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BTN: What is an abacus?

An abacus is a tool that helps people solve maths problems. Why might some people still use, and encourage the use of, an abacus when there are more contemporary tools like calculators?

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Numbers Count: Chance and playing with dice

Have you ever played a game that required you to roll a dice? Did you know that you have equal chances of rolling any of the six numbers? Can you think of another experiment where you have an equal chance of getting one result or the other?

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Catalyst: Take the Phi Golden challenge

The golden ratio, Phi: fact or fallacy? What about the Fibonacci sequence? We are told this ratio and its cousin Fibonacci occur everywhere in nature. Let's see which of these claims stacks up when put to the test.

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MathXplosion, Ep 22: How to communicate numbers with Roman numerals

Explore an alternative way to communicate numbers using the anchor numbers 5 and 10 and the ancient Roman counting system based on letters. Roman numerals were used throughout Europe well into the middle ages and still appear in the names of monarchs, the production year of films, on buildings and on timepieces.

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MathXplosion, Ep 16: It's an estimate, not a guess!

An approximation is the nearest estimate without having the precise size or measurement of something. See how accurate estimates are made in logical ways using information about many things in our everyday lives.

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My Five Cents: Why borrowing can cost you more

Think credit cards are basically free money? Gen Fricker will make you think again. Learn how interest rates and fees affect the money you borrow, and why they may be more expensive in the long run. Oh dear! Then test yourself with ASIC MoneySmart's "Things to think about" classroom exercises.  

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Count Us In, Ep 5: Cool ways to count 1 to 5

Watch Dodly and Flynn at the monster fair investigating ways of representing the numbers from one to five. Two is a double, such as in a double scoop of ice-cream. Tally marks and 'tri' are used as representations of three, while four monster apples are shown as 3 and 1 or 2 and 2.

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MathXplosion, Ep 15: How many times can a sheet of paper be folded?

Why can a regular sheet of paper be folded only about six times? By folding a sheet of paper in half, over and over, the number of layers and the thickness of the paper doesn’t just double, they increase exponentially. Find out how many times a sheet of paper can actually be folded!

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Area of a square and a triangle

Do you know the formula for working out the area of a square? How about a triangle? Watch this short maths video to learn the formulas for both.

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Working out the areas

Do you know how to work out the area of a square, a rectangle or a triangle? Learn the simple maths formulas needed from this video. What would be the area of a rectangle with a height of 5cm and a length of 3cm?

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BTN: What is the GST?

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a tax placed on things people buy with money or things people do for money. Can you name some goods and services that have GST? What about some goods and services that don't have GST? Find out when and why the GST was first introduced.

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MathXplosion, Ep 10: What is the strongest shape?

Are triangles really the strongest shapes ever? If so, why? Learn how and why right-angled and equilateral triangles have been used in engineering, architecture and design through the ages.

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Count Us In, Ep 9: Using data about favourite foods

Flynn helps Dodly gather information about monsters' favourite foods for Dodly's new cafe menu. Watch and learn while the two monsters research their friends' favourite foods and then display and organise this information. Will Flynn ever get fed at Cafe de Dodly?

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Patterns, primes and Pascal's Triangle

Are you intrigued by patterns? Check out Vi Hart as she explains how to visualise patterns in prime numbers, using Ulam's Spiral. Watch as Vi creates patterns, using Pascal's Triangle to explore relationships in number. See what happens when she circles the odd numbers. What rule does she use to create the final pattern?

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Comparing fuel consumption

Is it more fuel efficient to drive or fly between two places? Watch this clip and learn how to calculate the answer. What are the various factors that need to be taken into account? This video was made using the American measurement of gallons per hour, American firgures for the average number of passengers in a car and ...

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Catalyst: Nautical Robots

How might you find out how much and where the Earth's oceans are warming? Watch the report by Ruben Meerman and discover how more than 3000 'nautical robots', known as argo floats, have been placed in the oceans to collect data on variations in temperature, pressure and salinity.

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Count Us In, Ep 10: How long is a minute?

Dodly is getting ready for a very special occasion tomorrow. How will he fill in his time? How long does he have to wait? And what is his special occasion? With Dodly, Flynn and the Flying GIrl, investigate different ways of measuring time and discover how to read analogue and digital clocks.

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MathXplosion, Ep 30: How many combinations can you get?

How many combinations can you get from 6 shirts and 4 pairs of pants? Determine the number of different outfits using the concept of possibilities (possible outcomes) and combinations.

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Catalyst: Prime number keys

Have you ever wondered how modern day encryption works? How are messages and financial transactions kept hidden from cyber criminals and hackers? Listen to reporter Ruben Meerman and mathematician Simon Pampena discuss the largest prime number ever found and how prime numbers are used to encrypt electronic information.

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Right angle or acute angle?

What's the difference between a right angle and an acute angle? Find out!