How maths underpins almost every aspect of our lives

For many of us, maths is simply a subject we studied at school to help us learn how to count, add one thing to another, and carry out everyday tasks such as managing our personal finances. But if we look more deeply, maths has underpinned the way that humans understand and interpret the world for thousands of years. Without our knowledge of maths, we’d have no smartphones and no internet, our buildings wouldn’t stay standing up, and we’d know very little about the wider Universe we live in.

In this episode we’re joined by Prof Terrence Tao, a mathematician and author based at the University of California, Los Angeles to talk about his latest book, Six Maths Essentials – How to Model the World.

He tells us how starting to think about numbers more abstractly opened up a whole new way in which we can understand the world around us, how innovations in maths have often helped us to solve real-world scientific problems that arose long after their initial discovery, and encourages us all to see how paying more attention to maths just a little more can help us enrich our lives.

Take your curiosity further with a subscription to BBC Science Focus magazine. Every issue is packed with fascinating insights into the science behind everyday life, the latest breakthroughs and expert analysis, delivered straight to your door. Receive an extra £5 when you subscribe using the code SF5OFF, (minimum spend £20, see full terms and conditions on our website).

https://www.ourmediashop.com/bbc-science-focus-magazine-pod30

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