Fermi in a Flash: Estimating Big Questions with Small Math

Curious how many piano tuners are in your city or how many cups of coffee the world drinks each day? In this 7‑minute panel episode Philip and Shauna introduce Fermi estimation — a practical, low‑math toolkit for producing quick, useful answers to big questions. We open with a sharp hook to spark curiosity, then walk through what Fermi thinking is, three simple techniques (decomposition, order‑of‑magnitude, and anchoring), and three rapid exercises listeners can try mentally or jot down in under a minute. The conversation stays conversational and approachable, focused on intuition, common‑sense checks, and how to spot when an estimate needs refinement. Listeners leave with an everyday mental habit that saves time, reduces information overload, and turns vague questions into actionable guesses.