Unadulterated Dice Nerding

The Rest Is Science

Goalhanger

Physics, Science, Mathematics

4.5 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 1 January 2026

⏱️ 38 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

From tiny six sided cubes to oversized polyhedrons with dozens of faces, Michael’s collection of dice is more than just a hobby, it’s a window into probability, design, and the strange ways we humans play with chance! Why might some dice feel luckier than others? How do they shape the games we play, the mathematics we study, and the way we've made decisions throughout history? Each die has it's uses but they all reveal the patterns, quirks, and surprises that lie in the numbers we trust and the randomness, or chance, that we don’t. Welcome to The Rest Is Science: Field Notes. Every Thursday, Hannah and Michael rummage through their personal troves of scientific treasure and source discoveries that explain our understanding the universe, oddities that scramble our brains, objects that hint at forces we’ll never see...and a few things that are essentially just plain cool. Expect deep dives into the science behind each pick, the spark that grabbed their attentions, and the sheer delight they get from sharing it all with you. They’ll also be tackling your questions, so email The Rest Is Science at therestisscience@goalhanger.com ------------------- For more information about Cancer Research UK, their research, breakthroughs and how you can support them, visit ⁠⁠https://cancerresearchuk.org/restisscience ⁠⁠ Cancer Research UK is a registered charity in England and Wales (1089464), Scotland (SC041666), the Isle of Man (1103) and Jersey (247). A company limited by guarantee. Registered company in England and Wales (4325234) and the Isle of Man (5713F). Registered address: 2 Redman Place, London, E20 1JQ. ------------------- Find The Rest Is Science all over the internet by ⁠clicking here.⁠ ------------------- Video Producer: Adam Thornton Video & Social: Bex Tyrrell Assistant Producer: Imee Marriott Producer: Becki Hills Senior Producer: Lauren Armstrong-Carter Head Of Digital: Samuel Oakley Exec Producer: Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This episode is brought to you by Cancer Research UK.
0:02.9	Dinosaurs walked the earth 180 million years ago.
0:07.0	But you know, cancer was part of their story too.
0:10.2	Scientists have found tumors in ancient fossils.
0:13.2	Well, that is part of the reason why cancer is a big part of our story, right?
0:18.2	It's the other side of evolution.
0:19.9	It's the most complex disease
0:21.6	that we face. There are more than 200 types of cancer in total, each with distinct
0:25.9	characteristics, challenges, and mysteries. And that complexity demands scale. Cancer Research,
0:32.0	UK, is the world's largest charitable funder of cancer research, with more than 4,000 scientists,
0:38.8	doctors, and nurses working across more than 20 countries in the search for answers. And then sharing their
0:44.1	discoveries beyond borders. And the impact of this collaboration is clear, because over the last
0:48.2	50 years, the charity's pioneering work has helped to double cancer survival in the UK. That is more people who are living
0:55.9	longer, better lives. Fossils can show us the past, but research is shaping the future. And for
1:03.1	more information about Cancer Research UK, their research, breakthroughs and how you can support them,
1:09.1	visit cancerresearchuk.org forward slash rest is science.
1:14.5	Because you bought your robot vacuum on your Berkeley card,
1:17.9	you got 0% interest for up to 24 months,
1:20.9	which makes watching it, hypnotically sweeping up your crumbs,
1:24.3	even more satisfying.
1:25.8	Oh, Mr. Bit.
1:27.2	What you buy is your business.
	...

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