The Library of Alexandria: What Really Happened?
Math! Science! History!
After nearly seven years and more than 200 episodes, this is where I say goodbye to Math! Science! History!. The podcast began with my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life and grew into something far beyond what I imagined. Thank you for listening, for following me through all of these stories, and for giving me the opportunity to explore the history behind mathematics, science, and the people and ideas that changed our understanding of the world. The podcast may be ending, but the archive, the research, and the stories will remain here for you to explore. And perhaps it’s fitting that our...
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Descartes’ Secret Notebook: The Hidden Math Behind Topology
Math! Science! History!
René Descartes is famous for Cogito, ergo sum and his revolutionary approach to philosophy and mathematics. But he also left behind a mysterious 16-page manuscript written in code. In this episode, we uncover the story of Descartes’ hidden notebook, the waterlogged manuscripts that nearly disappeared, and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz’s dramatic attempt to decipher the coded pages. At the center of the mystery is a mathematical relationship involving the vertices, edges, and faces of three-dimensional shapes. Today expressed as V − E + F = 2, this relationship became associated with...
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SCIENCE NEWS TUESDAY: A New Species is Discovered
Math! Science! History!
Scientists have officially identified a new wild cat species in Bolivia and a new snake species from New Guinea—and one of them is named after Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash. But these discoveries are about much more than a cute cat and a rock-star snake. In this episode of How Did We Get Here? Science News Tuesday, we look at how scientists identify new species, why some animals can remain hidden in plain sight for centuries, and how modern genetics and genomics are changing our understanding of the tree of life. From Carl Linnaeus and the origins of scientific classification to DNA...
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GH Hardy, Ramanujan, The Search For Proof And The Discovery Of Truth
Math! Science! History!
GH Hardy was a character. He had qualities that were odd, yet endearing. He was a rigorous mathematician. Yet, when he received a letter from Srinivasa Ramanujan, he changed. He learned a new way of equating mathematics, and developed a deep and loving respect for an individual who was never formally educated in math. This is the story of a man who had the ability to see genius in another person, even when that person couldn’t see it in themselves. 🔗 Explore more on our website: 📚 To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit 🌍 Let’s...
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REPOST The Resilience of Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar
Math! Science! History!
In this episode of Math, Science, History, host Gabrielle Birchak does a repost about Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, a 19-year-old prodigy whose curiosity during a two-week sea voyage in 1930 led to a groundbreaking discovery. While sailing from India to England, Chandrasekhar, armed only with a notebook and the vast expanse of the ocean, began questioning the fate of stars after they exhausted their fuel. Explore more on our website: To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit Enjoying the Podcast? If you love Math, Science, History, here’s how you...
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REPOST: When Women Gather
Math! Science! History!
What happens when women gather? Throughout the eighteenth century, women across Europe began creating intellectual communities where they could discuss science, mathematics, philosophy, politics, literature, and medicine. During the Enlightenment, these gatherings helped women challenge the idea that intellectual discovery belonged exclusively to men. Women such as Laura Bassi, Maria Gaetana Agnesi, Émilie du Châtelet, Catharine Macaulay, Caroline Herschel, and many others built on one another's work and created a path for future generations of women in science. And that path matters far...
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FLASHCARDS! Three Lessons from a Tobacco Engineer on Curiosity and Identity
Math! Science! History!
Your job is what you do, not who you are - and that distinction could change your life. Gabrielle Birchak spotlights the astonishing story of Paul Tannery, a daytime engineer in the French tobacco administration whose after-hours curiosity helped reshape the history of mathematics and science.If you’ve ever felt like your work has started to define your entire identity, this episode offers a powerful reset. Gabrielle makes the case for building a second life around curiosity, hobby, and learning - not as a luxury, but as a source of well-being, purpose, and even legacy.You’ll discover: ...
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Paul Tannery: The Tobacco Engineer Who Changed the History of Math
Math! Science! History!
Paul Tannery didn't begin his career intending to become one of the most influential historians of mathematics. He trained as an engineer at the École Polytechnique and spent much of his professional life working in France's state tobacco administration. But after work, Tannery pursued a very different passion: ancient mathematics, astronomy, philosophy, and the history of science. What began as an intellectual interest became a lifetime of scholarship. 3 TAKEAWAYS: 1. How Paul Tannery transformed a personal passion into groundbreaking scholarship 2. Why Tannery believed historical claims...
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MOMENTUM! Solve Your Relationship Equations
Math! Science! History!
In this episode of Momentum Monday, I cover how the ancient mathematician Diophantus, who revolutionized problem-solving by focusing on relationships between numbers, can inspire us to rethink our own relationships. Instead of fixating on fixing others, I challenge you to observe, question, and experiment with your connections, just like solving an equation. Whether it’s a coworker, family member, or friend, I share how curiosity, pattern recognition, and small changes can shift the momentum in your favor. Plus, I reference research from Albert...
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Diophantus, AI, and the Lost Art of Thinking
Math! Science! History!
AI may verify proofs, but it can't replace curiosity. In this episode, I travel back nearly 1,800 years to meet Diophantus of Alexandria and explore how his approach to mathematics still shapes modern problem-solving, from Fermat's Last Theorem to today's AI-assisted research. Along the way, we discover why the real value of mathematics isn't finding answers. it's learning how to think. 🌐 Website: ☕Support the show: • Discover why Diophantus is considered one of history's most influential mathematicians. • Learn how his work inspired Fermat's Last Theorem centuries later. •...
info_outlineWhat happens when women gather?
Throughout the eighteenth century, women across Europe began creating intellectual communities where they could discuss science, mathematics, philosophy, politics, literature, and medicine. During the Enlightenment, these gatherings helped women challenge the idea that intellectual discovery belonged exclusively to men.
Women such as Laura Bassi, Maria Gaetana Agnesi, Émilie du Châtelet, Catharine Macaulay, Caroline Herschel, and many others built on one another's work and created a path for future generations of women in science.
And that path matters far beyond science. When women gather, exchange knowledge, encourage one another, and make room for the next woman, they can change science, politics, education, and society.
Resources
• Read the original “When Women Gather” article
• Download my list of eighteenth-century women in science
• Laura Bassi, University of Bologna
• Émilie du Châtelet’s translation of Newton’s Principia, Bibliothèque nationale de France
• A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, Library of Congress
• Caroline Herschel, Royal Astronomical Society
🔗 Explore more on our website: mathsciencehistory.com
📚 To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit https://a.co/d/g3OuP9h
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Selections from The Little Prince by Lloyd Rodgers
Until 2027, carpe diem!