Welcome to the Flip Flap podcast, where amazing things happen.
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Math! Science! History! is a podcast about the history of people, theories, and discoveries that have moved our scientific progress forward and spurred us on to unimaginable discoveries. Join Gabrielle Birchak for a little math, a little science, and a little history. All in a little bit of time.
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Some kids' books are great, others are not. We review them. We also suggest things to watch when the kids are finally f**king asleep.
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Episode 79 - Falling Leaves and Helicopters
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Helicopters have a rich history that began with the falling leaves from the Tree of Heaven. Today, we have NASA's Ingenuity helicopter flying on Mars. It's a beautiful history that has pushed the boundaries of what is possible and provided promising new horizons in aviation and beyond. To read the podcast's transcripts, please visit me at www.MathS…
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Omar Khayyam was a brilliant mathematician in Iran in the 11th century. But, he was also an interdisciplinary thinker, which means that he was also an astronomer, a philosopher, a political advisor, and a poet. Even today his poems are read and revered around the world. To read the podcast's transcripts and to see the noted math equations, please v…
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Episode 77 - Repost: The Physics of the Flip Flap Rollercoaster
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To learn more about the physics of roller coasters and read the podcast's transcripts, please visit me at www.MathScienceHistory.com. And while you're there, please feel free to click on that coffee button and buy me a cup of coffee! To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit https://a.co/d/g3OuP9h Until next time, carpe diem! All…
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Momentum! It's a term used in wide variety of contexts, but in Physics it is defined as "mass in motion." It is the product of an objects mass times its velocity. In this podcast I go into its history...and it's future! To read the podcast's transcripts and to see the noted math equations, please visit me at www.MathScienceHistory.com. To buy my bo…
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Episode 75 - Abstract Algebra Swimming and Rummikub
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My brain got away from me and I found myself going down a rabbit hole. While there, I revisited the math of Evariste Galois and his foundations to Abstract Algebra. I also ventured into the game Rummikub, the Olympics and swimming. Welcome to my brain. To read the podcast's transcripts, please visit me at www.MathScienceHistory.com. While you are t…
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Episode 74 - The Murder of Evariste Galois
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Evariste Galois was a brilliant mathematician with a passion for justice. He was only 22 when he was murdered. To this day, his murderers remain unknown. But his insightful mathematical theories are known throughout the world. This is his story. To read the podcast's transcripts, please visit me at www.MathScienceHistory.com. While you are there, f…
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You know that little app you use on your phone to do your calculations? It has a fun, clunky history full of interesting inventions! The history of the calculator goes as far back as 300 CE with the Salamis Tablet. Today, we can graph in 3-D and solve even the most complex abstract algebraic equations! To read the podcast's transcripts, please visi…
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Episode 72 - Climate Scientist and Suffragette Eunice Foote
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During the month of Earth Day, it is justifiable and poignant that we while we honor Mother Earth, we also honor Eunice Newton Foote, the world's first female climate scientist. Foote perfectly exemplified how women contribute to more than just the places that society wants us to remain. To read the podcast's transcripts, please visit me at www.Mat…
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Episode 71 - Catherine Macaulay and her Call for Educational Equality
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As Women's History Month ends, I want to introduce you to Catherine Macaulay, an eighteenth-century British historian who called for equality in education. She believed that by providing education to young girls and women, we could let go of social opinions and develop human potential. To read the podcast's transcripts, please visit me at www.MathS…
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Episode 70: The Book Hypatia The Sum of Her Life
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Hypatia was one of the first female mathematicians that we know of. Her accomplishments were many. She was a valued Alexandrian teacher who taught mathematics, astronomy, and philosophy. She was a government advisor and was respected by leader all across the Roman Empire. Unfortunately, her death overshadows the sum of her incredible life. In this …
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Episode 69: Hipparchus-The Trigonometry of our Cosmos
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Hipparchus was one of the first mathematicians who trigonometrically defined his astronomical observations through stereographic projection, which is incredibly awe-inspiring! To read the podcast's transcripts and to see a visual description of stereographic projection, please visit me at www.MathScienceHistory.com. For Math! Science! History! merc…
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Episode 68: Archimedes and his Pi - Repost
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In June 2022, Emma Haruka Iwao and her team at Google computed pi to 100 trillion digits! But this number 3.1415, first determined by Archimedes, only had three digits. Archimedes left a huge impression on the world of math! To read the podcast's transcripts, visit me at www.MathScienceHistory.com. For more information about podcasting through Libs…
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Episode 67: du Chatelet and Her One True Love
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Many people think that Emilie du Chatelet's one true love was Voltaire, but it was not! Who (or what) did she love more?! To read the podcast's transcripts, visit me at www.MathScienceHistory.com. To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit https://a.co/d/g3OuP9h Finally, to read the works of du Chatelet, visit www.ProjectVOX.org U…
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Yes! Time Travel has a past! The history of time travel goes as far back as 400 BCE! Time travel stories empower us with insight into how we could have corrected the past or how we can change the future! Where would you like to travel to?! To read the podcast's transcripts, visit me at www.MathScienceHistory.com. For more information about podcasti…
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We have many female contemporaries of women in science today. Believe it or not, even in ancient history, Rome had a few exceptional female contemporaries in science as well! For more information on Hypatia, you can listen here: https://mathsciencehistory.libsyn.com/ep-15-hypatia-of-alexandria To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, …
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This is part three of my series about the diabolical world of math in Renaissance Italy! In my last episode, Tartaglia became a mathematical celebrity. In this episode, Tartaglia meets Ferrari, then Ferrari is found murdered! Who murdered Ferrari?! To read the podcast's transcripts, visit me at www.MathScienceHistory.com. Until next time, carpe die…
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Episode 63 - Was it for the math? Or the money?
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In my last podcast, I note that in 1494 Fra Luca Pacioli published his book the Summa. In the conclusion of his book, Pacioli posited an impossible problem! This roused curiosity and diabolical activity! To read the podcast's transcripts, visit me at www.MathScienceHistory.com. To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit https://a.…
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Taxes and magic. Yes, the two go together in this story about Fra Luca Pacioli, who wrote one of the first textbooks on accounting - and magic! To read the podcast's transcripts, visit me at www.MathScienceHistory.com. For more info on Lock Paper Scissors, please visit https://www.LockPaperScissors.co To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on …
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Episode 61 - Reposting Ep. 24 Chaos Theory's Flap of a Butterfly's Wings
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Fifty years ago Dr. Edward Lorenz coined the term the Butterfly Effect and validated Poincaré's findings on Chaos Theory. To read the podcast's transcripts, visit me at www.MathScienceHistory.com. If you would like to hear an early-release, ad-free version of this podcast, come on over to www.Patreon.com/MathScienceHistory and sign up for a tier! U…
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In eighteenth-century Europe, there was an increase in women entering the field of science, more so than in the seventeenth century. What inspired this incredible movement for women in STEM? To read the podcast's transcripts, visit me at www.MathScienceHistory.com. If you would like to support my podcast, please visit my website, click on that coff…
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Episode 59 - It Didn't Belong to Pythagoras
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I have mentioned before that the Pythagorean Theorem was not Pythagoras's discovery. This podcast looks at the tangible proof of the theorem, and where it might have come from! To read the podcast's transcripts, visit me at www.MathScienceHistory.com. To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit https://a.co/d/g3OuP9h For Math! Scie…
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Episode 58 - Galileo and the Inquisition Part 2
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When we last left off, Saint Thomas Aquinas was determined to join the Dominican order. However, it didn’t go well with the family, and his mother was not happy. What follows are the details of his effect on the Galileo Affair. To read the podcast's transcripts, visit me at www.MathScienceHistory.com. To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on …
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Episode 57 - What do Aristotle and St. Aquinas have to do with the Galileo Affair?
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The Greek philosopher Aristotle was born in 384 BCE. The Italian philosopher St. Thomas Aquinas was born in 1225. Galileo Galilei was born on February 15, 1564. Between the three of them, there is a story that spans almost 2000 years. That story is known as the Galileo Affair. To read the podcast's transcripts, visit me at www.MathScienceHistory.co…
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Is mathematics invented or discovered? And if it is invented, can it be patented? Has it ever been patented? To read about the history of patents, visit me at www.MathScienceHistory.com. To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit https://a.co/d/g3OuP9h For Math! Science! History! merch, visit https://www.mathsciencehistory.store/ …
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Gender disparity is still evident in STEM. But, how hard was it in the 19th century? Sofya Kovalevskaya's efforts to become a full professor show just how hard it was. To read about Kovalevskaya, visit me at www.MathScienceHistory.com. To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit https://a.co/d/g3OuP9h Until next time, carpe diem! G…
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Many of us have heard about pseudoscience, which is a system of theories that are wrongly considered to be scientific. But have you ever heard of pseudomathematics? How about mathematical crankery? If you want to read more about pseudomathematics, visit me at www.MathScienceHistory.com. To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit h…
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Episode 53 - Reposting Ep. 1 Math Science History Introduction
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Math is part of our genetic makeup, and history proves it to be true! From 30,000 years ago to today, math has guided us, inspired us, and fueled our scientific progress. For more information on the ancient Mesopotamian clay tablet, you can see them up close on Dr. Bill Casselman's website at http://www.math.ubc.ca/~cass/Euclid/ybc/ybc.html. You ca…
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Episode 52 - It's the 2021 Holiday Puzzle!
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It's that time of year! It's time for my Annual Holiday Puzzle! And it's my THIRD Annual Puzzle! (I can't believe the podcast is going on three years!) This year I am upping the ante! If you can solve the puzzles, and be the first person to email me the correct answers to Gabrielle@MathScienceHistory.com, you will win a $40 Amazon gift card and a d…
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Have you ever been in a moment in your life where you wished something would change, but it doesn't? Time passes by and nothing changes. In physics and mathematics, this is known as the Quantum Zeno Effect. If you want to read more about this effect, visit me at www.MathScienceHistory.com. To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visi…
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Episode 50 - It's a decimal, not a period.
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The history of the decimal is fairly new! Before the decimal, mathematicians just listed either values or fractions. And the best part about the decimal is that it's nothing like a period. If you want to read more about the history of math and science, please visit me at www.MathScienceHistory.com. And while you're there, feel free to buy me a cup …
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Agree to disagree. This was the foundation of two ancient philosophers and friends, Archytas and Plato. Plato was a philosophical mathematician, and Archytas was a mechanical engineer. But, the friendship was strong enough to save Plato's life. If you want to read more about the history of math and science, please visit me at www.MathScienceHistory…
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This is my special tribute to Black History Month, to love, to African-American men and women, and to all of those who have worked tirelessly on the front lines fighting COVID. This story has remained hidden for over a century. It is one of the most awe-inspiring, heart-moving stories that I have researched in quite a while. For more Math, Science …
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Episode 47 - International Day of Women and Girls In Science
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On February 11 the United Nations honors the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. Science and gender equality are essential for the development of science. This day is a reminder to us all that women deserve to be part of the world of science. For more history of about math and science, please come visit me at www.MathScienceHistory.com…
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Episode 46 - Eponymy and the Sexagesimal Spiral
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Even though there is a Multiplication Map attributed to Tesla, I've taken liberties to call it Birchak's Sumerian Sexagesimal Spiral, because of eponymy. If none of this makes sense, it will once you listen to my latest podcast on eponymy. For more pictures and descriptions of the sexagesimal spiral, along with other stories about the history of ma…
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Episode 45: Reposting Episode 15 Hypatia of Alexandria
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This is a reposted podcast about Hypatia. The story of Hypatia of Alexandria is almost 2,000 years old. She was one of our earliest female mathematicians, astronomers, philosophers, and professors. But above all of that, she was loved by Alexandria! So why was she murdered?! The answer is in the podcast! If you are interested in reading more about …
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Episode 44 - It's the 2020 Math Science History Holiday Puzzle!
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The annual 2020 Math Science History Holiday Puzzle is UP!! This year the first person to respond with the correct answer receives a $25 Amazon gift card! The details are in the podcast and at MathScienceHistory.com. Thank you for a wonderful year! Until 2021, carpe diem! To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit https://a.co/d/g…
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If there is one word to describe Nikola Tesla, it would be brilliant! His inventions, ideas, and patents changed the world. One of his greatest inventions, the AC power motor, enabled us with the ability to power our homes with electricity. For more pictures and descriptions of Tesla's AC motor, along with other stories about the history of math an…
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No, Napoleon Bonaparte was not short. This historical misconception is often cited as fact. In math there are many misconceptions like boys are smarter at math than girls. But, that is not true! The details are all in the podcast! For more information about some of these celebrities, including their works in science, please visit me at www.MathScie…
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Episode 41 - The Brains Behind the Talent
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Some celebrities are tremendous actors and musicians, and some actors and musicians are also tremendous scientists and mathematicians. Who are these brainiacs?! You might be surprised! For more information about some of these celebrities, including their works in science, please visit me at www.MathScienceHistory.com. And while you're there, feel f…
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The toys of the industrial revolution have contributed a great deal to science. This is no accident. Sometimes our greatest moments of discovery happen when our minds are curious and at play. If you want to read more about the history of math and science, please visit me at www.MathScienceHistory.com. And while you're there, feel free to buy me a c…
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Today, some of our fastest electric hypercars produce almost 2,000 horsepower. But what does horsepower mean? And what do sports cars have to do with the industrial revolution? It's all in the podcast Math! Science! History! If you want to read more about the history of math and science, please visit me at www.MathScienceHistory.com. And while you'…
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Pascal's triangle is a triangular pattern of binomial coefficients. If that makes no sense, in real life, you can use Pascal's triangle to figure out combinations of things, like pizza! The incredible story of Blaise Pascal is all in the podcast! If you want to read more about Pascal's triangle as well as the history of math and science, please vis…
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Imaginary boyfriends are nice. But imaginary numbers are better! Where did they come from? And who decided to name them imaginary? The answers are all in the podcast! If you want to read more about the history of math and science, visit me at www.MathScienceHistory.com. And while you're there, feel free to buy me a cup of coffee to support the podc…
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Episode 36 - First there was Infinity, Second there was Infinity
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Infinity has been around for forever! (Pun intended) But, ever since it's conception, it has evolved and changed by the power of Georg Cantor who proved that infinity comes in different sizes! For more information on infinity, as well as additional math not mentioned in the podcast, please visit me at www.MathScienceHistory.com. And while you're th…
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Episode 35 - Quantum Computers and Brahmagupta
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Just recently the National Science Foundation awarded UC Berkeley $25 million to create a multi-university institute to create quantum computers. This will take math to a whole new level, much like Brahmagupta did in 628 CE! If you want to see more details about Brahmagupta's math, as well as other posts about the history of math and science, visit…
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Statistics are awesome! If you know the data, stats can get you out of any argument. The history of statistics goes back over 5,000 years. And get this, one of the most prominent statisticians was not an academic mathematician. And all the details are in the podcast! If you are interested in learning more about the history of math and science, plea…
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The history of beer goes way back to Mesopotamia in 6000 BCE, when it was fermented in clay pots. Since then the evolution of beer has provided us a delicious brew that hits the spot! If you are interested in hearing more about the future of cryptography, please visit me at www.MathScienceHistory.com ! And while you're there, please feel free to bu…
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Despite his multiple honorary doctorates and being named Chicagoan of the Year, Chemist Dr. Percy Julian found himself up a tree with a shotgun defending his property because he was black and couldn't get help from the police to protect his property. You can find the transcripts as well as blogs on the history of math and science on my Website at w…
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Episode 31 - Thomas Fuller America's first African Mathematician
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Thomas Fuller was 14 when he was taken from Africa in 1724. As an American slave who became an international genius, he proved to the world that skin color does not determine one's intelligence. You can find the transcripts as well as blogs on the history of math and science on my Website at www.MathScienceHistory.com. And while you're there, pleas…
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I've got another secret! And I thought I had hidden it well. That is until someone broke my code and told on me! If you are interested in hearing more about the future of cryptography, please visit me at www.MathScienceHistory.com ! And while you're there, please feel free to buy me a cup of coffee, because every cup of coffee keeps my podcast up a…
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