Math! Science! History!

Math! Science! History!

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.

Episodes

December 5, 2025 8 mins

In this Flashcards Friday episode, we take the science of light bulbs out of the hardware aisle and into everyday life. Most people assume a bulb is just a bulb, but the truth is that the type you choose affects your energy bill, eye comfort, the way your rooms feel, and even the safety of your fixtures. From LEDs to incandescent filaments, from color temperature to socket fit, this episode breaks down the science behind the glow. ...

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Step into a silent museum after closing hours, where moonlight washes over long corridors and the hum of unseen forces seems to guide your every step. In this immersive narrative puzzle episode, four historical artifacts awaken in the darkness to share their stories. Each object reveals ...

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November 28, 2025 9 mins

Your nose is more powerful than you think. In this episode of Math! Science! History!, we explore the hidden biology behind your sense of smell, how it connects directly to memory and emotion, and why scent has shaped human evolution for more than 500 million years. From safety and attraction to learning and emotional balance, your olfactory system is a biological superpower hiding in plain sight...

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In this episode of Math! Science! History!, I explore the extraordinary life and legacy of Carl Friedrich Gauss, often called the Prince of Mathematics. From a childhood marked by brilliance to contributions that underpin GPS, machine learning, astronomy, electromagnetism, and modern geometry, Gauss reshaped the scientific world with humility and unwavering precision.

You'll learn where the myths end, where the history begins, and ...

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If you enjoy learning how chemistry, math, and history shape everyday life, follow Math! Science! History! and share this episode with someone still blaming the turkey!

Why does tryptophan always get accused of making everyone sleepy after Thanksgiving? Today's Flashcards Friday takes a closer look at the real science behind this famous amino acid , including how it works in the body, why carbohy...

November 18, 2025 21 mins

I'm diving deep into the chemistry of flavor, the history of spices, and the math behind crafting the perfect pumpkin spice latte. So go grab your cup of pumpkin spice whatever, get cozy, and let's explore!

In this Flashcard Friday follow-up to Tuesday's interview with theoretical physicist Dr. Ronald L. Mallett, Gabrielle explores Einstein's famous claim that imagination is more important than knowledge. From Marie Curie's invisible rays to Johannes Kepler's celestial harmonies, this episode traces how imagination transforms human emotion, grief, wonder, curiosity, into world-changing discovery.

Listeners will hear how Dr. Mallett's ...

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In this fascinating conversation, I interview theoretical physicist Dr. Ronald Mallett to explore one of humanity's most extraordinary scientific pursuits: time travel. From the influence of Einstein's general theory of relativity to quantum mechanics and parallel universes, Dr. Mallett shares the story of ho...

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    Subscribe to Math! Science! History! wherever you listen to podcasts, and if you love learning how math and science make everyday life better, leave a review and share this episode with a friend who's always running out of time!

    In this episode of Math! Science! History!, Gabrielle Birchak explores how mathematics and science can help us master the one resource...

    November 4, 2025 31 mins

    What if you could bend time like taffy, stretching moments, collapsing centuries, and stepping through the folds of history itself? In this episode of Math! Science! History!, Gabrielle explores the myths, literature, and scientific breakthroughs that brought time travel from ancient dreams to modern equations.

    From the Mahabharata to H.G. Wells, from Einstein's relativity to Ronald Mallett's laser loop, we uncover how humanity's y...

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    October 31, 2025 8 mins

    Raise your glass, and your curiosity.
    In this Math! Science! History! Flashcard Friday, Gabrielle Birchak takes you into a haunted pub where chemistry and folklore share the same barstoo...

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    In this Halloween-special episode of Math! Science! History!, your host Gabrielle Birchak explores the strange world where superstition meets science. We dive into why machines sometimes bow to the mere presence of an engineer (the "Engineer Proximity Effect") and how one of the greatest physicists of the 20th century, Wolfgang Pauli, became the subject of an odd legend: wherever he went, lab equ...

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    October 24, 2025 9 mins

    In this Flashcard Friday episode of Math! Science! History!, Gabrielle explores how everyday choices can make a real difference for our oceans. From reducing single-use plastics to supporting sustainable seafood and climate-friendly habits, this episode uncovers the math, science, and history behind ocean conservation, and the powerful impact of small chan...

    In this episode of Math! Science! History!, Gabrielle Birchak speaks with Professor Gillen D'Arcy Wood, author of The Wake of the HMS Challenger: How a Legendary Victorian Voyage Tells the Story of Our Ocean's Decline. Together, they uncover how a nineteenth-century Royal Navy warship transformed into a floating labora...

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    October 17, 2025 10 mins

    Publish or Purrish: The Cat Who Co-Authored Physics

    Episode Overview:

    In this episode of Math! Science! History!, we uncover the remarkable story of F.D.C. Willard, the Siamese cat ...

    From tallying goats to launching rockets, this episode takes you on a fast-paced, lighthearted journey through the complete history of mathematics. Inspired by D.E. Smith's The History of Mathematics, this is the espresso version — goats, Greeks, calculus cage matches, infinity, and beyond.

    3 Things Listeners Will Learn:

    <...

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    In this Flashcard Friday follow-up to Tuesday's interview with Dr. Kanisorn Wongsrichanalai of the Massachusetts Historical Society, we revisit the numbers that changed the course of history. During the Revolutionary War, smallpox was more dangerous to the Continental Army than the British. By comparing mortality rates, George Washington made a bold, science-driven choice: inoculate his troops. The math was simple but profound, 30%...

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    In this episode of Math! Science! History!, Gabrielle Birchak speaks with Dr. Kanisorn Wongsrichanalai of the Massachusetts Historical Society about the hi...

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    October 3, 2025 11 mins

    Think physics only lives in textbooks and science labs? Think again. In this episode, we break down how physics is baked into your everyday life, from the way you walk and sip your coffee to how your phone works and why doors are designed the way they are.

    No jargon, no equations, just real-world science you 

    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 ex...

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