Hi everyone,
Throughout that classic debate about whether maths is invented or discovered, one thing rarely denied is just how impressive, beautiful, and mystifying numbers and their relations can be.
Marcus du Sautoy is Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science at the University of Oxford (a chair formerly held by a certain Richard Dawkins) — a renowned mathematician, his most recent book — Blueprints — takes an interest in the surprising ways in which mathematical concepts show up in the creative arts.
Was Shakespeare a secret mathematical genius? Why does maths describe music? Is zero a number? Do numbers exist? Does zero exist?
I’ll be honest, it’s difficult to market a podcast episode about maths. But I promise that, given a properly enthusiastic investigation, maths has something for everyone, especially when explored through a philosophical lens.
I’m looking forward, as always, to hearing what you think of today’s episode of the podcast.
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 – Was Shakespeare a Mathematician?
05:54 – How Maths Shows Up in Art
22:57 – Pythagoras’ Discoveries in Music
26:08 – Cultural and Historical Differences in Mathematics
35:10 – What is a Number?
46:10 – The Unsettling Reliability of Maths
58:26 – Does Mathematics Explain the Universe?
