Sum of All Parts
Sum of All Parts tells extraordinary stories about the unseen influence that numbers have on the way we think, feel and behave.
ABC
Show overview
Sum of All Parts has been publishing since 2017, and across the 3 years since has built a catalogue of 27 episodes. That works out to roughly 10 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a monthly cadence.
Episodes typically run twenty to thirty-five minutes — most land between 13 min and 29 min — though episode length varies meaningfully from one episode to the next. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-language Science show.
The catalogue appears to be on hiatus or wound down — the most recent episode landed 6.3 years ago, with no new episodes in over a year. The busiest year was 2017, with 12 episodes published. Published by ABC.
From the publisher
Sum of All Parts tells extraordinary stories about the unseen influence that numbers have on the way we think, feel and behave.
Latest Episodes
View all 27 episodes
16.2 How we evacuate
How would you react if you received this SMS? BUSHFIRE WARNING. LEAVE NOW.When we evacuate from a bushfire, we fall into one of seven types of evacuee; from Threat Deniers, to Worried Waverers, to Experienced Independents. This is the story of a bad evacuee turned good.
16.1 Fact checking the fire season
During the recent Australian bushfire crisis, numbers gave us a sense of the unprecedented scale of the disaster; 12.6 million hectares burnt, 431 megatons of carbon dioxide emitted, one billion animals killed. But where do these numbers come from?
15.0 An unusual pattern
Is Benjamin Geen a killer, or the unluckiest guy in England?
14.0 The labradoodle of regret
Wally Conron invented the labradoodle, one of the world's most popular dogs. He now considers the breed his "life's regret".
13.1 Electronic music’s origin story [BONUS]
Where and when did a digital computer play music for the first time?
13.0 Chiptune
How do you turn a Nintendo Game Boy into a musical instrument?
12.0 The Tattoowierer
Who was the tattooist of Auschwitz?
11.1 The hidden extinction [BONUS]
Who knew there was a hidden dinosaur extinction?
11.0 Dino explosion!
Why does my three-year-old know more about dinosaurs than I do?
10.0 One, two, three, four!
What can Radiohead tell us about our ancient connection to rhythm?
9.4 Remembering Maryam Mirzakhani (SOAP presents.. Ockham's Razor)
Professor Maryam Mirzakhani was the first woman to win the prestigious Fields Medal. She died in 2017.
9.3 Zillions (SOAP presents.. The Allusionist)
Zillion. Squillion. Kajillion. What are these numbers?
9.2 Wrong Number (SOAP presents.. Twenty Thousand Hertz)
From calls intended for a phone sex line, to mis-tweeted phone numbers, these stories are from the world of wrong numbers.
9.1 Six Degrees (SOAP presents.. Undiscovered)
“Six degrees of separation” is the idea that you can connect any two people in the world by no more than six friend-to-friend steps. But how does the concept hold up when you dig into the science?
9.0 Presenting.. SOAP presents..
Coming in late 2018: Sum of All Parts season 2! But in the meantime, a special treat - SOAP presents.. A month of our favourite stories from the world of numbers made by friends of the show.
8.0 A tale of two drugs [BONUS]
Two drugs; the old and the new, the known and the unknown. And the delicate tipping point between efficiency and chaos. This story was produced for the ABC podcast Science Friction.
7.1 Two Trains [BONUS]
Two Trains tells the story of income inequality along the New York City 2 Train.
7.0 The sound of seizure
Brant Guichard has heard The Music for as long as he can remember.
6.1 Slow down, George Solo-son [BONUS]
Did George Harrison "cheat" the solo to A Hard Day's Night?
6.0 Magical Mystery Chord
No one’s sure exactly how the most famous chord in popular music was played. Until now.