A Problem Squared

*/ ?>

View Top 200 Chart

Back to Rankings Page

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:

134 = Tooth and Rock Day 2026 May 11, 2026

Show notes

🤘To mark the May Birthday of Dwayne 'The' 'Tooth Fairy' 'Rock' Johnson, Episode 134 is a Tooth and Rock Special!

🪨 Matt answers your rock-based queries and shares a Salt of the Perth update

🦷 Bec and Dentist Sophie answer your tooth-based queries and shares an Adult Tooth Fairy update

Head to our socials to look at some incredibly detailed Salt of the Perth imagery.

And relatedly…

Lead Explained:

https://www.scottishwater.co.uk/-/media/ScottishWater/Document-Hub/Factsheets-and-Leaflets/Factsheets/100620SWFactSheet72020v5web.pdf

Thallium in Salt Substitutes: A Possible Health Hazard:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0013935177900433

And here’s Matt’s Moving Mountains sources:

https://ourworldindata.org/energy-production-consumption

https://www.eoas.ubc.ca/courses/eosc350/content/foundations/properties/density.htm

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.

133 = Oeuf-Bran Geometry and Huffman Decoder Tree Apr 27, 2026

Show notes

🥣 What percentage of a box of Weet-Bix is wheat again?

🥚 What shape is an egg?

💬 What’s the most efficient way to write your name on a Pop-it Fidget Toy?

👎 And would you like some AOB? We won’t take no for an answer

Head to our socials to see all the Weet-Bix Pix, lots of names efficiently spelt out on a Pop-It Fidget Toy, lots of Girl Scout cookies, and a sheep being sheared by a robot…

The Sheep’s Back Museum, Naracoorte

https://thesheepsbackmuseum.org.au/

Creation: Between Art and Mathematics Exhibition in Paris: https://www.ihp.fr/en/news-science-and-society/creation-between-art-and-mathematics

Laura Taalman’s Granny Life Crochet:

https://www.grannylifecrochet.com/

Get your own Egg-Shaped Spinning Top:

https://mathsgear.co.uk/products/phitop

Eve’s beautiful cross-stitch:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DWY-_qzivz6/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D

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

And there is a Kickstarter to fund production of the filmed show, which you can get involved with here:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/standupmaths/getting-triggy-with-it

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.

132 = Insistuvree and Bix of Weet Apr 13, 2026

Show notes

🔠 Are there any English words containing four letters in alphabetical order?

🥣 What percentage of a box of weet-bix is wheat?

🎪 And there is some any other bah-bah-bahbahbahbah-buh-buh-business

Head to our socials to see Bec’s post-show photos and videos from her Adelaide run including Morgan and Morgan's mum’s tooth, Scott and the 6-7 shirt and Karn and his incredible APS Flipchart. You’ll also find Matt’s list of all the 4-letters-alphabetised words and one of the many bridges.

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.

131 = Microwave Conventions and Pythagoral Dimensions Mar 30, 2026

Show notes

👋 When microwaving food, should you place it in the centre, or off to the side?

📐 Does the longest diagonal in a 1m sided cube in 4D square equal root 4?

🐨 And there’s some Bonus Other Business.

Head to our socials to see Bec’s Photographic Exhibition of Australian Wildlife, Cubie the Moon Rover, Bec’s Poppadom Experiment, Matt’s Pythagorean Whiteboard Action, and the first glimpse of the most confusing game of Connect 4 ever to be played. A surprisingly visual audio podcast… so it’s all happening over on BlueSky / Twitter / Instagram

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.

130 = Sly Skittles Claim and Why Sniffles Name? Mar 16, 2026

Show notes

🌈 Is it true that "No Two Packs Of Skittles Are The Same?”

🤧 Why a cold called cold?

🤫 And there’s some ASMROB

Head to our socials to see Matt’s Mission Patches, Matt’s Calculator, and the Skittles Combinatorics!

The Liberation Laser Software by Seb Lee-Delisle

https://liberationlaser.com/

The Skittle Maths by Clare Wallace

https://www.clarewallace.co.uk/skittles

And some Norfolk Punch, if you’re so inclined

https://www.norfolkpunch.com/

If you’d like to see Matt on tour, 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.

129 = People off Ground and Pound for Pound Mar 02, 2026

Show notes

🛫 How many people are flying in the air at any given moment?

⚖️ What weighs a pound and costs a pound?

🏈 And there’s some Any Other (Foot)Ballness

Head to our socials to see Bec’s glasses 🤓Pat Patriot 🇺🇲and our Pound for Pound items!

Here is a link to the book Flying With Confidence (which helped Producer Laura with her fear of flying and also helped her answer the problem correctly!)

https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/415543/flying-with-confidence-by-patricia-furness-smith-and-captain-steve-allright/9780091947859

They Did The Math, They Did The Monster Math on Reddit

https://www.reddit.com/r/theydidthemath/

https://www.reddit.com/r/theydidthemonstermath/

Flight Radar 24: https://www.flightradar24.com/

If you’d like to see Bec at the Adelaide Fringe, you can get tickets here: https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/bec-hill-creates-the-perfect-show-work-in-progress-af2026

And if you’d like to see Matt on tour, 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.

128 = AMA 2^7 Special Feb 16, 2026

Show notes

❓ Have you sent in a question for our AMA episode?

❔ Have Matt and Bec answered it in this AMA episode?

⁉️ Here are your AMA questions, answered!

We’ll be back solving your problems as normal in Episode 129!

If you’d like to see Bec at the Adelaide Fringe in March, you can get tickets here: https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/bec-hill-creates-the-perfect-show-work-in-progress-af2026

And if you’d like to see Matt on tour, 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.

127 = Labelling Consumables and Conceivable Numerals Feb 02, 2026

Show notes

🫘 Can we come up with some fun names for common pantry items?

🔢 What's the smallest number that has never been written down in human history?

🧂 And there’s a sprinkling of Any Other Business.

Numberphile’s take on a number NOBODY has thought of: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdZrxkix9Mk

Every Time "67" Has Been Said on Numberphile, if you dare: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlJMJfPPnVA

Googolplex Written Out: http://www.googolplexwrittenout.com/

If you’d like to see Bec at the Adelaide Fringe in March, you can get tickets here: https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/bec-hill-creates-the-perfect-show-work-in-progress-af2026

And if you’d like to see Matt on tour, all the dates, venues and tickets can be found here: http://standupmaths.com/shows

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.

126 = Temperature Levels and Special Vessels Jan 19, 2026

Show notes

🧊 Why doesn’t the coldest day fall on the shortest day?

🥂 If you don’t drink, what can you use fancy drinking glasses for?

🏊 And we take the plunge into some Any Other Brrrrrrrness.

If you’d like to read about defibrillator testing using a turkey, here’s the paper sent in by Hans: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12879378/

If you’d like to see Matt and Bec - alongside Steve Mould and Helen Arney and more - at An Evening Of Unnecessary Detail in London on Monday 26th January, you can get tickets here:

https://www.universe.com/events/an-evening-of-unnecessary-detail-tickets-TFK426?ref=ticketmaster

If you’d like to see Bec at the Adelaide Fringe in March, you can get tickets here: https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/bec-hill-creates-the-perfect-show-work-in-progress-af2026

And if you’d like to see Matt on tour, all the dates, venues and tickets can be found here: http://standupmaths.com/shows

If you’d like to ask Matt and Bec anything for our special 2^7 episode in February go to the Problem Posing Page at aproblemsquared.com - select ‘Problem’ and start your message with AMA! Please get your AMA questions in by Friday 23rd January 2026!

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.

125 = Toots from Bums and Attitude Sums Jan 05, 2026

Show notes

💨 How many people are needed to guarantee that there is always someone farting somewhere?

🔠 If you match each letter with the corresponding number in the alphabet and add them together, which words add up to 100.

🏁 And there is some unfinished business.

Head to our socials for pictures of Matt’s Homemade Sea Salt and Bec’s Brilliant Branding, an assortment of Massive Hourglasses, the beautiful sketch of Bec, and a smiley jerk on the beach in the sunshine 🌅

Here is the full list of words that add up to 100 (and do be warned that it contains some words that may not be suitable for young eyes)

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/r0u9hnx0c63ma3ovky3gp/100_letter_sum_shuffled.txt?rlkey=n62ik3j22tnwujod53wqrf4cc&e=1&dl=0

If you have a suggestion of dates for us to do a Rock Special and a Tooth Special,, go to the Problem Posing Page at aproblemsquared.com and select ‘Solution’ and do mention ‘International Teeth Day’

See Matt on tour in 2026!

http://standupmaths.com/shows

Here’s how to get involved with Matt’s Moon Pi Kickstarter:

https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/standupmaths

And here’s how to volunteer for Calculate Pi By Hand with Matt: https://forms.gle/w44THpNJ3jWUPqHy6

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.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected