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93: Unsolved Math Problems & Video Game Controllers w/ Ellen Weatherford

30 snips
Sep 25, 2025
Ellen Weatherford, a dynamic producer and podcaster, dives into the fascinating realms of unsolved math problems and video game controllers. She shares the legacy of Fermat's claims and highlights the captivating history behind perfect numbers. Then, Ellen explores the evolution of gaming controllers, discussing iconic innovations from the Magnavox Odyssey to modern ergonomics. With personal anecdotes peppered throughout, listeners will enjoy a nostalgic journey through gaming's tech evolution, sparking curiosity about both math and gaming history!
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ANECDOTE

Fermat’s Marginal Boast

  • Pierre de Fermat scribbled his famous claim in a book margin: "I have discovered a truly remarkable proof".
  • His marginal note lacked the proof and sparked 350 years of mathematical pursuit culminating in Andrew Wiles' 1990s proof.
INSIGHT

Problems Drive New Math

  • Mathematics advances because solving hard problems requires inventing new tools and fields.
  • Andrew Wiles solved Fermat's Last Theorem using decades of intermediate mathematical development.
INSIGHT

The Odd Perfect Number Mystery

  • Perfect numbers relate tightly to Mersenne primes, discovered and extended over millennia.
  • The oldest unsolved problem asks whether any odd perfect number exists, still unproven today.
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