Ben Orlin, a math educator and creator behind 'Math With Bad Drawings,' discusses reframing math as a language. He shares insights on how math relates to everyday life, using playful analogies with fantasy towns and hilarious anecdotes about counting in Welsh. Delving into the relationship between math and intuition, he highlights biases in statistical reasoning and the influence of language on understanding numbers. Their discussion also touches on the philosophical connections between math and music, inviting listeners to see math through a fun lens.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Mathematician Characteristics
Mathematicians are obsessively curious and intellectually stubborn.
One example is a Swiss mathematician who won an Olympic gold medal in biking.
insights INSIGHT
Math as a Language
Math is a language with its own grammar and vocabulary.
Mastering this language is key to understanding mathematical concepts.
insights INSIGHT
Meaning of the Equal Sign
The equal sign signifies equivalence, not a command to calculate.
Algebraic expressions are linguistic components, not calls to action.
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Published in 1949, '1984' is a cautionary tale by George Orwell that explores the dangers of totalitarianism. The novel is set in a dystopian future where the world is divided into three super-states, with the protagonist Winston Smith living in Oceania, ruled by the mysterious and omnipotent leader Big Brother. Winston works at the Ministry of Truth, where he rewrites historical records to conform to the Party's ever-changing narrative. He begins an illicit love affair with Julia and starts to rebel against the Party, but they are eventually caught and subjected to brutal torture and indoctrination. The novel highlights themes of government surveillance, manipulation of language and history, and the suppression of individual freedom and independent thought.
Gödel, Escher, Bach
An Eternal Golden Braid
Douglas Hofstadter
This book by Douglas Hofstadter is a comprehensive and interdisciplinary work that explores the interrelated ideas of Kurt Gödel, M.C. Escher, and Johann Sebastian Bach. It delves into concepts such as self-reference, recursion, and the limits of formal systems, particularly through Gödel's Incompleteness Theorem. The book uses dialogues between fictional characters, including Achilles and the Tortoise, to intuitively present complex ideas before they are formally explained. It covers a wide range of topics including cognitive science, artificial intelligence, number theory, and the philosophy of mind, aiming to understand how consciousness and intelligence emerge from formal systems[2][4][5].
Math for English Majors
A Human Take on the Universal Language
Ben Orlin
In 'Math for English Majors', Ben Orlin treats mathematics as a language, complete with nouns (numbers), verbs (calculations), and grammar (algebra). He delves into the idioms, etymologies, and ambiguities of math, and shares personal stories of his own mathematical misunderstandings and epiphanies, as well as those of his students. The book also features his characteristic inept yet effective drawings to shed light and levity on the subject.
Musicophilia
Tales of Music and the Brain
Oliver Sacks
In 'Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain', Oliver Sacks delves into the complex and fascinating relationship between music and the human brain. The book is divided into four parts, each focusing on different themes such as the sudden onset of musicality, musical oddities like synesthesia, and the role of music in memory, movement, and emotion. Sacks examines cases of people with conditions such as musical hallucinations, amusia, and those with extraordinary musical abilities despite neurological impairments. He also discusses how music therapy can treat conditions like Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, and Tourette's syndrome. The book combines scientific insight with compassionate storytelling to illuminate the profound impact of music on human experience.
Zero K
Don DeLillo
Don DeLillo's "Zero K" delves into the complex themes of mortality, technology, and the human condition. The novel centers around a billionaire who establishes a cryonics facility, driven by his wife's terminal illness. The story explores the ethical and philosophical implications of extending life through technological means, questioning the very nature of existence and consciousness. DeLillo masterfully weaves together intricate plotlines and philosophical discussions, leaving the reader to ponder the meaning of life and death in a technologically advanced world. The novel's exploration of wealth, power, and the human desire for immortality resonates deeply with contemporary anxieties.
As a former quant with six grandkids, my spidey-senses started tingling as soon as I heard about Ben Orlin’s mission to make math fun.
A native of St.Paul, Ben is a math educator and popularizer who is known for his “Math With Bad Drawing” blog and book series. Today’s conversation revolves around his excellent, original new book Math for English Majors: A Human Take on the Universal Language, which reframes math as a language, complete with nouns, verbs and grammar.
Like any mathematician worth his salt, Ben loves games, which he sees as ‘puzzle engines’. No wonder then that our conversation meandered and unfolded like a satisfying puzzle, touching upon rich concepts. We discussed making sense of sampling through fantasy towns where 70% of inhabitants are lawyers (not a town I’d like to be in), threw in a bit of Lewis Carroll to discuss the assumptions built into propositional logic (sometimes it really is turtles all the way down) and pitied the Welsh kids learning how to count (keep listening to know what that means).
I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did! For more thoughts on the episode, the full transcript, and bucketloads of other stuff designed to make you go; “Hmm, that’s interesting!” check out our Substack.
Infinite Loops 
