# Mathematical podcasts/audio

Just to ask if anyone is aware of any interesting math podcasts? I am particularly interested in podcasts describing mathematics in the wider world; but interesting academic podcasts would also be useful.

Interesting mathematical audio other than podcasts is also welcome.

• I think it's best to edit a summary into an answer, rather than into the original question. Nov 23, 2009 at 20:37
• Good for you. However, I disagree.
– Magic Andi
Nov 23, 2009 at 21:15
• related: mathoverflow.net/questions/58554 Jun 15, 2011 at 22:22

Here are some math podcasts.

Travels in a Mathematical World from the IMA

Mathematical Moments from the AMS

Math Mutation from Erik Seligman

Strongly Connected Components

(The AMS podcast is quirky. See my notes at the end of this blog post about how to subscribe to Mathematical Moments.)

• John, thanks, the links look useful. As soon as I have enough rep, I will vote your answer up ;-)
– Magic Andi
Oct 25, 2009 at 21:18
• The AMS site drives me nuts -- no audio? not a podcast. Or am I just missing it? Oct 26, 2009 at 0:45
• Graham, there is audio, and there is a podcast for AMS, but neither is obvious from their web site. I edited my answer to explain how that podcast works. Oct 26, 2009 at 4:15
• John, as promised, +1.
– Magic Andi
Nov 23, 2009 at 19:19

Just to mention the BBC's More or Less, a programme that looks at the numbers and statistics that come up in everyday life. It is produced in conjunction with the Open University.

Melvyn Bragg's In Our Time frequently has mathematical editions.

Subjects have included: infinity, Indian mathematics, music and mathematics, Godel's incompleteness theorems, Leibniz vs. Newton, Fibonacci numbers, the Poincare hypothesis, negative numbers, prime numbers, Renaissance mathematics, pi, zero, chaos theory, symmetry and Archimedes.

My Favorite Theorem by Kevin Knudson and Evelyn Lamb (in each interview, a mathematician shares their favorite theorem)

The Joy of $$x$$ by Quanta Magazine. Steven Strogatz interviews scientists (not exclusively mathematicians, but so far, including a disproportionately high number of mathematicians)

Mathematical Moments from the AMS. Based on the posters (flyers?) that the AMS has been distributing for many years.

Mathematically Uncensored "a podcast where our talk is real and complex but never discrete. Hosted by Dr. Pamela E. Harris and Dr. Aris Winger. Join Pamela and Aris for a conversation on the current events and issues for minorities in the mathematical sciences."

Math Life Balance is a really cool podcast started recently by Mura Yakerson.

Each episode features an interview with a different mathematician. These interviews tend to focus more on the practice of doing math, rather than particular mathematical concepts or results.

Samuel Hansen's Strongly Connected Components consists of a weekly interview with a mathematician; so far he's had Gary Chartrand, Bruce Reznick, George Andrews, David Bressoud, Andrew Granville, Lance Fortnow, and Joshua Cooper.

The Fields institute has audio recordings of talks. You can also get audio tracks of MSRI videos of talks, but you have to do some clicking (and encoding, if you want decent compression).

I produced a math podcast "dansmathcast" from 2005-08 that is still up on iTunes, in the Education category, with 33 episodes so far.

It's like a math variety show, with a chapter-of-the-week, mathematics for the masses, math or myth, an advanced topic, and other features, capped off with a math joke. Listen to dansmathcast; in a half hour you'll be smarter!

See if you like it here or subscribe on iTunes (and feel free to add me to your list!)

Dan Bach the Math Jock

• I just wanted to let you know that I subscribed to your podcast. It kind of touched me that you took the time to make one on your own. Jun 16, 2016 at 16:01

History of mathematics, but very very good is:

Opinionated history of mathematics

Canal Académie has a collection of interesting mathematical podcasts.

The only drawback is that you need to be able to speak French. If this is not a problem, I recommend Henri Cartan et la fondation du groupe Bourbaki and Jacques Tits, mathématicien, prix Abel 2008.

Recently I created a curated list about all Math resources I am subscribed to ( blogs, Youtube Channels and podcasts). Here are some podcasts:

There's the Math Factor.

– Magic Andi
Oct 25, 2009 at 22:10

Here are a couple applied math podcasts I've discovered more recently.

inSCIght (scientific computing)

The Science of Better (operations research)

RadioLab has programs that touch on mathematics, although I would not necesarily say they are about math. Here is one about Numbers and here is one avbout Stochasticity.

Here are some youtube playlists (video podcasts) that feature full-length interviews with some of the more famous mathematicians.

HLF Portraits

Interviews at CIRM

Abel Prize Interviews

Feel free to suggest other interview series in the comments.