PBS Infinite Series

Season 2016

Mathematician Tai-Danae Bradley and physicist Gabe Perez-Giz offer ambitious content for viewers that are eager to attain a greater understanding of the world around them. Math is pervasive - a robust yet precise language - and with each episode you'll begin to see the math that underpins everything in this puzzling, yet fascinating, universe. Previous host Kelsey Houston-Edwards is currently working on her Ph.D. in mathematics at Cornell University.

Where to Watch Season 2016

6 Episodes

  • A Breakthrough in Higher Dimensional Spheres
    E1
    A Breakthrough in Higher Dimensional SpheresHow do you stack hundred-dimensional oranges? Learn about recent breakthroughs in our understanding of hyperspheres. It tackles the mysteries and the joy of mathematics. From Logic to Calculus, from Probability to Projective Geometry, both entertains and challenges its viewers to take their math game to the next level. Higher dimensional spheres, or hyperspheres, are counter-intuitive and almost impossible to visualize. Mathematician Kelsey Houston-Edwards explains higher dimensional spheres and how recent revelations in sphere packing have exposed truths about 8 and 24 dimensions that we don't even understand in 4 dimensions.
  • Are Prime Numbers Made Up?
    E2
    Are Prime Numbers Made Up?Is math real or simply something made up by mathematicians? You can’t physically touch a number yet using numbers we’re able to build skyscrapers and launch rockets into space. Mathematician Kelsey Houston-Edwards explains this perplexing dilemma and discusses the different viewpoints that philosophers and mathematicians have regarding the realism of mathematics.
  • How Many Humans Have the Same Number of Body Hairs?
    E3
    How Many Humans Have the Same Number of Body Hairs?Do two people on the planet have the exact same number of body hairs? How about more than two? There’s a simple yet powerful mathematical principle that can help you find out the answer. Kelsey Houston-Edwards breaks down the Pigeonhole Principle and explains how it can be used to answer some pretty perplexing questions.
  • A Hierarchy of Infinities
    E4
    A Hierarchy of InfinitiesThere are different sizes of infinity. It turns out that some are larger than others. Mathematician Kelsey Houston-Edwards breaks down what these different sizes are and where they belong in The Hierarchy of Infinities.
  • Can You Solve the Poison Wine Challenge?
    E5
    Can You Solve the Poison Wine Challenge?You’re about to throw a party with a thousand bottles of wine, but you just discovered that one bottle is poisoned! Can you determine exactly which one it is?
  • Can We Hear Shapes?
    E6
    Can We Hear Shapes?Mathematician Mark Kac asked the question “Can we hear the shape of a drum?” It was a question that took over 20 years to answer. Sine waves, fundamental frequencies, eigenvalues, this episode has got it all!

 

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