Math! Science! History!

Gabrielle Birchak
  • 4.7 (14)
  • Mathematics
  • Updated Weekly

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, probability, physics, and innovation to the world we live in today. If you enjoy science stories, historical investigations, and clear math grounded in context, clarity, and research, this show is for you. New episodes twice weekly. Visit www.MathScienceHistory.com for more information.

  1. 5d ago

    The Library of Alexandria: What Really Happened?

    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 final story is about the Library of Alexandria. The Library didn't survive as an institution, but its ideas survived because people copied them, studied them, translated them, and passed them on. I hope Math! Science! History! can do something similar. As I move into whatever comes next, I'll leave you with the original meaning of carpe diem: to pluck the day, to savor what is ripe and ready, and then use that harvest to plant the seeds for the next season. Thank you for seven incredible years. Carpe diem, my friends. 3 Things You'll Learn 1. The Library of Alexandria was not necessarily destroyed by Caesar. Caesar's fire in 48 BCE certainly destroyed books, but the ancient evidence does not establish that it destroyed the entire Library. Alexandria's scholarly institutions and collections continued afterward. 2. The Library disappeared through a much longer and more complicated process. The Royal Library, Mouseion, Serapeum, and other collections existed in different forms and at different times. Political instability, changing patronage, violence, destruction, and institutional decline all played roles in the gradual disappearance of Alexandria's great scholarly institutions. 3. Knowledge can survive even when institutions disappear. The books of Alexandria did not remain together as one intact collection, but ideas survived through copying, translation, and transmission. Centuries later, scholars working across the Byzantine, Syriac, Persian, and Islamic worlds helped preserve and transmit Greek knowledge into Arabic and beyond. 🔗 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   🌍 Let's Connect! Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mathsciencehistory.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/math.science.history LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/math-science-history/  YouTube: Math! Science! History! - YouTube 🎧 Enjoying the Podcast? ☕ Support the Show: Coffee!! PayPal Leave a review! It helps more people discover the show! Share this episode with friends & fellow history buffs! Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform Check out our merch: https://www.mathsciencehistory.com/the-store Music: All music is public domain and has no Copyright and no rights reserved. Selections from The Little Prince by Lloyd Rodgers Until next time, carpe diem!

  2. 5d ago ·  Bonus

    Presenting: Before The Moment with Nile Rodgers

    Introducing Miguel: Finding His Voice Again from Before The Moment with Nile Rodgers. Follow the show: Before The Moment with Nile Rodgers R&B sensation Miguel needs no introduction - he’s a multi-disciplinary artist, known for hits like “Sure Thing” and Grammy winner, “Adorn”. Miguel’s musings on romance and intimacy flow seamlessly through his work, brought to life with lyrical mastery and a style that always keeps you guessing. And that’s because Miguel has never let one genre define him. Raised between Black and Latin cultures, Miguel learned to move comfortably between influences, helping him bridge musical genres that continue to surprise audiences. His latest release CAOS, arrived after an 8 year break. Inside every song, you can hear an artist still experimenting, still pushing, and still reinventing himself. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to team@podroll.fm.

    Presenting: Before The Moment with Nile Rodgers

  3. Sep 24

    Descartes' Secret Notebook: The Hidden Math Behind Topology

    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 Leonhard Euler and is closely connected to the development of topology. We'll explore why this mathematics mattered in the seventeenth century, why Descartes may have feared revealing his ideas, and how the mathematics of shapes and connectivity eventually became relevant to our modern digital world. 3 Things You'll Learn 1. Why Descartes wrote in code The story behind Cogitata Privata, Descartes' "I proceed masked" philosophy, and the secret manuscript that disappeared after Leibniz examined it. 2. How V − E + F = 2 works Using cubes and pyramids, we'll see how vertices, edges, and faces combine to produce a remarkably consistent mathematical relationship. 3. Why this old mathematics still matters The episode connects the history of polyhedra to topology and modern applications such as 3D computer graphics and digital modeling.   Sources Amir D. Aczel, Descartes's Secret Notebook: A True Tale of Mathematics, Mysticism, and the Quest to Understand the Universe David S. Richeson, Euler's Gem: The Polyhedron Formula and the Birth of Topology Peter J. Federico, Descartes on Polyhedra: A Study of the "De solidorum elementis" Matthew L. Jones, The Good Life in the Scientific Revolution Frances A. Yates, The Rosicrucian Enlightenment Johannes Kepler, The Harmony of the World René Descartes, Discourse on the Method Full source list appears in the episode transcript at https://www.MathScienceHistory.com  📚 To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit https://a.co/d/g3OuP9h   🌍 Let's Connect! Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mathsciencehistory.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/math.science.history LinkedIn: Gabrielle Birchak | LinkedIn YouTube: Math! Science! History! - YouTube 🎧 Enjoying the Podcast? ☕ Support the Show: Coffee!! https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/PR7F7ST49GDNA Leave a review! It helps more people discover the show! Share this episode with friends & fellow history buffs! Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform Check out our merch: https://www.mathsciencehistory.com/the-store Music: All music is public domain and has no Copyright and no rights reserved. Selections from The Little Prince by Lloyd Rodgers - From Page to Practice by Brian Teoh - all other music is public domain from Pixabay Until next time, carpe diem!!

  4. Sep 22

    SCIENCE NEWS TUESDAY: A New Species is Discovered

    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 analysis and museum specimens, we explore how scientists went from naming what they could see to uncovering evolutionary relationships that aren't visible to the naked eye. And there's a bigger question: How many species are still out there waiting to be recognized—and could some disappear before we even know they exist? Three Things You'll Learn 1.      How a "new" species can hide in plain sight. 2.      Why a snake was named after Slash, and how Slash rocks out for animals! 3.      How DNA changed the way we classify life 4.      Why discovering species matters for conservation Welcome to the jungle: newly-discovered snake named after Slash from Guns N' Roses - Field Museum https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/see-the-first-new-species-of-cat-discovered-in-more-than-a-century-its-adorable   🔗 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   🌍 Let's Connect! YouTube: Math! Science! History! - YouTube Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/math.science.history LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/math-science-history/  🎧 Enjoying the Podcast? ☕ Support the Show: Coffee!! PayPal Leave a review! It helps more people discover the show! Share this episode with friends & fellow history buffs! Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform Check out our merch: https://www.mathsciencehistory.com/the-store Music: All music is public domain and has no Copyright and no rights reserved. Selections from The Black Book by Lloyd Rodgers Until next time, carpe diem!

  5. Sep 10

    GH Hardy, Ramanujan, The Search For Proof And The Discovery Of Truth

    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: mathsciencehistory.com 📚 To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit https://a.co/d/g3OuP9h  🌍 Let's Connect! YouTube: Math! Science! History! - YouTube Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mathsciencehistory.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/math.science.history Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mathsciencehistory  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/math-science-history/  🎧 Enjoying the Podcast? ☕ Support the Show: Coffee!! PayPal Leave a review! It helps more people discover the show! Share this episode with friends & fellow history buffs! Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform Check out our merch: https://www.mathsciencehistory.com/the-store Music: All music is public domain and has no Copyright and no rights reserved. Selections from The Little Prince by Lloyd Rodgers Wondrous Waters from Pixabay Nature Documentary by James Carter from Pixabay Until next time, carpe diem!

  6. Sep 3

    REPOST The Resilience of Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar

    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: mathsciencehistory.com To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit https://a.co/d/g3OuP9h Enjoying the Podcast? If you love Math, Science, History, here's how you can help: Leave a review – It helps more people discover the show! Share this episode with friends & fellow history buffs! Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform ☕ Support the Show! We are sponsored by Coffee!! https://shorturl.at/bHIsc Checking out our merch: https://www.mathsciencehistory.com/the-store Music: All music is public domain and has no Copyright and no rights reserved. On Matters of Consequence from The Little Prince by Lloyd Rodgers Until next time, carpe diem!

  7. Aug 27

    REPOST: When Women Gather

    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 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   🌍 Let's Connect! Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mathsciencehistory.bsky.social YouTube: Math! Science! History! - YouTube Instagram: https://www.Instagram.com/GabrielleBirchak   🎧 Enjoying the Podcast? ☕ Support the Show: Coffee!! PayPal Leave a review! It helps more people discover the show! Share this episode with friends & fellow history buffs! Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform Check out our merch: https://www.mathsciencehistory.com/the-store Music: All music is public domain and has no Copyright and no rights reserved. Selections from The Little Prince by Lloyd Rodgers Until 2027, carpe diem!

  8. Aug 21

    FLASHCARDS! Three Lessons from a Tobacco Engineer on Curiosity and Identity

    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: ·         Why meaningful interests outside work are linked to lower stress and higher life satisfaction ·         How hobbies and non-work activities can strengthen mental health across cultures ·         Why curiosity matters even when it never becomes "productive" ·         The surprising power of sharing what you learn with other people ·         A simple 20-minute weekly practice to become more than your job title Gabrielle connects Tannery's life to modern research, including findings on psychological detachment from work and global studies on hobby engagement and mental well-being. The result is a short episode with a big message: the things you pursue for joy may end up shaping your life more than the work that pays the bills. Perfect for anyone feeling stuck in their role, hungry for a fuller identity, or looking for permission to follow their curiosity again. If you need a reminder that learning for its own sake still matters, this one will leave you thinking differently about your time, your talents, and your future. Notable Quotes ·         "Your job is what you do, but it does not have to be who you are." ·         "Curiosity is not a distraction from life. It is one of the things that makes life richer." ·         "Knowledge grows when it is shared." 🔗 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   🎧 Enjoying the Podcast? 🔗 Explore more on our website: mathsciencehistory.com ☕ Support the Show: Coffee!! PayPal Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform Check out our merch: https://www.mathsciencehistory.com/the-store Music: All music is public domain and has no Copyright and no rights reserved. Selection is from The Little Prince by Lloyd Rodgers Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform Leave a review! It helps more people discover the show! Share this episode with friends & fellow history buffs! Until next time, carpe diem!

    FLASHCARDS! Three Lessons from a Tobacco Engineer on Curiosity and Identity
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4.7
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About

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, probability, physics, and innovation to the world we live in today. If you enjoy science stories, historical investigations, and clear math grounded in context, clarity, and research, this show is for you. New episodes twice weekly. Visit www.MathScienceHistory.com for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Gabrielle Birchak
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    236
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025
  • Show Website
    Math! Science! History!

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