This week, Annie and Elah share an episode from one of their favorite podcasts, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Sum of All Parts.

For years, Robert Schneider lived the indie rocker’s dream, producing landmark records and fronting his band, The Apples in Stereo. And then, he gave it all up...for number theory. Host Joel Werner tracks Robert’s transformation, from a transcendental encounter with an antique tape machine, to the family temple of a mysterious long-dead mathematician, Ramanujan.

Find more episodes of Sum of All Parts.

CREDITS

This episode of Sum of All Parts was produced and hosted by Joel Werner. Sophie Townsend served as story editor and Jonathan Webb served as science editor. Sound engineering by Mark Don and Martin Peralta.

Undiscovered is reported and produced by Elah Feder and Annie Minoff. Our senior editor is Christopher Intagliata, our composer is Daniel Peterschmidt, and our intern is Kaitlyn Schwalje. 

GUESTS

Robert Schneider, Visiting Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science, Emory University

Ken Ono, Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Mathematics, Emory University

FOOTNOTES

Hear more Sum of All Parts, and see pictures of Robert and Ken at Ramanujan’s family temple.

Robert Schneider and Ben Phelan’s article about Ramanujan, Encounter with The Infinite, was a huge inspiration for this story. Read it in The Believer.

Listen to Ken Ono talk about Ramanujan and a biopic based on his life — The Man Who Knew Infinity — on Science Friday.

Read about the new musical scale Robert Schneider devised, based on natural logarithms.