Best Math Contest Podcasts (2025)

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Math Contest Answers 10:46

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25d ago10:46

10:46

Hello everyone, the contest has been won by 4 awesome people: Ian Schulze, Paul McLaughlin, Chris Parkinson, and Chris Panter. Congrats to them! Thank you to everyone who submitted an answer and joined in on the madness.

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Season 7, Ep. 5 — Joe DiMaggio Episode: Mets Bow Out, Yanks Surge, DS Set & a Whiteout Washout 1:21:00

5h ago1:21:00

1:21:00

Sports Fellowship with Fox & Frank brings a full plate of baseball (with a side of college football and a sprinkle of chaos). Mets obituary & survivor tie drama: Frank mourns the Mets’ playoff miss (and his own survivor-pool exit via that Packers tie). New York cleans house on the coaching staff… but keeps the manager. Yankees–Red Sox & a rookie ma…

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Spooky Drinking with Devangelist 58:08

5h ago58:08

58:08

We had a great time with the Rockstar of Retail - our friend Tim! We were listening to the Cubbies win, so the recording fades in and out a bit, but oh well (they won!). In this episode, we chat about Tim’s bands and run through the top scary movie quotes. Stick around until the end to hear a song titled Deviant! All The Clopen Links: https://linkt…

1
Anthropologists Have A Bone To Pick With New Skull Finding 12:51

1d ago12:51

12:51

There’s fresh drama in the field of human origins! A new analysis of an ancient hominid skull from China challenges what we thought we knew about our ancestral family tree, and its timeline—at least according to the researchers who wrote the paper. The new study claims that Homo sapiens, and some of our relatives, could have emerged at least half a…

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Emergency in Antarctica; How movement changes the brain; Why women live longer than men 30:56

2d ago30:56

30:56

Episode 323 Temperatures in Antarctica have soared by over 35°C. Scientists are concerned about how quickly things are changing on the continent as these warmer temperatures impact the polar vortex. Coupled with record lows in sea ice cover over the last decade, this could be a sign that Antarctic weather patterns have shifted permanently. What’s d…

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Remembering Primatologist Jane Goodall 17:44

2d ago17:44

17:44

Jane Goodall, renowned primatologist, conservationist, and humanitarian, died on October 1 at the age of 91. Goodall was born in London in 1934, and her curiosity about the natural world led her to the forests of Gombe, Tanzania, where she made groundbreaking observations of chimpanzee behavior, including tool use. Her research challenged the accep…

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What Do We Know About SSRI Antidepressant Withdrawal? 18:51

3d ago18:51

18:51

Roughly 1 in 10 Americans take antidepressants. The most common type is SSRIs, or selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, like Prozac, Lexapro, and Zoloft. But what happens when you stop taking them? Studies don’t point to a single conclusion, and there’s ongoing debate among physicians and patients about the severity and significance of SSRI wit…

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Asha de Vos’ Journey From Deck Hand To Marine Science Leader 18:49

4d ago18:49

18:49

The tropical waters of Sri Lanka, an island off the coast of India, are home to a population of blue whales unlike any other. These whales stay put, while every other known population migrates. That discovery was made by budding scientist Asha de Vos more than 20 years ago—it made a splash, and so did she. She later became the first Sri Lankan to e…

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Why Painters Are Obsessed With The Duck Stamp Art Contest 19:09

5d ago19:09

19:09

In mid-September, artists from around the country convened in Laurel, Maryland, for one of the splashiest events in the wildlife art world: the Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest. At the annual event, artists compete to have their excruciatingly detailed waterfowl painting appear on the Federal Duck Stamp, which is a waterfowl hunting license. This yea…

1
Ep. 274: Pete Andolina vs. Ian Schulze 36:31

7h ago36:31

36:31

Throwback Trivia Takedown takes trivia back to the glory days from the late 20th century to the early 2000's. Two challengers go head to head in a duel of the decades where the one with the most nostalgic knowledge of pop culture comes out victorious. Do you know your nostalgia? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠bfopnetwork.com⁠…

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Can Better Equipment Eliminate Concussions In Sports? 18:57

6d ago18:57

18:57

Football season is well underway, and fans know those athletes get hit hard. Could better helmets and guidelines around concussion prevention someday eliminate head injuries from the sport? Host Flora Lichtman speaks with concussion doctor Michael Collins and helmet specialist Barry Miller about how our understanding of head injuries and equipment …

1
Bathroom Breaks and Dirty Grapes 54:13

1d ago54:13

54:13

We kick things off with a hilarious story from our co-worker who carried 100 balloons for 1.5 miles from the store to an office party (yes, people stared). Then it’s all about GERMS — the gross, sneaky, everyday kind that hide where you least expect them. Fun, funny, and a little bit ewww - this episode has it all! All The Clopen Links: https://lin…

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Season 7, Ep. 4 — The Nails & The Numbers: Dykstra nostalgia, Mets on the brink, Yanks at 60, and a Whiteout warning 1:34:45

2d ago1:34:45

1:34:45

Dan and Frank are caffeinated and joined in the flesh by Allen “Action” Jackson (plus Rich on the dials) for a Saturday-morning sprint through baseball storylines and a juicy CFB slate. In this episode: Lenny “Nails” Dykstra: the legend, the lunacy, the ’93 Phils memories—and why fans still can’t quit him. Yankees: 60 postseason berths is the new f…

151
Is Tylenol Use During Pregnancy Connected To Autism? 12:25

9d ago12:25

12:25

At a news conference on September 22, President Trump claimed that taking acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, during pregnancy “can be associated with a very increased risk of autism.” Many experts have pushed back on the statement, saying it’s a false claim that downplays the risks of fever during pregnancy, which Tylenol may be used …

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Skull rewrites story of human evolution; Autism and Tylenol; discovery of wind coming from black hole 33:57

9d ago33:57

33:57

Episode 322 An ancient skull discovered in China may have just rewritten the story of human evolution. It’s widely accepted that the common ancestor of Homo sapiens, Denisovans and Neanderthals came out of Africa. But this skull upends that assumption - potentially showing human evolution began in Asia. Discover how a new reconstruction of the Yunx…

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How AI Advances Are Improving Humanoid Robots 18:18

10d ago18:18

18:18

Robots are just about everywhere these days: circling the grocery store, cleaning the floor at the airport, making deliveries. Not to mention the robots on the assembly lines in factories. But how far are we from having a human-like robot at home? For example, a robot housekeeper like Rosie from “The Jetsons.” She didn’t just cook and clean, she ba…

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The High-Tech Lab Unlocking Secrets Of Coral Reproduction 18:17

11d ago18:17

18:17

In the heart of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, scientists are on the cutting edge of growing coral. Rising ocean temperatures have caused mass coral bleaching, and experts are racing against the clock to figure out how to help corals be more resilient to stress. Coral scientist Rebecca Albright joined Host Ira Flatow at our live show at the Fox …

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Ep. 273: Christian Hernandez vs Mary Randazzo 34:00

9d ago34:00

34:00

Throwback Trivia Takedown takes trivia back to the glory days from the late 20th century to the early 2000's. Two challengers go head to head in a duel of the decades where the one with the most nostalgic knowledge of pop culture comes out victorious. Do you know your nostalgia?

1
The Humble Microbe Could Help Us Understand Life Itself 12:48

12d ago12:48

12:48

Sift through your memories and excavate an image of a fossil. Maybe you’re picturing dinosaur bones, the imprint of an ammonite, or the fronds of a fern etched into stone. But there’s a whole other category of fossilized remains that can tell us about life way before T. rexes, or even twigs, existed on this planet. That’s fossilized evidence of mic…

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Raising A New Generation Of Bat Conservationists In West Africa 18:41

13d ago18:41

18:41

Nigeria is home to 100 known species of bats—about a third of Africa’s bat species—but scientists don’t know much about them. Ecologists Iroro Tanshi and Benneth Obitte, collaborators and life partners, are trying to change that. In addition to studying and protecting the bats of their homeland, they’re also working to raise up a whole network of b…

1
Dying to Win (Competitive Eating Contests) 41:29

10d ago41:29

41:29

From hot dogs at Coney Island to lamingtons in Australia, competitive eating contests are one of the strangest - and most fascinating - traditions around the world. Today, we’re talking about the wild history, the training secrets, and even the dangers of this stomach-stretching sport. All The Clopen Links: https://linktr.ee/theclopeneffect $2/mont…

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Season 7, Ep. 3 — Babe Ruth Vibes: Bronx belief, Mets math, Phils’ magic number & CFB slate 1:18:11

15d ago1:18:11

1:18:11

Dan, Frank, Allen “Action” Jackson, and Rich “One-Eared” Vassallo swing into the Babe Ruth episode with a lively whip-around of September baseball and a peek at the college gridiron. In this one: Yanks: 19 over .500, eyeing October; Judge productive but pitched around, rotation still a puzzle; big Orioles set. Mets: streaky as ever—bats pop, starte…

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The evolutionary price we pay for longer lives; the asteroid coming VERY close to Earth; how dinosaurs shaped the ecosystem 32:59

16d ago32:59

32:59

Episode 321 Humans live a lot longer than other primates - and much of that is down to our immune system. But there’s a price we pay for the capacity to fight off infections: inflammation. Chronic inflammation is to blame for a range of health issues, especially those related to older age. And now research has revealed exactly why inflammation is g…

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How Conservation Efforts Brought Rare Birds Back From The Brink 18:11

16d ago18:11

18:11

The overall state of birds can seem rather grim. Almost a third of North American bird species are in decline, and in the last five decades, more than 100 species have lost over half of their populations. This is primarily due to lack of food—fewer insects to eat—and habitat loss, like the development of grasslands. But there’s a bright spot: Some …

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Teamwork Between Species Is The Key To Life Itself 18:31

17d ago18:31

18:31

Codependency between humans gets a bad rap. But in nature, species often rely on each other for survival. While humans think they’re in control of relationships between other species, like dogs and even the yeast for our breads, the opposite is often true. Host Flora Lichtman speaks with ecologist Rob Dunn, whose new book, The Call of the Honeyguid…

1
If An Asteroid Were Headed For Earth, Would We Be Ready? 18:39

18d ago18:39

18:39

You might remember news reporting from earlier this year that a 180-foot asteroid had about a 3% chance of hitting Earth in 2032. And if it did, it would unleash energy equivalent to hundreds of nuclear bombs. After further observations, astronomers revised that probability way down, to close to zero. So what is our current capability to spot Earth…

1
A Trailblazing Geneticist Reflects On Her Life And Work 48:13

19d ago48:13

48:13

It’s common knowledge that many diseases and conditions have some kind of genetic link. But that wasn't always the case. In 1990, long before the Human Genome Project tied so many health issues to differences in genetics, researchers identified a gene called BRCA1. It was the first gene linked to a hereditary form of any common cancer. People with …

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Ep. 272: Philip Sanford vs. Arjun Sivakumar 37:42

14d ago37:42

37:42

Throwback Trivia Takedown takes trivia back to the glory days from the late 20th century to the early 2000's. Two challengers go head to head in a duel of the decades where the one with the most nostalgic knowledge of pop culture comes out victorious. Do you know your nostalgia?

1
What The Label Of ‘Genius’ Tells Us About Our Society 18:41

20d ago18:41

18:41

What makes someone a genius? Are they the smartest, most creative, most innovative people? Those with the highest IQ? Who we consider a genius may actually tell us much more about what we value as a society than any objective measure of brilliance. A compelling or quirky life story often shapes who is elevated to genius status. Host Ira Flatow unpa…

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Season 7, Ep. 2 — Lucky Seven & Late-Summer Sweat: Yanks/Phils/Mets, Arch Mania & CFB Kickoff 1:11:49

21d ago1:11:49

1:11:49

Dan and Frank kick off Season 7 with Allen “Action” Jackson and sound wizard Rich Vassallo—same goofballs, brand-new season. This week: Yankees check-in: Chance to gain on Toronto… promptly down 4–0. Judge still productive but nagged, deadline arms underwhelming, Boone watch simmers. Mets meter: Bats flicker, starters fade by the 5th, bullpen roule…

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The Human Obsession With Aliens Goes Way, Way Back 25:23

23d ago25:23

25:23

A video shown on Capitol Hill on September 9 reportedly shows an American hellfire missile attacking and simply bouncing off a UAP (the military term for a UFO). When videos like this come out, speculation about aliens often follows. But our obsession with aliens isn’t new—and it didn’t begin with 1950s alien invasion movies like “The Day The Earth…

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Why we can't announce life on Mars (yet); The Romans' impact on the British economy; Link between exercise and your microbiome 29:59

23d ago29:59

29:59

Episode 320 Was Mars once home to alien life? The evidence is stronger than ever, since NASA’s discovery of rocks marked by patterns similar to those made by microbes on Earth. Found in an area now named Bright Angel, these rocks give us a tantalising insight into Mars’ ancient past - but just how definitive is this finding? It’s long been thought …

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Rest Stops and Snack Shops 1:04:52

19d ago1:04:52

1:04:52

Wowee, we do love to laugh at ourselves! This episode is no different! We talk about road trips and rest stops, snacks and car ride games. Thanks for being here! We are really having a great time with all of you! All The Clopen Links: https://linktr.ee/theclopeneffect $2/month keeps us recording and bringing you all the laughs! https://the-clopen-e…