How to Figure Out the Day of the Week For Any Day Ever
AdultsHistoryMathCreativity...You might think that computers are the only things that run algorithms, but you're wrong. Here's a neat mental trick for calculating the day of the week for any day ever, developed by famous mathematician John H. Conway
Can you find the next number in this sequence? - Alex Gendler
AdultsCreativityMathScience...1, 11, 21, 1211, 111221. These are the first five elements of a number sequence. Can you figure out what comes next? Alex Gendler reveals the answer and explains how beyond just being a neat puzzle, this type of sequence has practical applications as well.
Check your intuition: The birthday problem - David Knuffke
AdultsMathSocietyEducationImagine a group of people. How big do you think the group would have to be before there's more than a 50% chance that two people in the group have the same birthday? The answer is ... probably lower than you think. David Knuffke explains how the birthday problem exposes our often-poor intuition when it comes to probability.
Can you solve the pirate riddle? - Alex Gendler
AdultsMathPsychologyProblem-Solving...It's a good day to be a pirate. Amaro and his four mateys - Bart, Charlotte, Daniel, and Eliza have struck gold - a chest with 100 coins. But now, they must divvy up the booty according to the pirate code - and pirate code is notoriously complicated. Can you help come up with the distribution that Amaro should propose to make sure he lives to tell the tale? Alex Gendler shows how.
Can you solve the three gods riddle? - Alex Gendler
AdultsCreativityMathProblem-SolvingYou and your team have crash-landed on an ancient planet. Can you appease the three alien overlords who rule it and get your team safely home? Created by logician Raymond Smullyan, and popularized by his colleague George Boolos, this riddle has been called the hardest logic puzzle ever. Alex Gendler shows how to solve it.
Why do people get so anxious about math? - Orly Rubinsten
AdultsMathPsychologyEducation...Have you ever sat down to take a math test and immediately felt your heart beat faster and your palms start to sweat? This is called math anxiety, and if it happens to you, you're not alone: Researchers think about 20 percent of the population suffers from it. So what's going on? And can it be fixed? Orly Rubinsten explores the current research and suggests ways to increase math performance.
How the Meter Became the Meter
AdultsHistoryMathScienceThe meter is the world's ultimate measure, but how did it become "the" meter? What is this measurement based on? The story of this revolution in measurement traces its roots to the French Revolution. Scientists decided that an equal and united people should have equal and united measures. So they sent a pair of young astronomers out to measure the world, and invent the meter. Little did they know they'd find nothing but war, deception, and strife along the way. As a result of this ill-fated mission, the meter carries an error that still persists today. Still think the metric system is so perfect?
Why do airlines sell too many tickets?
AdultsEconomyMathTransportation...Have you ever sat in a doctor's office for hours, despite having an appointment?
Should You Trust Your Gut Instinct?
AdultsMathPsychologyMental HealthCan you trust your gut feelings?
Can you solve the passcode riddle? - Ganesh Pai
AdultsCreativityMathGaming...In a dystopian world, your resistance group is humanity's last hope. Unfortunately, you've all been captured by the tyrannical rulers and brought to the ancient coliseum for their deadly entertainment.