‘Outside In’ makes a complex math concept fun and approachable

This educational video comes from a strange and distant place: the 1990s. Based on the mathematical concept of sphere inversion, should Very boring. The imagery is rudimentary, the narrator is completely faceless, and, The question is difficult to understand mathematics. The video isn’t supposed to have any appeal…but its massive upload on YouTube has garnered over 10 million views.

Credit to the creative team geometric center Make a video of solving the impossible: it makes math fun. While I’m tempted to think that the film’s success hinges on the master magician in the closing credits, I think the real star is the voiceover provided by Karen McEnany and Paul DeCordova. Their conversational discussions of advanced geometry take on a strange spiritual tone, as if two gods were casually discussing the fundamentals of the universe they had created. Other times, they talk very seriously about how weird it all is. and sometimes They were just kidding about the small monorail model they created… use their thoughts.

The narrative is certainly helped by the script, which breaks down confusing concepts into easy-to-understand pieces, perfectly paired with stark yet charming retro CGI. In many ways, computer graphics is the perfect medium for displaying mathematical concepts that don’t actually exist in the real world. It’s upsetting to think about mathematicians solving all the problems forward Computers already exist. The much-hyped inversion of the sphere is truly incredible, but even more incredible is that at the end of the film This actually makes sense!

Of course, you’ve probably seen this video before and wondered why I ignored the passive-aggressive nature of the bro’s narration throughout the video. It has been viewed more than 7 million times alone, The Haguby Band’s perfect imitation of “Outside In” A perfect companion to the original. By slowly building up the narrator’s vitriol until both men lose their temper, “Turn the Sphere Outside In” is worth watching in its own right, and hopefully a subtle enough parody that it’s almost certainly played by high school math teachers Had it happen for their class.