HeyJaredMillion Dollar Problems of Mathematics
This podcast is about the strangest problems in math. The kind that sound simple, almost silly, until you try to solve them and realize people have been stuck for decades
- Indexed episodes, last 90 days
- 4
- Latest publication
- Aug 12, 2026
- Audience
- Checking…
- Earliest in this view
- Jul 6, 2026
Latest episodes
The Paradox of Infinite Cloning (opens the original)
Read excerpt
This episode investigates the mind-bending Banach-Tarski Paradox, a mathematical theorem that suggests you can take a solid ball, cut it into a finite number of pieces, and reassemble them into two identical balls of the same size as the original. Often called the "Pea and the Sun Paradox," this 1924 discovery by Stefan Banach and Alfred Tarski defies our common-sense understanding of volume and matter. You will learn how the "Axiom of Choice" allows mathematicians to create bizarre, infinite sc
The Hidden Math of Coral Reefs (opens the original)
Read excerpt
This episode explores the hidden mathematical heartbeat of the ocean, where vibrant underwater cities are being defended by an unexpected alliance of physicists and mathematicians. While coral reefs support a quarter of all marine species and over a billion human livelihoods, they are currently under siege from marine heatwaves, acidification, and invasive predators. The journey takes listeners from the depths of recursive fractal growth and logistic curves to the cutting edge of conservation te
A Periodic Table of Molecular Knots (opens the original)
Read excerpt
In this episode, we step down into the sub-microscopic world of chemistry to explore the groundbreaking construction of a "Periodic Table of Molecular Knots". While statistical mechanics dictates that any long, agitated string will eventually tangle with 100% probability, nature relies on knots at the tiniest scales, tying loops into roughly 1% of our proteins and packing knots into the tight coils of our DNA. We look inside the cell to meet topoisomerases. These specialized biological untangler
Is There More Than One Infinity? (opens the original)
Read excerpt
In this episode, we venture into the deeply dramatic history of infinite mathematics to unlock the enigmas of how we count things that never end. We begin in October 2018 with mathematician David Asperó on a vacation in Italy, experiencing an epiphany that would lead to a landmark proof alongside collaborator Ralf Schindler. Published in the Annals of Mathematics, their work gracefully unites two historically rival axioms, dealing a heavy theoretical blow to one of the most famous mathematical g
Publishing over time
Last 90 days. Choose a month to open its work.
Recurring subjects
Named in the text we hold. One piece can cover several.
Audience
No verified audience measurement yet.
About this data
Counts cover the work we have indexed. Tone needs enough text and a confident classification. Excerpts and episode notes are not full articles or transcripts.
Identity or attribution wrong? Suggest a correction.