Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 CE, it destroyed yet preserved the ancient world of Herculaneum, along with the Villa de Papyri. In 1752, excavators discovered almost 1,800 scrolls, that today we are finally able to "unwrap" and read thanks to Artificial Intelligence. You can find more video, images, and more details about these ancient papyri at my Website www. MathScienceHistory.com   Thanks f...

Euclid's Elements  is considered one of the most foundational bodies of work in the field of mathematics. Written around 300 BCE (over 2,000 YEARS AGO!), it was a textbook that provided students the opportunity to learn most of the theories and propositions written at that time. However, even though it was groundbreaking, there was already a history of math that preceded this book, as you will fin...