A Problem Squared

Matt Parker, Bec Hill
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Aug 28, 2023 • 53min

067 = Line Times and Wide Words

Topics discussed include aligning of time, longest one-syllable word, music recommendations, calculating line minutes on a clock, ham sandwich theorem, crossing points of clock hands, words with 'ding' and 'time', progress update and goal setting, starting from the beginning.
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Aug 14, 2023 • 59min

066 = Strawberry Yields and Football Fields

In this slightly sports adjacent episode... 🍓 Are there more strawberries or old men on earth?  ⚽️ Is Melbourne Rectangular Stadium more or less rectangular than the average football stadium? 🏆 Did Austrailia beat Denmark at the Women's World Cup? Find out here!  🖇 And a healthy dose of Any Other Business.    You can watch Bec's striker skills in action on CBBC's Saturday Mash Up, here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001pnkl/saturday-mashup-live-series-6-episode-6 Here is a link to WayBackMachine used by Bec to research her problem: https://archive.org/ If you'd like some fresh insights into the Global Fresh Strawberry Industry, you can find that here (2022 - 2023): https://www.skyquestt.com/report/fresh-strawberry-market If you too want exclusive access to the latest Magic Square breakthroughs follow this link: https://numbers-magic.com/?p=9988 Here are Ian's joke specifications for fire hoses, adapted from an old set of joke pipe specs dating back to at least the 80s: https://www.netfunny.com/rhf/jokes/87/14917.23.html As always, send your problems and solutions to our website: aproblemsquared.com. And if you want more from A Problem Squared, find us on Twitter,  Instagram. and Patreon.          
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Jul 31, 2023 • 35min

065 = Central Parks and Baseball Larks

This is a single problem, AOB-less and DIY episode...what could be more New York? 🏟 Baseball fun in New York City! 📍 How central is Central Park really? 📜 Vibe for this episode: "It's real man" A NOTE TO ALL LISTENERS: Please be aware that audio quality may not be what you're used to. This episode deviates from the usual format. The structure heard here is what we like to call: Freeform.  We've put a map of Manhattan on Twitter if you want to have a look at that as you listen! As always, send your problems and solutions to our website: aproblemsquared.com. And if you want more from A Problem Squared, find us on Twitter,  Instagram. and Patreon.
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4 snips
Jul 17, 2023 • 46min

064 = A Tetris Education and Candy Bar Formation

In this episode... 👾 What is the best way to win at Tetris?  🍫 Revisited: Have all the candy bars been invented?  📜 And some AOOOOOOOOOB.  You can find the Bonham's Nintendo Gameboy Sale: https://www.bonhams.com/auction/19144/lot/250/nintendo-game-boy-flown-in-space/  Check out the rest of the sale too...it's pretty cool: https://www.bonhams.com/auction/19144/the-space-history-sale/ Evidence of the Beng-Beng Chocolate Caramel Hazelnut Crispy Wafer bar: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203119821326 As always, send your problems and solutions to our website: aproblemsquared.com. And if you want more from A Problem Squared, find us on Twitter,  Instagram. and Patreon.
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Jul 3, 2023 • 51min

063 = Meta Magic Squares and Fire Hose Care

In THIS episode... 🔲 Is it possible to make a magic square of magic squares where each cell is the magic constant of another magic square? 📜 Bec becomes a document detective! 🚨 It's a New York Alert 💼 What's in the briefcase today? ❓AND a big muppet reveal. You can find the Magic Square of Magic Squares here (It's the second one on the page): https://inderjtaneja.com/2022/02/10/100-magic-squares-of-order-42-with-numbers-00-99/ Here's the original Numperphile video 'Magic Squares of Squares (are PROBABLY impossible)': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kdsj84UdeYg&ab_channel=Numberphile  The Firehose Specifications Document can be viewed here (It can't be real, right?): https://ifunny.co/picture/australian-government-fire-hose-spfcifications-all-hose-is-to-be-PDLNwbBZA?s=cl  Now you know, which muppets Bec and Matt are - tell us, which Muppet are YOU? And send in your CONEY ISLAND related problems to the Problem Posing Page:  www.aproblemsquared.com, or on social media @aproblemsquared. If you want to sponsor the podcast,  head on over to our Patreon page. You can can find that here: https://www.patreon.com/aproblemsquared
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Jun 19, 2023 • 37min

062 = The Ice Cream Hack and Burger Rings Packs

In THIS episode: 🍦 Can you lose weight with a diet of ice cream and beer? 🍔 What's up with Burger Rings?  🛎 DING! DING! DING! DING! 💼 And some A-OHHHHH-B. Here's the Burger Rings 1992 ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bo5sKqwUQBs  Here's the ACTUAL packet, as remembered by Matt and Bec: https://www.flickr.com/photos/fordsbasement/7183508658# As always, send your problems and solutions to our website: aproblemsquared.com. If you'd like to find out which Muppet you are (who doesn't, right?) you can skip ahead of Matt and Bec to do the quiz here: https://www.buzzfeed.com/jenlewis/which-muppet-are-you. And if you want more from A Problem Squared, find us on Twitter,  Instagram. and Patreon.  
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Jun 5, 2023 • 52min

061 = Shifting Dates and Lifting Waits

On THIS episode... 🌍 Where should Earth be?  🛗 What's the best way to spend one minute in a lift?  ♾ Why are there different sizes of infinity?  💼 And, business. Any other.  Send your problems and solutions to our website: aproblemsquared.com. If you'd like to find out which Muppet you are (who doesn't, right?) you can skip ahead of Matt and Bec to do the quiz here: https://www.buzzfeed.com/jenlewis/which-muppet-are-you. And if you want more from A Problem Squared, find us on Twitter,  Instagram. and Patreon.     
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May 22, 2023 • 33min

060 = Cables Coiled and Water World

In this episode...   🎧 How do you stop the wires on headphones from twisting?   🏊🏽‍♀️ If the Earth was a smooth sphere, how much water would sit on it's surface?   🛎 Get ready for some dings!   💼 And the business briefcase is open.   If you'd like to find out exactly why our pockets twist up our wires, follow this link: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/why-do-your-earphones-get-tangled-in-your-pocket-science-has-the-answer-9548540.html   For more on the spontaneous knotting of an agitated string, look no further: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.0611320104#sec-2   To really comprehend the over under technique you have to see it, and even then it's tricky. You can attempt to find out how to do that, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwMJHMSmjVY   The Merch Competition is ongoing, so send in your sizes for those T-Shirts! And phone it in if you want THE HAT! Put your down preferences HERE: bit.ly/APSgiveaway   If you'd like to find out which Muppet you are, you can speed ahead of Matt and Bec and find that out here: https://www.buzzfeed.com/jenlewis/which-muppet-are-you.   As always send your problems and solutions to our website: aproblemsquared.com.   And, finally, if you want EVEN MORE from A Problem Squared, find us on Twitter, Instagram or Patreon.  
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May 8, 2023 • 56min

059 = Concealing Stars and Conceiving Bars

In THIS episode...   🌝 Is the diameter of the sun and the moon the spookiest of coincidences?   🍫 Where on earth are the new candy bars?!   📈 What's in the Business Briefcase today?   Here's the incredible bath related research conducted and compiled by David, go take a look it's fantastic: https://www.dropbox.com/s/89sp8ekvx2d13m7/Bath_Gustavsson.pdf?dl=0 And Tin's code with Matt's favourite plot, you can find that here: https://htmlpreview.github.io/?https://github.com/tinnuadan/PipingHotBath/blob/main/becbath.html If you'd like to see Matt and Bec in New York for an Evening of Unnecessary Detail you can still buy STANDING tickets here for $20: https://www.caveat.nyc/events/aeoud-7-13-2023   Merch Competition: Send in your sizes for those T-Shirts! And phone it in if you want THE HAT! Put your down preferences HERE: bit.ly/APSgiveaway   If you'd like to find out which Muppet YOU are, just speed ahead of Matt and Bec and find that out here: https://www.buzzfeed.com/jenlewis/which-muppet-are-you.   Send your problems, solutions and t-shirt specifications to our website: aproblemsquared.com.   And, finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared, find us on Twitter and Instagram.    
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Apr 24, 2023 • 47min

058 = Bluey's Beats and Undies Cheats

In THIS episode...   🎶 What's the time signature of the Bluey theme tune?   🔐 How can you get the security tag off an item of clothing at home?   🐹 The first answer to the first A Peanut Squared.   🗂 And some Any Other Business.   If you'd like to visit or participate in the Polyplane exhibition at Rutgers University, find out more on their website here: http://polyplane.org.   You can watch Adam Neely expand on Bec's answer for irregular time signatures here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KCpJx_2K_g.   ***Merch Competition UPDATE: DO NOT SEND YOUR PREFERENCES TO THE PROBLEM POSING PAGE!***   Send in your sizes for those T-Shirts! And phone it in if you want THE HAT! Put your down preferences HERE: bit.ly/APSgiveaway   And finally if you'd like to find out which Muppet YOU are, just speed ahead of Matt and Bec and find that out here: https://www.buzzfeed.com/jenlewis/which-muppet-are-you.   Send your problems, solutions and t-shirt specifications to our website: aproblemsquared.com.   And, finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared, find us on Twitter and Instagram.

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