TGR 06.26.18. Mathematicae, Inter Alia

This week on The Gralien Report, while spending long periods on the road over the weekend, Micah was musing on mathematics, philosophy, and the idea of there being a “source code” for the universe. Foreshadowing a broader discussion on the relationship between mathematics and the great mysteries of our universe, we open the program with a discussion of science, philosophy, and some of the controversies that have arisen in relation to both in recent years.

We then take a moment to remember Koko, the gorilla who knew sign language, who died last week at age 46. Koko taught us a lot about human and animal interactions, and among the beloved memories we have of her were her famous interactions with the late Robin Williams. Getting to other news, we look at why a popular model company’s Nazi UFO toy was pulled for “Historical Inaccuracy,” as well as the reasons for the removal of a controversial mural from Denver International Airport.

Then in hour two, after getting to a few listener emails, we turn our attention toward the discussion of mathematics (and other things, as evidenced in this episode’s title), which deals in particular with the idea that a few modern mathematical mysteries could point to things like inherent order in the universe, as well as the concept of a “source code” behind nature that mathematics and physics expert Eric Weinstein likens to the “monolith” from Arthur C. Clark’s famous 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Finally, has the strange death of a man who adopted the identity of a deceased boy decades ago led to a possible break in the long-standing mystery of the Zodiac killer? We weigh the possibilities of this claim, as well as other news on this week’s edition of The Gralien Report.