Why I back Relatively Prime

On of the pleasures of running mathblogging.org is that you get to find out about immensely creative people working on new ways to make use of the web for mathematics.

ACME Science

Only a few weeks ago, I rediscovered Samuel Hansen’s ACME Science podcast. I remember stumbling upon it very early on when we started building the database for mathblogging.org but for the longest time couldn’t see how a podcast could fit.

It did, however, keep popping back up because Samuel Hansen’s friend and Math/Maths podcasting co-host Peter Rowlett was included in our database from the very start (simply because I had been following his blog).

Relatively Prime

So what’s Relatively Prime? Well, you should probably head over to ACME Science to watch the promo video. Don’t worry, I’ll still be here when you’re back. Can’t wait? Ok, very short version. Relatively Prime is Samuel Hansen’s Kickstarter project to make a podcast series about mathematicians and their work, interviewing people in person. In a way, I’d say he wants to take Strongly Connected Components to the next level – but it’ll be much more, I think.

SSC is one of the best on the web that I know. The idea is simple, interviews with interesting mathematicians – nothing new, right? Since Samuel Hansen is not exactly working for the BBC World Service, glamour mathematicians are not on his list. And somehow that’s exactly what makes his show excellent: He has a knack for choosing interview partners that you would not expect to find in any main stream (scientific) media.

Of course, it’s Hansen who really makes these interviews work. His podcasts are a perfect example of the incredible (and mostly still undiscovered) potential of how mathematicians can connect; on every level, trough the net. That’s the stuff we built mathblogging.org for!

I have only one criticism: more female mathematicians would not hurt the show. Maybe Relatively Prime will surprise me even more?

Now you go and back it!

The great thing about kickstarter is you can give on the level you’re comfortable giving. Since you ask, of course I chose my backing level to maximize vanity under the restraints of my financial means ;) But so can you! There are 20 days left to get this project funded – so head over there and pledge some money!

EDIT: Samuel Hansen corrected me via twitter: Relatively Prime will be audio only. I think I got it wrong because of the promo video. But who cares, it’s going to be awesome either way!