A Problem Squared

🟰 How do you round 0.44999999... to 1 decimal place?

🐟 What creative things can be done with a fish tank that has no fish?

🍂  And we have some Autumnal Other Business

Head to our BlueSky/Twitter/Instagram to see some platonic solids for platonic friends, some gorgeous Welsh scenery, some diorama inspo, some toilet wine and a really old maths book.

BBC Archive: The Street With Confounding House Numbers from 1961 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fr6Gxb97W_c  

How the Japanese house numbering system works…

https://geoawesome.com/how-the-crazy-japanese-addressing-system-works-explained/ 

Do you have a problem for Bec and Matt to solve? Tell us about it: https://www.aproblemsquared.com/ 

Join us on Patreon for early releases and our monthly bonus podcast I’m A Wizard!

If you’re already on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!   

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

🧦 Do you put your trousers or socks on first ?👖

🎲 How much would a standard pair of dice weigh if they were made up of just protons and neutrons? 🎲

🏉 And we have some Australian Ozzie Ballness that may or may not be in the right order.

Thank you to everyone who responded to our questionnaire about number and clothing ordering!All the results are in this episode.

What would happen if a tablespoonful of a neutron star was brought to Earth? https://www.astronomy.com/science/what-would-happen-if-tablespoonful-neutron-star-was-brought-to-earth/ 

Take a trip back in time to see Matt putting both his socks on simultaneously: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hs7fg27Iiq8 

Do you have a problem for Bec and Matt to solve? Tell us about it: https://www.aproblemsquared.com/ 

Join us on Patreon for early releases and our monthly bonus podcast I’m A Wizard!

If you’re already on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!   

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

#️⃣ How wrong can a sequence of numbers be?

👂 What maths-related diagrams that would look good as a pair of earrings?

☕ And we have some Any Other Baristaness 

Here is our dual-purpose Google Form - please answer our questions about number and clothing ordering! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1tTb398TTacxoqlqJHGonkldwDsqnnMN6V4fRagfPOEI/

Behold the weird balls! Here is Thomas Fernique’s Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/fernik_art/p/DcVerFCDiwr/ 

And head to our Instagram to see Matt looking really happy with a weird football and Bec looking really sad with a weird football.

Some visuals to inspire designs for duallery -Brown University: Dual Shapes: https://www.math.brown.edu/tbanchof/Beyond3d/chapter5/section03.html

Some pre-made mathematical earrings from Maths Gear: https://mathsgear.co.uk/collections/jewellery-etc  

Vanessa Schattman on the maths of cat’s cradle:

https://archive.bridgesmathart.org/2026/bridges2026-669.html#gsc.tab=0

Do you have a problem for Bec and Matt to solve? Tell us about it: https://www.aproblemsquared.com/ 

Matt has extended his tour - and he’s filming the show in London in October - all the dates, venues and tickets can be found here: http://standupmaths.com/shows 

Join us on Patreon for early releases and our monthly bonus podcast I’m A Wizard!

If you’re already on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!   

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

📖 What comes after thrice?

☕ How can I increase my chances of winning a free coffee?

🎹 And we have some Any Other Beatness 

Thank you to everyone who sent in audio or visuals of the Thue-Morse pattern!

Here is Damien’s Thue-Morse Visualiser which is really fun to play with: https://damienkee.github.io/thue-morese_visualiser/ 

And here is the keyboard visualisation of Thue-Morse sonified by Seta Lyas: https://www.reddit.com/r/AProblemSquared/comments/1vl0m8s/140_thuemorse_sonified 

Head to our BlueSky/Twitter/Instagram to see the full run down of Bec’s post-thrice words.

Do you have a problem for Bec and Matt to solve? Tell us about it: https://www.aproblemsquared.com/ 

Matt has extended his tour - and he’s filming the show in London in October - all the dates, venues and tickets can be found here: http://standupmaths.com/shows 

Join us on Patreon for early releases and our monthly bonus podcast I’m A Wizard!

If you’re already on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!   

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

📺 How long would it take to watch all of YouTube?

🪧 How can you make an interesting public display board without damaging the walls?

🏖️ And we have Any Other Beachness (it’s a bit windy and a bit crabby)

Head to our BlueSky/Twitter/Instagram to see Matt and Bec’s differing experiences of the solar eclipse.

Here’s Count Binface and Matt the Count Binface Count Agent getting papped in Clacton: https://tinyurl.com/2h7apka7 

And here's Matt's Stand-Up Maths video - Can Count Binface win?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zn1pGRgEoo

If you like the sound of David Elms Describes A Room, you can find out more here: ⁠https://www.davidelmsdescribesaroom.com/⁠ 

Here are the places to go for a deep dive into YouTube Stats:

https://tubestats.org/ 

Counting YouTube Videos via Random Prefix Sampling: https://dl.acm.org/doi/epdf/10.1145/2068816.2068851 

A Transparent, Replicable, and Large-Scale Census of YouTube Channels and their Subscriber Counts Over Time https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.06999 

Do you have a problem for Bec and Matt to solve? Tell us about it: https://www.aproblemsquared.com/ 

Matt has extended his tour - and he’s filming the show in London in October - all the dates, venues and tickets can be found here: http://standupmaths.com/shows 

Join us on Patreon for early releases and our monthly bonus podcast I’m A Wizard!

If you’re already on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!   

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

👬 How do you know if a work-friend is a real-friend?

⭕ What would happen if Pi was 4?

😴 And we have Any Other Boring-Stories…

Head to our BlueSky/Twitter/Instagram to see Bec’s selfies with The Stars of Space (real and fictional), and the cute-faced Rivian Car.

Why not try Hyperbolic Crochet?!

https://startcrochet.com/ultimate-beginners-guide-to-hyperbolic-crochet/

Why not try a checked 25x25 grid crossword from Sweden?!

https://fatherben.se/wordpress/digitalt-korsord-i-sydsvenskan/ 

Robert Llewelyn’s YouTube channel - Everything Electric CARS 

If you’re at the Edinburgh Fringe and would like to see Bec’s Work In Progress show, tickets are available here: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/bec-hill-s-work-in-progress 

Matt has extended his tour - and he’s filming the show in London in October - all the dates, venues and tickets can be found here: http://standupmaths.com/shows 

Want to pose a problem for Bec and Matt to solve? Head over to https://www.aproblemsquared.com/ 

Join us on Patreon for early releases and our monthly bonus podcast I’m A Wizard!

If you’re already on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!   

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

⚽ What’s the fairest way to pick teams?

🤖 How do you discourage colleagues from using AI to write everything?

🚗 And this road trip is jeopardised by playing ‘Accelerator or Break?’

Thanks to all of you who sent in answers to “what are you doing while you’re listening to A Problem Squared?” - we go through as many as we possibly can in this episode!

Here is kram1032’s post on Maths Stack Exchange that helped Matt with his problem solving:

https://math.stackexchange.com/questions/2078609/whats-the-fairest-turn-sequence-for-n-players 

Here’s more info on Open Sauce: https://www.opensauce.com/

And here’s a kind stranger’s Insta reel of the Ratatouille robot: https://www.instagram.com/reels/DbGwSh4vHQq/ 

And here’s more info on UKIE: https://ukie.org.uk/ 

And the stream of Bec hosting the event: https://www.youtube.com/live/4lw_ypXroa4 

Head to our BlueSky/Twitter/Instagram to see the U-Haul-Truck-Camera photo of Matt. 

If you’re at the Edinburgh Fringe and would like to see Bec’s Work In Progress show, tickets are available here: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/bec-hill-s-work-in-progress 

Matt has extended his tour - and he’s filming the show in London in October - all the dates, venues and tickets can be found here: http://standupmaths.com/shows 

Want to pose a problem for Bec and Matt to solve? Head over to https://www.aproblemsquared.com/ 

Join us on Patreon for early releases and our monthly bonus podcast I’m A Wizard!

If you’re already on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!   

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

There's no new episode of A Problem Squared this week - sorry everyone - but we will be back with your scheduled Episode 140 on MONDAY 10TH AUGUST 2026, and our normal twokly service will be resumed from MONDAY 17TH AUGUST 2026.

We're delaying one episode by one week due to general busyness and time-zone clashes but rest assured you will be getting your full quota of August episodes of A Problem Squared.

Thank you for your patience!

🎺 What would standard instruments sound like if they were played under water?

🎯 What would be the average score of one randomly thrown dart?

📂 And there’s some Any Other Business.AOB.zip

On THIS episode of A Problem Squared we’re joined by a special guest! The musical (and regularly quite wet) musical maestro Steve Pretty tells us all about playing music underwater - illustrated with some very bubbly examples. You can hear more from Steve on his podcast Origin Of The Pieces: https://www.originofthepieces.com/ and hear more from Steve playing shells here: https://www.shellectronica.com/ 

This is the episode of Steve Pretty’s Origin of the Pieceswith Richard Sabin, whale expert and lead curator of mammals at the Natural History Museum, who shares sonic insights from the deep. https://www.originofthepieces.com/episodes/episode-31-earwax-echoes-and-entropy

To find out more about Aquasonic, the ethereal underwater quintet, head here: https://www.betweenmusic.dk/aquasonic 

Here is the full Hermeto Pascoal video in all its glory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZbfNtDCHdM 

And here’s the video of a hydraulophone https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgU0OZkGhGI 

World Darts Federation Playing and Tournament Rules for all the specifications used in Matt’s working out: https://dartswdf.com/storage/uploads/fb05b306-c92c-4f08-b512-affb092a1b3d/2018-02-28_WDF_Playing_and_Tournament_Rules_rev20.pdf 

The fabulously detailed Data Genetics blog post on where to aim on a dart board to maximise point-scoring - A Geek Plays Darts: http://www.datagenetics.com/blog/january12012/index.html 

Here’s more about the (excellent) book that Bec shouted out: Gemma Correll - Anxietyland https://www.gemmacorrell.com/ 

If you’d like to see Bec’s Work In Progress shows, her upcoming gigs can be found here: https://www.bechillcomedian.com/tour-gigs

Matt has extended his tour - and he’s filming the show in London in October - all the dates, venues and tickets can be found here:

http://standupmaths.com/shows 

Join us on Patreon for early releases and our monthly bonus podcast I’m A Wizard!

If you’re already on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!  

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

📝 What is the perfect arrangement of black squares in a crossword?

🚣 Does weight on an aqueduct increase as a boat goes over it?

🛟 And there’s some Any Other Boardness (not ‘boredness’)

Head to our BlueSky/Twitter/Instagram to see some crossword arrangements and some cross-bridge arrangements.

Michael Keith’s Crossword research paper: http://www.gathering4gardner.org/g4g16gift/KeithMichael-GiftExchange-CrosswordGrids-G4G16.pdf 

Michael Keith’s Pilish book, Not A Wake: https://www.cadaeic.net/notawake.htm 

If you’d like to see Bec’s Work In Progress shows, her upcoming gigs can be found here: https://www.bechillcomedian.com/tour-gigs

Matt is bringing An Evening of Unnecessary Detail to New York! The Bell House, Brooklyn on Sunday 12th July. Tickets can be found here:

https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/300064B84CCCF567

And Matt has extended his tour - and he’s filming the show in London in October - all the dates, venues and tickets can be found here:

http://standupmaths.com/shows 

Join us on Patreon for early releases and our monthly bonus podcast I’m A Wizard!

If you’re already on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!  

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

👂Why do some people hate the sound of whispering?

💡 How much does an electron cost?

😎 And there’s some Any Other Bozoness

On THIS episode of A Problem Squared - which comes with our special No Whisper Guarantee- we’re joined by a special guest! The clinical psychologistDr Jane Gregorytells us all about Misophonia. You can find out about her fantastic (and very helpful) book Sounds Like Misophonia, and you can sign up to her research mailing list here: https://soundslikemisophonia.com/ 

And here is Ava’s EPIC Spreadsheet - A Problem Squared Episode Catalogue: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nXmEH9BrCr6hEBBhHkfuciPEKimDgZjrwhi2oeyErog/edit?usp=sharing

If you’d like to see Bec’s Work In Progress shows, her upcoming gigs can be found here: https://www.bechillcomedian.com/tour-gigs

Matt is bringing An Evening of Unnecessary Detail to New York! The Bell House, Brooklyn on Sunday 12th July. Tickets can be found here:

https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/300064B84CCCF567

And Matt has extended his tour - and he’s filming the show in London in October - all the dates, venues and tickets can be found here: http://standupmaths.com/shows 

Join us on Patreon for early releases and our monthly bonus podcast I’m A Wizard!

If you’re already on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!  

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

#️⃣ What’s the best way to explain the number e to an 8-year-old?

💗 How early in a relationship should you reveal that you’re a bit weird?

🤧 And there’s some any other blow-your-nose-ness

Head to our socials to see The Beautiful Old Calculator and The World’s Tallest Comedian.

Matt is bringing An Evening of Unnecessary Detail to New York! The Bell House, Brooklyn on Sunday 12th July. Tickets can be found here: https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/300064B84CCCF567

Matt has extended his tour - and he’s filming the show in London in October - all the dates, venues and tickets can be found here: http://standupmaths.com/shows 

Join us on Patreon for early releases and our monthly bonus podcast I’m A Wizard!

If you’re already on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!  

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

🍝 Why do we put salt in pasta water?

👾 Can you put bespoke characters in to a QR Code?

🌼And Spring Has Sprung (in the UK) so there’s some Any Other Bloomsness

Head to our socials to see some frankly-very-silly-but-fully-operational QR Codes.

Boiling and Freezing Points of Pure and Salty Water https://van.physics.illinois.edu/ask/listing/1457

Matt has extended his tour - and filming the show in London in October - all the dates, venues and tickets can be found here: http://standupmaths.com/shows 

Join us on Patreon for early releases and our monthly bonus podcast I’m A Wizard!

If you’re already on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!  

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

🤘To mark the May Birthday of Dwayne 'The' 'Tooth Fairy' 'Rock' Johnson, Episode 134 is a Tooth and Rock Special!

🪨 Matt answers your rock-based queries and shares a Salt of the Perth update

🦷 Bec and Dentist Sophie answer your tooth-based queries and shares an Adult Tooth Fairy update

Head to our socials to look at some incredibly detailed Salt of the Perth imagery.

And relatedly…

Lead Explained:

https://www.scottishwater.co.uk/-/media/ScottishWater/Document-Hub/Factsheets-and-Leaflets/Factsheets/100620SWFactSheet72020v5web.pdf

Thallium in Salt Substitutes: A Possible Health Hazard:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0013935177900433

And here’s Matt’s Moving Mountains sources:

https://ourworldindata.org/energy-production-consumption

https://www.eoas.ubc.ca/courses/eosc350/content/foundations/properties/density.htm

Matt has extended his tour - and filming the show in London in October - all the dates, venues and tickets can be found here:

http://standupmaths.com/shows 

Join us on Patreon for early releases and our monthly bonus podcast I’m A Wizard!

If you’re already on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!  

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

🥣 What percentage of a box of Weet-Bix is wheat again?

🥚 What shape is an egg? 

💬 What’s the most efficient way to write your name on a Pop-it Fidget Toy?

👎 And would you like some AOB? We won’t take no for an answer

Head to our socials to see all the Weet-Bix Pix, lots of names efficiently spelt out on a Pop-It Fidget Toy, lots of Girl Scout cookies, and a sheep being sheared by a robot…

The Sheep’s Back Museum, Naracoorte

https://thesheepsbackmuseum.org.au/

Creation: Between Art and Mathematics Exhibition in Paris:https://www.ihp.fr/en/news-science-and-society/creation-between-art-and-mathematics

Laura Taalman’s Granny Life Crochet:

https://www.grannylifecrochet.com/ 

Get your own Egg-Shaped Spinning Top:

https://mathsgear.co.uk/products/phitop 

Eve’s beautiful cross-stitch:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DWY-_qzivz6/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D

Matt has extended his tour - and filming the show in London in October - all the dates, venues and tickets can be found here:

http://standupmaths.com/shows 

And there is a Kickstarter to fund production of the filmed show, which you can get involved with here:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/standupmaths/getting-triggy-with-it

Join us on Patreon for early releases and our monthly bonus podcast I’m A Wizard!

If you’re already on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!  

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

🔠 Are there any English words containing four letters in alphabetical order?

🥣 What percentage of a box of weet-bix is wheat?

🎪 And there is some any other bah-bah-bahbahbahbah-buh-buh-business

Head to our socials to see Bec’s post-show photos and videos from her Adelaide run including Morgan and Morgan's mum’s tooth, Scott and the 6-7 shirt and Karn and his incredible APS Flipchart.  You’ll also find Matt’s list of all the 4-letters-alphabetised words and one of the many bridges.

Matt has extended his tour - and filming the show in London in October - all the dates, venues and tickets can be found here:

http://standupmaths.com/shows 

Join us on Patreon for early releases and our monthly bonus podcast I’m A Wizard!

If you’re already on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!  

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

👋 When microwaving food, should you place it in the centre, or off to the side?

📐 Does the longest diagonal in a 1m sided cube in 4D square equal root 4? 

🐨 And there’s some Bonus Other Business.

Head to our socials to see Bec’s Photographic Exhibition of Australian Wildlife, Cubie the Moon Rover, Bec’s Poppadom Experiment,  Matt’s Pythagorean Whiteboard Action, and the first glimpse of the most confusing game of Connect 4 ever to be played. A surprisingly visual audio podcast… so it’s all happening over on BlueSky /Twitter /Instagram

Join us on Patreon for early releases and our monthly bonus podcast I’m A Wizard!

If you’re already on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!  

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

🌈 Is it true that "No Two Packs Of Skittles Are The Same?”

🤧 Why a cold called cold?

🤫 And there’s some ASMROB

Head to our socials to see Matt’s Mission Patches, Matt’s Calculator, and the Skittles Combinatorics!

The Liberation Laser Software by Seb Lee-Delisle

https://liberationlaser.com/ 

The Skittle Maths by Clare Wallace

https://www.clarewallace.co.uk/skittles

And some Norfolk Punch, if you’re so inclined

https://www.norfolkpunch.com/ 

If you’d like to see Matt on tour, all the dates, venues and tickets can be found here:

http://standupmaths.com/shows 

Join us on Patreon for early releases and our monthly bonus podcast I’m A Wizard!

If you’re already on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!  

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

🛫 How many people are flying in the air at any given moment?

⚖️ What weighs a pound and costs a pound?

🏈 And there’s some Any Other (Foot)Ballness

Head to our socials to see Bec’s glasses 🤓Pat Patriot 🇺🇲and our Pound for Pound items!

Here is a link to the book Flying With Confidence (which helped Producer Laura with her fear of flying and also helped her answer the problem correctly!)

https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/415543/flying-with-confidence-by-patricia-furness-smith-and-captain-steve-allright/9780091947859

They Did The Math, They Did The Monster Math on Reddit

https://www.reddit.com/r/theydidthemath/ 

https://www.reddit.com/r/theydidthemonstermath/

Flight Radar 24: https://www.flightradar24.com/

If you’d like to see Bec at the Adelaide Fringe, you can get tickets here: https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/bec-hill-creates-the-perfect-show-work-in-progress-af2026 

And if you’d like to see Matt on tour, all the dates, venues and tickets can be found here: http://standupmaths.com/shows 

Join us on Patreon for early releases and our monthly bonus podcast I’m A Wizard! If you’re already on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!  

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

❓ Have you sent in a question for our AMA episode?

❔ Have Matt and Bec answered it in this AMA episode?

⁉️ Here are your AMA questions, answered!

We’ll be back solving your problems as normal in Episode 129!

If you’d like to see Bec at the Adelaide Fringe in March, you can get tickets here: https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/bec-hill-creates-the-perfect-show-work-in-progress-af2026 

And if you’d like to see Matt on tour, all the dates, venues and tickets can be found here: http://standupmaths.com/shows 

Join us on Patreon for early releases and our monthly bonus podcast I’m A Wizard!

If you’re already on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!  

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

🫘 Can we come up with some fun names for common pantry items?

🔢 What's the smallest number that has never been written down in human history?

🧂 And there’s a sprinkling of Any Other Business.

Numberphile’s take on a number NOBODY has thought of: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdZrxkix9Mk

Every Time "67" Has Been Said on Numberphile, if you dare: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlJMJfPPnVA

Googolplex Written Out: http://www.googolplexwrittenout.com/

If you’d like to see Bec at the Adelaide Fringe in March, you can get tickets here: https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/bec-hill-creates-the-perfect-show-work-in-progress-af2026 

And if you’d like to see Matt on tour, all the dates, venues and tickets can be found here: http://standupmaths.com/shows 

Join us on Patreon for early releases and our monthly bonus podcast I’m A Wizard! If you’re already on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!  

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

🧊 Why doesn’t the coldest day fall on the shortest day?

🥂 If you don’t drink, what can you use fancy drinking glasses for?

🏊 And we take the plunge into some Any Other Brrrrrrrness.

If you’d like to read about defibrillator testing using a turkey, here’s the paper sent in by Hans: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12879378/

If you’d like to see Matt and Bec - alongside Steve Mould and Helen Arney and more - at An Evening Of Unnecessary Detail in London on Monday 26th January, you can get tickets here:

https://www.universe.com/events/an-evening-of-unnecessary-detail-tickets-TFK426?ref=ticketmaster

If you’d like to see Bec at the Adelaide Fringe in March, you can get tickets here: https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/bec-hill-creates-the-perfect-show-work-in-progress-af2026 

And if you’d like to see Matt on tour, all the dates, venues and tickets can be found here: http://standupmaths.com/shows 

If you’d like to ask Matt and Bec anything for our special 2^7 episode in February go to the Problem Posing Page at aproblemsquared.com - select ‘Problem’ and start your message with AMA! Please get your AMA questions in by Friday 23rd January 2026!

Join us on Patreon for early releases and our monthly bonus podcast I’m A Wizard!

If you’re already on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!  

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

💨 How many people are needed to guarantee that there is always someone farting somewhere?

🔠 If you match each letter with the corresponding number in the alphabet and add them together, which words add up to 100.

🏁 And there is some unfinished business.

Head to our socials for pictures of Matt’s Homemade Sea Salt and Bec’s Brilliant Branding, an assortment of Massive Hourglasses, the beautiful sketch of Bec, and a smiley jerk on the beach in the sunshine 🌅

Here is the full list of words that add up to 100 (and do be warned that it contains some words that may not be suitable for young eyes)

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/r0u9hnx0c63ma3ovky3gp/100_letter_sum_shuffled.txt?rlkey=n62ik3j22tnwujod53wqrf4cc&e=1&dl=0 

If you have a suggestion of dates for us to do a Rock Special and a Tooth Special,, go to the Problem Posing Page at aproblemsquared.com and select ‘Solution’ and do mention ‘International Teeth Day’

See Matt on tour in 2026!

http://standupmaths.com/shows 

Here’s how to get involved with Matt’s Moon Pi Kickstarter:

https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/standupmaths 

And here’s how to volunteer for Calculate Pi By Hand with Matt: https://forms.gle/w44THpNJ3jWUPqHy6

Join us on Patreon for early releases and our monthly bonus podcast I’m A Wizard!

If you’re already on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!  

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

👼 What is the Angle of Death?

🎼 What is the best filing system for sheet music?

🎄And there’ll be some A-ho-ho-ho-B

If you have any maths-studio-based-names for the Newdio, go to the Problem Posing Page at aproblemsquared.com and select ‘Solution’ and be as funny and punny as possible!

If you’d like to ask Matt and Bec anything for our special 2^7 episode in February go to the Problem Posing Page at aproblemsquared.com - select ‘Problem’ and start your message with AMA!

See Matt on tour in 2026! http://standupmaths.com/shows 

Here’s how to get involved with Matt’s Moon Pi Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/standupmaths 

And here’s how to volunteer for Calculate Pi By Hand with Matt: https://forms.gle/w44THpNJ3jWUPqHy6

Join us on Patreon for early releases and our monthly bonus podcast I’m A Wizard - and a special APS Christmas Card!

If you’re already on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!  

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

🍟 Why does the nutritional value of frozen chips change depending on whether they are cooked in an air fryer or in an oven?

⛰️ How large a mountain could we make from 2.2 meters of dredged sea bed (combatting sea level rise in the process)?

🃏And there’ll be some AOB, as easy as 123.

Head to our socials for pics of LIVE MATHS, chip nutritional values, post-Totoro Bec, ESA Souvenirs.

If you’d like to ask Matt and Bec anything for our special 2^7 episode in February go to the Problem Posing Page at aproblemsquared.com - select ‘Problem’ and start your message with AMA!

See Matt on tour in 2026! http://standupmaths.com/shows 

Here’s how to get involved with Matt’s Moon Pi Kickstarter:

https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/standupmaths 

And here’s how to volunteer for Calculate Pi By Hand with Matt: https://forms.gle/w44THpNJ3jWUPqHy6

Join us on Patreon for early releases and our monthly bonus podcast I’m A Wizard. If you’re already on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!  

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

🔥 How many quickfire problems is it possible to solve in a single episode of A Problem Squared? 

🧑‍💼 Why is Matt dressed like a maths teacher?

🃏And we will deal out some Any Other Business

If you’d like to ask Matt and Bec anything for our special 2^7 episode go to the Problem Posing Page at aproblemsquared.com - select ‘Problem’ and start your message with AMA!

A chicken slapping machine - click to view at your own risk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68L6JA_CnmU

Here’s where you’ll find the video of Matt in 374 different outfits (and the 375th outfit is on our socials)

https://www.youtube.com/@standupmaths/videos 

From AOB here’s Chris’ working…

https://chrisboettner.github.io/blog/posts/2025-10-28-card_game_blog.html

…and here’s Dede’s working…

https://github.com/dedebenui/cardgame 

See Matt on tour!

http://standupmaths.com/shows 

Specifically, see Matt in London on Monday 1st December!

https://lwtheatres.co.uk/whats-on/matt-parker/ 

Or if you would like to see Bec in Brighton on Monday 1st December, tickets are here:

https://www.komedia.co.uk/shows/john-luke-roberts-geoffrey-chaucers-mediaeval-christmas-festivitye/

Here’s how to get involved with Matt’s Moon Pi Kickstarter:

https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/standupmaths 

And here’s how to volunteer for Calculate Pi By Hand with Matt: https://forms.gle/w44THpNJ3jWUPqHy6

Join us on Patreon for early releases and our monthly bonus podcast I’m A Wizard. If you’re already on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!  

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

🗓️ Does bi-weekly mean every two weeks or twice a week?

🧊 What is the name of the line between two opposing corners of a cube?

🕑 And daylight will be saved with some Any Other Brightness.

For more on Rupert and Nopert Shapes:

Euler Brick:https://mathworld.wolfram.com/EulerBrick.html

Tom7 - Rupert's Snub Cube and other Math Holes:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH4MviUE0_s

Tom7’s Print files for Platonic, Archimedean and Catalan Solids: https://makerworld.com/en/models/1617011-platonic-archimedean-and-catalan-solids#profileId-1706419

Follow Dr Ben Whittle, The Excellent Etymologist, on Instagram! @schnebwhittle

Joey Parrish and his Sega Slides https://github.com/joeyparrish/sega-slides

See Matt on tour! http://standupmaths.com/shows 

Specifically, see Matt in London on Monday 1st December! https://lwtheatres.co.uk/whats-on/matt-parker/ 

Or if you would like to see Bec in Brighton on Monday 1st December, tickets are here: https://www.komedia.co.uk/shows/john-luke-roberts-geoffrey-chaucers-mediaeval-christmas-festivitye/

Here’s how to get involved with Matt’s Moon Pi Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/standupmaths 

And here’s how to volunteer for Calculate Pi By Hand with Matt: https://forms.gle/w44THpNJ3jWUPqHy6

Join us on Patreon for early releases and our monthly bonus podcast I’m A Wizard. If you’re already on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post! 

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

🃏 What are the odds of actually winning Morgan’s very specific, very fun card game?

🤯 Are people more gullible now? And what are the best ways to persuade someone they are wrong?

👻 And, appropriate to the season, there will be some Any Other Boooooooooooooosness

If you have some ingenious suggestions of what Matt can do in lunar gravity, head towww.aproblemsquared.com and submit your idea as a ‘Solution’

Head to our socials to see Matt’s graph plot and stats on the odds of winning the card game, as well as Bec’s beautifully laid out existence proof of the 52 Card Game!

Some further reading on The Gullibility Problem:

Why are people so gullible?https://www.bbc.co.uk/future/article/20160323-why-are-people-so-incredibly-gullible

Research paper on political extremism:https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956797612464058

Nobel Disease: https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Nobel_disease

And some tetrahedron-shaped packaging - or TetraPaks, if you will:

TetraPak: https://www.tetrapak.com/solutions/packaging/packages 

SunnyBoys: https://australianfoodtimeline.com.au/2016-goodbye-sunnyboy/ 

See Matt on tour! http://standupmaths.com/shows 

And if you want to see Matt in London on Monday 1st December, tickets are here: https://lwtheatres.co.uk/whats-on/matt-parker/

Or if you want to see Bec in Brighton on Monday 1st December, tickets are here: https://www.komedia.co.uk/shows/john-luke-roberts-geoffrey-chaucers-mediaeval-christmas-festivitye/

Here’s how to get involved with Matt’s Moon Pi Kickstarter:

https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/standupmaths 

And here’s how to volunteer for Calculate Pi By Hand with Matt: https://forms.gle/w44THpNJ3jWUPqHy6

If you’re on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!  

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

🍌 Is there a more consistent system of measuring things (and is it ‘Banana For Scale’)?

🌋 Why and how do hexagons occur in nature?

🔔 And there will be a whole Bec of Any Other Becness

Head to our socials to see Matt and Bec playing The Metre Game, lots of bananas for scale, and Matt sporting some very fetching headwear.

Some further reading on the origins of ‘Banana For Scale’:

https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/banana-for-scale 

Some further reading on hexagons in basalt:

European Geoscience Union article:

https://blogs.egu.eu/divisions/ts/2023/05/26/features-from-the-field-columnar-basalts-and-why-hexagons-are-natures-favourite-shape/

Physical Review Letters: 

https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.115.154301

See Matt on tour!

http://standupmaths.com/shows 

Here’s how to get involved with Matt’s Moon Pi Kickstarter:

https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/standupmaths 

And here’s how to volunteer for Calculate Pi By Hand with Matt:

https://forms.gle/w44THpNJ3jWUPqHy6

If you’re on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!  

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

🎲 What are the odds of rolling snake eyes? (And does it make for good TV?)

🤹How long does it take to learn to juggle with seven balls?

🛌 And there’s some Any Other Bed’n’Boardness

Head to our socials to see Matt and Bec in action, rolling dice and juggling balls!

To find out more about our juggling expert Darryl J Carrington, head to his insta: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPTqhTwDEeb/?igsh=MXdyMDJvNGhma2ZtNg==

And here’s Colin Wright’s video about Sideswap: “Juggling by Numbers - Numberphile”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dwgusHjA0Y

Here are Jasper’s links (in Dutch and in English) about the Belgian family and their children’s themed names

https://vrtnws.be/p.NvjDVZw5w  (Dutch)  

https://www.reddit.com/r/tragedeigh/comments/17h7ka6/gwenny_32_is_pregnant_of_a_twelfth_child_a/ (English) 

And here are the visualised shuffles of the card question in Episode 113

Tom - https://tehtommeh.github.io/riffle-me-this/

Bernhard - https://www.bernhard-werner.de/assets/cindy/applets/card_weave.html

Shaun - https://svermaak.github.io/VisualiseCardShuffle/

See Matt on tour!

http://standupmaths.com/shows 

Here’s how to get involved with Matt’s Moon Pi Kickstarter:

https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/standupmaths 

And here’s how to volunteer for Calculate Pi By Hand with Matt: https://forms.gle/w44THpNJ3jWUPqHy6

If you’re on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!  

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

Unfortunately, Matt has been ill and lost his voice so we were unable to record the episode that should be coming out this week.

To make up for it, we are releasing an episode of the usually-Patreon-only I Am A Wizard for you to listen to. It's the one from April this year and features a magical offer from our listener who is, apparently, a wizard - USBinPRL. But we begin with a message from Bec, who can still speak.

If you want more wizarding silliness then join our Patreon at patreon.com/aproblemsquared - you'll get access to all the past episodes of I Am A Wizard, a new wizard episode every month, and early access to all episodes of A Problem Squared!

Normal Service will be resumed in Two Weeks!

👁️ How do you remember things if you can’t visualisethem in your mind’s eye?

🍭 What’s the best shape for a freeze pop?

🪣 And there’s some Any Other Beachness

Head to our socials to see freeze pop pics, Matt(not that one)’s tooth and the AOB gifts!

Here’s a link to the University of Exeter’s The Eye’s Mind project: https://blogs.exeter.ac.uk/eyesmind/ 

And here’s a selection of freeze pops and anti-prisms…

https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/del-monte-quality-pineapple-freeze-pop-8-x-62ml

https://www.vimto.co.uk/vimto-range/product/vimto-pyramids/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Square_antiprism

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disphenoid

 See Matt on tour! http://standupmaths.com/shows/

Here’s how to get involved with Matt’s Moon Pi Kickstarter:

https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/standupmaths 

 And here’s how to volunteer for Calculate Pi By Hand with Matt: https://forms.gle/w44THpNJ3jWUPqHy6

If you’re on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!  

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

￡ What’s the optimum strategy to win The Price Is Right?

🦷 Why have Tim’s baby teeth fallen apart?

🛠️ And there’s some Any Other Billy Bookcase Business

Head to our socials to play along with The Price Is Right and to see a video of Ikea Wars!

Here are the GIANT LETTERS sent in by Phillip:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/yZaofcfNPaF5HyX17

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillside_letters

If you’re in Edinburgh for the Fringe, get tickets to see Bec here:

https://tickets.gildedballoon.co.uk/event/14:5884/

And get tickets see to Matt here:

https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/getting-triggy-it-matt-parker-does-maths

Here’s how to get involved with Matt’s Moon Pi Kickstarter:

https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/standupmaths 

And here’s how to volunteer for Calculate Pi By Hand with Matt:

https://forms.gle/w44THpNJ3jWUPqHy6

If you’re on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!  

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

🍆 What’s the “female equivalent” of phallic?

What’s the font size of the Hollywood sign?

🦈 And we’re always open for AOBusiness

Thanks to our excellent experts appearing in voicenote form - Dr Ben Whittle, Chella Quint OBE, and Linus Boman.

Daan’s paper in the American Journal of Archaeology which cites this very podcast: doi.org/10.1086/735650 

The world’s largest enlarged letter: https://www.pleasedonotbend.co.uk/categories/world-record

If you’re heading to the Edinburgh Fringe, you can get tickets to see Bec here: https://tickets.gildedballoon.co.uk/event/14:5884/

And you can get tickets see to Matt here: https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/getting-triggy-it-matt-parker-does-maths

Here’s how to get involved with Matt’s Moon Pi Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/standupmaths 

And here’s how to volunteer for Calculate Pi By Hand with Matt: https://forms.gle/w44THpNJ3jWUPqHy6

If you’re on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!  

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

🃏 What’s the deal with cards?

🫕 What is the perfect ratio of chips to dips?

🍔 And there’s some Any Other B-B-Q-B-ness

Head to our socials to see the card shuffle and patterns, Bec’s starstruck selfie, and our chips ‘n’ dips experiment!

For all your homemade snacking needs:

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/tortillas

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/homemade-tortilla-chips-guacamole-charred-tomato-salsa

It’s 5 o’chop Somewhere! (Really excellent work from Eve)

https://www.instagram.com/p/DKZSlCGIdCZ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== 

And some info about Aphantasia as mentioned by Keith…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphantasia

And synaesthesia…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synesthesia

If you’re heading to the Edinburgh Fringe, you can get tickets to see Bec here:

https://tickets.gildedballoon.co.uk/event/14:5884/

And you can get tickets see to Matt here:

https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/getting-triggy-it-matt-parker-does-maths

Here’s how to get involved with Matt’s Moon Pi Kickstarter

https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/standupmaths 

If you’re on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!  

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

🚂 If you want a career change, how do you decide what to retrain as?

👶 What would be a good set of names for twins or triplets?

🦷 And there’s some Any Other Busi

Here’s some baby naming code from Colin Beveridge:https://github.com/icecolbeveridge/zoe_names

If you’re heading to the Edinburgh Fringe, you can get tickets to see Bec here:https://tickets.gildedballoon.co.uk/event/14:5884/

And you can get tickets see to Matt here:https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/getting-triggy-it-matt-parker-does-maths

If you are in Edinburgh and fancy seeing Matt and Bec battle it out in Ikea Wars on Sunday 10th August, tickets are here: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/ikea-wars

Here’s how to get involved with Matt’s Moon Pi Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/standupmaths 

If you are on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!  

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners onBlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

🌞 How far away from the Sun do we have to travel before we can look at it without damaging our eyes?

📆 Is there an off by one error with anniversaries?

🍝 And AOB has been slow cooked and packed up in tupperware for safe storage

The starting point for Matt’s theory:

https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-maximum-light-intensity-that-a-human-eye-can-withstand-without-being-damaged 

Astroid Mattparker: 

https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/tools/sbdb_lookup.html#/?sstr=mattparker 

Distance to Voyager 1: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/voyager/where-are-voyager-1-and-voyager-2-now/ 

Here’s how to get involved with Matt’s Moon Pi Kickstarter

https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/standupmaths 

If you’re heading to the Edinburgh Fringe, you can get tickets to see Bec here:

https://tickets.gildedballoon.co.uk/event/14:5884/

And you can get tickets to see Matt here:

https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/getting-triggy-it-matt-parker-does-maths

If you’re on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!  

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

🎶 Why are songs easier to remember than sentences?

⚙️ Can we come up with new names (that meet strict criteria) for leader/follower motors?

🌟 And it’s a glitzy, toothy, clackety AOB

As discussed in the intro, here’s how to get involved with Matt’s Moon Pi Kickstarter:

https://youtu.be/nGtVej1Qx5Y

And here's the link:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/standupmaths/moon-pi-were-going-to-calculate-on-the-moon

And head to our socials to see the Corris Railway Traverser!

For tickets to Bec Hill’s Pick ‘n’ Mixat the Museum of Comedy, London on 19/06/2025, go here: https://museumofcomedy.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/873654374 

For some glittery further reading, here’s that NYT article https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/21/style/glitter-factory.html

If you’re heading to the Edinburgh Fringe, you can get tickets to see Bec here: https://tickets.gildedballoon.co.uk/event/14:5884/

And you can get tickets to see Matt here:

https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/getting-triggy-it-matt-parker-does-maths

If you’re on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!  

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

🎲What’s the best design for non-traditional dice?

📄 What should you call paperwork that doesn’t involve paper?

🙋And it’s more a comment than a question in AOB

Head to our socials to see Matt’s excellent Angry Man In Local Newspaper photos.

If you’d like to peruse and purchase more dice variations, head here:

https://mathsgear.co.uk/collections/dice 

If you have any paperlesspaperwork suggestions, join in here!

https://www.reddit.com/r/AProblemSquared/

If you’re heading to the Edinburgh Fringe, you can get tickets to see Matt here:

https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/getting-triggy-it-matt-parker-does-maths

And you can get tickets see Bec here:

https://tickets.gildedballoon.co.uk/event/14:5884/

If you’re on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!  

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

4️⃣ What would it look like to be trapped in a 4D world?

🥰 What is the meaning of marriage?

✨Izzy Wizzy Let’s Get AOBusy

Head to our socials to see some fantastic representations of 2D meets 3D meets 4D in fiction, some magical magic, and an alphabetically perfect travel route (for 40 days in 1990).

If you’re heading to the Edinburgh Fringe, you can get tickets to see Matt here:

https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/getting-triggy-it-matt-parker-does-maths

And you can get tickets see Bec here:

https://tickets.gildedballoon.co.uk/event/14:5884/

If you’re on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!  

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

🍻What’s the best way to politely tell a friend that they’ve had too much to drink?

🗞️ Is there a way to prove that something existed before a certain date?

❌And AOB brings us some friendly corrections…

A useful menu of alcoholic choices…

https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/ 

A hash of a DING!

1f2b352be3c09872b3e38083ec6f0d2b22615a99c5a446a03abf24430187c484

If you’re heading to the Edinburgh Fringe, you can see Matt here:

https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/getting-triggy-it-matt-parker-does-maths

And Bec’s show will be onsale soon!

If you’re on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!  

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared - including the pictures mentioned herein! - you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

🧱How many megabytes are actually in a gigabyte?

🌕There have been some Moon Developments…

😎And AOB will bring a little sunshine into your life

Here is NASA’s Press Release about navigation on the moon:

https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/somd/space-communications-navigation-program/nasa-successfully-acquires-gps-signals-on-moon/

And some further reading from Matt: 

https://www.gpsworld.com/lugre-receiver-captures-gnss-signals-in-lunar-orbit/

https://www.unoosa.org/documents/pdf/icg/2024/WG-B_Lunar_PNT_Jun24/LunarPNT_Jun24_01_03.pdf

The Biggest Bike!

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DG4Gbrys3NL/?igsh=dTBqeG0wZGVpcXhs

Prawn News!

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/cyclone-alfred-live-updates-brisbane-south-east-queensland-braces-for-first-direct-impact-from-storm-in-50-years-northern-nsw-prepares-for-flooding-20250305-p5lh6c.html?post=p58aa2

If you’re heading to the Edinburgh Fringe, you can see Matt here:

https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/getting-triggy-it-matt-parker-does-maths

And Bec’s show will be onsale soon!

Make sure you look after your teeth, kids...

If you’re on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!  

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, show the podcast to a friend or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

🗺️ Is there an alphabetically perfect travel route?

🪵 What can be done with karate chopped wood?

🤙 And we ride the crest of the Any Other Business wave

You can find the data-basis for the alphabetically perfect travel route here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_territories_by_number_of_land_borders

Here are some of Bec’s aesthetically pleasing solutions:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=JubeLHRYl80

https://www.myveryeducatedmother.com/2015/12/turn-broken-karate-boards-into-coat-rack.html

https://www.ellemariehome.com/upcycle-karate-break-boards-into-wood-signs/#google_vignette

And you can find Brendan’s magical web app here:

https://bren.app/podcasteveryday/

If you’re heading to the Edinburgh Fringe, you can see Matt here:

https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/getting-triggy-it-matt-parker-does-maths

And Bec’s show will be onsale soon!

If you’re on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!  

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, show the podcast to a friend or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

📆 When is the next Prime Number Day?

🤣 What is the oldest joke?

🪨 And we get to the rock bottom of Any Other Business

You can find Matt’s Divisibility Rules video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pLz8wEQYkA

You can read more about the world’s oldest joke here:

https://www.wbur.org/endlessthread/2022/08/05/sumerian-joke-one

And you can get your Philogelols right here:

https://archive.org/details/philogelos-the-laugh-addict-the-worlds-oldest-joke-book/page/n21/mode/2up

If you’re on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!  

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, show the podcast to a friend or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

📃 Is a sheet of A-45 paper big enough to wrap the earth? 

✏️ Why do we still call pencil graphite lead?

👔 There’s business to attend to. 

You can find Matt and Hannah’s protractor up the shard video here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckcdqlo3pYc&ab_channel=Stand-upMaths

Here’s Matt’s Truncatable Prime Pencil: https://mathsgear.co.uk/products/truncatable-prime-pencil?srsltid=AfmBOorhZ6qk_IAhKnCjtjoVM3wM-GXMTaFporL13aTjdOokjGG_hkxY

And the oldest known pencil in the world: https://www.penciltalk.org/2021/02/worlds-oldest-pencil

If you want to know more about that 1889 World Fair and that luxury yellow pencil you can do that here: https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-little-known-reason-pencils-yellow

Here is the link to David’s MIT Maze turned Sudoku, Go check it out, it’s very cool: https://sudokupad.app/arbp91du01

If you’re on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on the ‘Sup ‘Zards’ pinned post!  

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, show the podcast to a friend or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

🤫 Which synonyms are Caesar ciphers of each other?

🎨 Bec and Matt attempt to help a listener decorate their home. 

💼 The tax business briefcase is wide open. 

⚔️ And battleships heats up.  

It’s time to go see ‘Bec Hill: Guess Who's Bec, Bec Again?’ at The Adelaide Fringe! https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/bec-hill-guess-who-s-bec-bec-again-bec-hill-s-bec-tell-a-friend-af2025

You can see Matt Live! https://festivalofthespokennerd.com/tickets/ 

Here are just some of the sources that inspired Bec’s answer to Paul’s problem:

And The World's Largest Collection of the World's Smallest Versions of the World's Largest Things: http://www.worldslargestthings.com/mobilemuseum.htm

If you’re on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on the ‘Sup ‘Zards’ pinned post!  

If you want (we’re not forcing anyone) to leave us a review, show the podcast to a friend or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

✅ What’s the best way to leave your mark?

🗓️ Can Saturday Night Live be on Every Day?

📍 And there are some big locations in AOB

Top Marks: https://neatnik.net/steganographr/#results

SNL Spreadsheet: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/i9leqlafx0orjfp6l8a6t/weekend_whatdate.xlsx?rlkey=vetpi2qg9etbb35jq0zculjt1&e=1&st=q5vl7052&dl=0

Big Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/8kf2XcYPXWnqGqn88

See Matt Live! https://festivalofthespokennerd.com/tickets/ 

See Bec Live! https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/bec-hill-guess-who-s-bec-bec-again-bec-hill-s-bec-tell-a-friend-af2025

If you’re on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on the ‘Sup ‘Zards’ pinned post!  

And if you want (we’re not forcing anyone) to leave us a review, show the podcast to a friend or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

🔺 What are the most “interesting” years?

🍌 Bec goes big on Big Things

🎉 When Party Tricks Go Wrong

🔢 And there's some numerical AOB

Here’s Max-matics’ video that Matt mentioned - Turning a 2024 Ball Pyramid in to a 2025 Ball Square for NYE 2025 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXUlKCIgV8U

Some further reading on the 2025 maths https://aperiodical.com/2025/01/numerical-coincidences-for-2025/

It’s a banger - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJS3xnD7Mus

Some further reading on BIG THINGS - 

https://www.spottobooks.com.au/shop/p/bigthings

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/figure/10.1080/14443058.2022.2144928 

If you’re on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on the ‘Sup ‘Zards’ pinned post!  

And if you want (we’re not forcing anyone) to leave us a review, show the podcast to a friend or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

Hello you wonderful listener,

Welcome to a new year. 2025 - has a nice ring to it doesn't it?

This is a short announcement to say that there will be a very short feed break - just an episode or two, don't worry - to allow us all rest for the first two weeks of January.

Matt will tell you everything you need to know in his very organised PSA. Have a listen.

Thank you for your continuted support and understanding. We love you very much.

Bec and Matt.

To celebrate A Problem Squared’s 100th episode…

🎼 What is the least popular instrument in an orchestra? 

🍎 Matt is appalled. 

🔮 Another unplanned, unexpected mystery segment! 

💼 And the business briefcase is (briefly) open. 

A big thank you to Katie Steckles for her brilliant contributions to this episode. You can find more from her on her website: https://www.katiesteckles.co.uk/index.html, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/stecks?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor,  or on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/katiesteckles. 

If you’re on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on the ‘Sup ‘Zards’ pinned post!  

And if you want (we’re not forcing anyone) to leave us a review, show the podcast to a friend or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

099 = Most Watched Films and Homonyms

✍️ What single word in the English Language has the most different meanings? 

📺 Is the most consumed media of all time a holiday movie or song?

🗞 There’s some Any Other Business! 

⚔️ Battleships continues.  

If you want to find out more about the Royal Flying Doctor Service, do that here:  https://www.flyingdoctor.org.au/nswact/visit/broken-hill-visitor-centre/

You can see the full contents of Bec’s new outback first aid kit here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPuwoOtTFV8 

If you want to learn more about WordNet (as mentioned in Matt’s problem) follow this link here: https://wordnet.princeton.edu/

If you’d like to see the trailer for what is apparently the most watched film of all time, you can do that here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXqjcDchr14

And if you’d like to hear the most streamed song of all time, you can do that here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHI8X4OXluQ&ab_channel=TheWeekndVEVO

Finally, IF you’re on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer for Bec and Matt, please comment on the ‘Sup ‘Zards’ pinned post!

Perhaps you want to leave us a review, show the podcast to a friend or give us a rating? If you’d like to, please do that. It really helps. 

AND if you want even more from A Problem Squared (and who doesn’t) you can connect with us and other fantastic listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and Discord.

098 = Something Blue and Diamond Birthdays Too

💙What are the most extreme examples of something old, something blue, something borrowed, something new? 

 💎What’s up with diamond birthdays?

 🔥A new special one-time bonus section from Matt.

 💼And a look into the business briefcase. 

For the Diana Spencer Tiara, look no further:https://www.sothebys.com/en/digital-catalogues/power-image-royal-aristocratic-tiaras/the-spencer-tiara-r-s-garrard-1930s

Here’s an image of Ezra Jack Keats’ children’s story TheSnowy Day:

https://www.nypl.org/events/exhibitions/galleries/childhood/item/11304.Selected from the millions of books that have been checked out of the library since 1895, Ezra Jack Keats’ children’s story The Snowy Day, described as a “charming, beautifully illustrated tale of a child enjoying the simple magic that snow brings to his city,” tops the list.

And, perhaps the best suggestion from Bec, the Blue‘Pantheon’ aka Meteor 3200:https://www.space.com/42236-weird-blue-asteroid-phaethon.html#:~:text=Asteroid%203200%20Phaethon%20is%20a,typical%20for%20comets%20than%20asteroids.

Finally, this is the Diamond Birthday Tik Tok trendmentioned in Matt’s dinglett: https://www.tiktok.com/@misshaleymichelle/video/7196331969838566702?lang=en

If you’re on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on the ‘Sup ‘Zards’ pinnedpost!  

If you want to leave us a review, show the podcast to afriend or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared youcan connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky,Twitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

097 = Number of Maps & Numbered Pads

🗺 Are there enough OS maps to cover Great Britain?

0️⃣ Why does zero come after nine on a mobile phone? 

📰 And, of course, some AOB!

If you want to see Bec’s friend Amy’s summary of accessibility in Thorpe Park and theme parks more generally, head on over to her instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/longcovidrockstar/

Here is a picture of The Big Tractor: https://amp.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/oct/08/giant-red-tractor-carnamah-wa-australias-big-things

You can watch a brilliant Phone Phreaking Documentary here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FufYSx2_6Bg&ab_channel=RCW39RJ

Here’s that Numberphile vid about Phone Buttons:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCSzjExvbTQ&ab_channel=Numberphile

And the 17 Designs That Bell Almost Used for the Layout of Telephone Buttons:https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/08/the-17-designs-that-bell-almost-used-for-the-layout-of-telephone-buttons/279237/

Please send your problems and solutions into the website: www.aproblemsquared.com.

If you’re on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on the ‘Sup ‘Zards’ pinned post!  

And if you want (we’re not forcing anyone) to leave us a review, show the podcast to a friend or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 
Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners onTwitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

🎞 Why would competing studios release movies in the same year that have the same concept or plot? 

🔭 Why are we seeing the Aurora Borealis in the UK? 

📈 Business of an any other nature. 

If you want to have a listen to Bec on Tom Scott’s podcast ‘Lateral’ you can do that here, at some point soon: https://open.spotify.com/show/1TthQOE4Fx6gBPW8l48cfN 

Their book can also be brought here! It’s really good: https://lateralcast.com/book/

To see a history of solar flare data going back to 1700, follow this link here: https://www.sidc.be/SILSO/ssngraphics

Please send your problems and solutions into the website: www.aproblemsquared.com.

If you’re on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on the ‘Sup ‘Zards’ pinned post!  

And if you want (we’re not forcing anyone) to leave us a review, show the podcast to a friend or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners onTwitter,Instagram,and on Discord.

🍀 Does the 13th really fall more frequently on Friday? 

💿  How do you make a giant disco ball wearable?   

🍩 And we have some any other doughness. 

If you want to find out more about the cardboard related event (called Number City!) Matt attended on Orkney Island, have a look at this link: https://oisf.org/fest-event/number-city/.

Do send your problems and solutions to the website: www.aproblemsquared.com.

If you’re on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on the ‘Sup ‘Zards’ pinned post! 

And if you like, leave us a review, pass the podcast onto a friend or give us a rating! Every little helps. 

If you want even more from A Problem Squared, you can find us onTwitter,Instagram, and on Discord.

💿 What did the first ever podcast sound like?

🗳 How do you REALLY lose an election in the US? 

📰 Business will be closed, and opened.

Thank you to Emily for the Maths mittens! To see pictures of those, head over to APS socials. 

You can see the incredible Agree to Disagree podcast pages from 1999 here:  

https://web.archive.org/web/19990914040650/http://www.thealph.com/agree/

https://web.archive.org/web/19991004035401/http://thealph.com/agree/about.shtml

There is also a file, but we don’t think it contains any data. Can someone help find an original review? 

https://web.archive.org/web/19991103231714/http://thealph.com/agree/episodes/6x02.shtml

Do send your problems and solutions to the website: www.aproblemsquared.com.

If you’re on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on the ‘Sup ‘Zards’ pinned post! 

And if you like, leave us a review, pass the podcast onto a friend or give us a rating! Every little helps. 

If you want even more from A Problem Squared, you can find us onTwitter,Instagram,and on Discord

⭕ Circle Can Tic-Tac-Toe ever be fun? 

🤏What is the smallest Neil called? 

🗞There’s some Any Other Business! 

⚔️Battleships continues.  

If you want to read the works referenced by Matt in his tic-tac-toe / naughts and crosses problem, take a look below: 

Please send your problems and solutions to the website: www.aproblemsquared.com.

If you’re on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on the ‘Sup ‘Zards’ pinned post! 

And if you like, leave us a review, pass the podcast onto a friend or give us a rating! Every little helps. 

If you want even more from A Problem Squared, you can find us onTwitter,Instagram,and on Discord

🌈How many colours are really in a rainbow?

🕰 How often is a broken clock is right? 

💼 The Any Other Business briefcase is open. Briefly. 

🏴‍ And we have a NEW POST CREDITS easter egg. 

To hear more about the brilliant and terrible Emily In Paris premier, listen to this episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/point-break-pt-1-season-04-episode-01/id1720149980?i=1000666164553

If you want to see where the Mattparker asteroid / minor planet is in the universe, you can locate it on this NASA database: https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/tools/sbdb_lookup.html#/?sstr=314159&view=VOP

A full circle rainbow was captured by aerial photographer Colin Leonhardt while flying through a rain shower just above Cottesloe Beach in Western Australia: https://s.abcnews.com/images/International/cn_round_rainbow_australia_jc_141010_16x9_992.jpg?w=1600

And if you want to be even more wowed, you can see a reflective rainbow (or six!) in Norway: https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/0709/sixrainbows_nordvik_big.jpg

Finally, send your problems and solutions to our website: www.aproblemsquared.com.

If you’re on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on the ‘Sup ‘Zards’ pinned post! 

And if you like, leave us a review, pass the podcast onto a friend or give us a rating! Every little helps. 

If you want even more from A Problem Squared, you can find us onTwitter,Instagram, and on Discord

🎯 What is the optimal layout for a dart board? 

🦈 How soon after a cut does a shark smell your blood? 

📜 And there’s some AYE-YOOO-BEEEE.

To see the Percy Arrangement mentioned by Matt follow this link: https://www.globaldarts.de/globalDartsEN/sport/Percysboard.html

And for the “Optimal Dartboard Design” reveal, see here! https://journals.indexcopernicus.com/api/file/viewByFileId/1980058
If you want to learn more about shark senses, check out Sensory Biologist Dr. Lauren Eve Simonitis‘s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oceanexplauren/?hl=en

And if you like, leave us a review, pass the podcast onto a friend or give us a rating! Every little helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared, you can find us onTwitter,Instagram,and on Discord

🧺 Why is the cycle time on my washing machines always wrong?

🪙 How long will it take to sell 400 Lincoln memorial pennies for $20,000? 

🔔 We have DINGS! 

🧳 And the business briefcase is open! 

Disclaimer:You may hear a slight change in tone on Matt's audio at points throughout, that's back up audio which sounds different.

If you want to find out more about the IMO, or International Mathematics Olympics, you can do that here: https://www.imo-official.org/ 

And if you’re in London and you want to experience the janky eclipse, why not visit Novelty Automation! You can find details about this gem of a place here: https://www.novelty-automation.com/10_current-machines.htm"      

Finally, send your problems and solutions to our website: www.aproblemsquared.com.

If you’re on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on the ‘Sup ‘Zards’ pinned post! 

And if you like, leave us a review, pass the podcast onto a friend or give us a rating! Every little helps. 

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared, you can find us onTwitter,Instagram,and on Discord

On this episode...

🐍If you pooled up all the snake venom in the world would it be enough to kill all the non-immune mammals?

👢Do dogs have 2 arms? Or do we have 4 legs?

📜And we open the business briefcase. 

If you want to know more about lizard sampling, do that here: ‘Hierarchical distance sampling to estimate population sizes of common lizards across a desert ecoregion’:https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ece3.4780

There’s a great video by Technology Connections to turn signals and specifically syncing them up, you can find that here: https://youtu.be/2z5A-COlDPk?si=SWSE_FX3fuyLH1X0

You can find the rude praying hands here: https://www.reddit.com/r/teams/comments/xvpefh/can_we_please_talk_about_the_praying_emoji_on/

https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/office/hand-gestures-in-microsoft-teams-free-ff2354cd-17fa-44fc-80c9-3d88c577a1ad

As always, send your problems and solutions to our website: www.aproblemsquared.com.

And, if you want more from A Problem Squared, you can also find us onTwitter,Instagram,Discord and onPatreon.

🚘 What happens when tires get tired?

🧊 What is the equation for the curve on a spinning Ruibik’s cube?

📜 And there’s some pin related AOB!

Find out more about the counting crows here: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adl0984

You can hear Bec on Ali Plumb’s podcast ‘Screen Time’ here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02r4zfx/episodes/downloads

If you want to learn more about the EMF Festival, follow this link: https://www.emfcamp.org/

To read ‘Where the tire meets the road: Emerging environmental impacts of tire wear particles and their chemical cocktails’, go here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171153

For more information on the cones, ruled surfaces, hyperbolic paraboloids and more, have a look at the links below!

https://mathworld.wolfram.com/Hyperboloid.html

https://mathworld.wolfram.com/RuledSurface.html

https://mathworld.wolfram.com/HyperbolicParaboloid.html

You can see some nice hyperboloid structures here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperboloid#Hyperboloid_structures

As always, send your problems and solutions to our website: www.aproblemsquared.com.

And, if you want more from A Problem Squared, you can also find us onTwitter,Instagram,Discord and onPatreon.

🧗Is it possible to climb every mountain? 

🌞 Can you simulate an eclipse if you miss the real thing? 

📜 And some loose ends (and change), in AOB! 

If you’d like to enter the very same gravel race as Matt Parker, you can find out more details here: https://sevengravelrace.com/the-race/

You can listen to ‘Climb Any Mountain’ from the Sound of Music soundtrack here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKuqySkqhHw&ab_channel=COSMOTOPPER777

And to watch the 1991 The Shamen hit ‘Move Any Mountain’ referenced by Matt (which we later discovered was made by our very own Producer Lauren’s dad!) Follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpjnzxtZ6Qg&ab_channel=Vesanorabonah

You can find details for Matt’s Peak data here: https://peakvisor.com/

https://peakvisor.com/en/news/how_many_mountains_on_earth.html

https://peakvisor.com/en/news/unnamed-mountains.html

In our Dinglett this week Matt referenced JHelioviewer, where you can access real time solar image data. Do that here: https://www.jhelioviewer.org/

And Bec’s very sensible suggestion for Problem Poser Aaron, to watch the Oculus’ broadcast of the 2024 total eclipse: https://www.oculus.com/experiences/event/1074832456934803/

SFX for Bec’s victory can be found at Fresound.org, ‘VICTORY CRY Reverb 1’ was made by chripei and ‘Music: Orchestral Victory Fanfare’ was made by Sheyvan. 

As always, send your problems and solutions to our website: www.aproblemsquared.com.

And, if you want more from A Problem Squared, you can also find us onTwitter,Instagram,Discordand onPatreon.

🙏 Is this emoji praying hands or a high five? 

🍚 What's the best present for celebrating a billion seconds?

💼 For the first time we have Any Other Business WITH SPECIAL GUESTS!

If you want a collectable (and mistake-ridden) copy of ‘Love Triangle’, with a special, limited edition book cover designed by print-artist Paul Catherall. You'll get one free while stocks last. Head over to MathsGear! https://mathsgear.co.uk/products/love-triangle-by-matt-parker-signed

Here’s some background on the ‘Folded Hands’ emoji mentioned in Bec’s problem: https://blog.emojipedia.org/emojiology-folded-hands/

This is the pixelated 2001 Softbank version of the Folded Hands emoji: https://emojipedia.org/softbank/2001/folded-hands

Here’s the KDDI emoji from 2003, where someone is literally praying: https://emojipedia.org/au-kddi/type-d-1/folded-hands

You can find the ‘glowing’ folded hands emoji put out by Apple in 2008 here: https://emojipedia.org/apple/iphone-os-2.2/folded-hands

You can find some more variations of the folded hand emoji (including with faces) here: https://b1681952.smushcdn.com/1681952/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Early-Versions-Folded-Hands-Emojipedia-1.jpg?lossy=0&strip=1&webp=1

There were some fascinating early issues with Unicode (which made emojis universal), where ‘yellow hearts’ sent by iOS users would show up as ‘hairy hearts’ on Android phones. You can read about that here: https://web.archive.org/web/20140502051433/http://www.tuaw.com/2014/04/30/you-may-be-accidentally-sending-friends-a-hairy-heart-emoji/

You can find the Unicode emoji design guidelines here: https://unicode.org/reports/tr51/#Design_Guidelines

And if you want to find out whether you’ve already passed your 1 Billionth Second, you can do that here: https://www.wolframalpha.com/input?i=10%5E9+seconds+in+years+and+days

If you want to find out whether you’ve already passed your 1 Billionth Second, you can do that here: https://www.wolframalpha.com/input?i=10%5E9+seconds+in+years+and+days

As always, send your problems and solutions to our website:www.aproblemsquared.com. And, if you want more from A Problem Squared, you can also find us onTwitter,Instagram,Discordand onPatreon.

🪙 How many coins would you need to sort through to collect all commemorative €2 coins in circulation? 

📍How do you display enamel pins?! 

💼 The Any Other Business briefcase is…mostly open. 

Here’s the Coupon Collector’s problem video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BstloCx8KDk

You can see more on the “Number of banknotes/coins returned from circulation in Euro Area, Euro area (changing composition), Monthly” here: https://data.ecb.europa.eu/data/datasets/BKN/BKN.M.U2.RE10.C.20P0.AS.F.E

And, Wiki Sources: “2 euro commemorative coins” on good old Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2_euro_commemorative_coins

As always, send your problems and solutions to our website: www.aproblemsquared.com.

And, if you want more from A Problem Squared, you can also find us onTwitter,Instagram,Discord and onPatreon.

In this episode...

🎂 Where did birthday cake come from? 

🚗 How come my indicator is never in sync with other cars waiting to turn?

💼 And, as always, some business from the business briefcase.

Nina, here’s that recipe for Greek Honey Cake:https://www.food.com/recipe/greek-honey-cake-428671

And for more cake from around the world, look no further than this infographic: https://i.imgur.com/lhhotIE.png

Here’s the Ben Eater video referenced by Matt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRlSFm519Bo

And the fascinating paper about time perception and its illusions: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2866156/

Please do send us your problems and solutions to the website:www.aproblemsquared.com

If you want more from A Problem Squared, you can also find us onTwitter,Instagram,Discord and onPatreon.

🌒 What’s the best place to see the next solar eclipse? 

💤 Do animals dream? 

💼 The Any Other Business briefcase is…half open. 

Send your problems and solutions to our website: www.aproblemsquared.com.

For a detailed look at the path of the 2026 eclipse, here’s the website referenced by Matt: https://eclipsophile.com/future-eclipses-2024-2028/

If you want to hear the full interview with David Pena Guzman about animal consciousness referenced by Bec, you can do that here: https://news.uchicago.edu/do-animals-dream-david-m-pena-guzman.

Videos of Sky potentially dreaming will be on social media. Tell us what you think? Do dogs dream? 

And, if you want more from A Problem Squared, you can also find us onTwitter,Instagram,Discord and onPatreon.

🔔🚨This is an emergency broadcast🚨🔔

Unfortunately a bout of sudden food poisoning has got in the way of our latest recording session. Everyone's safe (now) but as you may have noticed, we're missing an episode.

We've now got a new date in the diary but the podcast won't be back for two weeks - sorry about that everyone!

SO inthisepisode, A Problem Squared presents...

🧙‍♀️ The first EVER episode of bonus podcast I'm A Wizard.

🪄A latter and very silly episode of I'm A Wizard.

We HOPE this is a good solution to our emergency problem, but only you, the listener, can give us that ding.

And if you'd like to hear more from the Wizards, you can join up on Patreon and give as little or as much as you like.

Thanks everyone!

In this episode...

🧺 What is lint? 

👌 When does zero count? 

💼 And, as always, some business from the business briefcase. 

Please do send us your problems and solutions to the website: www.aproblemsquared.com.

Bec’s got loads of gigs coming up! If you wanna go see her check out dates on her website: https://www.bechillcomedian.com/tour-gigs.

Matt’s also got an Evening of Unnecessary Detail every two weeks at the Cockpit Theatre in Marylebone, London.

There’s going to be a mathssive (get it) Evening of Unnecessary Detail Extravaganza show at the Bristol Beacon on the 12th March.Find details for those here: https://festivalofthespokennerd.com/tickets/.

If you want more from A Problem Squared, you can also find us on Twitter, Instagram, Discord and on Patreon.

In this episode…

🥧 Can Pi ever repeat itself? 

🪜 Is it impossible for cube-based stairs to be identical?

📈 And some Business of an Any Other Nature. 

If you want to see the biggest hand calculation in HISTORY, you can! Just head over to Matt’s YouTube channel on the 14th of March: https://www.youtube.com/@standupmaths

An Evening of Unnecessary Detail is BACK IN NEW YORK! On the 14th of April, at The Bell House in Brooklyn from 7:30pm! 

You can get tickets for that here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/matt-parker-an-evening-of-unnecessary-detail-tickets-847453715877?aff=oddtdtcreator

Ever wanted to know the answer to whether ALL Japanese snacks scale with the packaging imagery? Well now you can, on Bec’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-roi6FdISY&ab_channel=BecHill

GO SEE BEC! She’s playing in Reading and Louth in April. You can find the dates for that, here: https://www.bechillcomedian.com/tour-gigs

YOU CAN PRE-ORDER MATT’S NEW BOOK ‘Love Triangle’ NOW! 

For a signed, but full priced copy with a special dust jacket follow this link: https://mathsgear.co.uk/products/love-triangle-by-matt-parker-signed

Or for 21% off your pre-order, follow this link to Waterstones: https://tinyurl.com/2fdjnwwz

As always, please send your problems and solutions to the Problem Solving Page, here: www.aproblemsquared.com.

If you want more from A Problem Squared, you can also find us onTwitter,Instagram,Discordand onPatreon.

In this episode…

🍼 What’s the best method for naming a human child?

🎊 How do you turn 45^2=2025 into a birthday celebration?

📜 AYE-YOOO-BEEEE.

Please do send us your problems and solutions to the website: www.aproblemsquared.com

Bec’s got loads of gigs coming up! If you wanna go see her check out dates on her website: https://www.bechillcomedian.com/tour-gigs

Matt’s also got an Evening of Unnecessary Detail every two weeks at the Cockpit Theatre in Marylebone, London.

There’s going to be a mathssive (get it) Evening of Unnecessary Detail Extravaganza show at the Bristol Beacon on the 12th March.

Find details for those here: https://festivalofthespokennerd.com/tickets/

If you want more from A Problem Squared, you can also find us on Twitter, Instagram, Discord and on Patreon.

In this episode…

⤵ Is it faster to drive around Australia in an anticlockwise direction on the inside lane? 

🐉 What were dragonflies called before there were dragons?

💼 Business of an ‘Any Other’ nature.

New segment: Things Matt Needs Help With. If you can help with ANY of Matt’s ideas, get in touch! 

If you’d like to see Matt’s diagrams and GP MOTO plot, head on over to Twitter or Patreon!

The podcast has officially HIT 2 MILLION! Tell us how you think we should celebrate. 

As always you can send your problems and your solutions into the Problem Posing Page: www.aproblemsquared.com.

If you want more from A Problem Squared, you can also find us on Twitter, Instagram, Discord and of course, on Patreon.

In this episode…

🇺🇸 A LAT of LA chat.

⭐️ If you visited each star on the Hollywood Walk of fame in alphabetical order, how far would you have to travel?

📜 And some sort of Any Other Businesses. 

Send us your problems and your solutions to the Problem Posing Page: www.aproblemsquared.com

If you want more from A Problem Squared, you can also find us on Twitter, Instagram, Discord and of course, on Patreon.

In this episode…

🌏How often do earthquakes take place in the same location, on the same date, in different years? 

🔔 Dingletts, dingletts and more dingletts! 

💨 A fundamental buoyancy error. 

If you want to look into the data Matt used for his earthquake problem, you can find that here: https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/hazel/view/hazards/earthquake/event-data.

If you want to see the plots Matt mentions, please head on over to ⁠Twitter⁠ or ⁠Patreon⁠. 

Here are Bec's podcast recommendations:

- Science Vs: https://gimletmedia.com/shows/science-vs

- A Podcast of Unnecessary Detail: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/a-podcast-of-unnecessary-detail/id1441973787

- Swindled: https://swindledpodcast.com/

- Decoder Ring: https://slate.com/podcasts/decoder-ring

- And of course, her own brand new podcast 'Enemy In Paris': https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/enemy-in-paris/id1720149980

As always, send us your general problems and solutions to the website: www.aproblemsquared.com.

If you want more from A Problem Squared, you can also find us on Instagram and Discord.

In this first episode of 2024…

🍝 How long would human spaghetti be?

🏛 Do all roads actually lead to Rome?

📜 We have new old business for a new new year.

P.S episode not intentionally Italy themed.

If you want to go see Matt and Bec in LA get to the Flappers Comedy Club in Burbank on Sunday January 7th at 5pm!

Bec and Matt will put on An Evening of Unnecessary Detail along with a few of their friends as guest acts.

Come and say hi! Matt will sign your calculator. Bec will also sign your calculator - right across the top of Matt's signature.

If you want to go to that, you can get your tickets here now: https://www.flapperscomedy.com/shows/an-evening-of-unnecessary-detail/72865/

As always, send us your general problems and solutions to the website: www.aproblemsquared.com

If you want more from A Problem Squared, you can find us on Twitter, Instagram, Discord and of course, on Patreon.

In this episode…

🏺 What is the biggest roman numeral word?

🎲 How do I get my friends to play D&D? 

🪵 A Christmas Stumpdate!

💼 And the business briefcase is OPEN.

If you'd like some extra listening over the next few weeks, have a listen to Bec on Dan Schreiber’s podcast ‘We Can Be Weirdos’ you can find the link here: https://tinyurl.com/mrymvb29

And if you'd like to see the Aunty Donna sketch showing how not to explain a table top game to a new player, look no further: http://tinyurl.com/574m6m98

To watch campaigns played by Questing Time follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/c/questingtime

For the Dragon Friends Podcast:https://thedragonfriends.com

And for the Harmontown Podcast: https://www.harmontown.com/category/podcasts/

IF you’ve got any LA based problems, please do send them in to the Problem Solving Page: https://tinyurl.com/2s2x7az4

We'll be announcing the venue for a Podcast of Unnecessary Detailonce a venue has been found.

And if you’d like to receive a belated, but signed Christmas card you can still sign up to Wizard Support on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/aproblemsquared/membership

(You’ll get a digital version too!)

As always, send us your general problems and solutions to the website: www.aproblemsquared.com

If you want more from A Problem Squared, you can find us on Twitter, Instagram, and of course, on Patreon.

On this episode…

🍫 Can you prevent hot chocolate from clumping?

🖊 When is a vowel a vowel? 

👾 We have some Discord news! 

💼 And a small amount of Business, of Any Other nature. 

The holidays have arrived early because, and APS DISCORD IS FINALLY HERE! Head on over using this link: https://discord.gg/pt4WsfhMCY

You too can make your computer talk! Here's a link to the Praat vowel software Matt was using at the start of today’s Dinglet: https://www.fon.hum.uva.nl/praat/

If you’d like to see the Vowel Space video referenced by Matt follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdldD0-kEcc

And for more from linguist and phonetics expert Dr Geoff Lindsay (and with that voice, who wouldn't!) you can do that here: https://www.youtube.com/@DrGeoffLindsey

If you know anything about the Apollo 11 flight diagram depicted here: https://tinyurl.com/4wjwcu6c let us know! 

As always, send us your problems and solutions to the website: www.aproblemsquared.com

If you want more from A Problem Squared, you can find us on Twitter, Instagram, and of course, on Patreon.

In THIS episode…

💨 How low would gravity need to be for farts to lift you off the ground?

👖 Is there a solution to suboptimal trouser pockets?🔔 Ding ding ding!

📜 Business, fresh from the Any Other briefcase.

If you want to participate in a MathsJam near you, you can find your local event right here: https://www.mathsjam.com/

And if you are a child, or an adult who has children who are fans of the show, tell THEM to send in their problems for our kids only episode - coming soon!

Don’t forget to tag the problem with the word‘Kidition’, it’ll help us find it!

If you want to commission a cool bum-bag to support a good cause, Bec mentions Second Stitch Melbourne in her dinglett.

You can find a link for them here: https://www.secondstitch.org.au/

Please do send us your problems and solutions to the website: www.aproblemsquared.com

If you want more from A Problem Squared, find us on Twitter, Instagram, and of course, Patreon.

In this episode... 

🎨 What's the best hypothetical paint set? 

🧊 Can a single turning pattern return a Rubik's cube to where it started? 

🛰 And some Any Orbital Business! 

If you want to weigh in on the Reasonable / Unreasonable debate, and watch Bec in her element painting a wardrobe, follow this link: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CyJwjphMesl/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== 

And if you want to see more from the colour theorist, Peter Donahue, who consulted on Bec's problem, find him on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/art.pete.repeat/?hl=en 

For Martin Bellander's incredible colour graph, follow this link: https://blog.martinbellander.com/post/115411125748/the-colors-of-paintings-blue-is-the-new-orange 

Please do send us your problems and solutions to the website: aproblemsquared.com. 

If you want more from A Problem Squared, find us on Twitter,  Instagram. and of course Patreon.

In this episode... 

🃏 Is the probability in a game of snap changed if two packs of cards are used? 

🧟 Can zombies ride bikes? 

🥣 A commemorative plate-bowl update. 

👻 And some Any Other BOoOoOosiness! 

If YOU want this year's APS Christmas card be sure to sign up to the Wizard Level on Patreon by the END OF NOVEMBER. 

You can do that here: https://www.patreon.com/aproblemsquared/membership 

We'll be sharing a link to our new Discord soon. In the meantime, go talk on the APS Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/AProblemSquared/ 

As always, pease send your problems and solutions to our website: aproblemsquared.com. 

And if you want more from A Problem Squared, find us on Twitter,  Instagram. and Patreon.

In this episode...

📣 Which words sound rude in other languages?

✏️ Which letters go where most often?

🛩 And some any aeroplane-autobahn business!

Tony has give us some fantastic Maths Decor. Platonic Solid doorknobs and how to make them: https://ko-fi.com/s/642d70ef7f

A couple of brilliant listeners gave us some great more information on emergency landings on the Autobahn. You can find links to that here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highway_strip and here: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notlandeplatz_auf_Stra%C3%9Fe#Autobahn-Behelfslandepl%C3%A4tze.

You can find a selection of highway and Autobahn landings captured on camera here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLj1diDwW8WWUj8vYdlo3kIBUPzxfedn_n

You can now subscript to I'm A Wizard on Spotify! If you want to do that, here are instructions on how to integrate Patreon on Spotify on the app: https://support.patreon.com/hc/en-gb/articles/17201706786573-Listen-to-Patreon-exclusive-audios-on-Spotify

More news about the Discord is COMING SOON!

Coming to you AS-LIVE from a tent at The Big Feastival!

In this wet and festivally episode...

- How green is cycling really? 

- An update on Stawberry-gate. 

Again, if anyone has any information about the Time Fun jumper, please do send it to the Problem Posing Page! Check out our social media to see it if you haven't already. 

And finally, please send your problems and solutions to our website: aproblemsquared.com.

IF you want more from A Problem Squared, find us on Twitter,  Instagram. and Patreon.

In this episode…

🙏 How often do the hands of time align?

📜What is the longest one syllable word?

💼And a very large serving of AAAOOOBBBBBBBBBBBBBB

After such glowing recommendations, you’ve got to go listen to Confidence Man: https://www.confidenceman.com.au/

Here’s Bec’s contribution to the Samaritvans exhibit: https://shop.sarahgraham.info/products/samarivan-bec-hill.  

If you find yourself in Hitchen between the 22nd - 29th September 2023, go see the exhibit for real, at Arkley Fine Art on Hermitage Rd. 

More about Arkley here: https://arkleyfineart.co.uk/. If you want to check out more of Sarah Graham’s work you can do that here: https://sarahgraham.info/. 

If anyone has any information about the Time Fun jumper, please do send it to the Problem Posing Page! 

And finally, please send your problems and solutions to our website: aproblemsquared.com.

IF you want more from A Problem Squared, find us on Twitter,  Instagram. and Patreon.

In this slightly sports adjacent episode...

🍓 Are there more strawberries or old men on earth? 

⚽️ Is Melbourne Rectangular Stadium more or less rectangular than the average football stadium?

🏆 Did Austrailia beat Denmark at the Women's World Cup? Find out here! 

🖇 And a healthy dose of Any Other Business. 

You can watch Bec's striker skills in action on CBBC's Saturday Mash Up, here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001pnkl/saturday-mashup-live-series-6-episode-6

Here is a link to WayBackMachine used by Bec to research her problem: https://archive.org/

If you'd like some fresh insights into the Global Fresh Strawberry Industry, you can find that here (2022 - 2023): https://www.skyquestt.com/report/fresh-strawberry-market

If you too want exclusive access to the latest Magic Square breakthroughs follow this link: https://numbers-magic.com/?p=9988

Here are Ian's joke specifications for fire hoses, adapted from an old set of joke pipe specs dating back to at least the 80s: https://www.netfunny.com/rhf/jokes/87/14917.23.html

As always, send your problems and solutions to our website: aproblemsquared.com.

And if you want more from A Problem Squared, find us on Twitter,  Instagram. and Patreon.

This is a single problem, AOB-less and DIY episode...what could be more New York?

🏟 Baseball fun in New York City!

📍 How central is Central Park really?

📜 Vibe for this episode: "It's real man"

A NOTE TO ALL LISTENERS: Please be aware that audio quality may not be what you're used to. This episode deviates from the usual format. The structure heard here is what we like to call: Freeform. 

We've put a map of Manhattan on Twitter if you want to have a look at that as you listen!

As always, send your problems and solutions to our website: aproblemsquared.com.

And if you want more from A Problem Squared, find us on Twitter,  Instagram. and Patreon.

In this episode...

👾 What is the best way to win at Tetris? 

🍫 Revisited: Have all the candy bars been invented? 

📜 And some AOOOOOOOOOB. 

You can find the Bonham's Nintendo Gameboy Sale: https://www.bonhams.com/auction/19144/lot/250/nintendo-game-boy-flown-in-space/ 

Check out the rest of the sale too...it's pretty cool: https://www.bonhams.com/auction/19144/the-space-history-sale/

Evidence of the Beng-Beng Chocolate Caramel Hazelnut Crispy Wafer bar: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203119821326

As always, send your problems and solutions to our website: aproblemsquared.com.

And if you want more from A Problem Squared, find us on Twitter,  Instagram. and Patreon.

In THIS episode...

🔲 Is it possible to make a magic square of magic squares where each cell is the magic constant of another magic square?

📜 Bec becomes a document detective!

🚨 It's a New York Alert

💼 What's in the briefcase today?

❓AND a big muppet reveal.

You can find the Magic Square of Magic Squares here (It's the second one on the page): https://inderjtaneja.com/2022/02/10/100-magic-squares-of-order-42-with-numbers-00-99/

Here's the original Numperphile video 'Magic Squares of Squares (are PROBABLY impossible)': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kdsj84UdeYg&ab_channel=Numberphile 

The Firehose Specifications Document can be viewed here (It can't be real, right?): https://ifunny.co/picture/australian-government-fire-hose-spfcifications-all-hose-is-to-be-PDLNwbBZA?s=cl 

Now you know, which muppets Bec and Matt are - tell us, which Muppet are YOU?

And send in your CONEY ISLAND related problems to the Problem Posing Page:  www.aproblemsquared.com, or on social media @aproblemsquared.

If you want to sponsor the podcast,  head on over to our Patreon page. You can can find that here: https://www.patreon.com/aproblemsquared

In THIS episode:

🍦 Can you lose weight with a diet of ice cream and beer?

🍔 What's up with Burger Rings? 

🛎 DING! DING! DING! DING!

💼 And some A-OHHHHH-B.

Here's the Burger Rings 1992 ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bo5sKqwUQBs 

Here's the ACTUAL packet, as remembered by Matt and Bec: https://www.flickr.com/photos/fordsbasement/7183508658#

As always, send your problems and solutions to our website: aproblemsquared.com.

If you'd like to find out which Muppet you are (who doesn't, right?) you can skip ahead of Matt and Bec to do the quiz here: https://www.buzzfeed.com/jenlewis/which-muppet-are-you.

And if you want more from A Problem Squared, find us on Twitter,  Instagram. and Patreon.

On THIS episode...

🌍 Where should Earth be? 

🛗 What's the best way to spend one minute in a lift? 

♾ Why are there different sizes of infinity? 

💼 And, business. Any other. 

Send your problems and solutions to our website: aproblemsquared.com.

If you'd like to find out which Muppet you are (who doesn't, right?) you can skip ahead of Matt and Bec to do the quiz here: https://www.buzzfeed.com/jenlewis/which-muppet-are-you.

And if you want more from A Problem Squared, find us on Twitter,  Instagram. and Patreon. 

In this episode...   🎧 How do you stop the wires on headphones from twisting?   🏊🏽‍♀️ If the Earth was a smooth sphere, how much water would sit on it's surface?   🛎 Get ready for some dings!   💼 And the business briefcase is open.   If you'd like to find out exactly why our pockets twist up our wires, follow this link: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/why-do-your-earphones-get-tangled-in-your-pocket-science-has-the-answer-9548540.html   For more on the spontaneous knotting of an agitated string, look no further: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.0611320104#sec-2   To really comprehend the over under technique you have to see it, and even then it's tricky. You can attempt to find out how to do that, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwMJHMSmjVY   The Merch Competition is ongoing, so send in your sizes for those T-Shirts! And phone it in if you want THE HAT! Put your down preferences HERE: bit.ly/APSgiveaway   If you'd like to find out which Muppet you are, you can speed ahead of Matt and Bec and find that out here: https://www.buzzfeed.com/jenlewis/which-muppet-are-you.   As always send your problems and solutions to our website: aproblemsquared.com.   And, finally, if you want EVEN MORE from A Problem Squared, find us on Twitter, Instagram or Patreon.

In THIS episode...   🌝 Is the diameter of the sun and the moon the spookiest of coincidences?   🍫 Where on earth are the new candy bars?!   📈 What's in the Business Briefcase today?   Here's the incredible bath related research conducted and compiled by David, go take a look it's fantastic: https://www.dropbox.com/s/89sp8ekvx2d13m7/Bath_Gustavsson.pdf?dl=0

And Tin's code with Matt's favourite plot, you can find that here: https://htmlpreview.github.io/?https://github.com/tinnuadan/PipingHotBath/blob/main/becbath.html

In THIS episode...

* Matt has found the last number.

* How do you determine which day of the week a given date falls on if you know the day of another date?

* And some other international business.

If you'd like to see Bec and Matt at An Evening of Unnecessary Detail IN NEW YORK, get tickets here: https://festivalofthespokennerd.com/show/an-evening-of-unnecessary-detail/

This is your 10 day call, this link closes on the 20th of April! -- Roll up! roll up! The limited edition Millionth Download Commemorative Plates and / or Bowls are here. You can ORDER them here:

If you want to find out more about the Solar Eclipse Matt's going to see in Aus, do that here: https://www.australiascoralcoast.com/products/ningaloo-eclipse#:~:text=On%20April%2020%2C%202023%20visitors,a%20total%20solar%20eclipse%20occurs.

Matt explains this tweet to Bec in our first problem: https://twitter.com/standupmaths/status/1354919418300657669

And here is the offending, and very funny, website they reference - Visual Fractions: https://visualfractions.com/calculator/factorial/what-is-the-factorial-of-170/

If you'd like to find out which Muppet YOU are, just speed ahead of Matt and Bec and find that out here: https://www.buzzfeed.com/jenlewis/which-muppet-are-you.

Send your problems and solutions to our website: aproblemsquared.com.

And, finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared, find us on Twitter and Instagram.

In THIS episode...

🐹 A Peanut Squared! 

📇 How many words neatly shorten to letter-name versions? 

🔥 Was Michael Jackson's hair catching fire in a Pepsi ad the exact mid-point of his life?

💼 And some Other Business. 

Roll up! roll up! The limited edition Millionth Episode Commemorative Plates and / or Bowls have arrived. You can PRE-ORDER them here:

If you want to see the full Two Ronnies 'Swedish Made Simple' sketch, you can find that here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cc3M1nppd3c

So you're 18+ and want to see Micheal Jackson's hair on fire in diorama form. Good news! You can do that on Bobby Fingers Youtube, right here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHi479xN_po

Matt's video 'Was Michael Jackson's hair catching fire in a Pepsi ad the exact mid-point of his life?' can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUuGy5agBfg

And we welcome PEANUT to the APS family. The very first A Peanut Squared problem is - If peanut needs to eat 5 g of pellets every day, and hamsters live for two years, how many grams of pellets is Bec going to need over Peanut’s lifetime? 

You can also get your DING' t-shirts here https://a-problem-squared.teemill.com.

If you'd like to find out which Muppet YOU are, just speed ahead of Matt and Bec and find that out here: https://www.buzzfeed.com/jenlewis/which-muppet-are-you.

If YOU'VE got a problem or a solution, hit us up on our website aproblemsquared.com.

And, finally, if you want want even more from A Problem Squared, find us on Twitter and Instagram.

In this episode...

🚍 What’s the probability that you get on a bus and see a colleague who's travelling to the same house as you?

🧽 Can I use a single cheap soap to clean absolutely everything?

✨ And, coincidences. Lots of them.

If you've got a problem or a solution, hit us up on our website aproblemsquared.com.

You can get your DING' t-shirts here https://a-problem-squared.teemill.com.

If you'd like to find out which Muppet YOU are, just speed ahead of Matt and Bec and find that out here: https://www.buzzfeed.com/jenlewis/which-muppet-are-you.

And if you want want even more from A Problem Squared, find us on Twitter and Instagram.

In this episode...

Can a spoon keep open champagne fizzy?

Are two minimalist rulers more effective than one 30cm ruler?

There's some Any Other Bubbness. 

And, you're cordially invited to the Royal Society!

In this episode...

🛀 How do you keep a bath warmer for longer?

💼 Matt solves a problem about business.

🗞️ We have some AOB.

🪵 And a brand new stumpdate!

If you've got a problem or a solution, hit us up on our website aproblemsquared.com.

You can buy A Problem Squared 'DING' t-shirts here https://a-problem-squared.teemill.com.

And if you want want even more from A Problem Squared, find us on Twitter and Instagram.