Episode Overview:
Long before Europe adopted the concept of zero, the ancient Maya had already created one of the most sophisticated mathematical systems in the world. In this episode of Math Science History, host Gabrielle Birkjak uncovers the secrets of Mayan mathematics, from the elegance of their base-20 number system, to their revolutionary use of zero, to the celestial precision encoded in the Dresden Codex.

We explore how the Maya embedded math into everything from pyramids to calendars, and how European scholars like Ernst Förstemann helped rediscover their brilliance centuries later. This isn’t just a story about numbers, it’s a story about worldview, time, astronomy, and one of the most advanced mathematical traditions of the ancient world.

Three Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:
How the ancient Maya independently invented and used zero in a positional number system.

Why their base-20 (vigesimal) system was uniquely suited for astronomy and calendar cycles.

How the Dresden Codex survived colonialism and war to become a key to understanding Mayan math and astronomy.

Resources and Further Reading:

SLUB Dresden Digital Archive: View the Dresden Codex:
https://digital.slub-dresden.de/werkansicht/dlf/29691/1

Förstemann, Ernst. Commentary on the Maya Manuscript in the Royal Public Library of Dresden (1901): https://archive.org/details/commentarymaya00fruoft

Coe, Michael D., and Stephen Houston. The Maya, 9th ed. Thames & Hudson, 2015.

Ifrah, Georges. The Universal History of Numbers. Wiley, 2000.

British Museum, Maya Mathematics Learning Resource:
https://www.britishmuseum.org/learn/schools/ages-7-11/maths/maya-mathematics

Explore more on our website: mathsciencehistory.com
To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit https://a.co/d/g3OuP9h

Let’s Connect!

Website: mathsciencehistory.com
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mathsciencehistory.bsky.social
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/math.science.history

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🎵 Music: All music is public domain and has no Copyright and no rights reserved.
Selections from The Little Prince by Lloyd Rodgers

🎵 Audio mixed by David Aviles

Until next time, carpe diem!

Ever find yourself squinting at a metric label, trying to figure out how much a liter is in cups—or how heavy your suitcase is in pounds? In this episode of Math! Science! History!, host Gabrielle Birchak shares fast, intuitive tricks to help you convert metric units, without numbers, calculators, or charts.

Through rhythm, storytelling, and everyday comparisons, you’ll learn how to feel conversions in your head, whether you’re driving, walking, or cooking. From chocolate bars and milk jugs to cat weights and yoga mats, we’re turning complex conversions into simple, memorable cues. This episode is perfect for anyone who wants to sharpen their mental math, and sound like a genius without pulling out their phone.

3 Things You'll Learn in This Episode:

- How to mentally visualize metric conversions using sensory and familiar objects—no math required.
- Real-world reference points for converting volume, weight, distance, and temperature.
- Simple memory tricks to help internalize metric vs. imperial conversions while on the go.

Explore more on our website: mathsciencehistory.com
To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit https://a.co/d/g3OuP9h

Let’s Connect!

www.Instagram.com/math.science.history

https://bsky.app/profile/mathsciencehistory.bsky.social

https://www.linkedin.com/company/math-science-history/

https://www.threads.com/@math.science.history

Enjoying the Podcast?

If you love Math! Science! History! here’s how you can help:
Leave a review – It helps more people discover the show!
Share this episode with friends & fellow history buffs!
Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform

☕ Support the Show! We are sponsored by Coffee!! https://shorturl.at/bHIsc

Checking out our merch: https://www.mathsciencehistory.com/the-store

Music: All music is public domain and has no Copyright and no rights reserved.
On Matters of Consequence from The Little Prince by Lloyd Rodgers

Until next time, carpe diem!

Episode Overview

How did a bold Enlightenment vision become the universal language of science and technology? In this episode of Math! Science! History!, Gabrielle takes you on a journey through the revolutionary origins, global adoption, and modern significance of the metric system. Discover how a chaotic world of local measurements gave way to an elegant, decimal-based system designed to unify not just France—but the entire planet. From the daring expedition of Delambre and Méchain to today's atomic-clock-calibrated definitions, this story reveals how the metric system continues to shape spaceflight, AI, and even cryptocurrency.

3 Things You Will Learn

Why the French Revolution called for a measurement system “for all people, for all time.”

How the metric system evolved from platinum prototypes to quantum-based constants.

Why the metric system is essential in today’s world, from Mars missions to microchips.

Resources & References

BIPM – International System of Units (SI)

NIST – Redefinition of the Kilogram

Alder, Ken. The Measure of All Things

Quinn, Terry. From Artefacts to Atoms

O’Connor, Anahad. “Why the U.S. Doesn't Use the Metric System” – The New York Times

Explore more on our website: mathsciencehistory.com
To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit https://a.co/d/g3OuP9h

🌍 Let’s Connect!

Website: mathsciencehistory.com
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mathsciencehistory.bsky.social
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/math.science.history
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/math-science-history

Enjoying the Podcast?

If you love Math, Science, History, here’s how you can help:
Leave a review – It helps more people discover the show!
Share this episode with friends & fellow history buffs!
Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform

☕ Support the Show: Coffee!! https://shorturl.at/bHIsc

Checking out our merch: https://www.mathsciencehistory.com/the-store

🎵 Audio: Mixed by David Aviles

Music: All music is public domain and has no Copyright and no rights reserved.
Selections from The Little Prince by Lloyd Rodgers
Waltz with Me by Beat Mekanik
Camille Saint-Saëns, Danse Macabre by Kevin MacLeod

Until next time, carpe diem!