You Are Not So Smart 328 - Shape - Jordan Ellenberg (rebroadcast)
Dec 8, 2025
Join math professor and author Jordan Ellenberg as he dives into the hidden power of geometry. He explores how geometry shapes our understanding of complex systems, from Conway's Game of Life to intuitive insights that mirror psychedelic experiences. Ellenberg discusses the importance of teaching math through its historical roots and human elements, and even unpacks perplexing questions like how many holes a straw has. He connects geometry to art, game theory, and even personal discovery, revealing its authority in understanding our world.
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Geometry Is Both Innate And Formal
- Geometry is built into human perception and underlies questions like where things are and where they go.
- Formalizing geometry lets us reason about spaces we cannot physically inhabit, like 10-dimensional spaces.
Game Of Life Demonstrates Complexity
- Jordan Ellenberg recommends the Golly app to explore Conway's Game of Life and witness complexity from simple rules.
- He uses the Game of Life as a metaphor for how simple axioms produce rich geometric structures.
Lincoln Learned Euclid To Demonstrate
- Abraham Lincoln taught himself Euclid to understand what a demonstration is and to avoid making claims without justification.
- Lincoln found in Euclid a method and ethic of insisting on demonstration before asserting conclusions.
