PBS Infinite Series

Episode 2

Are Prime Numbers Made Up?

Is math real or simply something made up by mathematicians? You can’t physically touch a number yet using numbers we’re able to build skyscrapers and launch rockets into space. Mathematician Kelsey Houston-Edwards explains this perplexing dilemma and discusses the different viewpoints that philosophers and mathematicians have regarding the realism of mathematics.

Episode 3

How Many Humans Have the Same Number of Body Hairs?

Do two people on the planet have the exact same number of body hairs? How about more than two? There’s a simple yet powerful mathematical principle that can help you find out the answer. Kelsey Houston-Edwards breaks down the Pigeonhole Principle and explains how it can be used to answer some pretty perplexing questions.

Episode 4

A Hierarchy of Infinities

There are different sizes of infinity. It turns out that some are larger than others. Mathematician Kelsey Houston-Edwards breaks down what these different sizes are and where they belong in The Hierarchy of Infinities.

Episode 5

Can You Solve the Poison Wine Challenge?

You’re about to throw a party with a thousand bottles of wine, but you just discovered that one bottle is poisoned! Can you determine exactly which one it is?

Episode 6

Can We Hear Shapes?

Mathematician Mark Kac asked the question “Can we hear the shape of a drum?” It was a question that took over 20 years to answer. Sine waves, fundamental frequencies, eigenvalues, this episode has got it all!