The Math Dude Quick and Dirty Tips to Make Math Easier: Recent Episodes
QuickAndDirtyTips.com
The Math Dude makes understanding math easier and more fun than you ever thought possible. Host Dr. Jason Marshall provides clear explanations of math terms and principles, and his simple tricks for solving basic algebra problems will have even the most mathphobic looking forward to working out whatever math problem comes their way. If you're getting ready to take the SAT, GRE, or any of the other standardized tests; or if you're going back to school and need to brush up on the basics, Math Dude's Quick and Dirty Tips to Make Math Easier will strengthen your fundamental skills and help you understand the language of math. And if you just want to calculate the tip without using your iPhone and impress all your friends, his tips and tricks are for you too.
What’s the point of learning math? Why is it so important that kids are exposed to mathematical thinking? And what do parents and teachers need to know about learning real math? Keep on listening to find out! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2mINl8z
Learn how to use absolute values to find distances between numbers and places. Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2lPuJQ7
What does it really mean for a satellite to orbit the Earth? What’s the math behind it? And what’s the math behind the rockets that get those satellites into orbit? Keep on listening to find out! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2l9sIAz
How many degrees are in the interior angles of a pentagon? Or a hexagon? An octagon? Or any polygon? Keep on listening to The Math Dude to learn how to solve this polygon puzzle! Visit the website: http://bit.ly/1IF5Uu1
How large was the crowd at the recent U.S. presidential inauguration? Or the inauguration 8 years ago? Or at last Saturday’s Women’s March in Washington D.C.? Keep on listening to find out how crowd sizes are estimated. Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2kAq43R
Would you rather get a 33% bigger coffee for no extra charge or pay 33% less for the regular size? Do you know how to avoid being tricked into buying more than you need? Keep on listening to The Math Dude to learn about the numbers behind savvy shopping. Read the transcript: http://bit.ly/1FiHHNz
How can you measure time without using a stopwatch? You could use the movement of the Sun across the sky, you could watch a pendulum swing, or you could burn some very special string. Keep on listening to find out how it works! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/1E8ZcuF
How do you quickly calculate 25% of a number? Or 33% of a number? Or 50%? And how can you quickly calculate percentage increases? Keep on listening to learn the answers to these frequently asked questions about percentages. Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2i46GPA
Do "word problems" make you cower in fear? Do you ever find yourself stuck on math problems before you even get started? If so, keep on listening because Math Dude's simple 5-step method for solving math problems can help! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2hZORNn
How many gifts should one's true love be given on each of the 12 Days of Christmas? If you stick to the recommendations from the classic song, the answer can be calculated using a bit of clever math. Keep on listening to find out how. Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2hDDkm7
How long does Santa have to hang out when he's dropping presents off at your house? And how fast do his reindeer fly? Keep on listening to find out about the incredible math behind Santa's magical night! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2iEKwAa
Are we alone in the universe? If so, why? If not, where is everybody? Thankfully, math can help us with these astronomically profound questions. Keep on listening to learn all about the probability of extraterrestrial life. Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2isqx83
Learn a quick and dirty tip to help you calculate pesky percentages in your head. Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2h6A1rU
How many turkeys are consumed each year in the U.S. on Thanksgiving? And how many extraterrestrial civilizations might exist in the universe? Umm…wait…what?! Although these seem like unrelated questions, they’re not. As we'll soon find out, they’re united by math. Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2fUBPnD
The 2016 U.S. presidential election is over. And if you'd been following the polls, the results might have been surprising. What went wrong with those polls? It has to do with statistical and systematic uncertainties. Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2gnNRpX
The solar system is big, the distances between stars bigger, and the distance to the center of the galaxy in which we live is even bigger than that. But all of that is tiny compared to the distance to the edge of the known universe! Just how big is that? The Math Dude breaks it all down. Visit the website to read the full transcript: http://bit.ly/UBERxy
Do you have a good feel for the size of the Earth? If you’re like most people, you know that it’s big but you don’t have a sense for exactly how big. Today we’re going to change that! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2eVwubz
How much is a gram? An ounce? Or a ton? If you don't have an intuitive feel for exactly how much mass these quantities represent, keep on listening! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2dWyR0G
What causes the Moon to change phases throughout the month? Why is it sometimes visible only during the day and other times only at night? What’s the relationship between these times and the Moon’s phases? The answer in all cases is geometry. Keep on listening to find out how it works! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2ebEjeY
What do a triangle, a rectangle, and a pentagon all have in common? They’re all polygons. What makes a polygon a polygon? And why do they matter? Keep on listening to find out! Visit the website: http://bit.ly/1ANCZEg
Richard Wiseman, author of 101 Bets You Will Always Win, joins Math Dude, to talk about how to use probability and mathematics to win bets. Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2dkwBio
How good are your eyes at seeing really tiny things that are really far away? How much better is the Hubble Space Telescope at doing the same thing? What do these two questions have to do with the mathematical concept of angular size? Keep on listening to find out! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2d9FpGH
Can you think of a way to measure the size of the Earth? Or the distance to the Sun? Or the nearest star? Want to know how ancient Greek mathematicians did exactly this over 2,000 years ago? Keep on listening to find out! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2duvgGw
What do uniform numbers tell you about NFL players? How can you estimate how fast a wide-receiver is running? Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/1Vc3ZZs
Do you know what a light year really measures? Do you know why so many people find it confusing? And why they shouldn’t? Keep on listening to find out! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2cRCALY
What are the odds of successfully flying through an astroid field like the one in the movie The Empire Strikes Back? Are they really 3,720 to 1 as suggested by C-3PO? Or are they much worse…or perhaps better? Keep on listening to find out. And May the 4th be with you! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2c4TRBc
Did you notice all the ties in the swimming events of this year's Olympics? Did you wonder why they didn't (or maybe couldn't) simply use more precise timing to break the ties? Not surprisingly, the answer is math. Keep on listening to find out why! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2bpLSA4
Have you heard of FOIL? Not the aluminum kind, but the one that can help your multiply faster? Keep on listening to The Math Dude to learn more! Read the transcript: http://bit.ly/1K6g33D
How fast do Olympic swimmers swim and Olympic sprinters sprint? How do these speeds compare to the speed at which you could race walk to the games? Or fly there in an airplane? Keep on listening to find out! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2aVf5MZ
How big are the planets of the Solar System compared to the enormous Sun at its center? How far would you have to travel to reach each of them? And how can you build your own scale model of the Solar System to see all of these relative sizes for yourself? Keep on listening to find out!
What are polynomials? How are they built? What can you do with them? And why are they important? Keep on listening to find out! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2alOY5e
You know your phone’s keypad is arranged into three rows and three columns of numbers, but did you know there’s a pretty cool math puzzle hidden in there, too? Keep on listening to The Math Dude to find out how to solve it! Read the transcript: http://bit.ly/1LqGcjm
Did you hear the exciting news that NASA just successfully put the Juno spacecraft into orbit around Jupiter? Want to learn 4 super-cool numerical fun facts about this mission? Then keep on listening! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/29EqQdy
What's the cube root of 29? The sine of 55 degrees? Or the value of π/4? Do you need to search for your trusty calculator or pull out your phone to find out? No—you can just ask Google. Keep on listening to The Math Dude to find out how. Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/29L8kiU
Summer is brain-teaser season in my house. And since summer has now officially arrived, it’s officially brain-teaser season for The Math Dude. What’s the puzzle for today? Keep on listening to find out! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/29spCmZ
Have you ever heard of a nautical mile? Have you ever wondered what in all the world’s oceans that could be? Keep on listening to The Math Dude to learn about the math behind the nautical mile - and its close seafaring relative, the knot. Read the transcript: http://bit.ly/1Cb0CTp
What does the Pythagorean Theorem tell us about triangles? Is it always true? And how can you prove this famous theorem arts-and-crafts style? Keep on listening to find out! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/28OoVnq
Did you know that math can help you survive? I’m not talking about the jobs, money, and feeding yourself kind of surviving—I’m talking about the lost in the wilderness, life depends on it kind. How? Keep on listening to The Math Dude to find out. Read the transcript here: http://bit.ly/1GcVCUV
What does it mean to divide an integer by a fraction? Or a positive number by a negative number? Or even a negative number by another negative number? Keep on listening to find out! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/1UjRl4y
How many degrees do the three angles of a triangle contain? They've got 180 of 'em, right? Why 180 and not some other number? And do all triangles really contain 180 degrees? Keep on listening to find out! Read the transcript: http://bit.ly/11fbwwv
What does it really mean to divide two numbers? Or two variables? How can you visualize these processes? And how are they related to the process of multiplication? Keep on listening to find out! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/1Xqsr88
What's the most important holiday in May? Obviously it's Mother's Day. Did you know there's an equation that can help you celebrate? Keep on reading to find out what it is! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/1Og53su
What does it mean to multiply a positive number by a negative number? What does it mean to multiply two negative numbers? How about two variables? Or lots and lots of variables? Keep on listening to find out! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/1rqtjO9
Learn how to simplify the fractions in your life. Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/1VGjSXN
What happens when you multiply one number by another? Is there a right answer to this question? What does it tell us about how you should think about multiplication? Keep on listening to find out! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/21oazeO
Learn what one-time pad encryption is, how it has been used throughout history, and how to use math to send your own encrypted messages. Questions go to mathdude@quickanddirtytips.com. Like what you hear? Help us out by writing a review at iTunes! Read the full transcript: http://bit.ly/UZqPpb
How can you quickly figure out how many games are needed to determine the winner of a tournament? What are the odds of predicting the winner of each and every game? And how does this explain why your NCAA tournament bracket was so wrong? Keep on listening to find out! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/1N9qjPU
What are the odds of winning the Mega Millions lottery jackpot and striking it rich? How long would you need to play before having a 50-50 chance of winning? Keep on listening to find out! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/21M7fZl
Do you really know what subtraction is? By which I mean do you really feel it in your gut? Here's part two of the series that will help you do so! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/1q7Pus0
Happy Pi Day 2014! What is pi? Why does it have its own holiday? And what are some fun (and useful) facts to know about this famous number? Keep on listening to find out! Read the transcript here: http://bit.ly/1MmsaKU
What is subtraction? Like its close cousin addition, you no doubt “know" the answer to this question. But do you really feel the answer in your gut? Keep on listening to find out how you can! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/1R1J5oQ
Learn how the ancient Egyptians used hieroglyphics to do math. Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/1XTw70S
What is addition? Of course you know the answer to this question, but do you really feel the answer—do you feel addition deep down in your gut? Keep on listening to find out how! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/1piyuyQ
How is rainfall measured? What does it mean when it rains an inch? And how many gallons of water fall on your roof in a storm? Keep on listening to learn all about the math behind April showers and May flowers. Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/1Tg26cZ
Do you know what “like terms” in algebra are? Do you know the best way to think about them? And how to combine them? Keep on listening to find out! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/1K72Y09
Learn to use math to quickly estimate tough-to-calculate numbers. Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/1NYWIlK
What are half-lives? And what do they have to do with measuring the age of the solar system and predicting the effects of a morning cup of coffee? Keep on listening to find out! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/1NzcdAN
What do the terms “analog” and “digital” mean? What are some of the analog and digital things in your life? And what does this have to do with math? Keep on listening to find out! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/1TmF6aC
Did you know that a lot of people in the world think that pie charts are a really terrible kind of chart? Keep on listening to find out why! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/1K9DkHF
Learn how to use statistics to understand the significance of the latest political polling results and to keep yourself from being duped by misleading information. Questions go to mathdude@quickanddirtytips.com or 206-339-6279. Like what you hear? Help us out by writing a review at iTunes!
Have you ever adjusted the exposure and brightness of a photo? Did you know you were really adjusting your picture’s photo histogram? Keep on listening to find out how it works! Read the full transcript here: bit.ly/1kNvSpN
What can a histogram tell you about a photo? How can it help you take better pictures? And how can it improve the pictures you’ve already taken? Keep on listening to find out! Read the full transcript here: bit.ly/1ZOF9xJ
Do you know how to make a histogram? When to make one? And what you can learn from it once you do? Keep on listening to find out! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/1RXVpKg
What are bar graphs? How do you make them? And what are they useful for? Keep on listening to find out! Read the full transcript: http://bit.ly/22eO3GG
How much turkey do Americans eat on Thanksgiving? How fast can a turkey run? And how much money do Americans spend in the days following their big feast? Keep on listening to The Math Dude to learn all about the math behind Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Visit the website: http://bit.ly/1w47J2P
Why are stem-and-leaf plots useful? How are they related to the kind of stems and leaves that fall from trees this time of year? Keep on listening to find out! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/1k7iUTj
How do you make stem-and-leaf plots? Why might you want to? How are they related to the stems and leaves that fall from trees? Keep on listening to find out! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/1Yn3YmQ
Have you ever heard the story of Archimedes and his famous “Eureka!” moment? Want to know how to use his discovery to measure the volume of a pumpkin … or anything else? Keep on listening to find out! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/1TV1juj
How can you figure out what number 200 is 17% of? How do you calculate the original price of something before a 30% markup? What math makes the Halloween holiday go round-and-round? Keep on listening to learn the answers to these frequently asked questions about percentages! Visit the website: http://bit.ly/1tEiypA
How can you find the volume of a pumpkin? How is this related to finding the volume of an ellipsoid? And what does any of this have to do with Archimedes’ famous “Eureka!” moment? Keep on listening to find out! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/1LF1vLp
Who do you think would win a race between the mighty Greek warrior Achilles and a very clever tortoise? Obviously, Achilles would clobber the tortoise…or would he? The answer might surprise you. Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/20ecKlM
Do you know what a limit is in math? Do you know how to define a circle using this idea? And do you know why you might want to? Keep on listening to find out! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/1OGpDzn
What makes an exponential an exponential? Are any exponentials more special than others? And what does Euler's number have to do with any of this? Stay tuned for the answers. Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/1Q5YIft
Have you ever heard that something is growing exponentially? Or that it's accelerating at an exponential pace? Or that it's getting exponentially better? What does exponentially really mean? Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/1OWNLPP
Although every complex number has a so-called “imaginary" part, in many ways they're just as “real” as real numbers. And complex numbers have many real uses in the real world. Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/1UTHZx2
Behind every acceleration you make and every press on the brake is a vector. Behind the arrangement of each limb on a tree and the flight of a bumblebee is a vector. So what are vectors? Keep on listening to find out! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/1UTnshp
What do you get when you put a real and an imaginary number together? A complex number. No, not a complicated number (although it kind of is), we’re talking about an entirely new set of numbers dubbed “complex.” Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/1JLrpJk
Have you ever heard of imaginary numbers? Have you always thought they must be some kind of made-up numbers that don't have anything to do with reality? Well think again! Keep on listening to learn where imaginary numbers come from. Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/1XdehXC
Have you ever wondered how people figured out their latitude back in the days before the Internet? Did you know you can use the same math trick they used to pinpoint your latitude today? Keep on listening to find out how it works! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/1J81caV
What does density measure? What are the densities of common things like air and water? How can you tell if something will float in a bathtub? Keep on listening to find out. Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/1hOOB3l
How quickly can you calculate 25% of 70? Or 40% of 50? Or 75% of 160? Keep on listening to learn 3 easy tips for calculating percentages. Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/1JPjawn
How big does the Sun look from Pluto? How bright would it be? And, if you could travel to Pluto, what would the sky look like? Keep on listening to find out! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/1ON2WIh
How far away is Pluto? How many years does it take to fly there? How long does Pluto take to orbit the Sun? How fast is it traveling? And how fast is the New Horizons spacecraft on its way to Pluto traveling? Keep on listening to find out! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/1MyrUcY
Are you a fan of brain teasers? If so, you’ll love today’s probability puzzler. And if not, hopefully you will be a fan after today. Regardless, have fun! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/1BVkwrx
Where do the 360 degrees of a circle come from? When did this way of divvying up a circle come into common practice? Who made this choice? And why? Keep on listening to find out. Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/1C6qQNe
What amazingly clever trick can help you count combinations of objects? How does it relate to our quest to find the total number of hypothetically colored rainbows? Keep on reading to find out. Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/1LfmeUA
In math, sometimes order matters, and sometimes it doesn’t. When it comes to permutations and combinations, it matters a lot. Keep on reading to find out why. Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/1N0u4mo
Combinations and permutations. Permutations and combinations. What's the difference between the two? And how do you calculate each of them? Keep on listening to find out! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/1Q4Sctq
How many times each day do the minute and hour hands of a clock cross? At precisely what time does each crossing occur? Keep on listening to learn how to solve this famous math puzzle! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/1K83N60
How many times each day do the minute and hour hands of a clock cross? At precisely what time does each crossing occur? Keep on listening to learn how to solve this famous math puzzle! Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/1K83N60
What's the secret to being good at math? If you think it's all about being blessed with good math genes, think again. Keep on listening to find out what being good at math is really all about.
Now that we know how to think about size scale as small as 0.000001 meter, it’s time to shrink ourselves down even more and think about really, really small sizes. How small? Keep on listening to find out. Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/1BIYuTJ
How can you understand the sizes of numbers that are unimaginably minuscule? By shrinking yourself down to an equally unimaginable tiny size! How does that help? Keep on listening to find out. Read the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/1FSmc3L
Learn a quick tip to help you understand exactly what the numerator and denominator of a fraction tell you.
Who is Cheryl? Why has the world suddenly become obsessed with finding her birthday? And when is it? Keep on listening to The Math Dude to learn how to solve this viral math puzzle and determine Cheryl’s birthday. Read the transcript: http://bit.ly/1cSitcI.
When is the next leap year? Why do we ever need to leap? And how much do we leap at a time? Keep on listening to The Math Dude to find out! Read the transcript here: http://bit.ly/1GE7AaJ
Learn how to quickly and easily calculate the square of any two-digit number in your head. Read the episode transcript here: http://bit.ly/1y9x5y0.
A golf ball and the Earth walk into a belt shop and ask how much longer their belts would need to be if they gained an extra inch or two around the middle. The answer will almost certainly surprise you. Keep on listening to The Math Dude to find out why! Read the transcript here: http://bit.ly/1CqsS7k
Ever dreamed of being able to multiply numbers lickety-split…and completely in your head? Wouldn't it be great if you could quickly solve problems like 36 x 25 and 47 x 24? Good news—you can! Keep on reading to find out how. Check out the transcript here: http://bit.ly/1CWbJ9a
If you were handed a piece of string and a pencil, could you draw perfect (or nearly perfect) 30 and 60 degree angles? Why might this be a useful skill? Keep on listening to find out! Read the transcript here: http://bit.ly/1Bo56M0
How many grains of sand are on Earth? How many stars are in the universe? How many atoms does our planet contain? What do these numbers have to do with how much you love your Valentine? Keep on listening to find out! Read the transcript here: http://bit.ly/17ORfkZ
Do you know what an arc is? Do you know that an arc has a length? And do you know how to calculate that arc length - or why you might want to? Keep on listening to The Math Dude to find out! Read the transcript: http://bit.ly/1z79wiw
When can addition speed up subtraction? What’s the most important trick for lightning quick mental subtraction? And what’s the fastest way to check your work? Keep on listening to The Math Dude to find out! Read the transcript: http://bit.ly/1xv1YGJ
How many different New Year's Eve countdowns are there around the world? When do astronauts celebrate New Year's? Who celebrates first? And last? Keep on listening to learn all about these New Year's math fun facts. Read the transcript: http://bit.ly/1BF8zRE
What does subtraction have to do with lightning quick addition? And how can splitting numbers up into 2 or more smaller numbers make for faster addition? Keep on listening to The Math Dude to find out! Read the transcript: http://bit.ly/1JKzQs2
What do speed reading and speedy arithmetic have in common? What’s the fastest way to come up with approximate answers to addition problems? And how can multiplication help you add faster? Keep on listening to The Math Dude find out! Visit the website: http://bit.ly/1zuWHTY
Ever needed to find the center of a circle? It’s one of those things that seems easy...until you need to figure out how to do it. But rest assured there is a trick, and it's indeed fairly simple. Keep on listening to The Math Dude to find out more! Visit the website: http://bit.ly/1ud9CDc
Want to learn a fun number trick? More importantly, want to learn the math behind why it works? Want to know how to figure out the arrangement of six marbles with only a single clue? Or the smallest number of cuts needed to turn one big cube into 27 smaller ones? Keep on reading to find out!
If you’re into math and logic puzzles, you have probably heard of Martin Gardner. And if you’re not into those kinds of puzzles, you should be! The Math Dude highlights some of this math master's best teasers, for both novices and experts. Visit the website: http://bit.ly/14erBE1
Have you ever heard of a great circle? How about a small circle? Do the lines of longitude on Earth form great circles? How about the lines of latitude? How do these ideas explain the routes that airplanes fly? Keep on listening to find out! Read the transcript: http://bit.ly/1tALfDt
How many degrees are in the angles of a triangle? What’s the shortest distance between two points? Do seemingly parallel lines ever cross? Think you know the answers? Think again! Keep on listening to find out why. Read the transcript: http://bit.ly/1ySDuw1
How many degrees are in the angles of a triangle? What’s the shortest distance between two points? Do seemingly parallel lines ever cross? Think you know the answers? Think again! Keep on listening to find out why. Read the transcript: http://bit.ly/1ySDuw1
What's the difference between equilateral, isosceles, and scalene triangles? How about obtuse, right, and little acute ones? Keep on listening to find out! Read the transcript: http://bit.ly/1CSnpWB
What's the area of a triangle? Half its base times its height, right? Indeed, that's the formula. But why? Keep on listening to learn the secret behind this famous formula for the area of a triangle. Read the transcript: http://bit.ly/1CDTC3R
Did you know that you can use Google to convert from miles to kilometers, and a bunch of other things? And did you know that you can use it to quickly graph functions? Keep on listening to The Math Dude to find out how!
How much is a fluid ounce? How about a milliliter? Or a gallon? If you don't have an intuitive feel for exactly how much volume these quantities represent, keep on listening! Read the transcript: http://bit.ly/1lw33ya
What are the chances that two players on the same soccer team share a birthday? How about two students in the same algebra class? Both seem pretty unlikely, right? The answer might surprise you!
Is your mass the same as your weight? If not, what's the relationship between these two ideas? And why do so many people get them confused? Keep on listening to find out! Visit the website to read the full transcript: http://bit.ly/1q8RPv4
How big is the number 1 million? 1 billion? Or 1 million billion? How can you think about these and even larger numbers so that you actually comprehend their immense sizes? Keep on listening to find out!
How many teams are playing in the 2014 World Cup? How many countries have ever won it? What are the odds that Brazil, this year's host country and 5-time winner, will win again? Keep on reading to find out and learn all about the math behind the World Cup.
What's the biggest prime number? Is it the 17,425,170 digit prime discovered in January 2013? While that may be the largest prime number known today, it's certainly not the biggest...because there isn't a biggest! How do I know? Keep on listening to find out.
What is math? Numbers, shapes, logic, stuff like that, right? Sure, but what do all of these things have in common? In other words, what is math...really? Keep on reading to find out!
Find out why graduating from college isn't an excuse to forget all the math you've learned.
Did you know that 1 = 2? Think that sounds ridiculous? OK, I'll prove it to you. Then I'll show you why this "proof" is indeed, as you suspected, ridiculous. And we'll see what it all has to do with the number zero.
Ever heard of the Monty Hall problem? If so, did the world famous brain teaser leave you flummoxed? If not, how does getting flummoxed—and then just as quickly un-flummoxed—sound? I hope you're up for the challenge (and the fun) because that's exactly what's in store for today!
You've probably heard about the recent discovery made by scientists in the South Pole. But what was it exactly and what does it mean for us? Math Dude explains.
What does the graph of a sine function look like? And how are sine functions related to the changing number of daylight hours throughout the year? Keep on listening to find out!
How many minutes of daylight does the northern hemisphere gain every day in March? How about in June? What's the astronomical reason for these changes? Keep on listening to find out!
What are the odds of winning Warren Buffet's $1 billion prize for picking the perfect 2014 NCAA tournament bracket? Should Mr. Buffet be worried about his money? And how are the odds of winning related to the famous rice and chessboard problem? Keep on listening to find out!
How should you think about subtraction and negative numbers in modular arithmetic? How does the modulo operator work in terms of the order of operations? Keep on listening to learn the answers to these questions and more!
What are the domain and range of a function? What's the vertical line test for functions? And what's the best way to picture the meaning of a function in the first place? Keep on listening to find out!
What is y = 3x - 2? An equation? Or maybe a function? Could it possibly be both? Keep on listening to learn all about functions and to find out how they're different from equations.
Have you ever wondered if sines, cosines, and tangents are actually useful in the real world? If so, wonder no more! Today we're going to learn how the wonderful tools of trigonometry can be used to estimate the height of a tree.
Want to amaze your friends at that Super Bowl party you're going to? All you have to do is hit 'em with some Super Bowl math fun facts. Keep on listening to find out what I mean!
What's the difference between radians and degrees? Where did these units for measuring angles come from? And how do you convert from one to the other? Keep on listening to find out!
What do sines, cosines, and tangents have to do with right triangles? And what are the "sin," "cos," and "tan" buttons on your calculator for? Keep on listening to find out!
You've probably heard of sine, cosine, and tangent before. But do you actually know what they are? While they sound like complicated ideas, they're really not. Keep on reading to learn more about the origins and uses of trigonometry.
The number 9 is kind of amazing. How amazing? Listen for the exciting conclusion to Math Dude's story about the magical number 9.
Have you ever noticed that the number 9 is kind of amazing? What's that…did I hear you say "NO?" Then prepare yourself to be amazed and keep on listening to learn all about the magic behind the mysterious number 9.
Think of a number, add 3, double it, now subtract 4, divide by 2, and finally subtract your original number from the result. You get 1, right? How do I know? And what are some other fun math tricks that you can use to amaze your friends? Keep on listening to find out!
How do you turn a bunch of data into a super-handy graph? Keep on listening to learn the final 2 steps in my easy 4-step method for making graphs.
What are graphs? When are they useful? And how do you make one? Keep on listening to learn an easy 4-step method for making graphs.
How do addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division work when you're dealing with significant figures? Keep on listening to find out!
How many significant figures does the number 1.25 have? What about 1.255? Or 1.250? What's the quick and dirty method that you can use to find out? Keep on listening for Math Dude's significant tricks!
Do you know what significant figures are? Or why they matter? And what do significant figures have to do with making measurements and calculating things like speed and miles per gallon? Keep on listening to find out!
What's the percent increase in a population if it goes from 900 to 981? How can you figure out what 200 is 17% of? Keep on listening to learn the answers to these and more frequently asked questions about percentages!
Is there a difference between accuracy and precision? Is one more important than the other? When do the ideas of accuracy and precision show up in the real world? Keep on listening to find out!
How do you round a number like pi = 3.14159 to the nearest thousandths place? Normally, the 5 means you round up, right? But are there ever times when you should round it down? Does any of this matter in the real world? Keep on listening to find out!
Learn how to draw Pascal's triangle and find out what it has to do with the probability of tossing coins.
Learn how scientific notation can be used to make reading and writing small numbers easier.
How do you round an integer like 723 to the nearest ten? How about rounding a decimal number like 3.14159 to the nearest hundredth? Is rounding numbers ever actually useful in the real world? Keep on listening to find out!
Have you ever wished you could divide numbers quickly and easily in your head? Believe it or not, you can! Keep on listening to learn my final 2 tips for becoming a mental division maestro.
Have you ever wished you could divide numbers quickly and easily in your head? Believe it or not, you can! Over the next two weeks, listen and learn my top 5 tips to help you become a mental division maestro.
Quick, what’s 212 - 22? If that’s too easy for you, how about something tougher like 212 - 77? Want to learn an easy way to perform lightning fast subtraction in your head? Keep on listening to find out!
Quick, what’s 25 squared? If that’s too easy for you, how about something tougher like 37 squared? Or 111 squared? Want to learn an easy way to calculate these squares and the square of any other number? Keep on reading to find out!
Learn what pi is with an arts-and-crafts project and find out why pi is celebrated on March 14.
Learn how to quickly add all the integers from 1 to any number. SPONSOR: Try GotoMeeting with HDFaces Today Free for 30 Days!
Learn how to solve last week's brain teaser and use probability trees to calculate probabilities.
Learn how to understand probability by flipping coins and find out how it affects the world.
Learn about some of the different kinds of moving averages that you can use in daily life.
Learn a mnemonic to help you remember the rules of PEMDAS and play a fun game based upon those rules.
Learn how square roots are used in the real world and how you can easily estimate their value in your head.
Learn how square roots are used in the real world and how you can easily estimate their value in your head.
Learn how to solve a positively odd brain teaser puzzle and find out why math is most definitely not awful.
Learn how to have fun with math by solving math puzzles and find out why math is definitely not an awful nerd.
Learn about an amazing math technique called a Monte Carlo method and find out how you can use it to estimate the value of pi.
Learn about an amazing math technique called a Monte Carlo method and find out how you can use it to estimate the value of pi.
Learn what it really means to multiply two numbers and whether or not you should think of multiplication as repeated addition. Questions go to mathdude@quickanddirtytips.com or 206-339-6279. Like what you hear? Help us out by writing a review at iTunes!
Learn how check digits are used to verify everything from the numbers on your credit cards to the UPC codes on the products you buy.
Learn the magic behind how casting out nines works. SPONSOR: http://stitcher.com/math. Use the code MATH to be entered to win $1000.
Learn how to use casting out nines to quickly and easily check your answers to arithmetic problems
Learn how to quickly and easily check your answers to arithmetic problems without using a calculator.
Learn how to use math to make estimates, why it is an important skill for you to develop, and how you can use math to solve everyday problems in your life. Questions go to mathdude@quickanddirtytips.com or 206-339-6279. Like what you hear? Help us out by writing a review at iTunes!
How precise is math? Although numbers are exact, terms are not always so well defined. Some concepts and terms have multiple meanings or interpretations, and it pays to understand the differences between them. Questions go to mathdude@quickanddirtytips.com or 206-339-6279. Like what you hear? Help us out by writing a review at iTunes!
Learn two quick and dirty tips to help you kick your calculator dependency and make faster calculations in your head. Questions go to mathdude@quickanddirtytips.com or 206-339-6279. Like what you hear? Help us out by writing a review at iTunes!
Learn what sets and subsets are to understand the relationships between numbers in math and where they show up in the real world.
Learn how mathematical series and the compound interest formula can be used in the real world to calculate how fast money grows in recurring investments.
Learn what recurring investments are, how to use the compound interest formula to calculate how much money they make, and how you can calculate how fast your money will grow.
Learn what mathematical series are, why they're important, and how you can visually picture the meaning of some series.
Learn what the compound interest formula is, how it's related to exponents, and how it can help you make money.
Learn how to use the power of ten percent, and not your calculator, to easily and quickly calculate how much to tip. Questions go to mathdude@quickanddirtytips.com or 206-339-6279. Like what you hear? Help us out by writing a review at iTunes!
Learn what exponents are, how to write them, how they are related to the words squared and cubed, and why there's an exponent controversy.
Learn what the rule of 72 is and how you can use it to estimate how long it will take you to double your investment.
Learn what the distributive property means in the real world and how it can help you perform lightning fast multiplication in your head. Questions go to mathdude@quickanddirtytips.com or 206-339-6279. Like what you hear? Help us out by writing a review at iTunes!
Learn what the associative properties of addition and multiplication are, and how they can help speed up arithmetic.
Learn what Mobius strips are, how to make them, and why they are such strange and interesting objects.
Learn how to test if a number is divisible by 7, 8, or 9, and find out why each of these divisibility tests actually work.
Learn how to test if a number is divisible by 4, 5, or 6, and find out why each of these divisibility tests actually work.
Learn how to test if a number is divisible by 2 or 3, and find out why each of these divisibility tests actually work.
Learn how to use the connection between modular arithmetic and remainders in division to calculate the day of the week of any date.
Learn more about performing modular arithmetic, how it's related to finding remainders in division, and how it can help you predict the future.
Learn what modular arithmetic is, how to perform modular arithmetic, and how modular arithmetic is used in the real world.
Learn the final trick that will enable you to convert any type of repeating decimal into a fraction.
Learn how to convert more complicated repeating decimals from decimal to fractional form.
Learn what repeating decimal numbers are and how to convert simple repeating decimals from decimal to fractional form.
Learn what terminating and repeating decimals are and how to convert these rational numbers from decimal to fractional form.
Learn what irrational numbers are, where they fall along the number line, and how they relate to the rest of the world of numbers. Questions go to mathdude@quickanddirtytips.com or 206-339-6279. Like what you hear? Help us out by writing a review at iTunes!
Learn what rational numbers are, where they are located on the number line, and how they relate to the rest of the world of numbers.
Learn how math can help you explain the origin of seemingly inexplicable numerical patterns.
Learn two tips that will make multiplying any number by eleven easy to do in your head.
Not all math questions are as difficult as they seem. Learn to take advantage of the commutative property of addition to simplify problem solving. Questions go to mathdude@quickanddirtytips.com or 206-339-6279. Like what you hear? Help us out by writing a review at iTunes!
Learn what the distributive property is, how to picture it, and what it means to say that multiplication is distributive over addition.
Learn what the German tank problem is and how statistical estimators helped solve it and win World War II.
Learn what statistics and estimators are in preparation for understanding how they helped solve the "German tank problem" in World War II.
Learn what it really means to divide two fractions and a trick you can use to make dividing fractions easier.
Learn what fractions are and how they're related to integers. Questions go to mathdude@quickanddirtytips.com or 206-339-6279. Like what you hear? Help us out by writing a review at iTunes!
Learn what math prefixes like "kilo," "mega," "giga," and "tera" mean, where they come from, and whether or not more prefixes will be added in the future. Questions go to mathdude@quickanddirtytips.com or 206-339-6279. Like what you hear? Help us out by writing a review at iTunes!
Learn what math prefixes like "milli," "kilo," "mega," and "giga" mean, where they come from, and whether or not more prefixes will be added in the future. Questions go to mathdude@quickanddirtytips.com or 206-339-6279. Like what you hear? Help us out by writing a review at iTunes!
Learn how math can help you estimate how fast your favorite football player is running and convert this speed into units you're familiar with. Questions go to mathdude@quickanddirtytips.com or 206-339-6279. Like what you hear? Help us out by writing a review at iTunes!
Learn how to use the multiplicative identity to help you convert units from miles to kilometers, kilometers to light-years, and more. Questions go to mathdude@quickanddirtytips.com or 206-339-6279. Like what you hear? Help us out by writing a review at iTunes!
Learn what the multiplicative identity is and how the multiplicative identity is used to convert from one unit of measurement to another. Questions go to mathdude@quickanddirtytips.com or 206-339-6279. Like what you hear? Help us out by writing a review at iTunes!
Learn what it really means to multiply two fractions and how to efficiently perform the multiplication of fractions. Questions go to mathdude@quickanddirtytips.com or 206-339-6279. Like what you hear? Help us out by writing a review at iTunes!
Learn what area and volume are, how the area and volume are related, and how to calculate the area of a square and the volume of a cube. Questions go to mathdude@quickanddirtytips.com or 206-339-6279. Like what you hear? Help us out by writing a review at iTunes!
Learn what 1D, 2D, and 3D (one, two, and three-dimensional) means in math and how coordinate systems are used to describe locations in 1D, 2D, and 3D. Questions go to mathdude@quickanddirtytips.com or 206-339-6279. Like what you hear? Help us out by writing a review at iTunes!
Learn what box and whisker plots are, how to make them, and how they can help you interpret data. Questions go to mathdude@quickanddirtytips.com or 206-339-6279. Like what you hear? Help us out by writing a review at iTunes!
Learn what the range and standard deviation are, how to calculate them, and why their values are important for interpreting averages. Questions go to mathdude@quickanddirtytips.com or 206-339-6279. Like what you hear? Help us out by writing a review at iTunes!
Learn about a third method for calculating average values, the mode, and find out exactly when and why it is useful. Questions go to mathdude@quickanddirtytips.com or 206-339-6279. Like what you hear? Help us out by writing a review at iTunes!
Learn how median averaging can fix your photos by making pesky tourists disappear and leaving you with a clear view of your subject. Questions go to mathdude@quickanddirtytips.com or 206-339-6279. Like what you hear? Help us out by writing a review at iTunes!
Learn how bags of potato chips show that the median value of a sample is often a better measure of its average than the more common mean. Questions go to mathdude@quickanddirtytips.com or 206-339-6279. Like what you hear? Help us out by writing a review at iTunes!
Learn why there are multiple definitions of "average," and how to calculate one such average value: the arithmetic mean. Questions go to mathdude@quickanddirtytips.com or 206-339-6279. Like what you hear? Help us out by writing a review at iTunes!
Learn what a batting average in baseball means, how it's calculated, and why the statistical concept of an average value is so important. Questions go to mathdude@quickanddirtytips.com or 206-339-6279. Like what you hear? Help us out by writing a review at iTunes!
Learn about the relationship between decimal numbers, fractions, and the process of division. Questions go to mathdude@quickanddirtytips.com or 206-339-6279. Like what you hear? Help us out by writing a review at iTunes!
Learn what decimal points and decimal numbers are and how they're related to fractions. Questions go to mathdude@quickanddirtytips.com or 206-339-6279. Like what you hear? Help us out by writing a review at iTunes!
Learn where the golden ratio appears in nature, how it's related to the "rule of thirds" in photography, and why it will help you take better pictures. Questions go to mathdude@quickanddirtytips.com or 206-339-6279. Like what you hear? Help us out by writing a review at iTunes!
Learn what the golden ratio is, its relationship to the Fibonacci sequence, and how artists and architects have used it throughout history. Questions go to mathdude@quickanddirtytips.com or 206-339-6279. Like what you hear? Help us out by writing a review at iTunes!
Learn what the Fibonacci sequence is, its relationship to population growth, and how it can make you the life of the party. Questions go to mathdude@quickanddirtytips.com or 206-339-6279. Like what you hear? Help us out by writing a review at iTunes!
Learn what a geometric sequence is and how it can be used to model everything from the balance of your bank account to the growth of populations.
Learn one more quick and dirty tip to help you kick your calculator dependency and make even faster calculations in your head.
Find out all about negative numbers and integers and how they can help you solve math problems.