New Books Network Podcast

Economics January 14, 2023

Game Theory and Behavior

Jeffrey Carpenter and Andrea Robbett

Hosted by Peter Lorentzen

Jeffrey Carpenter and Andrea Robbett's book Game Theory and Behavior (MIT Press, 2022) is an introduction to game theory that offers not only theoretical tools but also the intuition and behavioral …

Mathematics December 19, 2022

Seduced by Mathematics

The Enduring Fascination of Mathematics

James D. Stein

Hosted by Caleb Zakarin

Seduction is not just an end result, but a process -- and in mathematics, both the end results and the process by which those end results are achieved are often …

Mathematics December 18, 2022

Who's Counting?

Uniting Numbers and Narratives with Stories from Pop Culture, Puzzles, Politics, and More

John Allen Paulos

Hosted by Jim Stein

Innumeracy, by John Allen Paulos, was first published in 1988. In it the author brilliantly highlighted many of the sorry truths those of us who teach math and science know …

Mathematics November 23, 2022

The Secret Lives of Numbers

Numerals and Their Peculiarities in Mathematics and Beyond

Alfred S. Posamentier

Hosted by Jim Stein

Alfred S. Posamentier's The Secret Lives of Numbers: Numerals and Their Peculiarities in Mathematics and Beyond (Prometheus Books, 2022) is the first book I’ve ever seen written by a mathematician that …

High Theory November 22, 2022

Probability

A Discussion with Justin Joque and Júlia Irion Martins

Justin Joque and Júlia Irion Martins

Hosted by Kim Adams and Saronik Bosu

In this episode of High Theory, Justin Joque talks with Júlia Irion Martins about Probability. This conversation is part of our High Theory in STEM series, which tackles topics in …

Mathematics November 11, 2022

Mathematical Tools for Real-World Applications

A Gentle Introduction for Students and Practitioners

Alexandr Draganov

Hosted by Jim Stein

I’ve never read a book like Mathematical Tools for Real-World Applications: A Gentle Introduction for Students and Practitioners (MIT Press, 2022) – it’s a book about how engineers and scientists …

Mathematics November 9, 2022

Performing Math

A History of Communication and Anxiety in the American Mathematics Classroom

Andrew Fiss

Hosted by Miranda Melcher

Performing Math: A History of Communication and Anxiety in the American Mathematics Classroom (Rutgers University Press, 2020) by Dr. Andrew Fiss tells the history of expectations for math communication—and the …

Science November 2, 2022

"Well, Doc, You're In"

Freeman Dyson’s Journey through the Universe

David Kaiser

Hosted by Matthew Jordan

Freeman Dyson (1923–2020)—renowned scientist, visionary, and iconoclast—helped invent modern physics. Not bound by disciplinary divisions, he went on to explore foundational topics in mathematics, astrophysics, and the origin of life …

Mathematics October 31, 2022

The Story of Proof

Logic and the History of Mathematics

John Stillwell

Hosted by Jim Stein

The Story of Proof: Logic and the History of Mathematics (Princeton UP, 2022) investigates the evolution of the concept of proof--one of the most significant and defining features of mathematical …

Mathematics September 12, 2022

The New Era in American Mathematics, 1920–1950

Karen Hunger Parshall

Hosted by Marc Goulet

In The New Era in American Mathematics, 1920-1950 (Princeton University Press, 2022) Karen Parshall explores the institutional, financial, social, and political forces that shaped and supported the American Mathematics community …

Mathematics August 23, 2022

Mathematical Puzzles

Peter Winkler

Hosted by Cory Brunson

Peter Winkler has been collecting mathematical puzzles since childhood. He has had published two previous collections, and recently he compiled his largest curated collection to date. Mathematical Puzzles (A K …

Mathematics August 23, 2022

Community College Mathematics

Past, Present, and Future

Brian Cafarella

Hosted by Marc Goulet

In Community College Mathematics: Past, Present, and Future (CRC Press, 2022), Brian Cafarella addresses the key questions: How can we build a future model for community college gatekeeper math classes …

Grinnell College: Authors and Artists August 15, 2022

Modern Mathematical Logic

Joseph Mileti

Hosted by Marshall Poe

Today I had the pleasure of talking to Joe Mileti, associate professor of mathematics at Grinnell College. Even if you are not "into" math, you will enjoy this conversation. We …

Mathematics August 9, 2022

Probability and Forensic Evidence

Theory, Philosophy, and Applications

Ronald Meester and Klaas Slooten

Hosted by Marc Goulet

In Probability and Forensic Evidence: Theory, Philosophy, and Applications (Cambridge UP, 2021), Ronald Meester and Klaas Slooten address the role of statistics and probability in the evaluation of forensic evidence, including …

Architecture July 8, 2022

Formulations

Architecture, Mathematics, Culture

Andrew Witt

Hosted by Bryan Toepfer

In Formulations: Architecture, Mathematics, Culture (MIT Press, 2022), Andrew Witt examines the visual, methodological, and cultural intersections between architecture and mathematics. The linkages Witt explores involve not the mystic transcendence …

Economics June 30, 2022

Formal Models of Domestic Politics

Scott Gehlbach

Hosted by Peter Lorentzen

Formal mathematical models have provided tremendous insights into politics in recent decades. Formal Models of Domestic Politics (Cambridge UP, 2021) is the leading graduate textbook covering the crucial models that …

Economics June 22, 2022

Don't Trust Your Gut

Using Data to Get What You Really Want in LIfe

Seth Stephens-Davidowitz

Hosted by Peter Lorentzen

Today I talked to Seth Stephens-Davidowitz about his new book Don't Trust Your Gut: Using Data to Get What You Really Want in LIfe (Dey Street Books, 2022) Looking for advice on how …

Science June 21, 2022

Plan S for Shock

Science. Shock. Solution. Speed.

Robert-Jan Smits and Rachael Pells

Hosted by Galina Limorenko

Plan S: the open access initiative that changed the face of global research. Robert-Jan Smits and Rachael Pells's book Plan S for Shock: Science. Shock. Solution. Speed. (Ubiquity Press, 2022) tells …

Music June 9, 2022

Mathematical Music

From Antiquity to Music AI

Nikita Braguinski

Hosted by David Golland

What is mathematical music? In Mathematical Music from Antiquity to AI (Routledge, 2022), musicologist Nikita Braguinski discusses how mathematics has historically been used to make music, how it continues to …

Mathematics May 10, 2022

Teaching Mathematics Through Games

Mindy Capaldi

Hosted by Cory Brunson

Games are an established aide in pre-college mathematics education. Meanwhile, innumerable popular books have investigated the mathematics of games. In a new edited volume for the AMS/MAA Classroom Resource Materials …