History of Science and Technology Q&A (February 19, 2025)

Stephen Wolfram hosts a live and unscripted Ask Me Anything about the history of science and technology for all ages. Find the playlist of Q&A's here: https://wolfr.am/youtube-sw-qa Originally livestreamed at: / stephen_wolfram If you missed the original livestream of this episode, feel free to submit a question you would like Stephen to answer in a future Q&A livestream here: https://wolfr.am/12cczmv5J 00:00 Start stream 00:08 SW starts talking 00:26 Can you talk about the history of pi? 22:31 "Pi day of the century." 25:41 Is pi still being researched today? Or is it a solidified concept? 28:17 Was there always a connection between "pi" and "pie"? 29:51 Can pi be used for data compression? 32:40 Is the only reason pi shows up more than tau because we USE pi more often? If we used tau, it would have been 24/tau^2 instead of 6/pi^2, right? 33:40 How was your experience with slide rules? Did Leibniz or Newton use tools like a slide rule? 48:01 My 8th-grade (1983-ish) teacher didn't allow calculators, but he let me use my slide rule. 49:42 Would you rather be stuck with just a slide rule or just an abacus? 50:30 What is your favorite "artifact from the past" that you own... any interesting stories? 54:55 What's your favorite artifact from the future? 55:21 Many key ideas in computer science existed before we had the hardware to implement them (Turing's computer, neural networks in the 1940s). What ideas today do you think are ahead of their time in the same way? 1:01:12 Technology has progressed at an incredible rate during the last two centuries. That seems quite unusual relative to other periods in history. Are we bound to enter a new era of stagnation or regression? Or can we just keep going? 1:07:27 How would you think about cellular automata if you were born in, say, ancient Greece/Rome or Egypt? Or even the 1800s? 1:13:46 Is there a history of people discovering the concept of the ruliad and thinking about it from a different perspective (mathematical, scientific, religious or otherwise)? 1:22:39 I would be interested in hearing about the bug of Alan Turing. 1:24:17 It seems like our definitions of "science" and "technology" have evolved over the years. Are they historically the same thing? 1:27:01 End stream Follow us on our official social media channels. X: / wolframresearch Facebook: / wolframresearch Instagram: / wolframresearch LinkedIn: / wolfram-research Stephen Wolfram's Twitter: / stephen_wolfram Contribute to the official Wolfram Community: https://community.wolfram.com/ Stay up-to-date on the latest interest at Wolfram Research through our blog: https://blog.wolfram.com/ Follow Stephen Wolfram's life, interests, and what makes him tick on his blog: https://writings.stephenwolfram.com/

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History of Science and Technology Q&A (February 19, 2025)

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Start stream

Start stream

Start stream

SW starts talking

SW starts talking

SW starts talking

Can you talk about the history of pi?

Can you talk about the history of pi?

Can you talk about the history of pi?

Pi day of the century.

Pi day of the century.

Pi day of the century.

Is pi still being researched today? Or is it a solidified concept?

Is pi still being researched today? Or is it a solidified concept?

Is pi still being researched today? Or is it a solidified concept?

Was there always a connection between "pi" and "pie"?

Was there always a connection between "pi" and "pie"?

Was there always a connection between "pi" and "pie"?

Can pi be used for data compression?

Can pi be used for data compression?

Can pi be used for data compression?

Is the only reason pi shows up more than tau because we USE pi more often? If we used tau, it would have been 24/tau^2 instead of 6/pi^2, right?

Is the only reason pi shows up more than tau because we USE pi more often? If we used tau, it would have been 24/tau^2 instead of 6/pi^2, right?

Is the only reason pi shows up more than tau because we USE pi more often? If we used tau, it would have been 24/tau^2 instead of 6/pi^2, right?

Wolfram

Live chat replay

History of Science and Technology Q&A (February 19, 2025)

Comments 7

Chapters

Start stream

Start stream

Start stream

SW starts talking

SW starts talking

SW starts talking

Can you talk about the history of pi?

Can you talk about the history of pi?

Can you talk about the history of pi?

Pi day of the century.

Pi day of the century.

Pi day of the century.

Is pi still being researched today? Or is it a solidified concept?

Is pi still being researched today? Or is it a solidified concept?

Is pi still being researched today? Or is it a solidified concept?

Was there always a connection between "pi" and "pie"?

Was there always a connection between "pi" and "pie"?

Was there always a connection between "pi" and "pie"?

Can pi be used for data compression?

Can pi be used for data compression?

Can pi be used for data compression?

Is the only reason pi shows up more than tau because we USE pi more often? If we used tau, it would have been 24/tau^2 instead of 6/pi^2, right?

Is the only reason pi shows up more than tau because we USE pi more often? If we used tau, it would have been 24/tau^2 instead of 6/pi^2, right?

Is the only reason pi shows up more than tau because we USE pi more often? If we used tau, it would have been 24/tau^2 instead of 6/pi^2, right?

How was your experience with slide rules? Did Leibniz or Newton use tools like a slide rule?

How was your experience with slide rules? Did Leibniz or Newton use tools like a slide rule?

How was your experience with slide rules? Did Leibniz or Newton use tools like a slide rule?

My 8th-grade (1983-ish) teacher didn't allow calculators, but he let me use my slide rule.

My 8th-grade (1983-ish) teacher didn't allow calculators, but he let me use my slide rule.

My 8th-grade (1983-ish) teacher didn't allow calculators, but he let me use my slide rule.

Would you rather be stuck with just a slide rule or just an abacus?

Would you rather be stuck with just a slide rule or just an abacus?

Would you rather be stuck with just a slide rule or just an abacus?

What is your favorite "artifact from the past" that you own... any interesting stories?

What is your favorite "artifact from the past" that you own... any interesting stories?

What is your favorite "artifact from the past" that you own... any interesting stories?

What's your favorite artifact from the future?

What's your favorite artifact from the future?

What's your favorite artifact from the future?

Many key ideas in computer science existed before we had the hardware to implement them (Turing's computer, neural networks in the 1940s). What ideas today do you think are ahead of their time in the same way?

Many key ideas in computer science existed before we had the hardware to implement them (Turing's computer, neural networks in the 1940s). What ideas today do you think are ahead of their time in the same way?

Many key ideas in computer science existed before we had the hardware to implement them (Turing's computer, neural networks in the 1940s). What ideas today do you think are ahead of their time in the same way?

Technology has progressed at an incredible rate during the last two centuries. That seems quite unusual relative to other periods in history. Are we bound to enter a new era of stagnation or regression? Or can we just keep going?

Technology has progressed at an incredible rate during the last two centuries. That seems quite unusual relative to other periods in history. Are we bound to enter a new era of stagnation or regression? Or can we just keep going?

Technology has progressed at an incredible rate during the last two centuries. That seems quite unusual relative to other periods in history. Are we bound to enter a new era of stagnation or regression? Or can we just keep going?

How would you think about cellular automata if you were born in, say, ancient Greece/Rome or Egypt? Or even the 1800s?

How would you think about cellular automata if you were born in, say, ancient Greece/Rome or Egypt? Or even the 1800s?

How would you think about cellular automata if you were born in, say, ancient Greece/Rome or Egypt? Or even the 1800s?

Is there a history of people discovering the concept of the ruliad and thinking about it from a different perspective (mathematical, scientific, religious or otherwise)?

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