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Solve For X : TED Radio Hour Math intimidates a lot of us, but it can deliver surprising answers to life's pressing questions. In this episode, TED speakers discuss the elegant simplicity, and giddy complexity, of solving for X.

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Life's biggest questions, explored.
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How do numbers shape our lives?

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Solve For X

Math intimidates a lot of us, but it can deliver surprising answers to life's pressing questions. In this episode, TED speakers discuss the elegant simplicity, and giddy complexity, of solving for X.

Randall Munroe: Can Math Answer Absurd Questions?

"To me what's exciting is the answers that math can get you to." - Randall Munroe James Duncan Davidson/TED hide caption

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TED Radio Hour

Randall Munroe: Can Math Answer Absurd Questions?

by NPR/TED Staff

Randall Munroe: Can Math Answer Absurd Questions?

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Terry Moore: Why Do We Solve For "X"?

"A mathematical proof appears as a thing of beauty. It speaks of a higher truth. It speaks of a harmony to knowledge." - Terry Moore James Duncan Davidson/TED hide caption

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TED Radio Hour

Terry Moore: Why Do We Solve For "X"?

by NPR/TED Staff

Terry Moore: Why Do We Solve For "X"?

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Kevin Slavin: Should We Be Wary of Algorithms?

"Decisions are made automatically by machines, increasingly without human supervision." - Kevin Slavin James Duncan Davidson/TED hide caption

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TED Radio Hour

Kevin Slavin: Should We Be Wary of Algorithms?

by NPR/TED Staff

Kevin Slavin: Should We Be Wary of Algorithms?

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Randall Munroe: How Can Math Help You Imagine The Impossible?

Writer Randall Munroe answers bizarre questions with math, like what would happen if a baseball pitcher threw a ball at 90 percent the speed of light? James Duncan Davidson/Courtesy of TED hide caption

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TED Radio Hour

Randall Munroe: How Can Math Help You Imagine The Impossible?

by NPR/TED Staff

Randall Munroe: How Can Math Help You Imagine The Impossible?

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Clayton Cameron: Why Is Three A Magic Number?

"Three is like a magic number." - Clayton Cameron Ryan Lash/Courtesy of TED hide caption

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TED Radio Hour

Clayton Cameron: Why Is Three A Magic Number?

by NPR/TED Staff

Clayton Cameron: Why Is Three A Magic Number?

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Hannah Fry: Can Math Help You Fall in Love?

"I struggle to find anything in the world that you can't that you can't get an interesting perspective on by using maths." - Hannah Fry Courtesy of TED hide caption

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TED Radio Hour

Hannah Fry: Can Math Help You Fall in Love?

by NPR/TED Staff

Hannah Fry: Can Math Help You Fall in Love?

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Clayton Cameron: Can Math Make You A Better Musician?

Percussionist Clayton Cameron says learning the language of numbers improved his music. Ryan Lash/Courtesy of TED hide caption

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TED Radio Hour

Clayton Cameron: Can Math Make You A Better Musician?

by NPR/TED Staff

Clayton Cameron: Can Math Make You A Better Musician?

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TED Radio HourTED Radio Hour

Life's biggest questions, explored.
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