A Mysterious Math Doodle - Numberphile

Here are more pics of the doodle: bit.ly/Doodle_Images
More links & stuff in full description below ↓↓↓
And make sure you subscribe to Objectivity: / objectivityvideos
Thanks to Keith Moore at the Royal Society - royalsociety.org
Support us on Patreon: / numberphile
NUMBERPHILE
Website: www.numberphile.com/
Numberphile on Facebook: / numberphile
Numberphile tweets: / numberphile
Subscribe: bit.ly/Numberphile_Sub
Numberphile is supported by the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI): bit.ly/MSRINumberphile
Videos by Brady Haran
Brady's videos subreddit: / bradyharan
Brady's latest videos across all channels: www.bradyharanblog.com/
Sign up for (occasional) emails: eepurl.com/YdjL9
Numberphile T-Shirts: teespring.com/stores/numberphile
Other merchandise: store.dftba.com/collections/n...

[@7chanconn7]

I bet it's just a troll puzzle, like if his friend solved it, all it would say would be like "you silly noodle" or something like that

[@SomeDude881]

7chanconn7 That tree somewhat resembles a 'yew' tree. Maybe you are onto something here : P I might as well mention that the name Dionysius is almost the same as Dionysus, God of Wine & Grape harvesting. But the i is a imaginary number? Perhaps the equations are silly/imaginary which means the image can interpreted as "You silly imaginative drunk"?

[@DerpMuse]

7chanconn7 its an abstract thought talking about measuring the difference between two incredibly huge numbers that don't have names. Today we use exponential values like 1x10^1000. but the abstract thought he brings up would be *"what if even the exponential itself were too large, with exponents on exponents on exponents."* 1x10^100^100^100^100. Its talking about numbers even larger than the number of particles in the universe. The trailing sqrt and the log of sqrt-1 at the end means" i ", imaginary number. Then the doodle of x----Y with 15000 between it. leading further to the thought of measuring two different HUUUGE numbers that the difference between them are 15,000 digits long. Its just a fun convo of two great minds talking abstract nuances of their academic field. Thinking of new ways to express and rationalise things meant to be unfathomable

[@DerpMuse]

***** The problem is that you are attributing it significance and assuming it's a profound discovery in the first place. Read peer reviews on the letter, and the consensus is it's just a letter between two colleagues, if it had significance it would have been a published paper. Also up arrow notation is 150 years after this paper was written. p-adic numbers were 60 years after the letter. extended arithmetic of today or after the letter was written has no bearing on a *thought experiment* of the past. Come up with something substantial to have skepticism against, rather than spouting things that happened after the letter was written. Use maths known at the time of the letter was written, because living in the future bearing hindsight is the *WRONG* way to understand maths thought experiments of the past.

[@franziskahuber9664]

Chanconn my thoughts exactly

[@user-mw3rx6mg5n]

😂😂

[@ThomasG_]

If I become a famous mathematician, will my Facebook chat logs be archived and inspected? God, that would be embarrassing.

[@ragnkja]

Thomas G Only those where you chat with other people who end up becoming scientists or mathematicians.

[@ThomasG_]

Nillie Those would probably be the most ridiculous ones of all.

[@xenontesla122]

Thomas G What if both of you become famous mathematicians, and this comment section's archived in the future?

[@ragnkja]

xenontesla122 While do aspire to become a physicist, the probability of me becoming a _famous_ one is rather low.

[@RFC3514]

Thomas G You don't need to be a famous mathematician for that. The NSA is very democratic; they log and investigate _everyone._

[@RobertBaruch]

Pretty sure it's just a joke. Several notations, Newton, Leibniz, and Lagrange, were used for differentiation -- Newton had dots on top, while Leibniz used d/dx or D and Lagrange used primes (x'). Exams at Cambridge generally used Newton's notation until 1817 when Peacock used Leibniz. This caused a great kerfuffle at the university. They hated the change. The Analytical Society, which had been founded by Herschel and Babbage, strongly recommended Leibniz because some equations were just impossible to deal with in the Newtonian notation. The "heiroglyphics" ∇^x and e^(d/dx)y are Leibnizian notations. The reference to "new notation" is also a reference to Leibniz. So I conclude that the drawing is a joke referring to the controversy that Peacock had just caused by finally taking the plunge and insisting on using Leibnizian notation.

[@witherblaze]

Herschel didn't want Babbage to give the certificate to Peacock. I agree with the notation (I wouldn't think of that), but here's what I think. Why does Dionysus look like the Devil? Something tells me Herschel thought Peacock made Dionysus a demon. Also, is doodle/noodle an old derogatory term?

[@deflatedboy1014]

Okay, okay, you win the internet.

[@jingalls9142]

That is an astute and interesting hypothesis

[@Viniter]

It kinda looks like something you would find in Vi Hart's sketchbook.

[@deciduousSquid]

It's funny to think of these great mathematicians calling eachother "noodles & doodles and doodle-doo's"

[@TitiusBodeVids]

The Answer y(t) = a × ekt _ y(t) = value at time "t" a = value at the start k = rate of growth (when >0) or decay (when

[@ManFawkes]

The fuck you mean son?

[@WorstLuck]

Titius Bode how the fuck is this related to the picture?

[@GraveUypo]

Worst Luck RS it's on the comment section of a video about it

[@SemperPravus]

Titius Bode Sir, you are not only a noodle, but as well, a doodle-doo.

[@WorstLuck]

***** That's methods of contour integration which is completely unrelated to the possible interpretation of this picture.

[@micha-elcleveland1265]

Note that the equations of the square roots are being emitted from the goat's third eye - this depicts that your answers to your deepest questions will come from intuition. The zeros from its ass are the teachings and beliefs of those who restrain you from using your intuitions. The horns depict duality.

[@micha-elcleveland1265]

I still have not figured out the staff...might be meaningless, but I don't think so

[@beefmomma]

Interesting insight

[@micha-elcleveland1265]

Dancing Baer your answer feels correct

[@wyvernlord23]

This sounds like something right up Singingbananna's street.

[@karatesoccerbaseball]

Right!

[@caseyelworthy2759]

wyvernlord23 I kept expecting to cut to Dr. Grime, for his interpretation of the doodle! Next video, maybe?

[@SkyFoxTale]

We must send it to him!

[@Triantalex]

??

[@eatingsfun]

Back in the day dionysius lardner was a proffessor at london working with hershel to build big telescopes dionysius would talk shit about the infinate universe and us being at the center due to human perception or somthing complicated like that.

[@numberphile]

david getsout this is my favourite comment thus far - it explains the spelling of Dionysius (with an i, rather than dionysus the god) and it would drake sense that two science dudes would be mocking a science "populariser" which is still common today! ;)

[@PleaseDontListen]

I am not sure how likely it is that Herschel is referring to him, he was only finishing his BA in Dublin when this letter was sent, he didn't start lecturing or publishing until the 1820s, and the earliest correspondence I could find between them was from around 1830. Unfortunately Larder doesn't seem to have begun his mathematical career until after this letter. I am a fan of this theory and would like it to be true, so I would like to hear from you if you have any evidence from the time to support it.

[@PeterJKeogh]

david getsout, Numberphile, the spelling, year are a perfect coincidence. If your correct Herschel is mocking Dionysius by portraying him as the devil. Could also serve as another hint: the devil is in the detail.!

[@bornnaked2928]

david getsout Well... seing as the univers does not have an actual center, afaIk, and because it is expanding in all directions from us, you could argue that we are at the center of our part of the universe... ;)

[@PleaseDontListen]

Jonathan Richards ah thanks for spotting that, all sorted :)

[@jasondoe2596]

Woah! How did I totally miss the existence of Objectivity?

[@euducationator]

Jason Doe that kinda sounds like it's a philosophical statement.

[@jasondoe2596]

euducationator hehe

[@raykent3211]

euducationator A solipsist awakes...

[@MartKencuda]

That should be the album cover to a black metal band. It looks like Satan playing a guitar.

[@Enke796]

You should put [Strong Language] in the title of this video.

[@numberphile]

Enke796 ha ha

[@B3nnub1rd]

A Mysterious Math D**dle

[@NathanTAK]

Should've bleeped it out.

[@Triantalex]

??

[@GuyWithAnAmazingHat]

Keith is the very model of a modern gentleman, he is awesome.

[@sst710]

GuyWithAnAmazingHat He also has information vegetable, animal and mineral. He knows the kings of England, and all the fights historical from Marathon to Waterloo, in order categorical.

[@ZipplyZane]

Hank Scorpio NIce job filling in the missing syllables from the first line!

[@Jigzawsinferno]

been subscribed to objectivity channel since day one , it's truly amazing ! thank you for bringing us great content , please don't stop !

[@numberphile]

Jigzawsinferno thanks - glad to have you watching both!

[@franziskahuber9664]

I love the people you get on your show. They are either the coolest or the nerdiest people ever, but mostly they are both. Quite the doodles.

[@Stephen_Lafferty]

I had no idea about the Objectivity channel until this moment! I'm off to subscribe and watch right now!

[@numberphile]

Stephen Lafferty good - you should - kzbin.info

[@Quantiad]

Stephen Lafferty Man, you are in for a TREAT :-)

[@Cold_Ham_on_Rye]

I love the objectivity channel everyone should watch it. It's like an antiques roadshow of science.

[@vma011]

Hey Brady! I'm a big fan of your channels, specially Numberphile and Sixty Symbols! And from now on, of Objectivity! Thank you for all this content you are making available to everyone! Saludos desde Venezuela!

[@ChrisGarrison72]

I wish I was smarter :(

[@TheSickboy573]

And i wish everyone was smart not smarter

[@Dordoom]

***** At least not mega-idiots

[@RFC3514]

christian garrison The smarter one is, the more one feels surrounded by idiots.

[@hbod5608]

RFC3514 The bigger one's ego, the more they feel as though they're surrounded by idiots.

[@RFC3514]

Hunter Bodwell Not sure what your point is. You might as well say that "the bigger one's ego, the more they feel as if they're surrounded by weaklings". Or by ugly people. Or by bad drivers. Or by [insert negative trait here]. That's assuming you're using "ego" to mean "exaggerated opinion about one's own abilities". But, just because some people have an exaggerated opinion about themselves, that doesn't mean some individuals aren't actually smarter (or stronger, or faster, or taller, etc.) than average. And, while being very tall might seem appealing if you're short, people who _are_ very tall just feel like they live in a world full of (and designed for) people shorter than them. And the same happens with intelligence. Everything is relative.

[@NiacinWaterTaffy]

Oh man, I thought I was watching Objectivity til Brady mentioned it wasn't.

[@crappymeal]

i quite surprised by the amount of people rocking mad scientist hair styles these days

[@juandavidotaloracarrillo2126]

Thank you Brady. You should definitely make more videos of maths history; very interesting.

[@SquirrelASMR]

Ya math and science history is interesting, the rivalries and fueds.

[@yousorooo]

I THOUGHT I WAS WATCHING OBJECTIVITY WHEN I SAW KEITH...

[@numberphile]

Derek Leung he's taking over the world.

[@adits9633]

Numberphile Slowly but surely

[@eddotron1224]

Numberphile It'll be a better place if he does! :)

[@naimulhaq9626]

Derek Leung Certainly the work of a nutcase. Root of root of root of.....-1 is meaningless.

[@EmergencyTemporalShift]

+Naimul Haq Sqrt(Sqrt(-1))=Sqrt(1/2)+Sqrt(1/2)i

[@Utoxin]

Very cool to see the letter! And GAH another channel to subscribe to! You're starting to take over my feed. (Which is awesome. I've learned so much watching your various channels. Thanks for helping educate all of us.)

[@IceMetalPunk]

Maybe the reason no one has solved it yet is because Hershel knew that Babbage had some extra bit of knowledge--like an inside joke--that you need to solve it?

[@Toddgpoole]

So, an awesome channel about cool maths stuff and an awesome channel about cool science / math historical type objects! I'm not sure I can handle this much awesome!

[@numberphile]

Toddgpoole deal with it - it is happening!

[@thalivenom4972]

dont forget his chemistry channel, periodic videos!

[@willdeary630]

Step 1: Pause a 0:00 Step 2: Take a screenshot Step 3: Frame image on wall Step 4: Worship the almighty Keith and Brady

[@purlp9483]

The real mystery is who's holding the camera

[@carelessclaws]

Objectivity fan here, and I must say it was a pleasant surprise to see Keith here! :)

[@reillyowens3152]

Thanks Brady! Your videos are always educational and very inspiring. Scientific enlightenment at it's best.

[@BrotherBloat]

amazing! another of your channels I didn't know about! Subbed! :D

[@Qermaq]

Hi Keith! I'm already subscribed, it's a great deal of fun.

[@TheWhitePianoKeyProductions]

yeah, get all those numberhile viewers to watch the best channel you have! perfect.

[@numberphile]

The White Piano Key Productions I'd love them to --- kzbin.info

[@ultimateredstone]

how money channels does this man have now? xD

[@zedriodor2780]

clever word play

[@ultimateredstone]

***** omfg that wasn't intentional but I'm gonna leave that there. cause I think it's funny, I don't think he's doing it for the money.

[@nikitab4294]

ultimateredstone You have cool vids I subbed

[@ultimateredstone]

nikitabobr156 thank you :)

[@ragnkja]

ultimateredstone According to www.bradyharanblog.com/projects/ he has 14 channels (though half of them are inactive these days) and one podcast.

[@verac7887]

Thank you so much! Really like this video and subject

[@leyubar1]

Thank you for all these videos, Brady. They are always very interesting and I really like your presenting style. They make excellent resources that I use with my maths and philosophy students at our High School. Also, great advertising for Nottingham Uni. Huzzah! (alumnus here).

[@bengesell]

Can't wait to check out all 30!

[@josephpence3296]

The answer or at least a start of one: Herschel created an artificial star using what he called an "astrometer". It consisted of a 1/4 inch focal length lens which the moons light could be reflected by the means of a prism. These were mounted and could be moved by a in up and down direction by a staff attached to stings, and also other loose stings and pulleys to rotate the prism. When it was move just right it would project a tiny image of the moon "two-thousands of an inch in diameter" while still being in focus. Then he would move it back and forth till it resembled a star in the sky and measure the difference and used the inverse-square law to try and used the moons light magnitude as a reference in comparison to the light magnitude of stars. (This would explain a few items on the drawing: the staff being the item to move the prism up and down; the thing in front of the eye would be the lens and the lines being the light and string; the upside down triangle being the prism) I read about Herschel awhile ago, so I maybe slightly off in the exact facts. and a final thought X and Y could be the vertical and horizontal distance, as on a graph, and V could stand for vector. Let me know if this helps out.

[@GypsyDishwasher]

While you're probably gonna learn more by watching Numberphile, Sixty Symbols or Periodic Videos, the Objectivity videos are some of the coolest. Actually getting to see things that have been saved and preserved through the ages like Newton's telescope or the Venus Transit Orrery is absolutely astounding.

[@darkmage07070777]

Hey Keith! Great crossover!

[@alexflohr1453]

KEITH!!! Yes!!! DO BOTH CHANNELS! Co-host of number file?

[@miedan21]

This looks like Maxwell's Demon. Considering Herschel's being a part of the Royal Society and came before Maxwell, it's possible that this doodle helped inspire the thought experiment, since Maxwell was later a part of the Royal Society as well. This is mostly a hunch that is based on proximity and time these two had with each other. I'm no historian though.

[@jray4774]

You have to make a video getting someone to explain the discovery in the drawing of Dionysius it's driving me insane

[@Quintingent]

Very interesting! And another Brady channel to subscribe to! Huzzah!

[@numberphile]

David Ward you should - I really enjoy Objectivity --- kzbin.info

[@Quintingent]

Numberphile Just watched the Standard Yard video. Really fascinating to see!

[@Youboremenow]

its 42

[@fizixx]

"Objectivity" --- Subscribed!!

[@VictorChavesVVBC]

In the top right corner of the drawing I read: {new notation}^{sqrt(-1) x (Muriate of Exchequer Bills) - Muriate is a derivation of muriatic acid I think. Muriatic acid (HCl) is very strong and smelly, so maybe he meant a metaphor for danger/inconvenience. Not sure about this though, seems out of context. - Exchequer Bills were promissory notes issued from the government. This make me think the whole thing is probably a hardcore mathematical joke/enigma about money. Probably a lot of stuff is just there to garnish the drawing, like the binary tail, ends of the staff and horns.

[@VictorChavesVVBC]

The problem is that while I think that the core of the joke is in this "new notation", I don't know what he meant with that definition. 1) {x} = x^(sqrt(-1) times (Muriate of Exchequer Bills)) This is the one I first thought, but this notation appears nowhere except one place at the bottom. This is a bad clue, because I expected the notation to be all over the place. 2) sqrt(-1) = (Muriate of Exchequer Bills) This may be already a joke, because he is attributing the symbol of imaginary numbers to the financial metaphor. Also, this appears everywhere in the drawing. Since I like the second alternative more, I'll elaborate on it's consequences.

[@VictorChavesVVBC]

The other piece of important text is: "Dionysius the God of Functions **alias the genius of abstract numerical magnitude**" So the important part of this is the emphasis on Dionysius capacity of visualizing great numerical magnitudes such as Graham Number. And this is exactly the main drawing effort: Dionysius visualizing some mathematical construct. So, my interpretation is this mathematical construct is probably a number with magnitude beyond our capacity to imagine. Assuming the second interpretation of his notation, he may be saying that the (Muriate of Exchequer Bills) is either a gigantic number or a negligible one - I can't figure out because the fraction is very confuse, this may be the real challenge. It also makes sense because the tree on the left would be somewhat related to "money growing on trees" popular saying.

[@colerobertson872]

Victor Chaves I could not make out the new notation for the life of me. Thanks for interpreting it! I don't get it either. I was kind of hoping the notation would make it clearer. I think you may be on to something with the financial metaphor.

[@kennethmitchell1960]

I say, sir, you are a right doodle dumph. My hand to the queen

[@ExcessG]

I surmise that a "noodle" is just a "doodle" without any clothes on.

[@kordellcurl7559]

I think it is a series of very important math equations that helped him get to the drawing itself.

[@salcontrino]

I'm working my way through every video

[@lasagnahog7695]

A more ubiquitous Keith makes for better channels! =D

[@fadetounforgiven]

For a moment I thought Brady said: "He's the hair librarian of the Royal Society"...

[@CorpulentBrony]

I love noodles, especially slathered in spaghetti sauce.

[@fossilfighters101]

Corpulent Brony I'm a fan of udon noodles~

[@DavidSharp2201]

Corpulent Brony spaghetti is a kind of pasta/noodle. There is no such thing as "spaghetti sauce" unless you mean a sauce somehow made from spaghetti. You mean Bolognese sauce, don't you?

[@foobargorch]

David Sharp if you leave cooked spaghetti in a sealed box in the fridge, after a while it becomes more like a sauce

[@CorpulentBrony]

David Sharp en.wiktionary.org/wiki/spaghetti_sauce

[@DavidSharp2201]

Tomato sauce: sauce made from or with tomatoes. Anchovy sauce: sauce made from or with anchovies. Spaghetti sauce/pasta sauce: sauce made from or with spaghetti/pasta. As neologisms go "spaghetti sauce" is one of the most non-sensical.

[@ZipplyZane]

I put Keith Moore on Akinator, since it didn't know him. (It does know you, Brady.) So he's going places. We just need more people to play him.

[@sisyphus_619]

This is like National Treasure. A Treasure Map.

[@starwarsjk99]

Since they were young I think they were just having fun. It looks like an image where many objects are made out of numbers and expressions. The tail made out of 1 and many 0s. Some derivative notation at the end of the staff. Those squareroot fractions look like smoke.

[@kienesel7]

New Objectivity sub acquired.

[@mackexr]

brody thats a really nice omega speedmaster proffesional you got there ;)

[@StellaLuMusic]

That illustration looks like the Devil from The Number Devil by Hans Magnus Enzensberger and illustrated by Rotraut Susanne Berner!

[@rukakoaye5368]

I LOVE THE HAIR

[@nintendokids4984]

I suspect the drawing is a "Math Joke". I used to make these all the time, making seemingly random and strange patterns with mathematical symbols, constants, and numbers, with prolific notes alongside, send them to your mathematician friend, and laugh as they scramble to dissect basically mathematical gibberish. Of course it could actually mean something, but given the content of the letter, I take it as an elaborate joke.

[@rjhrjh3]

Strange, I subscribe to this channel but it does not appear in my subscriptions. Only found out about it via the email I got from Brady.

[@numberphile]

Robert black it hasn't gone out to subscribers yet - I am trying to reward email list people by giving them first look at a few of the videos without bombarding them too often! Email list: eepurl.com/YdjL9

[@killerpoopguy]

Numberphile Uhh I got here 30 minutes ago from my sub box...

[@TheWhitePianoKeyProductions]

GamingInvader I got here 15 min before you from the email list.

[@Nilguiri]

Robert black Check now; mine just arrived!

[@nonomnismoriar7]

Numberphile I'm on the email list from watching the Periodic Videos feed and I feel suitably rewarded!!!

[@seanehle8323]

I would love to see a follow-up to this video with some form of explanation or at least a learned speculation.

[@AlanKlughammer]

I am not a mathematician, and I have no clue about the drawing, but at 1:04 you indicate that George Peacock "invented photography" I thought I knew a bit of the history of photography, but I have never heard of George Peacock...

[@11Kralle]

I am no mathematician, but my first thought went straight to Galileo Galilei and his first lecture at the university of Pisa on the actual tallness/height of the devil - applying recent proportinal studies by anatomists and Dantes "Inferno", in which the measurement of satans big toe was given...

[@ZeugmaP]

From the thumbnail, it just looks like Satan playing the guitar and singing mathematical stuff

[@mehanakalem70]

Nice video ! :)

[@ChongFrisbee]

Nice watch!

[@numberphile]

Fábio Reale thanks

[@CreeperDroppings]

I'm not part of the email list and see this video btw, i am Australian so i'm not sure if that made a difference.

[@JayCyrZak]

CreeperDroppings ditto. And I'm German, so I don't think it's got to do with location, but I could be wrong.

[@ragnkja]

The only way your location might matter is in terms of which KZbin server you watch the video through.

[@jray4774]

You have to make a video explaining Dionysius it's driving me crazy

[@alexisandrada946]

I'm curious about Babbage's answer to that letter. "SCREW YOU FOR SENDING ME A SATANIC MATHEMATICAL PICTURE, YOU DOODLE-DOO" or something like that, maybe...

[@TheGoldfishstew]

Well if this letter didn't pre-date the idiom by about 100-150 years I would have said "the devil is in the detail" (the first thought I had from the icon) However, given the overall tone of the letter I suspect trolling... And well played as we're discussing it here 200 years later

[@rngwrldngnr]

Hi again, Keith.

[@CarlosFaria]

That's easy... 42!

[@cozierelf0]

42 factorial is huge

[@ErusPhoebus]

this needs a followup video

[@111jkjk]

They had amazing hand writing back then.

[@B3nnub1rd]

I hope there will be a follow up on this.

[@fancannoiran]

can numberphile PLEASE do a video on the "futurama theorem"?!

[@dannygjk]

My instant interpretation was, "The Devil is in the details" but I suppose it is much more than that. I suppose it involves some famous conjecture and/or proof.

[@GyanPratapSingh]

I noticed that his tail goes of till infinity, that makes sense for a function. Moreover, he is the god of functions with his horns and feet as x's and y's

[@czo900]

the devil's in the details

[@robertadorrough3852]

czo900 You were the only noodle-doo to catch that.

[@ifylolz]

czo900 simplicity is key.

[@lgnlint]

I'm imagining that in the future I will find a letter that says "solve this to save the earth" and it will be just some basic long division and factoring. I will just be like "well... shit... we're screwed".

[@alexi3489]

I only spent a few seconds looking at it, but I noticed where it said new notation, it mentioned muriate of exchequer bills. A quick google and some background knowledge says that means the result of adding hydrochloric acid (a.k.a muriatic acid) to a kind of British treasury debt note. I think it's a clue as to what that symbol that looks like a square root sign means. Does anyone know what those notes were made of back then?

[@cmor835]

The recurring square-roots reminded me of the golden ratio.

[@k35magnum]

I know this is *Number*phile, but seems like no one else is interested in the mention of Dionysius (Dionysus) and noticed after looking it up that he's actually the God of grape harvest, winemaking and wine. Also, that 'The God of Functions' is actually Janus/ Ἰανός). Not to mention the fact that the figure he drew looks like some kind of Satyr or a (Christian) demon wearing 19th century apparel. Would like to know the answer to the math, but I'm almost more interested in the significance of the illustration and its possible relation to the sum, if is any. Who knows, it could just be a doodle, but I'm definitely no mathematician so that's about all I could read in to.

[@iwikal]

I wonder what that indicates, the fact that the figure is wearing 19th century apparel in particular. Maybe it is meant to represent the demon having opinions popular in/related to the 19th century? I think he chose that suit after careful consideration.

[@stijnvandrongelen5625]

I wouldn't necessarily call Babbage the father of the computer, as his work was not an influence in the design and the construction of the first electronic computer.

[@AlvaroGymnas]

What is written in the top bit of the letter, right next to "{new notation}"? Does it say "Muri atr of ex chequer bills"?

[@tommykarrick9130]

I’m gonna call people doodle doos from now on

[@Pianoguy32]

I reckon, afterall being a 25 year old hershel as well as drawing the god dionysus, that he was drunk.

[@Eclipsed_Archon]

He called him a doodle and then made a doodle of "Dionysus" with math. I propose that the math was just to throw him off, and he's actually relating him to Dionysus in some way. He's the god of wine, maybe that has something to do with it...

[@jacksonnielson1682]

It says "it contains a great discovery", I don't know why its so hard to see, it says "great discovery" in the question, Found it. It does contains great discovery

[@linkVIII]

Your welcome brady

[@jerry3790]

I can only imagine what would’ve happened if they’d known about pasta.

[@unvergebeneid]

I expect all the people on Brady's channels who are constantly telling mathematicians and physicists that they're doing a poor job to solve this puzzle. So, -1/12 skeptics, Monty Hall haters and negative temperature fault-finders: get it on!

[@Tomas-vx8gw]

Penny Lane best comment ever

[@TheGamer583]

There's not really any connection between disagreeing with them in these things and this challenge.

[@unvergebeneid]

TheGamer583 I would agree with you but your choice of words makes me think you are one of them ;) It's not really disagreement, is it? It's the hubris to think you know better after a three-minute popular science video than the people who've been working in the field for basically their whole lives. So while of course there's no general connection between the ability to solve one problem and the ability to solve another, if anyone is that much of a genius that they can disprove established science after watching a three-minute video about it that goes into no detail whatsoever and only uses analogies, yes, I think it is reasonable to expect them to solve this little joke between friends here.

[@unvergebeneid]

***** Just have a look at the comments to the negative temperature video. But it's not only there; it's one of those recurring topics in the comments where people don't seem to be able to get over it.

[@unvergebeneid]

TheGamer583 Ha! I was right. You _are_ one of them ;) Anyway, saying that those videos are confusing or badly made on a didactic level is one thing. Refuting the existence of the zeta function or otherwise saying the things they present in these videos are fundamentally wrong is quite another. BTW, if you feel the need to discuss the matter itself in detail, I would kindly ask you to take it to one of the other three million threads that this debate already spawned. This is not the three million and first.

[@zioscozio]

I'm also subscribed to Objectivity but not to Numberphile. I may correct that upon the guarantee of having more of Keith round here.

[@ITR]

1817 is 3 years after Laplace's demon got published, so maybe something about determinism?

[@wreynolds1995]

Looks like it's to do with fractional derivatives. The trio of mathematicians were keen to bring continental mathematics into England.

[@katiekawaii]

@david getsout At the time of this letter (dated 1817) Lardner would have still been a student, I believe. Nevertheless, it does seem to be pretty clearly referring to him, I think, which might lend credence to the idea that some inside joke or knowledge is required to make sense of the puzzle. :/

[@janeweber8654]

How many channels does Brady appear on holy crap...