x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

Math! Science! History!

Gabrielle Birchak

Why do some scientific breakthroughs look different up close than they do in our textbooks? How did math quietly shape the modern world? Math! Science! History! explores the human side of discovery, including the rivalries, the failed attempts, the bold ideas, and the marginalized voices behind the equations and experiments that changed science, technology, and everyday life. Hosted by Gabrielle Birchak, who holds degrees in mathematics and journalism, the show connects codebreaking, astronomy,

science mathematics

All Episodes

10:05

FLASHCARDS! Research that Sits in the Margins

Math! Science! History! ·

2026/02/27

A clean success story is rarely the whole story. In this Flashcard Friday episode of Math! Science! History!, Gabrielle Birchak offers a simple method for spotting the people who made breakthroughs possible but did not become the headline. In the Margins episode gives you three practical questions you can use on any science story to find hidden contributors in author lists, acknowledgments, lab records, and patent filings. Save this episode and use it as your listening companion heading into Women's

en

12:02

FLASHCARDS! Think Clearly Under Pressure

Math! Science! History! ·

2026/02/13

Ever lose a great idea right when you need it, then wish your brain had a "save" button? This episode gives you one. In this Flashcards Friday toolkit, I share three quick prompts you can use to think more clearly, learn faster, and troubleshoot problems without spiraling. You will leave with a simple loop you can apply to school, work, and real-life conversations. What You'll Learn The System Card: How to name the system, the key variables, and the constraints, so your thinking has structure. The

en

27:09

Hobbes vs. Boyle: Who Decides Scientific Facts?

Math! Science! History! ·

2026/02/03

Episode Overview In the 1660s, two towering thinkers, Thomas Hobbes and Robert Boyle, clashed over a strange new machine: the air pump. What looked like a technical disagreement about air and vacuum quickly became something much larger. This episode examines how Boyle's experimental approach and Hobbes's philosophical skepticism shaped the foundations of modern science, and why their dispute still echoes today in debates over expertise, public trust, and the role of scientists in public policy

en

37:54

REPOST: The Wake of HMS Challenger

Math! Science! History! ·

2026/01/06

In this repost episode of Math! Science! History!, Gabrielle Birchak speaks with Professor Gillen D'Arcy Wood, author of The Wake of the HMS Challenger: How a Legendary Victorian Voyage Tells the Story of Our Ocean's Decline. Together, they uncover how a nineteenth-century Royal Navy warship transformed into a floating laboratory and gave humanity its first global snapshot of the oceans. From discovering thousands of new species to inspiring NASA's Challenger shuttle, the expedition shaped modern

en

14:50

REPOST! The 2220 Holiday Puzzle!

Math! Science! History! ·

2025/12/30

Set in the year 2220, this holiday puzzle episode blends science fiction, real scientific legacies, and mathematical reasoning into an immersive problem-solving adventure. The United Nations Time-Travel Division recruits four brilliant scientists, each descended from historically significant scientific families, and sends them back to 2019 with a radical mission: erase the year 2020 from the timeline. What follows is a multi-step logic and distance puzzle involving self-driving hover cars, state

en

10:59

REPOST! Eccentric Scientists Holiday Party On!

Math! Science! History! ·

2025/12/23

This episode marks the very first Math! Science! History! holiday puzzle, a tradition built around logic, problem-solving, and a little historical mischief. Rather than a standard narrative episode, this one invites listeners to actively participate, following clues, working through puzzles, and engaging with science and history in a hands-on way. Designed as a holiday "party for the brain," the episode blends reasoning, curiosity, and playful challenge. You can listen straight through or pause

en

16:12

FLASHCARDS! The Universal Riddle of Love

Math! Science! History! ·

2025/12/19

As the year draws to a close, people across cultures have long turned to riddles, puzzles, and quiet forms of reflection. From lantern riddles in China to communal riddles in Africa and contemplative winter traditions in Europe, these practices were never just games. They were tools for slowing down, thinking together, and preparing for change. In this season-ending Flashcard episode, we explore why riddles emerge during moments of transition, how puzzles shape empathy and shared intelligence, and

en

21:02

The History of Jigsaw Puzzles

Math! Science! History! ·

2025/12/16

Jigsaw puzzles may seem like quiet, domestic pastimes, but their history tells a much bigger story. In this episode of Math! Science! History!, Gabrielle Birchak traces the surprising evolution of the jigsaw puzzle, from its origins as an Enlightenment-era teaching tool to its role as a psychological stabilizer during the Great Depression, and finally to its modern use in cognitive science and brain health. Along the way, we explore how puzzles reflect changes in technology, culture, economics, and

en

50:56

It's the MATH! SCIENCE! HISTORY! Holiday Puzzle 2025!

Math! Science! History! ·

2025/12/09

It's finally here. The annual math science history holiday puzzle. It's a long one but it is a fun one. When you solve it be sure to send all of your work, handwritten, and your answers too hello at math sciencehistory.com by midnight on December 16th. Be in the top three to get it in first and correct and you will have a chance to win some prizes. All of those in the top three can choose to be interviewed on the podcast to tell us all about their love for math, science and history! First place

en

08:38

FLASHCARDS! Understanding Light Bulbs: How to Choose...

Math! Science! History! ·

2025/12/05

In this Flashcards Friday episode, we take the science of light bulbs out of the hardware aisle and into everyday life. Most people assume a bulb is just a bulb, but the truth is that the type you choose affects your energy bill, eye comfort, the way your rooms feel, and even the safety of your fixtures. From LEDs to incandescent filaments, from color temperature to socket fit, this episode breaks down the science behind the glow. You'll walk away with practical knowledge you can use immediately,

en

09:19

FLASHCARDS! Science that Makes Scents

Math! Science! History! ·

2025/11/28

Your nose is more powerful than you think. In this episode of Math! Science! History!, we explore the hidden biology behind your sense of smell, how it connects directly to memory and emotion, and why scent has shaped human evolution for more than 500 million years. From safety and attraction to learning and emotional balance, your olfactory system is a biological superpower hiding in plain sight. THREE INSIGHTS THAT PASS THE SNIFF TEST Why Smell Is the Fastest Path to Emotion - Smell bypasses

en

09:36

FLASHCARDS! Imagination is the Engine of Science

Math! Science! History! ·

2025/11/14

In this Flashcard Friday follow-up to Tuesday's interview with theoretical physicist Dr. Ronald L. Mallett, Gabrielle explores Einstein's famous claim that imagination is more important than knowledge. From Marie Curie's invisible rays to Johannes Kepler's celestial harmonies, this episode traces how imagination transforms human emotion, grief, wonder, curiosity, into world-changing discovery. Listeners will hear how Dr. Mallett's childhood heartbreak became the seed for his groundbreaking work on

en

01:07:44

Dr. Ronald Mallett and the Love That Bends Time

Math! Science! History! ·

2025/11/11

In this fascinating conversation, I interview theoretical physicist Dr. Ronald Mallett to explore one of humanity's most extraordinary scientific pursuits: time travel. From the influence of Einstein's general theory of relativity to quantum mechanics and parallel universes, Dr. Mallett shares the story of how his personal loss inspired a lifetime of discovery. Listeners will hear how his work connects the geometry of spacetime, wormholes, and cosmic strings to the real mathematics of time loops,

en

08:03

FLASHCARDS! Saving Time: The Math and Science of...

Math! Science! History! ·

2025/11/07

Subscribe to Math! Science! History! wherever you listen to podcasts, and if you love learning how math and science make everyday life better, leave a review and share this episode with a friend who's always running out of time! In this episode of Math! Science! History!, Gabrielle Birchak explores how mathematics and science can help us master the one resource we can't manufacture, time. From the Shortest Path Problem in geometry to the Pareto Principle in physics and productivity, Gabrielle

en

31:28

The Truth about Time Travel

Math! Science! History! ·

2025/11/04

What if you could bend time like taffy, stretching moments, collapsing centuries, and stepping through the folds of history itself? In this episode of Math! Science! History!, Gabrielle explores the myths, literature, and scientific breakthroughs that brought time travel from ancient dreams to modern equations. From the Mahabharata to H.G. Wells, from Einstein's relativity to Ronald Mallett's laser loop, we uncover how humanity's yearning to rewrite the past or glimpse the future evolved into one of

en

37:33

Interview with Gillen D’Arcy Wood - The Wake of HMS...

Math! Science! History! ·

2025/10/21

In this episode of Math! Science! History!, Gabrielle Birchak speaks with Professor Gillen D’Arcy Wood, author of The Wake of the HMS Challenger: How a Legendary Victorian Voyage Tells the Story of Our Ocean’s Decline. Together, they uncover how a nineteenth-century Royal Navy warship transformed into a floating laboratory and gave humanity its first global snapshot of the oceans. From discovering thousands of new species to inspiring NASA’s Challenger shuttle, the expedition shaped modern

en

09:24

FLASHCARDS! Do Math-Believe Science-Learn History

Math! Science! History! ·

2025/10/10

In this Flashcard Friday follow-up to Tuesday’s interview with Dr. Kanisorn Wongsrichanalai of the Massachusetts Historical Society, we revisit the numbers that changed the course of history. During the Revolutionary War, smallpox was more dangerous to the Continental Army than the British. By comparing mortality rates, George Washington made a bold, science-driven choice: inoculate his troops. The math was simple but profound, 30% risk of death without inoculation versus just 2% with it. This

en

01:02:37

Washington, Adams, and Smallpox: An MHS Interview

Math! Science! History! ·

2025/10/07

In this episode of Math! Science! History!, Gabrielle Birchak speaks with Dr. Kanisorn Wongsrichanalai of the Massachusetts Historical Society about the hidden epidemic that shaped the American Revolution. While battles raged, smallpox quietly threatened to destroy the Continental Army and colonial communities. From George Washington’s controversial order to inoculate his soldiers to Abigail Adams’s letters describing her family’s ordeal, this conversation reveals how trust in science, courage,

en

09:34

FLASHCARDS! Alcuin of York

Math! Science! History! ·

2025/09/19

In this episode of Math Science History, we journey back to 8th-century England to uncover the story of Alcuin of York, a quiet but powerful force behind the Carolingian Renaissance. From his beginnings in the cathedral school of York to his influential role as Charlemagne’s advisor, Alcuin shaped the future of Western education, preserved ancient texts, and helped revive a culture of learning in a world on the brink of intellectual collapse. Discover how this humble teacher from northern England

en

44:37

Science Under Siege

Math! Science! History! ·

2025/09/16

In this urgent episode of Math! Science! History, Gabrielle Birchak exposes how the United States is dismantling its scientific foundation through lawsuits, defunding, censorship, and intimidation. From shuttered labs to banned books and silenced climate scientists, Gabrielle connects today’s attacks on knowledge to historical examples of authoritarian suppression—from Galileo’s house arrest to the German Reich’s university purges and Stalin’s pseudoscience. This is more than a culture war; it’s a

en

119 results

Similar Podcasts

Classic Radio Science Fiction

solgoodmedia.com

Mission to Mars

Inception Point Ai

The 365 Days of Astronomy

365DaysOfAstronomy.org

Creek Devil

william Jevning

UFO Chronicles Podcast

Nik Hunter