A Problem Squared

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Comedy
**A Problem Squared**

Matt Parker and Bec Hill present: A Problem Squared.

A podcast dedicated to solving problems of all kinds, such as, “What should I listen to right now?”. A Podcast Squared. First one’s free. You’re welcome.

Episodes released twokly on Mondays.

Latest Episodes:

143 = What Comes After Thrice and Coffee Roulette Advice Sep 14, 2026

Show notes

📖 What comes after thrice?

☕ How can I increase my chances of winning a free coffee?

🎹 And we have some Any Other Beatness

Thank you to everyone who sent in audio or visuals of the Thue-Morse pattern!

Here is Damien’s Thue-Morse Visualiser which is really fun to play with: https://damienkee.github.io/thue-morese_visualiser/

And here is the keyboard visualisation of Thue-Morse sonified by Seta Lyas: https://www.reddit.com/r/AProblemSquared/comments/1vl0m8s/140_thuemorse_sonified

Head to our BlueSky/Twitter/Instagram to see the full run down of Bec’s post-thrice words.

Do you have a problem for Bec and Matt to solve? Tell us about it: https://www.aproblemsquared.com/

Matt has extended his tour - and he’s filming the show in London in October - all the dates, venues and tickets can be found here: http://standupmaths.com/shows

Join us on Patreon for early releases and our monthly bonus podcast I’m A Wizard!

If you’re already on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps.

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky, Twitter, Instagram, and on Discord.

142 = How Long Would YouTube Take to View and How to Display Without Glue or Screws Aug 31, 2026

Show notes

📺 How long would it take to watch all of YouTube?

🪧 How can you make an interesting public display board without damaging the walls?

🏖️ And we have Any Other Beachness (it’s a bit windy and a bit crabby)

Head to our BlueSky/Twitter/Instagram to see Matt and Bec’s differing experiences of the solar eclipse.

Here’s Count Binface and Matt the Count Binface Count Agent getting papped in Clacton: https://tinyurl.com/2h7apka7

And here's Matt's Stand-Up Maths video - Can Count Binface win? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zn1pGRgEoo

If you like the sound of David Elms Describes A Room, you can find out more here: ⁠https://www.davidelmsdescribesaroom.com/⁠

Here are the places to go for a deep dive into YouTube Stats:

https://tubestats.org/

Counting YouTube Videos via Random Preﬁx Sampling: https://dl.acm.org/doi/epdf/10.1145/2068816.2068851

A Transparent, Replicable, and Large-Scale Census of YouTube Channels and their Subscriber Counts Over Time https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.06999

Do you have a problem for Bec and Matt to solve? Tell us about it: https://www.aproblemsquared.com/

Matt has extended his tour - and he’s filming the show in London in October - all the dates, venues and tickets can be found here: http://standupmaths.com/shows

Join us on Patreon for early releases and our monthly bonus podcast I’m A Wizard!

If you’re already on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps.

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky, Twitter, Instagram, and on Discord.

141 = What If Peer Was More and What If Pi Was Four? Aug 17, 2026

Show notes

👬 How do you know if a work-friend is a real-friend?

⭕ What would happen if Pi was 4?

😴 And we have Any Other Boring-Stories…

Head to our BlueSky/Twitter/Instagram to see Bec’s selfies with The Stars of Space (real and fictional), and the cute-faced Rivian Car.

Why not try Hyperbolic Crochet?!

https://startcrochet.com/ultimate-beginners-guide-to-hyperbolic-crochet/

Why not try a checked 25x25 grid crossword from Sweden?!

https://fatherben.se/wordpress/digitalt-korsord-i-sydsvenskan/

Robert Llewelyn’s YouTube channel - Everything Electric CARS

If you’re at the Edinburgh Fringe and would like to see Bec’s Work In Progress show, tickets are available here: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/bec-hill-s-work-in-progress

Matt has extended his tour - and he’s filming the show in London in October - all the dates, venues and tickets can be found here: http://standupmaths.com/shows

Want to pose a problem for Bec and Matt to solve? Head over to https://www.aproblemsquared.com/

Join us on Patreon for early releases and our monthly bonus podcast I’m A Wizard!

If you’re already on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps.

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky, Twitter, Instagram, and on Discord.

140 = ABBABAAB and AI-Bah! Aug 10, 2026

Show notes

⚽ What’s the fairest way to pick teams?

🤖 How do you discourage colleagues from using AI to write everything?

🚗 And this road trip is jeopardised by playing ‘Accelerator or Break?’

Thanks to all of you who sent in answers to “what are you doing while you’re listening to A Problem Squared?” - we go through as many as we possibly can in this episode!

Here is kram1032’s post on Maths Stack Exchange that helped Matt with his problem solving:

https://math.stackexchange.com/questions/2078609/whats-the-fairest-turn-sequence-for-n-players

Here’s more info on Open Sauce: https://www.opensauce.com/

And here’s a kind stranger’s Insta reel of the Ratatouille robot: https://www.instagram.com/reels/DbGwSh4vHQq/

And here’s more info on UKIE: https://ukie.org.uk/

And the stream of Bec hosting the event: https://www.youtube.com/live/4lw_ypXroa4

Head to our BlueSky/Twitter/Instagram to see the U-Haul-Truck-Camera photo of Matt.

If you’re at the Edinburgh Fringe and would like to see Bec’s Work In Progress show, tickets are available here: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/bec-hill-s-work-in-progress

Matt has extended his tour - and he’s filming the show in London in October - all the dates, venues and tickets can be found here: http://standupmaths.com/shows

Want to pose a problem for Bec and Matt to solve? Head over to https://www.aproblemsquared.com/

Join us on Patreon for early releases and our monthly bonus podcast I’m A Wizard!

If you’re already on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps.

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky, Twitter, Instagram, and on Discord.

A Problem... Delayed Aug 03, 2026

Show notes

There's no new episode of A Problem Squared this week - sorry everyone - but we will be back with your scheduled Episode 140 on MONDAY 10TH AUGUST 2026, and our normal twokly service will be resumed from MONDAY 17TH AUGUST 2026.

We're delaying one episode by one week due to general busyness and time-zone clashes but rest assured you will be getting your full quota of August episodes of A Problem Squared.

Thank you for your patience!

139 = Music Down Where It’s Wetter and Throwing Darts Better Jul 20, 2026

Show notes

🎺 What would standard instruments sound like if they were played under water?

🎯 What would be the average score of one randomly thrown dart?

📂 And there’s some Any Other Business.AOB.zip

On THIS episode of A Problem Squared we’re joined by a special guest! The musical (and regularly quite wet) musical maestro Steve Pretty tells us all about playing music underwater - illustrated with some very bubbly examples. You can hear more from Steve on his podcast Origin Of The Pieces: https://www.originofthepieces.com/ and hear more from Steve playing shells here: https://www.shellectronica.com/

This is the episode of Steve Pretty’s Origin of the Pieces with Richard Sabin, whale expert and lead curator of mammals at the Natural History Museum, who shares sonic insights from the deep. https://www.originofthepieces.com/episodes/episode-31-earwax-echoes-and-entropy

To find out more about Aquasonic, the ethereal underwater quintet, head here: https://www.betweenmusic.dk/aquasonic

Here is the full Hermeto Pascoal video in all its glory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZbfNtDCHdM

And here’s the video of a hydraulophone https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgU0OZkGhGI

World Darts Federation Playing and Tournament Rules for all the specifications used in Matt’s working out: https://dartswdf.com/storage/uploads/fb05b306-c92c-4f08-b512-affb092a1b3d/2018-02-28_WDF_Playing_and_Tournament_Rules_rev20.pdf

The fabulously detailed Data Genetics blog post on where to aim on a dart board to maximise point-scoring - A Geek Plays Darts: http://www.datagenetics.com/blog/january12012/index.html

Here’s more about the (excellent) book that Bec shouted out: Gemma Correll - Anxietyland https://www.gemmacorrell.com/

If you’d like to see Bec’s Work In Progress shows, her upcoming gigs can be found here: https://www.bechillcomedian.com/tour-gigs

Matt has extended his tour - and he’s filming the show in London in October - all the dates, venues and tickets can be found here:

http://standupmaths.com/shows

Join us on Patreon for early releases and our monthly bonus podcast I’m A Wizard!

If you’re already on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps.

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky, Twitter, Instagram, and on Discord.

138 = Crossword Panels and Crossing Channels Jul 06, 2026

Show notes

📝 What is the perfect arrangement of black squares in a crossword?

🚣 Does weight on an aqueduct increase as a boat goes over it?

🛟 And there’s some Any Other Boardness (not ‘boredness’)

Head to our BlueSky/Twitter/Instagram to see some crossword arrangements and some cross-bridge arrangements.

Michael Keith’s Crossword research paper: http://www.gathering4gardner.org/g4g16gift/KeithMichael-GiftExchange-CrosswordGrids-G4G16.pdf

Michael Keith’s Pilish book, Not A Wake: https://www.cadaeic.net/notawake.htm

If you’d like to see Bec’s Work In Progress shows, her upcoming gigs can be found here: https://www.bechillcomedian.com/tour-gigs

Matt is bringing An Evening of Unnecessary Detail to New York! The Bell House, Brooklyn on Sunday 12th July. Tickets can be found here:

https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/300064B84CCCF567

And Matt has extended his tour - and he’s filming the show in London in October - all the dates, venues and tickets can be found here:

http://standupmaths.com/shows

Join us on Patreon for early releases and our monthly bonus podcast I’m A Wizard!

If you’re already on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps.

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky, Twitter, Instagram, and on Discord.

137 = Sound Advice and Electron Price Jun 22, 2026

Show notes

👂Why do some people hate the sound of whispering?

💡 How much does an electron cost?

😎 And there’s some Any Other Bozoness

On THIS episode of A Problem Squared - which comes with our special No Whisper Guarantee - we’re joined by a special guest! The clinical psychologist Dr Jane Gregory tells us all about Misophonia. You can find out about her fantastic (and very helpful) book Sounds Like Misophonia, and you can sign up to her research mailing list here: https://soundslikemisophonia.com/

And here is Ava’s EPIC Spreadsheet - A Problem Squared Episode Catalogue: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nXmEH9BrCr6hEBBhHkfuciPEKimDgZjrwhi2oeyErog/edit?usp=sharing

If you’d like to see Bec’s Work In Progress shows, her upcoming gigs can be found here: https://www.bechillcomedian.com/tour-gigs

Matt is bringing An Evening of Unnecessary Detail to New York! The Bell House, Brooklyn on Sunday 12th July. Tickets can be found here:

https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/300064B84CCCF567

And Matt has extended his tour - and he’s filming the show in London in October - all the dates, venues and tickets can be found here: http://standupmaths.com/shows

Join us on Patreon for early releases and our monthly bonus podcast I’m A Wizard!

If you’re already on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps.

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky, Twitter, Instagram, and on Discord.

136 = How to Discuss The Number e and When to Disclose the "Real Me" Jun 08, 2026

Show notes

#️⃣ What’s the best way to explain the number e to an 8-year-old?

💗 How early in a relationship should you reveal that you’re a bit weird?

🤧 And there’s some any other blow-your-nose-ness

Head to our socials to see The Beautiful Old Calculator and The World’s Tallest Comedian.

Matt is bringing An Evening of Unnecessary Detail to New York! The Bell House, Brooklyn on Sunday 12th July. Tickets can be found here: https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/300064B84CCCF567

Matt has extended his tour - and he’s filming the show in London in October - all the dates, venues and tickets can be found here: http://standupmaths.com/shows

Join us on Patreon for early releases and our monthly bonus podcast I’m A Wizard!

If you’re already on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps.

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky, Twitter, Instagram, and on Discord.

135 = Pasta Water Solution and QR Code Substitution May 25, 2026

Show notes

🍝 Why do we put salt in pasta water?

👾 Can you put bespoke characters in to a QR Code?

🌼And Spring Has Sprung (in the UK) so there’s some Any Other Bloomsness

Head to our socials to see some frankly-very-silly-but-fully-operational QR Codes.

Boiling and Freezing Points of Pure and Salty Water https://van.physics.illinois.edu/ask/listing/1457

Matt has extended his tour - and filming the show in London in October - all the dates, venues and tickets can be found here: http://standupmaths.com/shows

Join us on Patreon for early releases and our monthly bonus podcast I’m A Wizard!

If you’re already on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on our pinned post!

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, share the podcast with a friend, or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps.

Finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared you can connect with us and other listeners on BlueSky, Twitter, Instagram, and on Discord.

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