Radiolab - For the Love of Numbers

It’s hard to think of anything more rational, more logical and impersonal than a number. But what if we’re all, universally, also deeply attuned to how numbers … feel? Why 2 is warm, 7 is strong and 11 is downright mystical.

Duration: 19m
Broadcast on: 02 May 2014
Audio Format: other

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Oh, wait, you're listening to Radio Lab from WNYC and NPR. 3, 2, 1, hey, I'm Chad, I'm Ron. I'm Robert Krillwood. This is Radio Lab. And this, this, like this, this is Alex Bellos. He's a writer, he's written a lot about sports, particularly about Brazilian soccer, but also math, or he likes to say maths. And when I wrote my first math book, he was looking at Euclid. I went and gave loads of talks, and at the end of the talk, there'd always be someone who'd put their hand up and they'd say, "What's your favourite number?" And this used to just irritate me because I myself don't have a favourite number. You don't have a favourite number? No, I think it's stupid. But no, that's actually correct. I did think it was stupid, but I just didn't have one. Okay. And why would the question annoy him? Because to me, it's the most normal question you could ask. Well, but this is a member, this is a, this is a, he's talking about a math book to math enthusiast. What's your favourite number? It's like sort of a, it's like, it's too silly, or maybe it's like they're making fun of them? I got so infuriated that once, I think I was a bit tired, it was like, I don't know where the gig was, and I just said, "What's your favourite number?" Just turning it back at the person in the audience. And they said, "Oh, 12." And I was shocked and said, "But you, you weren't asking me because you were kind of taking this out of the math mode. You were actually really wanted to know because you wanted to share your own favourite number." And he was like, "Oh yeah." And then the person sitting next to them were like, "Oh yeah, like mine's eight." And then my mine's seven. And I thought, "This is interesting." And I remember asking the audience, "Well, who here's got a favourite number?" And at least half of the people put their hands up. And you know, in a way that you go from being a smoker, when you stop smoking to be like a rabbit anti-smoker, I went from being a favourite number agnostic, to being obsessed with favourite numbers. He started a website. Favourite number.net. You know, just asking people the question. And I put it out there. And I helped them out on my blog. And I had within the first few weeks, actually, more than 30,000 people. Hello. Hello. Hi. From all over the world. This is Jenny from Round Lake, New York.

Transcription truncated.