# Math! Science! History! Why do some scientific breakthroughs look different up close than they do in our textbooks? How did math quietly shape the modern world? Math! Science! History! explores the human side of discovery, including the rivalries, the failed attempts, the bold ideas, and the marginalized voices behind the equations and experiments that changed science, technology, and everyday life. Hosted by Gabrielle Birchak, who holds degrees in mathematics and journalism, the show connects codebreaking, astronomy,… Page: Feed: --- ## [Paul Tannery: The Tobacco Engineer Who Changed the History of Math](https://mathsciencehistory.libsyn.com/paul-tannery-the-tobacco-engineer-who-changed-the-history-of-math) _2026-08-18_ Paul Tannery didn't begin his career intending to become one of the most influential historians of mathematics. He trained as an engineer at the École Polytechnique and spent much of his professional life working in France's state tobacco administration. But after work, Tannery pursued a very different passion: ancient mathematics, astronomy, philosophy, and the history of science. What began as… [Listen](https://pdcn.co/e/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.libsyn.com/secure/mathsciencehistory/E227_Paul_Tannery_FINAL.mp3?dest-id=1533227) ## [MOMENTUM! Solve Your Relationship Equations](https://mathsciencehistory.libsyn.com/momentum-solve-your-relationship-equations) _2026-08-10_ In this episode of Momentum Monday , I cover how the ancient mathematician Diophantus , who revolutionized problem-solving by focusing on relationships between numbers , can inspire us to rethink our own relationships. Instead of fixating on fixing others, I challenge you to observe, question, and experiment with your connections, just like solving an equation. Whether it's a coworker, family… [Listen](https://pdcn.co/e/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.libsyn.com/secure/mathsciencehistory/E226_MM_Dio_and_Relations.mp3?dest-id=1533227) ## [Diophantus, AI, and the Lost Art of Thinking](https://mathsciencehistory.libsyn.com/diophantus-ai-and-the-lost-art-of-thinking) _2026-08-05_ AI may verify proofs, but it can't replace curiosity. In this episode, I travel back nearly 1,800 years to meet Diophantus of Alexandria and explore how his approach to mathematics still shapes modern problem-solving, from Fermat's Last Theorem to today's AI-assisted research. Along the way, we discover why the real value of mathematics isn't finding answers. it's learning how to think. 🌐… [Listen](https://pdcn.co/e/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.libsyn.com/secure/mathsciencehistory/E225_Diophantus_FINAL2.mp3?dest-id=1533227) ## [REPOST: From Ancient Greece to AI: Can Mathematics Really Be Patented?](https://mathsciencehistory.libsyn.com/repost-from-ancient-greece-to-ai-can-mathematics-really-be-patented) _2026-07-29_ Can mathematics be patented? In this episode, I explore one of the most fascinating questions in mathematics, intellectual property, and computer science by tracing the history of patents from the ancient world to today's software and AI algorithms. Along the way, we'll discover why mathematical ideas themselves remain unpatentable while the innovative ways we apply them can change technology, and… [Listen](https://pdcn.co/e/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.libsyn.com/secure/mathsciencehistory/E224_REPOST_Can_Math_Be_Patented_FINAL.mp3?dest-id=1533227) ## [FLASHCARDS! Think Like John Dalton: 3 Scientific Habits You Already Use](https://mathsciencehistory.libsyn.com/flashcards-think-like-john-dalton-3-scientific-habits-you-already-use) _2026-07-24_ You don't have to be a famous chemist to think like one. This week, I share three "flashcards" inspired by John Dalton that reveal how you're already using the same habits of observation, organization, and intellectual curiosity that have fueled scientific discovery for centuries. 🌐 Website: https://www.MathScienceHistory.com ☕ Support the show: https://paypal.com/ncp/payment/PR7F7ST49GDNA You'll… [Listen](https://pdcn.co/e/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.libsyn.com/secure/mathsciencehistory/E223_FF_You_Think_LIke_Dalton.mp3?dest-id=1533227) ## [MOMENTUM! 3 Success Lessons from John Dalton That Will Change Your Week](https://mathsciencehistory.libsyn.com/momentum-3-success-lessons-from-john-dalton-that-will-change-your-week) _2026-07-13_ Success doesn't begin with talent, it begins with the habits you practice when no one is watching. This week, I share three powerful life lessons from chemist John Dalton that can help you build momentum, overcome obstacles, and develop the kind of character that earns lasting respect. 🌐 Website: https://www.MathScienceHistory.com ☕ Support the show: https://paypal.com/ncp/payment/PR7F7ST49GDNA… [Listen](https://pdcn.co/e/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.libsyn.com/secure/mathsciencehistory/E222_MM_John_Dalton.mp3?dest-id=1533227) ## [REPOST: How John Dalton's Atomic Theory Changed Science Forever](https://mathsciencehistory.libsyn.com/repost-how-john-daltons-atomic-theory-changed-science-forever) _2026-07-08_ I'm revisiting one of my first episodes: the story of John Dalton, the self-taught Quaker schoolteacher who never attended university yet gave modern atomic theory its first real momentum. Barred from English universities for his faith, Dalton turned stubborn curiosity into world-changing science, mapping colorblindness before anyone understood it and sketching the first table of elements in a… [Listen](https://pdcn.co/e/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.libsyn.com/secure/mathsciencehistory/E223_-_John_Dalton_FINAL_FINAL.mp3?dest-id=1533227) ## [FLASHCARDS! Francis Bacon, Margaret Mead, and Paul Erdős on the Science of Everyday Thinking](https://mathsciencehistory.libsyn.com/flashcards-francis-bacon-margaret-mead-and-paul-erds-on-the-science-of-everyday-thinking) _2026-07-03_ Your instinct to question evidence, challenge "the way things are," and fall in love with a hard problem isn't a personality quirk; it's the exact thinking that built modern science, anthropology, and mathematics. In this Flashcards Friday episode, I break down three quick "cards" inspired by Sir Francis Bacon, Margaret Mead, and Paul Erdős, and show how their most famous breakthroughs mirror… [Listen](https://pdcn.co/e/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.libsyn.com/secure/mathsciencehistory/E220_FF_Three_Proud_Scientists_FINAL.mp3?dest-id=1533227) ## [MOMENTUM! Paul Erdős's Secret to Beating Burnout and Staying Focused](https://mathsciencehistory.libsyn.com/momentum-paul-erdss-secret-to-beating-burnout-and-staying-focused) _2026-06-29_ The fastest way to solve your toughest problem isn't to grind harder on it, it's to rotate your focus across a few problems at once, the way legendary mathematician Paul Erdős juggled hundreds of unsolved problems at a time. In this episode, I break down the neuroscience of why this "interleaving" beats multitasking, and I hand you seven simple tools to build this Erdős Method into your work week… [Listen](https://pdcn.co/e/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.libsyn.com/secure/mathsciencehistory/E219_Multitasking_with_Erdos.mp3?dest-id=1533227) ## [Your 24/7 AI Media Buyer (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/Ucd8xAiWAaKM) _2026-06-29 · **Sponsored**_ Finds placement, geo, and funnel leaks and proposes fixes you approve ## [The Alphabet of Brilliance: 8 LGBTQ+ Scientists Who Changed History | Pride Month Special](https://mathsciencehistory.libsyn.com/the-alphabet-of-brilliance-8-lgbtq-scientists-who-changed-history-pride-month-special) _2026-06-24_ For Pride Month, I profile eight scientists across eight identities in the 2SLGBTQI+ community. From the equations underpinning modern physics to the brain cells once dismissed as filler tissue, these researchers shaped the world we live in, often while hiding, fighting for, or paying dearly for who they were. Today I trace the lives of Sofia Kovalevskaya, Alan Turing, Margaret Mead, Ben Barres,… [Listen](https://pdcn.co/e/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.libsyn.com/secure/mathsciencehistory/E218_Pride_Month_FINAL_FINAL.mp3?dest-id=1533227)