Math! Science! History!

Gabrielle Birchak

Math! Science! History! is about the history of people, theories, and discoveries that have moved our scientific progress forward and spurred us on to unimaginable discoveries. Join Gabrielle Birchak for a little math, a little science, and a little history. All in a little bit of time.

  1. Ludwig Boltzmann: Entropy, Atoms, and Mental Health

    2D AGO

    Ludwig Boltzmann: Entropy, Atoms, and Mental Health

    What does it cost to carry a brilliant idea? Ludwig Boltzmann gave us the statistical foundations of entropy and the famous S = k log W, yet his life was marked by relentless skepticism, isolation, and personal struggle. In this episode, we weave Boltzmann’s story with the modern mental health crisis in academia, where anxiety, depression, and burnout affect scientists at alarming rates. We’ll explore how probability explains not only the arrow of time, but also why community, resilience, and care are essential for science to thrive. 3 Things Listeners Will Learn: How Ludwig Boltzmann’s statistical mechanics shaped modern physics and why his ideas met fierce resistance. The scale of today’s mental health crisis in academia — from graduate students to faculty. Practical tools like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and community support that can help foster resilience in science. Resources & Further Reading: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (U.S.) International Association for Suicide Prevention Global Helpline Directory Evans, T. M., et al. “Evidence for a mental health crisis in graduate education.” Nature Biotechnology (2018). Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy – Boltzmann’s Work in Statistical Physics Nobel Prize: Jean Perrin’s Nobel Lecture (1926) 🔗 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 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mathsciencehistory  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/math-science-history/  Threads: https://www.threads.com/@math.science.history  YouTube: Math! Science! History! - YouTube Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mathsciencehistory  🎧 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 🎵 Audio Editor: Podcast mixed by David Aviles Until next time, carpe diem!

    32 min
  2. You Might Also Like: On Purpose with Jay Shetty

    2D AGO · BONUS

    You Might Also Like: On Purpose with Jay Shetty

    Introducing MADONNA: For the First Time Ever from On Purpose with Jay Shetty. Follow the show: On Purpose with Jay Shetty How do you find peace daily? What keeps you going in hard times? Today, Jay sits down with Madonna for a rare and intimate conversation that goes beyond her iconic career into the spiritual foundation that has carried her through life’s greatest challenges. For nearly 30 years, Madonna has walked a spiritual path that has shaped her resilience, fueled her creativity, and defined her sense of purpose. Madonna opens up about what first drew her to seek deeper meaning, the practices that became her lifeline, and why she believes spirituality has been the true key to her strength, longevity, and fulfillment. Together, Jay and Madonna dive into themes of transformation, the search for meaning in suffering, the freedom that comes with radical acceptance, and the power of forgiveness to heal our deepest wounds. Madonna shares the moments that tested her most, from loss and betrayal to near-death experiences, and how each challenge became an opening for growth when she chose to see it through the lens of purpose rather than punishment. In the second half of the conversation, Jay and Madonna are joined by her longtime Kabbalah teacher, Eitan, for a powerful exploration of spiritual wisdom in action. They discuss why our struggles and inner battles are essential for growth, and how to reframe challenges as opportunities to reveal greater light. Eitan offers practical tools, from pausing and embracing discomfort to practicing “certainty beyond logic,”  to help us find strength in life’s most difficult moments. In this interview, you'll learn: How to Build a Spiritual Practice How to Find Meaning in Suffering How to Escape the Victim Mentality How to Practice Radical Acceptance How to Forgive and Let Go How to Manifest with Consciousness How to Teach Kids Spiritual Awareness How to Stop Comparing Yourself to Others How to Discover Your Soul’s Purpose Every one of us will face moments of doubt, loss, or uncertainty, but those moments are not the end of our story, they are invitations to grow into something greater. The challenges we experience are not punishments but lessons, guiding us back to our true selves.  With Love and Gratitude, Jay Shetty Join over 750,000 people to receive my most transformative wisdom directly in your inbox every single week with my free newsletter. Subscribe here.  Check out our Apple subscription to unlock bonus content of On Purpose! https://lnk.to/JayShettyPodcast  Explore the deep spiritual study of Kabbalah with Madonna’s new course, ‘The Mystical Studies of the Zohar’ together with her teacher Eitan Yardeni at www.kabbalah.com What We Discuss: 00:00 Intro 00:44 Beginning a Spiritual Journey 02:41 Choosing Your Spiritual Path 08:26 Breath, Yoga, and Inner Peace 17:40 Do You Need Spirituality to Be Successful? 20:29 Channeling Art Through Spirit 24:56 Transcending Trauma and Pain 27:56 Life Beyond Money and Material Success 30:30 Motherhood as a Spiritual Calling 33:07 The Gift of Being Different 35:54 Teaching Kids Spiritual Awareness 40:37 Showing Up Through the Struggle 42:37 Facing the Enemy Within 48:54 Escaping the Victim Mentality 50:23 How We Abandon Ourselves 54:36 Breaking Free From Self-Pity 56:16 Manifestation with Consciousness 01:01:24 Finding Strength in Community 01:05:53 The Weight of Words and Actions 01:08:57 Letting Go of Hate and Grudges 01:19:44 The Wisdom of Kabbalah 01:21:40 How Madonna Discovered Kabbalah 01:27:25 Unlocking the Secrets of Life Through Spirituality  01:30:55 The Inner Battle With Toxic Thoughts 01:38:02 A Mother’s Deepest Fear 01:40:09 Learning to Accept Help 01:42:02 Freeing Yourself from Harsh Judgment 01:46:31 Four Steps to Inner Strength 01:53:13 Practicing Trust Beyond Logic 01:56:35 Finding Lessons In Life’s Pain 02:02:12 Releasing the Need to Control 02:04:06 Raising Spiritually Grounded Children 02:07:08 Why Overgiving Hurts Kids 02:10:01 The Dangers of Instant Gratification 02:12:06 What Is Your Soul’s Purpose? Episode Resources: Madonna | Website Madonna | Instagram Madonna | Facebook Madonna | YouTube Madonna | X Madonna | Flickr 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.

  3. FLASHCARDS: Ahmed Zewail - The Scientist Who Captured Molecules in Motion

    6D AGO

    FLASHCARDS: Ahmed Zewail - The Scientist Who Captured Molecules in Motion

    What if you could watch molecules move in real time? Nobel Prize-winning chemist Ahmed Zewail made that possible by pioneering femtochemistry, capturing chemical reactions in quadrillionths of a second. In this Flashcards Friday episode, Gabrielle Birchak uncovers Zewail’s remarkable journey: from his modest childhood in Egypt, to facing challenges as an immigrant scientist in the U.S., to transforming the very foundations of chemistry. Along the way, we explore how his resilience, persistence, and vision helped him rise above obstacles and leave a legacy that continues to inspire scientists across the globe. Three Things You’ll Learn How Ahmed Zewail invented femtochemistry and why it transformed our understanding of chemical reactions. What adversities Zewail overcame as a Sunni Muslim scientist from Egypt working in the U.S. and navigating skepticism. Why resilience matters in science — and how Zewail’s persistence can inspire your own path. Resources & Further Reading Ahmed Zewail – Facts - NobelPrize.org  Laser femtochemistry - PubMed – By Ahmed Zewail  Ahmed Zewail, 1946–2016 - www.caltech.edu  Ahmed Hassan Zewail. 26 February 1946—2 August 2016 | Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal 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 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/math.science.history Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mathsciencehistory  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/math-science-history/  Threads: https://www.threads.com/@math.science.history  YouTube: Math! Science! History! - YouTube Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mathsciencehistory  🎧 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: Coffee!! PayPal 🛍 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 🎵 Sound Editor: David Aviles Until next time, carpe diem!

    10 min
  4. Quasicrystals Explained: From Forbidden Symmetry to Practical Uses

    SEP 23

    Quasicrystals Explained: From Forbidden Symmetry to Practical Uses

    In this episode of Math! Science! History!, Gabrielle uncovers the fascinating story of quasicrystals, once thought impossible, now proven to exist both in the lab and in meteorites from space. Listeners will learn how quasicrystals challenged centuries of crystallography, the math that explains their strange patterns, and the surprising ways they’re used today, from non‑stick coatings to futuristic photonics. Three Things You’ll Learn Why quasicrystals broke the old definition of crystals and forced scientists to rewrite the rules. How Penrose tilings and higher‑dimensional geometry reveal the math behind quasiperiodic order. Where quasicrystals are used today in technology, industry, and even planetary science. Resources & Links Dan Shechtman’s Nobel Lecture: Nobel Prize 2011 in Chemistry Paul J. Steinhardt, The Second Kind of Impossible (2019) Marjorie Senechal, Quasicrystals and Geometry (1995) Luca Bindi et al., “Natural Quasicrystals,” Science (2009): https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1170827 🔗 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 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mathsciencehistory  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/math-science-history/  Threads: https://www.threads.com/@math.science.history  YouTube: Math! Science! History! - YouTube Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mathsciencehistory  🎧 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 🎵 Audio Editor: Podcast mixed by David Aviles Music: All music is public domain and has no Copyright and no rights reserved. Selections from The Little Prince by Lloyd Rodgers Pulses by P Richmond from Pixabay Marimba Ambient Music by Mircea Iancu from Pixabay A choir of fairies by Music by Alban_Gogh from Pixabay Chocolate Galaxy Waltz Music by aidanpinsent from Pixabay Alien Atmosphere Music by Musinova from Pixabay  SFX: Metallic scrape Sound Effect by floraphonic from Pixabay Shine1 Sound Effect by Benjamin Adams from Pixabay Sparkle Sound Effect by Koi Roylers from Pixabay Metal Shop Sound Effect by freesound_community from Pixabay   Until next time, carpe diem!

    25 min
  5. FLASHCARDS! Alcuin of York

    SEP 19

    FLASHCARDS! Alcuin of York

    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 helped build the foundations for modern classrooms and script systems—and even shared a few brain-teasing puzzles along the way. Three Things You’ll Learn How Alcuin’s work at the Palace School of Charlemagne helped ignite the Carolingian Renaissance Why the trivium and quadrivium became the foundation for medieval education—and how they still echo in modern curricula The surprising origins of the wolf, goat, and cabbage river-crossing puzzle and its connection to Alcuin’s teaching style Resources and Further Reading Bullough, Donald A. Alcuin: Achievement and Reputation. Brill, 2004. McKitterick, Rosamond. Charlemagne: The Formation of a European Identity. Cambridge University Press, 2008. Folkerts, Menso. “Alcuin's Propositiones ad acuendos juvenes.” Historia Mathematica 5, no. 4 (1978): 385–404. The Alcuin Club: www.alcuinclub.org.uk 🔗 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 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mathsciencehistory  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/math-science-history/  Threads: https://www.threads.com/@math.science.history  YouTube: Math! Science! History! - YouTube Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mathsciencehistory  🎧 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: Coffee!! PayPal 🛍 Check out our merch: https://www.mathsciencehistory.com/the-store 🎵Audio mixed by David Aviles 🎵 Music: On Matters of Consequence from The Little Prince by Lloyd Rodgers CC0 Farseer, from Vindsvept CC 4.0 Until next time, carpe diem!

    10 min
  6. Science Under Siege

    SEP 16

    Science Under Siege

    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 battle for truth itself. If science falls, society falters. History has shown us the red flags—will we recognize them before it’s too late? Three key takeaways Historical Warnings – How past regimes like Germany's Third Reich, Stalin’s Soviet Union, and Mao’s China crippled their own futures by silencing science. Present-Day Threats – The U.S. government’s defunding of universities, dismantling of climate research, and politicization of curricula. How to Act – Practical ways to defend truth, support at-risk scholars, protect data, and safeguard scientific integrity globally. Resources & References ·         Scholars at Risk ·         IIE Scholar Rescue Fund ·         Union of Concerned Scientists ·         American Association for the Advancement of Science ·         Climate Mirror ·         Internet Archive ·         WHO Foundation ·         iNaturalist 🔗 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 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mathsciencehistory  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/math-science-history/  Threads: https://www.threads.com/@math.science.history  YouTube: Math! Science! History! - YouTube Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mathsciencehistory  🎧 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 🎵 Audio Editor: Podcast mixed by David Aviles Sound Effect by Amy from Pixabay MMM Ominous Music by Max from Pixabay Radio static by Sound Effect by DRAGON-STUDIO from Pixabay Fire swoosh Sound Effect by Krzysztof Szymanski from Pixabay Keyboard sound by Sound Effect by Rinku from Pixabay Power off sound Effect by DRAGON-STUDIO from Pixabay Evil cyberpunk drones by Bertsz from Pixabay Until next time, carpe diem!

    45 min
  7. FLASHCARDS! More than 24 Hours in a Day

    SEP 5

    FLASHCARDS! More than 24 Hours in a Day

    Trains, telegraphs, and global trade turned local solar time into a worldwide system, yet the story didn’t stop at 24 neat slices. In this Flashcards! episode, we explore why there are more than 24 time zones, how half-hour and 45-minute offsets came to be, how the International Date Line adds extra zones, why the North Pole has no official time, and how you’d pick a clock for a polar meeting (with a nod to Nunavut coffee culture near the top of the world). G.M.T.- Great Mini Takeaways Prime Time: Why the “24-zone” model grew to include half-hour and 45-minute offsets. Date Line Design: How zigzags in the Pacific create “tomorrow” (and even UTC+14). Polar Protocol: No time zone at the North Pole, so teams pick one and sync. Links & Resources What is Greenwich Mean Time?  Royal Museums Greenwich. Royal Museums Greenwich The International Date Line explained. Timeanddate.com. Time and Date Time in Kiribati (GILT/PHOT/LINT; includes UTC+14) Overview. Time and Date Samoa’s 2011 “skipped day” (time-zone shift) Wired magazine. WIRED Alert, Nunavut (northernmost continuously inhabited place) Background. Wikipedia Tim Hortons locations in Nunavut (Iqaluit listings) Official directory. locations.timhortons.ca (Note: You’ll hear a shout-out to coffee “near the top of the world” in Nunavut; official Tim Hortons locations are listed for Iqaluit. Alert is the northernmost inhabited place, but it’s a military station without a public Tim’s listing.) (OTHER NOTE! Collaborate with us! Add to our Nerd Party Playlist!  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7hIpM6G5lrW2HzksRb3BhH?si=306ba7a9f7034f74&pt=8125ceb04b19d9a9d2132be18a5abbb2  🔗 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 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mathsciencehistory  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/math-science-history/  Threads: https://www.threads.com/@math.science.history  YouTube: Math! Science! History! - YouTube Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mathsciencehistory  🎧 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: Coffee!! PayPal 🛍 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!

    11 min
  8. The History of Time: From Sundials to Atomic Clocks

    SEP 2

    The History of Time: From Sundials to Atomic Clocks

    Time feels natural, but the way we measure it is entirely human-made. From Mesopotamian star charts and Egyptian solar calendars to Roman reforms, medieval clock towers, and modern atomic precision, this episode explores how we constructed the framework of time itself. 3 Timeless Takeaways: How ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt laid the foundations for calendars and timekeeping. Why the Babylonians chose base-60 and how it still shapes our clocks today. How mechanical clocks, trains, and atomic physics transformed time into the precise system we live by. Resources & Links Mentioned: More on the Sexagesimal System: My eponymic contribution to Sexagesimal math - Math! Science! History!™ Leap Year, Caesar’s Propaganda, and a New Calendar: Leap Year, Caesar's propaganda, and a new calendar - Math! Science! History!™ National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) on Atomic Time: https://www.nist.gov/pml/time-and-frequency-division 🔗 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 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mathsciencehistory  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/math-science-history/  Threads: https://www.threads.com/@math.science.history  YouTube: Math! Science! History! - YouTube Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mathsciencehistory  🎧 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 rights reserved. Selections from The Little Prince by Lloyd Rodgers Travelling and Discovering by Musinova from Pixabay Lake of Light by Vinsvept from Pixabay Orlando Gibbons (bap.1583-1625) - Galliard à3, for Treble & Bass Viols with Great Bass, Dr. Phillip W. Serna, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Deafening Bounce Groove by Rockot from Pixabay  Until next time, carpe diem!

    24 min
4.7
out of 5
13 Ratings

About

Math! Science! History! is about the history of people, theories, and discoveries that have moved our scientific progress forward and spurred us on to unimaginable discoveries. Join Gabrielle Birchak for a little math, a little science, and a little history. All in a little bit of time.

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