Physics Behind Hexagonal Basalt Columns

🍌 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!  

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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.