Futurama Writer Created and Proved a Mathematical Theorem Just for One Episode - Neatorama

I haven't seen it yet, but apparently last night's episode of Futurama required a mathematical formula to explain a plot element. Producer David X. Cohen is noted for leaving real mathematical statements on screen during the show and had a staff mathematician compose an original theorem for that episode:

In an APS News exclusive, Cohen reveals for the first time that in the 10th episode of the upcoming season, tentatively entitled “The Prisoner of Benda,” a theorem based on group theory was specifically written (and proven!) by staffer/PhD mathematician Ken Keeler to explain a plot twist. Cohen can’t help but chuckle at the irony: his television-writing rule is that entertainment trumps science, but in this special case, a mathematical theorem was penned for the sake of entertainment.

Link via Geekosystem | Image: Fox

Comments (12)

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Newest 5 Comments

I could tell some sort of math proof was taking place, but it went way over my head. It was just fun to hear the different voices out of the crew's mouths. Bender as a girl, smoking a cigar and gawking at a lady robot, ha.

Very confusing, but entertaining, episode. My favorite episode remains the Late Philip J Fry.

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when they first posed the brain swap problem, I started trying to work it out on paper. Wouldn't work with 1 added person but could with two (4 total). Totally felt like they were playing up that proof in the episode and announced the solution at the end.

Most awesome.

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Futurama rocks.

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"we may have to use...........
MATH!" Dum da dummmmm

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The new shows, after the years-long hiatus, are the funniest yet. It seems that the writers are going nuts, and not holding back.

"The Late Philip J. Fry" episode was one of the funniest 20 minutes of TV in a long time. Not just funny as hell, but moving also - without giving anything away .... anyone who hasn't seen the episode should do so!

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Who was the idiot that bought that couch?? It's HIDEOUS!

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Ironically, the only place the UCP would be of any use is where a soldier would be safest; the living room couch.

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There are a few articles floating around online outlining the difference in digicam...namely the Army's pattern, USMC's two patterns and how each came to be.

Bottom line, USMC had enlisted input beyond desk jockeys, infantry even, and ended up with two patterns that work well. The Army relied on Os and bureaucrats and got something that only works on flowered furniture. And is expensive...and doesn't look particularly squared away on any soldier for some reason...

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The ACU pattern was the butt of a lot of jokes when I was in the Army, and we suspected at the time that it was selected for political reasons. It was just so wrong, and so obviously wrong, that it could only have been the product of some Pentagon level nepotism.

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everyone here on post or happy about it. i agree with you jennifer, its not about the money spent. we would spend what ever it cost to keep our men and women safe,its about the design flaws.

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But.. but if we cut the funding for defense we won't have billions to waste like this.

And in the mean time young men and women die.

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The ACUs worked well if you were covered in mud or dust, also you could not sew combat skills patches on the uniform. The only positive thing is that the ripped less than the BDUs, for me at least.

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Sammy, mine are coming from wondering how many service people were injured or lost their lives because of this fiasco. Talk about playing directly into the enemies hands...

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I laughed so hard when I read that the army had spent $5billion on a camo design that made people more visible but I'm not sure whether my tears were from laughter or the sheer waste of money.

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Everybody told them that going into battle dressed as Bozo the clown wasn't a good idea but still they wouldn't listen.

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