PODCAST

Mag World

Mag World is an effort to develop fluency in logarithmetic, by using simplified notation for numbers that focuses on the magnitude. This develops a corresponding intuitive sense of scale–not just "bigger" or "smaller", but how much bigger, and how much smaller. And what are each of the levels of scale like?

science mathematics

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0:42:20.251429

Mag Energy

Mag World ·

2026/09/08

Saul and Mike tally up how much energy Earth actually has -- solar, fossil, nuclear, wind, geothermal, tidal -- and work out whether any of it is enough to get a ship to Tau Ceti, with Project Hail Mary's astrophage as the yardstick.

0:36:03.624000

Mag Computer

Mag World ·

2026/07/23

Saul and Mike climb the mag scale of computing, using RAM as a proxy for compute power, from the Apollo guidance computer and the Apple II up to today's machines, and what each mag of memory made possible.

0:43:20.088000

Mag Water

Mag World ·

2026/05/21

Saul and Mike talk about water, from the Moldau to the Niagara to the Amazon, and glaciers, icebergs, car washes, and hamburgers.

0:42:18.672000

Mag Population

Mag World ·

2026/04/15

Saul and Mike explore the magnitudes of various populations of creatures on earth, from humans to buffalo to chickens to roundworms to bacteria.

0:32:12.382041

Mag Homelessness

Mag World ·

2026/03/12

Saul and Mike talk with William Towey of the King County Regional Homelessness Authority about the magnitude of homelessness in Seattle, from the first recorded homeless settler in 1854, to 16,000 counted homeless people in 2024.

0:41:31.680000

Mag Money

Mag World ·

2026/02/06

Saul and Mike discuss what each mag level of wealth feels like, how the cost of debt changes between levels, and how long it would take a wealth tax to materially affect a billionaire.

0:41:52.008000

Mag Matter

Mag World ·

2026/01/29

Mass, mining, precious metals, and the periodic table.

0:29:20.664000

Mag Perception

Mag World ·

2026/01/15

Decibels and frequencies and hot peppers. Making Fech a thing.

0:33:20.176700

Mag Cosmos

Mag World ·

2026/01/01

Saul and Mike talk about Archimedes, the size of the Universe, and the speed of light.

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Mag World

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