Full Interview: The Hidden Math Behind Everything

About this episode

Jordan Ellenberg discusses the pervasive role of mathematics in various aspects of life and the universe.

Jordan Ellenberg tells Hakeem that math isn't just about numbers. It's about everything. The mathematician and bestselling author shares how AI models are trained through trial and error, why geometry secretly governs everything from family trees to statistical correlation, and why uncertainty, not certainty, is the true language of the universe. From new dimensions to hurricanes we can't quite predict, Jordan and Hakeem trace math's fingerprints across physics, language, and daily life in a preview of his upcoming book, Don't Be Too Sure. -------------------------- Guest Bio: Learn more about NOVA and visit our YouTube channel. Jordan Ellenberg is a professor of mathematics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, specializing in number theory and arithmetic algebraic geometry. He is the New York Times bestselling author of How Not to Be Wrong and Shape, and his forthcoming book, Don't Be Too Sure, arrives in 2027

People in this episode

Host: Hakeem

Guest: Jordan Ellenberg

Topics covered

• mathematics
• AI models
• geometry
• uncertainty
• physics
• language
• daily life

Keywords

• mathematics
• AI
• geometry
• uncertainty
• physics
• family trees
• statistical correlation
• daily life

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Wisconsin–Madison

Books & works: Don't Be Too Sure, How Not to Be Wrong, Shape

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