A Problem Squared

In this episode... * How do you stop a wobbly table from wobbling?  * Which is more effective for your dental hygiene: a toothbrush without toothpaste or toothpaste without a toothbrush?  * A-to-the-O-to-the-B.  * Plus! Some exciting merch news.  If you want to see more of Matt's wobbly tables on ridiculous maths surfaces, you can do that here: https://arxiv.org/abs/math/0511490 . For the best sys...

In THIS episode... * What's the most appropriate gift for a couple’s -1 year anniversary? * How do you write a podcast review without Apple podcasts? * And Bec and Matt return to rather a lot of AOB. We would like to thank shittyflute on YouTube for letting us use their rendition of the A-Team theme tune. You can find more tunes you love, badly played here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHMmLi8...

In this very special episode, live from Blue Dot Festival...   * How many astronauts does it take to change a light bulb?   * What is the most environmentally friendly way to launch an object into space?   * And APS are live for the first time at Blue Dot Festival!    A huge thank you all the contributors that helped make this episode happen;   To Professor Steven Lockley from Harvard. You can fin...

In this episode...   * Can you guess 5 unique words with unique letters in Wordle?   * How do you get out of your head and into the scene in improv?   * And any other Cheesness.   Here's the dictionary text file Matt started with for his problem. It contains 370,000 words: https://github.com/dwyl/english-words   A huge thank you to everyone who helped with Bec's dinglett.   Alex Holland at the Fre...

In this episode...   * When does a high five become a low five?   * What is the most efficient digital display?   * And, some any other beesness   Just 18 more sleeps until APS is LIVE at Bluedot - that's between 19:45 - 20:45 on Friday the 22nd July.   Please send in your Bluedot specific questions to the Problem Solving Page including the phrase 'Bluedot'.   You can do this on Twitter too, but i...

In this episode:  Can you create an order from a numbered menu that is always comprehensible to the server? When someone is behind you as you open a door, what is the polite distance to wait for them?  And, the cards are on the table.  As always, if you've got a problem or a solution, hit us up on our website aproblemsquared.com .    Please send in your Blue Dot problems, and we may just solve it...

In THIS episode...   * How long would it take us to eat the moon if it was made of cheese?   * If you shot and dropped a bullet at exactly the same time, they would hit the ground simultaneously?   * And Bec and Matt give thanks.   As always, if you've got a problem or a solution, hit us up on our website  aproblemsquared.com . And if you want want even more from A Problem Squared, find us on Twit...

In this episode...   * How related are you to a Harbour seal?    * Bec gives some novel advice.    * Matt mends a mistake.    * And there's all sorts of AOB.    If you want to bid on the £5,000 t-shirt referenced in 006 of A Problem Squared, join us on the 26th of May, 2022! All proceeds go to Water Aid - links to come.    Bec's new book 'Now LiveScreaming' is out now! Go buy it!   You can find Ya...

In this episode:   * Can you alter the smell of your farts based on what you eat?   * When does a computer become a supercomputer?   * And, Any AOB!   A huge thank you to Dr Jess Biesiekierski, you can find them at @jessbersa and @monashnutrition on Twitter, Dr Dr CK Yao, find them at @yao_ck on Twitter and of course, Gareth Turkington , @G_Turkington on Twitter, @gareth.turkington on Insta, who c...

On this episode...   * How many molehills would you need to make a mountain out of them?    * How do you find friends?   * Matt revisits some mistaken maths.    Don't forget to send in your Blue Dot Festival problems to us on the website below - we might just do it live! And, as always, if you've got a problem or a solution, hit us up on aproblemsquared.com .   And if you want want even more from...

In this episode...   * Why are aspect ratios so whack?    * How many phone numbers actually exist?    * Wheels or Doors: Revisited.    * And, closure on A Pudding Squared.   A big thank you to Tom Salinsky for helping with this week's problem. You can find more from him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/tomsalinsky?lang=en and his podcast, Best Pick Pod, here: https://twitter.com/bestpickpod?lang=en...

In this episode...   * What are the odds of having the same child twice?   * Wheels or Doors?   * And Bec recommends some new nerdy podcasts!    Don't forget too send in your Blue Dot Festival problems to us on the website below - we might just do it live!    And, as always, if you've got a problem or a solution, hit us up on aproblemsquared.com .   And if you want want even more from A Problem Sq...

Happy Pi Day 2022!  In this episode... * Which edible products have protected names? * How much tax paid by a civil servant would pass into their own salary? * And of course. We have AOB-B-B-b-b-b....  To watch a crack team of 30 calculate 11 digits of Pi by hand, head over to Stand-up Maths on YouTube.   If you want a qualification of your own, why not take the Food Standards Agency Food Labellin...

In this episode... * Could a GPS sat nav work on the moon?  * A Pudding Squared returns.   * An APS announcement. * AND format news!  If you have any memory of how 'Is This Your Card' started please (please) let us know.  As always, if you've got a problem or a solution, hit us up on our website aproblemsquared.com . And if you want want even more from A Problem Squared, find us on Twitter and Ins...

In this episode...   * How do you reuse an old radiotherapy mask?   * What is the optimal way to utilise postcodes in Scrabble?   * And, the results of our 2021 listener survey are in.    For more on radiotherapy masks, head on over to Macmillan . And do check out the Bravery Unmasked project for some truly incredible mask transformations.   If you want want even more from A Problem Squared, find...

APS 026 is here, and it's the last of the year! In this episode... * How fast could a team of penguins complete a 4 x 100 relay race? * How can you fix your sleeping schedule? * And, AOB - lot's of it! As ever, we value your thoughts on A Problem Squared so head on over to: www.thatsurvey.ilikeit.aproblemsquared.com and give us some feedback!      You can learn more about circadian rhythms here: h...

In this month's episode Bec finds out how many Beck's beers would fit in Bec Hill. And Matt investigates how much he'd  have in Euros, if every person gave him 1 in their local currency.  Plus! A ding is given, and Matt goes to Antarctica. A big thank you to Adam Kay , Doctor Xand and sword swallowers Snookie Mono and Snake Fervor for their help with this episode.  As always, send your problems to...

APS 024 is out now!  And it's a spooky October edition! In this episode... * What's the largest hole that can be carved in a pumpkin without the pumpkin collapsing?    * How do you stop noisy ghosts rattling doors when you're trying to sleep?   * And, Cupboard of Nupboard: The people have spoken!

Yes, that's right. The Weight of Words and Graphene for Turds. In this month's episode... If graphene was rolled to the size of a loo roll, how long would that roll be? What is the weight of the ink in Bec's book? Plus! The REAL answer to Earth's longest line of sight. And, Bec and Matt are reunited after two years apart. If you want want EVEN MORE from A Problem Squared, find us on Twitter, Insta...

What's the best way to stay inspired when writing? Where on earth can you look the furthest away at something else, that is also on the earth? When eating cereal, what is the milk? Sauce, broth, jus or something else? Plus! Repurposing crushed bike helmets: Can you, should you? 

This is Inharmonics and Skin-harm-tonics! In this month's episode... How well can the human voice mimic a dinging bell? Bec teams up with a multi-vocalist Beardyman to tackle this one! What is the optimal use of sunscreen to create a tan and protect your skin? Plus: The results from Matt's sunny survey are IN and we have updates from episode 020. As always, if you've got a problem or a solution, h...

Score! It's episode 020 of A Problem Squared, Filling Up and Falling Down!     In this episode...   Can we solve global warming by diluting the atmosphere? What's the funniest way to fall down without hurting yourself?  Plus: The answer to last month's A Pudding Squared, and a final word on Arctic Krill.    As always, if you've got a problem or a solution, hit us up on our website www.aproblemsqua...

How did a hamster end up in a listener's apartment on the other side of the world? How many leaves would humans need to photosynthesise all our energy? Plus, an update on Dish Splatters: Why don't plastic things dry in the dishwasher? If you've got a problem or a solution, hit us up on our website www.aproblemsquared.com , or on social media. It's Pudding, on the 'gram For Bec's hamster habitat, l...

This month, Matt and Bec explore voting systems in elections. Bec wonders what effect it might have to vote for a novelty candidate. And we speak to a special guest who might just know a thing or two about this. Plus a whole heap of quick-fire problem solving! Here's the video Matt mentioned that simulates alternate voting systems: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhO6jfHPFQU&ab_channel=Primer...

How many Bec Hills could fit in Bexhill? What species would make the longest queue if you put every individual in a single line? Plus an update on Bec's coat conundrum! If you've got a problem or a solution, hit us up on our website www.aproblemsquared.com, or on social media. Thanks to www.higherdose.com for providing the sauna blanket for the fluffy jacket problem. To find out more about Mileva...