Short Wave

Humble Pi: Enjoying When Math Goes Awry

Mar 15, 2022

Matt Parker, a stand-up mathematician and author known for his witty take on math, shares insights from his book, Humble Pi. He emphasizes that mathematical mistakes can be just as enlightening as correct answers. The discussion dives into humorous intersections of math and daily life, particularly through amusing pi-related anecdotes. They explore the significance of off-by-one errors and how embracing mistakes can lead to growth in understanding. It's a celebration of imperfection in mathematics, especially fitting for Pi Day!

12:11

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Episode guests

Matt Parker

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Episode notes

Intro

2min

The Intersection of Mathematics and Humor

2min

The Journey of Learning Through Mathematical Mistakes

2min

The Dangers of Off-By-One Errors

6min

Embracing Mistakes in Math and Engineering

3min

Over the last 24 hours, some of us Short Wavers celebrated Pi Day the only way we know how: eating some yummy pie and thinking math thoughts. Here on the show, many of us are math enthusiasts. But none of us claims to be a math perfectionist. We think there's at least as much joy and insight in the mistakes as there is in what we get right. It's a lesson we discussed in today's episode about Matt Parker's book, Humble Pi. It's an oldie but a goodie from our archives.We hope it inspires you to continue to celebrate pi and math everyday.

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