In this series of posts, we’ll be featuring mathematical podcasts from all over the internet, by speaking to the creators of the podcast and asking them about what they do.
We spoke to Brady Haran, YouTube filmmaker and creator of Numberphile, along with several other highly successful science YouTube channels, about his accompanying Numberphile podcast.
Podcast title: The Numberphile Podcast
Website: numberphile.com/podcast
Links: Apple – YouTube
Average episode length: 30-80 minutes
Recommended episode: The Klein Bottle Guy – with Cliff Stoll
How would you describe The Numberphile Podcast?
Longer form interviews with mathematicians and numbery people. I have been making short YouTube videos about maths for a while (Numberphile) and when I see all these amazing people, it seemed logical to spend a bit longer with them and go deeper on a podcast.
Who are you? Your face seems familiar.
My name is Brady Haran – an independent filmmaker and podcaster. Some of your readers might be familiar with my Numberphile YouTube videos, or maybe the Hello Internet podcast?
Who is the intended audience for the podcast?
Everyone. My hope is to reveal more about the *people* rather than just the mathematics.
What is a typical episode like?
I typically just sit down with a person and start asking them questions that pop into my head. Very often we cover their lives, path to mathematics, their work, their passions – whatever else comes up. It is deliberately unplanned and we just see where it goes. Conversations last about an hour or so. There’s no release schedule, it’s quite random.
What’s special about your podcast, compared to other mathematical podcasts?
Perhaps because I am not a mathematician myself, I ask questions that you don’t typically hear in “maths interviews”.
What are some highlights of the podcast so far?
The conversations with Cliff Stoll, James Grime, and Edward Frenkel were quite personal and revealing, I thought. Sir Timothy Gowers was really honest about life as a top maths person… and Matt Parker and Hannah Fry were both good fun, of course.
What exciting plans do you have for the future?
I hope to continue getting out the microphone when possible – between making Numberphile videos of course!