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Sum of All Parts

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

27 episodesEN

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Sum of All Parts tells extraordinary stories about the unseen influence that numbers have on the way we think, feel and behave.

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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.

Feb 20, 202027 min

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?

Feb 14, 202025 min

15.0 An unusual pattern

Is Benjamin Geen a killer, or the unluckiest guy in England?

Sep 26, 201930 min

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".

Sep 19, 201925 min

13.1 Electronic music’s origin story [BONUS]

Where and when did a digital computer play music for the first time?

Aug 15, 201922 min

13.0 Chiptune

How do you turn a Nintendo Game Boy into a musical instrument?

Aug 8, 201926 min

12.0 The Tattoowierer

Who was the tattooist of Auschwitz?

Jul 4, 201926 min

11.1 The hidden extinction [BONUS]

Who knew there was a hidden dinosaur extinction?

Jun 25, 20193 min

11.0 Dino explosion!

Why does my three-year-old know more about dinosaurs than I do?

Jun 20, 201933 min

10.0 One, two, three, four!

What can Radiohead tell us about our ancient connection to rhythm?

Jun 6, 201933 min

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.

Jun 29, 201813 min

9.3 Zillions (SOAP presents.. The Allusionist)

Zillion. Squillion. Kajillion. What are these numbers?

Jun 22, 201818 min

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.

Jun 15, 201828 min

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?

Jun 8, 201836 min

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.

Jun 7, 20181 min

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.

Dec 1, 201729 min

7.1 Two Trains [BONUS]

Two Trains tells the story of income inequality along the New York City 2 Train.

Nov 7, 201710 min

7.0 The sound of seizure

Brant Guichard has heard The Music for as long as he can remember.

Nov 3, 201725 min

6.1 Slow down, George Solo-son [BONUS]

Did George Harrison "cheat" the solo to A Hard Day's Night?

Oct 31, 20175 min

6.0 Magical Mystery Chord

No one’s sure exactly how the most famous chord in popular music was played. Until now.

Oct 26, 201722 min
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