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The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets
- Author
- Simon Singh
- Narrator
- Lexie McDougall
- Publisher
- Bloomsbury Publishing
- Publish Date
- 31 March 2021
- Run Time
- 7 hours 57 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
What to expect
The brainy book by the bestselling author of Fermat’s Enigma—a must for anyone interested in numbers and mathematics, as well as for the millions of Simpsons fans worldwide.
“Simon Singh's excellent book blows the lid off a decades-long conspiracy to secretly educate cartoon viewers.” ?David X. Cohen, writer for The Simpsons and Futurama
You may have watched hundreds of episodes of The Simpsons (and its sister show Futurama) without ever realizing that cleverly embedded in many plots are subtle references to mathematics, ranging from well-known equations to cutting-edge theorems and conjectures. That they exist, Simon Singh reveals, underscores the brilliance of the shows’ writers, many of whom have advanced degrees in mathematics in addition to their unparalleled sense of humor.
While recounting memorable episodes such as “Bart the Genius” and “Homer3,” Singh weaves in mathematical stories that explore everything from p to Mersenne primes, Euler’s equation to the unsolved riddle of P v. NP; from perfect numbers to narcissistic numbers, infinity to even bigger infinities, and much more. Along the way, Singh meets members of The Simpsons’ brilliant writing team—among them David X. Cohen, Al Jean, Jeff Westbrook, and Mike Reiss—whose love of arcane mathematics becomes clear as they reveal the stories behind the episodes.
With wit and clarity, displaying a true fan’s zeal, The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets offers an entirely new insight into the most successful show in television history.
Critics Review
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Mathematical concepts both useful and obscure explained via the antics of America's favorite yellow family!
Mental Floss
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Plenty of solid, vest-pocket profiles of both the show's writers and great mathematicians of the past...A fun trip with the 'ultimate TV vehicle for pop culture mathematics.'
Kirkus Reviews
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Simon Singh's excellent book blows the lid off a decades-long conspiracy to secretly educate cartoon viewers.
David X. Cohen, writer for The Simpsons and Futurama.
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Highly entertaining.
New York Times
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Singh spins tales of cryptic intrigue in every chapter.
Wall Street Journal on THE CODE BOOK
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An excellent account of one of the most dramatic and moving events of the century.
New York Times Book Review, Sir Roger Penrose on FERMAT'S ENIGMA
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There's no better account of the big bang theory than this.
Publishers Weekly, starred review for BIG BANG
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Entertaining and satisfying. . . . Offers a fascinating glimpse into the mostly secret competition between codemakers and codebreakers.
USA Today on THE CODE BOOK
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The history of mathematics comes alive even for those who dread balancing their checkbooks.
Publishers Weekly on FERMAT'S ENGIMA
User Reviews
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Details
- Author
- Simon Singh
- Narrator
- Lexie McDougall
- Duration
- 7 hours 57 minutes
- Release Date
- 31 March 2021
- ISBN
- 9781635578324
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Bloomsbury Publishing
- Genre
- Popular culture, Popular and recreational mathematics, Film, television, radio and performing arts: companion works
Synopsis
Bloomsbury presents The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets by Simon Singh, read by Lexie McDougall.The brainy book by the bestselling author of Fermat’s Enigma—a must for anyone interested in numbers and mathematics, as well as for the millions of Simpsons fans worldwide.“Simon Singh's excellent book blows the lid off a decades-long conspiracy to secretly educate cartoon viewers.” ?David X. Cohen, writer for The Simpsons and FuturamaYou may have watched hundreds of episodes of The Simpsons (and its sister show Futurama) without ever realizing that cleverly embedded in many plots are subtle references to mathematics, ranging from well-known equations to cutting-edge theorems and conjectures. That they exist, Simon Singh reveals, underscores the brilliance of the shows’ writers, many of whom have advanced degrees in mathematics in addition to their unparalleled sense of humor.While recounting memorable episodes such as “Bart the Genius” and “Homer3,” Singh weaves in mathematical stories that explore everything from p to Mersenne primes, Euler’s equation to the unsolved riddle of P v. NP; from perfect numbers to narcissistic numbers, infinity to even bigger infinities, and much more. Along the way, Singh meets members of The Simpsons’ brilliant writing team—among them David X. Cohen, Al Jean, Jeff Westbrook, and Mike Reiss—whose love of arcane mathematics becomes clear as they reveal the stories behind the episodes.With wit and clarity, displaying a true fan’s zeal, The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets offers an entirely new insight into the most successful show in television history.
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