ScienceMathematicsNatural Sciences

Mag World

Saul Pwanson

Mag World is an effort to develop fluency in logarithmetic, by using simplified notation for numbers that focuses on the magnitude. This develops a corresponding intuitive sense of scale–not just "bigger" or "smaller", but how much bigger, and how much smaller. And what are each of the levels of scale like?

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9 episodes
Avg 38 min
English

Episodes 9

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#9
September 8 · 42 min
Mag Energy
Saul and Mike tally up how much energy Earth actually has -- solar, fossil, nuclear, wind, geothermal, tidal -- and work out whether any of it is enough to get a ship to Tau Ceti, with Project Hail Mary's astrophage as the yardstick. Show notes for this episode are at magworld.pw/episodes/energy.
#8
July 23 · 36 min
Mag Computer
Saul and Mike climb the mag scale of computing, using RAM as a proxy for compute power, from the Apollo guidance computer and the Apple II up to today's machines, and what each mag of memory made possible. Show notes for this episode are at magworld.pw/episodes/computer.
#7
May 21 · 43 min
Mag Water
Saul and Mike talk about water, from the Moldau to the Niagara to the Amazon, and glaciers, icebergs, car washes, and hamburgers. Show notes for this episode are at magworld.pw/episodes/water.
#6
April 15 · 42 min
Mag Population
Saul and Mike explore the magnitudes of various populations of creatures on earth, from humans to buffalo to chickens to roundworms to bacteria. Show notes for this episode are at magworld.pw/episodes/population.
#5
March 12 · 32 min
Mag Homelessness
Saul and Mike talk with William Towey of the King County Regional Homelessness Authority about the magnitude of homelessness in Seattle, from the first recorded homeless settler in 1854, to 16,000 counted homeless people in 2024. Show notes for this episode are at magworld.pw/episodes/homelessness.
#4
February 6 · 41 min
Mag Money
Saul and Mike discuss what each mag level of wealth feels like, how the cost of debt changes between levels, and how long it would take a wealth tax to materially affect a billionaire. Show notes for this episode are at magworld.pw/episodes/money.
#3
January 29 · 41 min
Mag Matter
Mass, mining, precious metals, and the periodic table. Show notes for this episode are at magworld.pw/episodes/matter.
#2
January 15 · 29 min
Mag Perception
Decibels and frequencies and hot peppers. Making Fech a thing. Show notes for this episode are at magworld.pw/episodes/perception.
#1
January 1 · 33 min
Mag Cosmos
Saul and Mike talk about Archimedes, the size of the Universe, and the speed of light. Show notes for this episode are at magworld.pw/episodes/cosmos.

Showing 1–9 of 9 episodes