EPISODE · Oct 30, 2021 · 46 MIN
49. Mathematician Sarah Hart on Why Numbers are Music to Our Ears
from People I (Mostly) Admire · host Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher
Playing notes on her piano, she demonstrates for Steve why whole numbers sound pleasing, why octaves are mathematically imperfect, and how math underlies musical composition. Sarah, a professor at the University of London and Gresham College, also talks with Steve about the gender gap in mathematics and why being interested in everything can be a problem. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
What this episode covers
Playing notes on her piano, she demonstrates for Steve why whole numbers sound pleasing, why octaves are mathematically imperfect, and how math underlies musical composition. Sarah, a professor at the University of London and Gresham College, also talks with Steve about the gender gap in mathematics and why being interested in everything can be a problem.
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49. Mathematician Sarah Hart on Why Numbers are Music to Our Ears
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