Numbers are so fundamental to our understanding of the world around us that we maybe tend to think of them as an intrinsic part of the world around us. But they aren't. Humans invented numbers just as much as we invented all of language.

This hour, we look at the anthropological, psychological, and linguistical ramifications of the concept of numbers.

And we look at one philosophical question too: Are numbers even real in the first place?

GUESTS:
Brian Clegg - Author of Are Numbers Real? The Uncanny Relationship of Mathematics and the Physical World
Caleb Everett - Professor and chair of anthropology at the University of Miami and the author of Numbers and the Making of Us: Counting and the Course of Human Cultures

Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired October 12, 2017.

Numbers are so fundamental to our understanding of the world around us that we maybe tend to think of them as an intrinsic&nbsp;part&nbsp;of the world around us. But they aren't. Humans invented numbers just as much as we invented all of language.
This hour, we look at the anthropological, psychological, and linguistical ramifications of the concept of numbers.
And we look at one philosophical question too: Are numbers even real in the first place?
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>Brian Clegg&nbsp;- Author of&nbsp;Are Numbers Real? The Uncanny Relationship of Mathematics and the Physical World</li>
<li>Caleb Everett&nbsp;- Professor and chair of anthropology at the University of Miami and the author of&nbsp;Numbers and the Making of Us: Counting and the Course of Human Cultures</li>
</ul>
Join the conversation on&nbsp;<a href="http://facebook.com/ColinMcShow">Facebook</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/wnprcolin">Twitter</a>.
Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired October 12, 2017.

The Colin McEnroe Show is public radio’s most eclectic, eccentric weekday program. The best way to understand us is through the subjects we tackle: Neanderthals, tambourines, handshakes, the Iliad, snacks, ringtones, punk rock, Occam’s razor, Rasputin, houseflies, zippers. Are you sensing a pattern? If so, you should probably be in treatment. On Fridays, we try to stop thinking about what kind of ringtones Neanderthals would want to have and convene a panel called The Nose for an informal roundtable about the week in culture.

<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/the-colin-mcenroe-show/about">The Colin McEnroe Show</a> is public radio’s most eclectic, eccentric weekday program. The best way to understand us is through the subjects we tackle: Neanderthals, tambourines, handshakes, the Iliad, snacks, ringtones, punk rock, Occam’s razor, Rasputin, houseflies, zippers. Are you sensing a pattern? If so, you should probably be in treatment. On Fridays, we try to stop thinking about what kind of ringtones Neanderthals would want to have and convene a panel called <a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/tags/the-nose">The Nose</a> for an informal roundtable about the week in culture.

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