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:

067 = Line Times and Wide Words Aug 28, 2023

Show notes

In this episode…

🙏 How often do the hands of time align?

📜What is the longest one syllable word?

💼And a very large serving of AAAOOOBBBBBBBBBBBBBB

After such glowing recommendations, you’ve got to go listen to Confidence Man: https://www.confidenceman.com.au/

Here’s Bec’s contribution to the Samaritvans exhibit: https://shop.sarahgraham.info/products/samarivan-bec-hill.

If you find yourself in Hitchen between the 22nd - 29th September 2023, go see the exhibit for real, at Arkley Fine Art on Hermitage Rd.

More about Arkley here: https://arkleyfineart.co.uk/. If you want to check out more of Sarah Graham’s work you can do that here: https://sarahgraham.info/.

If anyone has any information about the Time Fun jumper, please do send it to the Problem Posing Page!

And finally, please send your problems and solutions to our website: aproblemsquared.com.

IF you want more from A Problem Squared, find us on Twitter, Instagram. and Patreon.

066 = Strawberry Yields and Football Fields Aug 14, 2023

Show notes

In this slightly sports adjacent episode...

🍓 Are there more strawberries or old men on earth?

⚽️ Is Melbourne Rectangular Stadium more or less rectangular than the average football stadium?

🏆 Did Austrailia beat Denmark at the Women's World Cup? Find out here!

🖇 And a healthy dose of Any Other Business.

You can watch Bec's striker skills in action on CBBC's Saturday Mash Up, here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001pnkl/saturday-mashup-live-series-6-episode-6

Here is a link to WayBackMachine used by Bec to research her problem: https://archive.org/

If you'd like some fresh insights into the Global Fresh Strawberry Industry, you can find that here (2022 - 2023): https://www.skyquestt.com/report/fresh-strawberry-market

If you too want exclusive access to the latest Magic Square breakthroughs follow this link: https://numbers-magic.com/?p=9988

Here are Ian's joke specifications for fire hoses, adapted from an old set of joke pipe specs dating back to at least the 80s: https://www.netfunny.com/rhf/jokes/87/14917.23.html

As always, send your problems and solutions to our website: aproblemsquared.com.

And if you want more from A Problem Squared, find us on Twitter, Instagram. and Patreon.

065 = Central Parks and Baseball Larks Jul 31, 2023

Show notes

This is a single problem, AOB-less and DIY episode...what could be more New York?

🏟 Baseball fun in New York City!

📍 How central is Central Park really?

📜 Vibe for this episode: "It's real man"

A NOTE TO ALL LISTENERS: Please be aware that audio quality may not be what you're used to. This episode deviates from the usual format. The structure heard here is what we like to call: Freeform.

We've put a map of Manhattan on Twitter if you want to have a look at that as you listen!

As always, send your problems and solutions to our website: aproblemsquared.com.

And if you want more from A Problem Squared, find us on Twitter, Instagram. and Patreon.

064 = A Tetris Education and Candy Bar Formation Jul 17, 2023

Show notes

In this episode...

👾 What is the best way to win at Tetris?

🍫 Revisited: Have all the candy bars been invented?

📜 And some AOOOOOOOOOB.

You can find the Bonham's Nintendo Gameboy Sale: https://www.bonhams.com/auction/19144/lot/250/nintendo-game-boy-flown-in-space/

Check out the rest of the sale too...it's pretty cool: https://www.bonhams.com/auction/19144/the-space-history-sale/

Evidence of the Beng-Beng Chocolate Caramel Hazelnut Crispy Wafer bar: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203119821326

As always, send your problems and solutions to our website: aproblemsquared.com.

And if you want more from A Problem Squared, find us on Twitter, Instagram. and Patreon.

063 = Meta Magic Squares and Fire Hose Care Jul 03, 2023

Show notes

In THIS episode...

🔲 Is it possible to make a magic square of magic squares where each cell is the magic constant of another magic square?

📜 Bec becomes a document detective!

🚨 It's a New York Alert

💼 What's in the briefcase today?

❓AND a big muppet reveal.

You can find the Magic Square of Magic Squares here (It's the second one on the page): https://inderjtaneja.com/2022/02/10/100-magic-squares-of-order-42-with-numbers-00-99/

Here's the original Numperphile video 'Magic Squares of Squares (are PROBABLY impossible)': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kdsj84UdeYg&ab_channel=Numberphile

The Firehose Specifications Document can be viewed here (It can't be real, right?): https://ifunny.co/picture/australian-government-fire-hose-spfcifications-all-hose-is-to-be-PDLNwbBZA?s=cl

Now you know, which muppets Bec and Matt are - tell us, which Muppet are YOU?

And send in your CONEY ISLAND related problems to the Problem Posing Page: www.aproblemsquared.com, or on social media @aproblemsquared.

If you want to sponsor the podcast, head on over to our Patreon page. You can can find that here: https://www.patreon.com/aproblemsquared

062 = The Ice Cream Hack and Burger Rings Packs Jun 19, 2023

Show notes

In THIS episode:

🍦 Can you lose weight with a diet of ice cream and beer?

🍔 What's up with Burger Rings?

🛎 DING! DING! DING! DING!

💼 And some A-OHHHHH-B.

Here's the Burger Rings 1992 ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bo5sKqwUQBs

Here's the ACTUAL packet, as remembered by Matt and Bec: https://www.flickr.com/photos/fordsbasement/7183508658#

As always, send your problems and solutions to our website: aproblemsquared.com.

If you'd like to find out which Muppet you are (who doesn't, right?) you can skip ahead of Matt and Bec to do the quiz here: https://www.buzzfeed.com/jenlewis/which-muppet-are-you.

And if you want more from A Problem Squared, find us on Twitter, Instagram. and Patreon.

061 = Shifting Dates and Lifting Waits Jun 05, 2023

Show notes

On THIS episode...

🌍 Where should Earth be?

🛗 What's the best way to spend one minute in a lift?

♾ Why are there different sizes of infinity?

💼 And, business. Any other.

Send your problems and solutions to our website: aproblemsquared.com.

If you'd like to find out which Muppet you are (who doesn't, right?) you can skip ahead of Matt and Bec to do the quiz here: https://www.buzzfeed.com/jenlewis/which-muppet-are-you.

And if you want more from A Problem Squared, find us on Twitter, Instagram. and Patreon.

060 = Cables Coiled and Water World May 22, 2023

Show notes

In this episode... 🎧 How do you stop the wires on headphones from twisting? 🏊🏽‍♀️ If the Earth was a smooth sphere, how much water would sit on it's surface? 🛎 Get ready for some dings! 💼 And the business briefcase is open. If you'd like to find out exactly why our pockets twist up our wires, follow this link: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/why-do-your-earphones-get-tangled-in-your-pocket-science-has-the-answer-9548540.html For more on the spontaneous knotting of an agitated string, look no further: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.0611320104#sec-2 To really comprehend the over under technique you have to see it, and even then it's tricky. You can attempt to find out how to do that, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwMJHMSmjVY The Merch Competition is ongoing, so send in your sizes for those T-Shirts! And phone it in if you want THE HAT! Put your down preferences HERE: bit.ly/APSgiveaway If you'd like to find out which Muppet you are, you can speed ahead of Matt and Bec and find that out here: https://www.buzzfeed.com/jenlewis/which-muppet-are-you. As always send your problems and solutions to our website: aproblemsquared.com. And, finally, if you want EVEN MORE from A Problem Squared, find us on Twitter, Instagram or Patreon.

059 = Concealing Stars and Conceiving Bars May 08, 2023

Show notes

In THIS episode... 🌝 Is the diameter of the sun and the moon the spookiest of coincidences? 🍫 Where on earth are the new candy bars?! 📈 What's in the Business Briefcase today? Here's the incredible bath related research conducted and compiled by David, go take a look it's fantastic: https://www.dropbox.com/s/89sp8ekvx2d13m7/Bath_Gustavsson.pdf?dl=0

And Tin's code with Matt's favourite plot, you can find that here: https://htmlpreview.github.io/?https://github.com/tinnuadan/PipingHotBath/blob/main/becbath.html

If you'd like to see Matt and Bec in New York for an Evening of Unnecessary Detail you can still buy STANDING tickets here for $20: https://www.caveat.nyc/events/aeoud-7-13-2023 Merch Competition: Send in your sizes for those T-Shirts! And phone it in if you want THE HAT! Put your down preferences HERE: bit.ly/APSgiveaway If you'd like to find out which Muppet YOU are, just speed ahead of Matt and Bec and find that out here: https://www.buzzfeed.com/jenlewis/which-muppet-are-you. Send your problems, solutions and t-shirt specifications to our website: aproblemsquared.com. And, finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared, find us on Twitter and Instagram.

058 = Bluey's Beats and Undies Cheats Apr 24, 2023

Show notes

In THIS episode... 🎶 What's the time signature of the Bluey theme tune? 🔐 How can you get the security tag off an item of clothing at home? 🐹 The first answer to the first A Peanut Squared. 🗂 And some Any Other Business. If you'd like to visit or participate in the Polyplane exhibition at Rutgers University, find out more on their website here: http://polyplane.org. You can watch Adam Neely expand on Bec's answer for irregular time signatures here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KCpJx_2K_g. ***Merch Competition UPDATE: DO NOT SEND YOUR PREFERENCES TO THE PROBLEM POSING PAGE!*** Send in your sizes for those T-Shirts! And phone it in if you want THE HAT! Put your down preferences HERE: bit.ly/APSgiveaway And finally if you'd like to find out which Muppet YOU are, just speed ahead of Matt and Bec and find that out here: https://www.buzzfeed.com/jenlewis/which-muppet-are-you. Send your problems, solutions and t-shirt specifications to our website: aproblemsquared.com. And, finally, if you want even more from A Problem Squared, find us on Twitter and Instagram.

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