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:

105 = Next Prime Dates and Ancient Gag Rates Mar 17, 2025

Show notes

📆 When is the next Prime Number Day?

🤣 What is the oldest joke?

🪨 And we get to the rock bottom of Any Other Business

You can find Matt’s Divisibility Rules video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pLz8wEQYkA

You can read more about the world’s oldest joke here:

https://www.wbur.org/endlessthread/2022/08/05/sumerian-joke-one

And you can get your Philogelols right here:

https://archive.org/details/philogelos-the-laugh-addict-the-worlds-oldest-joke-book/page/n21/mode/2up

If you’re 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, show the podcast to 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.

104 = Paper Spread and Pencil Lead Mar 03, 2025

Show notes

📃 Is a sheet of A-45 paper big enough to wrap the earth?

✏️ Why do we still call pencil graphite lead?

👔 There’s business to attend to.

You can find Matt and Hannah’s protractor up the shard video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckcdqlo3pYc&ab_channel=Stand-upMaths

Here’s Matt’s Truncatable Prime Pencil: https://mathsgear.co.uk/products/truncatable-prime-pencil?srsltid=AfmBOorhZ6qk_IAhKnCjtjoVM3wM-GXMTaFporL13aTjdOokjGG_hkxY

And the oldest known pencil in the world: https://www.penciltalk.org/2021/02/worlds-oldest-pencil

If you want to know more about that 1889 World Fair and that luxury yellow pencil you can do that here: https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-little-known-reason-pencils-yellow

Here is the link to David’s MIT Maze turned Sudoku, Go check it out, it’s very cool: https://sudokupad.app/arbp91du01

If you’re on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on the ‘Sup ‘Zards’ pinned post!

If you want to (we’re not forcing anyone) please do leave us a review, show the podcast to 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.

103 = Heaps Splad and Paul’s Pad Feb 17, 2025

Show notes

🤫 Which synonyms are Caesar ciphers of each other?

🎨 Bec and Matt attempt to help a listener decorate their home.

💼 The tax business briefcase is wide open.

⚔️ And battleships heats up.

It’s time to go see ‘Bec Hill: Guess Who's Bec, Bec Again?’ at The Adelaide Fringe! https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/bec-hill-guess-who-s-bec-bec-again-bec-hill-s-bec-tell-a-friend-af2025

You can see Matt Live! https://festivalofthespokennerd.com/tickets/

Here are just some of the sources that inspired Bec’s answer to Paul’s problem:

And The World's Largest Collection of the World's Smallest Versions of the World's Largest Things: http://www.worldslargestthings.com/mobilemuseum.htm

If you’re on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on the ‘Sup ‘Zards’ pinned post!

If you want (we’re not forcing anyone) to leave us a review, show the podcast to 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.

102 = Copyright Traps and Saturday Night Gaps Feb 03, 2025

Show notes

✅ What’s the best way to leave your mark?

🗓️ Can Saturday Night Live be on Every Day?

📍 And there are some big locations in AOB

Top Marks: https://neatnik.net/steganographr/#results

SNL Spreadsheet: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/i9leqlafx0orjfp6l8a6t/weekend_whatdate.xlsx?rlkey=vetpi2qg9etbb35jq0zculjt1&e=1&st=q5vl7052&dl=0

Big Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/8kf2XcYPXWnqGqn88

See Matt Live! https://festivalofthespokennerd.com/tickets/

See Bec Live! https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/bec-hill-guess-who-s-bec-bec-again-bec-hill-s-bec-tell-a-friend-af2025

If you’re on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on the ‘Sup ‘Zards’ pinned post!

And if you want (we’re not forcing anyone) to leave us a review, show the podcast to 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.

101 = Squear Data and The Big Banana (in an Aussie accent) Jan 20, 2025

Show notes

🔺 What are the most “interesting” years?

🍌 Bec goes big on Big Things

🎉 When Party Tricks Go Wrong

🔢 And there's some numerical AOB

Here’s Max-matics’ video that Matt mentioned - Turning a 2024 Ball Pyramid in to a 2025 Ball Square for NYE 2025 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXUlKCIgV8U

Some further reading on the 2025 maths https://aperiodical.com/2025/01/numerical-coincidences-for-2025/

It’s a banger - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJS3xnD7Mus

Some further reading on BIG THINGS -

https://www.spottobooks.com.au/shop/p/bigthings

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/figure/10.1080/14443058.2022.2144928

If you’re on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on the ‘Sup ‘Zards’ pinned post!

And if you want (we’re not forcing anyone) to leave us a review, show the podcast to 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.

Welcome to A Problem....Suspended! Jan 06, 2025

Show notes

Hello you wonderful listener,

Welcome to a new year. 2025 - has a nice ring to it doesn't it?

This is a short announcement to say that there will be a very short feed break - just an episode or two, don't worry - to allow us all rest for the first two weeks of January.

Matt will tell you everything you need to know in his very organised PSA. Have a listen.

Thank you for your continuted support and understanding. We love you very much.

Bec and Matt.

100 = Orchestral Seats and Calculator Beef Dec 23, 2024

Show notes

To celebrate A Problem Squared’s 100th episode…

🎼 What is the least popular instrument in an orchestra?

🍎 Matt is appalled.

🔮 Another unplanned, unexpected mystery segment!

💼 And the business briefcase is (briefly) open.

A big thank you to Katie Steckles for her brilliant contributions to this episode. You can find more from her on her website: https://www.katiesteckles.co.uk/index.html, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/stecks?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor, or on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/katiesteckles.

If you’re on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on the ‘Sup ‘Zards’ pinned post!

And if you want (we’re not forcing anyone) to leave us a review, show the podcast to 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.

099 = Most Watched Films and Homonyms Dec 09, 2024

Show notes

099 = Most Watched Films and Homonyms

✍️ What single word in the English Language has the most different meanings?

📺 Is the most consumed media of all time a holiday movie or song?

🗞 There’s some Any Other Business!

⚔️ Battleships continues.

If you want to find out more about the Royal Flying Doctor Service, do that here: https://www.flyingdoctor.org.au/nswact/visit/broken-hill-visitor-centre/

You can see the full contents of Bec’s new outback first aid kit here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPuwoOtTFV8

If you want to learn more about WordNet (as mentioned in Matt’s problem) follow this link here: https://wordnet.princeton.edu/

If you’d like to see the trailer for what is apparently the most watched film of all time, you can do that here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXqjcDchr14

And if you’d like to hear the most streamed song of all time, you can do that here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHI8X4OXluQ&ab_channel=TheWeekndVEVO

Finally, IF you’re on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer for Bec and Matt, please comment on the ‘Sup ‘Zards’ pinned post!

Perhaps you want to leave us a review, show the podcast to a friend or give us a rating? If you’d like to, please do that. It really helps.

AND if you want even more from A Problem Squared (and who doesn’t) you can connect with us and other fantastic listeners on BlueSky, Twitter, Instagram, and Discord.

098 = Something Blue and Diamond Birthdays Too Nov 25, 2024

Show notes

098 = Something Blue and Diamond Birthdays Too

💙What are the most extreme examples of something old, something blue, something borrowed, something new?

💎What’s up with diamond birthdays?

🔥A new special one-time bonus section from Matt.

💼And a look into the business briefcase.

For the Diana Spencer Tiara, look no further:https://www.sothebys.com/en/digital-catalogues/power-image-royal-aristocratic-tiaras/the-spencer-tiara-r-s-garrard-1930s

Here’s an image of Ezra Jack Keats’ children’s story TheSnowy Day:

https://www.nypl.org/events/exhibitions/galleries/childhood/item/11304.Selected from the millions of books that have been checked out of the library since 1895, Ezra Jack Keats’ children’s story The Snowy Day, described as a “charming, beautifully illustrated tale of a child enjoying the simple magic that snow brings to his city,” tops the list.

And, perhaps the best suggestion from Bec, the Blue‘Pantheon’ aka Meteor 3200:https://www.space.com/42236-weird-blue-asteroid-phaethon.html#:~:text=Asteroid%203200%20Phaethon%20is%20a,typical%20for%20comets%20than%20asteroids.

Finally, this is the Diamond Birthday Tik Tok trendmentioned in Matt’s dinglett: https://www.tiktok.com/@misshaleymichelle/video/7196331969838566702?lang=en

If you’re on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on the ‘Sup ‘Zards’ pinnedpost!

If you want to leave us a review, show the podcast to afriend or give us a rating! Please do that. It really helps.

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

097 = Number of Maps & Numbered Pads Nov 11, 2024

Show notes

097 = Number of Maps & Numbered Pads

🗺 Are there enough OS maps to cover Great Britain?

0️⃣ Why does zero come after nine on a mobile phone?

📰 And, of course, some AOB!

If you want to see Bec’s friend Amy’s summary of accessibility in Thorpe Park and theme parks more generally, head on over to her instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/longcovidrockstar/

Here is a picture of The Big Tractor: https://amp.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/oct/08/giant-red-tractor-carnamah-wa-australias-big-things

You can watch a brilliant Phone Phreaking Documentary here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FufYSx2_6Bg&ab_channel=RCW39RJ

Here’s that Numberphile vid about Phone Buttons: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCSzjExvbTQ&ab_channel=Numberphile

And the 17 Designs That Bell Almost Used for the Layout of Telephone Buttons: https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/08/the-17-designs-that-bell-almost-used-for-the-layout-of-telephone-buttons/279237/

Please send your problems and solutions into the website: www.aproblemsquared.com.

If you’re on Patreon and have a creative Wizard offer to give Bec and Matt, please comment on the ‘Sup ‘Zards’ pinned post!

And if you want (we’re not forcing anyone) to leave us a review, show the podcast to 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 Twitter, Instagram, and on Discord.

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