Why do we like the number 100?

Summary

Brains On! – Why Do We Like the Number 100?

Podcast: Brains On! Science podcast for kids
Episode: Why do we like the number 100?
Original release: June 2, 2026
Host: Molly Bloom
Kid Co-host: Issa Camargo

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Episode Overview

To celebrate their 100th episode, "Brains On!" investigates the cultural and mathematical fascination with the number 100. Host Molly Bloom and co-host Issa Camargo explore why 100 is such a big deal, examining its roots in human culture, math magic, and traditions. The episode features expert interviews, math tricks, listener-submitted facts, and a fun audio drama about Gungador's math and dance adventure.

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Key Segments and Insights

1. Celebrating 100 Episodes (02:40–03:41)

• Molly and Issa imagine fantastic ways to celebrate the milestone: fireworks, cake with a dinosaur inside, and a party with 100 cats and 100 dogs all getting along.
• Issa gifts Molly "100 high fives"—leading to a playful, literal exchange.
  • Quote:
    Molly Bloom: “I think I have a callus on my hand from all those high fives, but, man, I feel like a rock star after that.” [03:44]
• Molly introduces Issa as a super-curious kid who aspires to become an astronomer, with a special fascination for black holes.

2. Why is 100 "Special"? Interview with Rafael Nunez (05:52–11:23)

• Rafael Nunez (Cognitive Scientist, UC San Diego) explains:
  • Human cultures love milestones—numbers used as markers for celebrations.
  • The base-10 counting system comes from humans having ten fingers.
  • Numbers like 10, 50, and 100 feel important because of these counting habits.
  • Historically, "milestones" referred to stone markers by the road, now used metaphorically for important events (birthdays, graduations).
  • Not all cultures even use numbers like 100—some simply group things as "many."
  • Quote:
    “In our Western culture, numbers are very important… we use them for measuring time, temperature, money… Sometimes we have milestones that involve numbers.” – Rafael Nunez [07:11]
• Issa learns that 100 is important because we decide it is—a cultural "pick" made vivid by our number system.

3. Audio Drama: "Gungador vs. 100" (11:33–36:17)

A humorous, heartwarming story following Gungador, a former monster-battler trying to pass math by adding numbers from 1 to 100.

• Gungador struggles:
  • He can't add the numbers in his head, keeps starting over and gets discouraged by bullies.
• Key Insight:
  • Gungador's breakthrough: instead of adding sequentially, he pairs the smallest and largest numbers (1+100, 2+99) getting 101 each time.
  • Quote:
    Gungador: “Each pair, when added, equals 101. But how many pairs are there total, I wonder? ... There are 50 pairs all equal 101 when added together.” [32:15]
  • Calculates 50 x 101 = 5050.
• Uplifting message: Believe in yourself, find new ways to solve problems, and don’t give up.

4. Listener’s Favorite Facts (20:04–21:13)

• Kids share their favorite facts learned from past episodes:
  • “Dogs can smell how high or low a human’s blood sugar is.”
  • “Dolphins throw octopuses into the air so their suckers don’t choke them.”
  • “Tortoises can live for 100 years.”
• Issa’s favorite fact: There are three types of tears: basal, reflex, and emotional. [21:23–21:43]

5. Math Magic with Arthur Benjamin (26:00–30:02)

• Arthur Benjamin (Mathmagician, Harvey Mudd College) reveals magical math about 100:
  • 100 is a perfect square (10x10).
  • The cubes of 1, 2, 3, and 4, when added, equal 100.
  • Shares interactive math tricks where all calculations end up as 100, regardless of the starting number.
  • Introduces the concept of “googol”—a 1 followed by 100 zeroes!
  • Quote:
    Arthur Benjamin: “Something that I want you and all your listeners to do. I want you to think of a number between 1 and 10... If the magic has been working, you should be thinking of the number 100 now.” [27:10–27:50]

6. Mystery Sound: 100 Meter Dash (21:54–22:38, 36:17–37:10)

• The sound: Hannah Sunsala sprinting the 100-meter dash (duration: 12.26 seconds).
  • She describes her race in three parts: explosive start, fastest running, and pushing to the finish.
  • Running tip: run on toes, not heels, for speed.
  • Quote:
    Hannah Sunsala: “When you run on your toes ... your feet are in the air a lot more, and that allows you to have a faster reaction and then you’re running faster.” [38:41]

7. Wrapping Up: Why We Love 100 (41:14–41:45)

• Molly and Issa reflect:
  • 100 is omnipresent in base-10 cultures—"probably stems from the fact that we have ten fingers."
  • Not all cultures care about “100,” and some don’t use precise numbers at all.
  • Remember the fun math tricks!
  • Quote:
    Molly Bloom: “100. More like fun hundred.” [40:49]

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Notable Quotes

• Molly Bloom (on curiosity):
  “Do you like being super curious or is it sometimes frustrating?” [04:25]
• Issa Camargo (on curiosity):
  “I like being curious because I’m wondering, like, 24/7. But I don’t like being curious because... once I ask one question, I want to know another and another. And I think you get the point.” [04:32]
• Rafael Nunez (on milestones):
  “We people, we humans, we love to have milestones. We're very good at it.” [06:37]
• Gungador (problem-solving):
  “Each pair, when added, equals 101. ... 101 times 50 equal 5050 Kapow. Gungador wins.” [34:05]
• Arthur Benjamin (math magic):
  “If the magic has been working, you should be thinking of the number 100 now.” [27:50]
• Molly Bloom (on the value of their audience):
  “We want to thank you for listening to them and sharing your ideas and questions and mystery sounds and all of the awesome things that you send us that make this show possible.” [40:36]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Introduction & Celebration – 02:31–04:49
• Rafael Nunez Interview – 05:52–11:23
• Gungador vs. 100, Part 1 – 11:33–19:36
• Listener Facts – 20:04–21:43
• Mystery Sound (Setup) – 21:54–22:38
• Math Magic with Arthur Benjamin – 26:00–30:02
• Gungador vs. 100, Part 2 (Resolution) – 30:12–36:17
• Mystery Sound (Answer & Running Tips) – 36:17–39:09
• Show Closing & Reflections on 100 – 41:14–41:45

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Tone and Style

• Fun, energetic, and welcoming.
• Dialogue is lively, with lots of jokes, surprises, and imaginative roleplay (e.g., Gungador).
• Facts explained clearly and with excitement, making the science accessible for kids and adults alike.

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Takeaways

• The number 100’s special status comes from human culture, our base-10 counting system, and our love of milestones.
• Not every culture values "100"—it’s more about how we choose to count and celebrate.
• Simple math tricks and pairings can solve big problems—and math can be fun and surprising.
• Listeners’ curiosity is at the heart of the show, and every episode is enriched by their questions and discoveries.

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For Further Inquiry

• Send your science questions, mystery sounds, or drawings to Brains On! at brainson.org/contact.
• Discover more episodes exploring questions about the world—from stinky feet to cosmic wonders!

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Summary by Brains On! Podcast Summarizer — June 2026

Transcript

[Gungador]

Foreign.

[Booking.com Sponsor]

This episode of Don't Listen to Us is brought to you by booking.com I'm looking out my window and spring is in the air. It's time to go travel. I've got to say, if you're looking to grow your vacation rental business, this is the place to be. Booking.com is one of the most downloaded travel apps in the world. And for good reason. Since 2010, they've helped over 1.8 billion vacation rental guests find places to stay. That's billion with a B. But here's the thing. Most vacation rental hosts don't even realize they can list their properties on booking.com and if you're not on the platform, your rental is basically invisible to millions of Booking.com travelers worldwide. After all, they can't book what they can't see, right? But once you start listing on booking.com your property gets seen by a massive global audience of unique travelers. That means more visibility, more bookings, and more opportunity to accelerate the growth of your rental business. And it couldn't be easier. You can register your property in as little as 15 minutes, and nearly half of hosts get their first booking within a week. So if your vacation rental isn't listed on booking.com, it could be invisible to millions of travelers searching the platform. Don't miss out on consistent bookings and global reach. Head over to booking.com and start your listing today. Get Seen get booked on booking.com if

[Narrator/Announcer]

you're looking for answers to all of your kids questions about puberty, just find our new show, Brains on Universe Presents Puberty the Podcast. Designed for kids aged 7 to 12, the show answers their questions in a straightforward and digestible way. Puberty the Podcast is hosted by me, Molly Bloom of the award winning science podcast Brains on and co hosted by high schoolers who've just been through it. Experts are on hand to provide science filled explanations. Search for Brains on Universe Presents Puberty the Podcast. Hi friends. This week we're sharing an episode with you from a few years ago. It's one we made to mark our 100th episode. We're actually now faster approaching our 400th episode, but there's a lot of cool stuff in this episode we think you're gonna like. Especially about Gungador. Stay tuned.

[Issa Camargo]

Brains on Universe. You're listening to Brains On. Well, we're serious about being curious.

[Molly Bloom]

We did it. We made it to 100 episodes.

[Issa Camargo]

Awesome. What should we do to celebrate?

[Molly Bloom]

Hmm, I'll light a firework that when it blows up, it spells out seriously.

[Mark Sanchez]

Whoa.

[Issa Camargo]

Beautiful. I'm going to get a giant cake, wheel it in here, and then have a dinosaur pop out.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

It's even got a hat on.

[Molly Bloom]

Well, I'm going to have a dance party with 100 cats and 100 dogs, and they're all going to get along.

[Issa Camargo]

Is that cat doing the robot? Awesome. Well, I'm going to celebrate by giving you this gift.

[Molly Bloom]

Aw, thanks.

[Issa Camargo]

And inside it is 100 high fives.

[Molly Bloom]

Wow, that is so cool. There's so many of them.

[Issa Camargo]

One for every episode of Brains On.

[Molly Bloom]

Well, this could take a while.

[Issa Camargo]

Keep listening.

[Gungador]

Whew.

[Molly Bloom]

I think I have a callus on my hand from all those high fives, but, man, I feel like a rock star after that. Okay. You're listening to Brains on from American Public Media. I. I'm Molly Bloom, and my co host today is Issa Camargo from Orlando, Florida. Hi, Issa.

[Issa Camargo]

Hi, Molly.

[Molly Bloom]

So we've asked you to host this episode because you've sent us a lot of questions. Not quite a hundred questions, but a lot. Do you remember any of them?

[Issa Camargo]

Well, I don't remember a lot of them because I sent so many, but I do remember three. What is the biggest constellation in the sky? Why do people use makeup? And is there really a point for pinky toes?

[Molly Bloom]

Those are all really, really good questions. So do you like being super curious or is it sometimes frustrating?

[Issa Camargo]

Well, kind of both. I like being curious because I'm wondering, like, 24 7. But I don't like being curious because, like, once I ask one question, I want to know another and another. And I think you get the point of, like, what I'm trying to say.

[Molly Bloom]

I do. So do you know what you want to do when you grow up to put all of this amazing curiosity to use?

[Issa Camargo]

I've always wanted to be an astronomer because science and space is super cool and interesting.

[Molly Bloom]

That is super cool. Is there a specific thing about space that is kind of your favorite thing to think about?

[Issa Camargo]

Black holes.

[Molly Bloom]

Oh. What is your favorite fact about black holes?

[Issa Camargo]

How, like, the gravitational pull is so strong even light can't escape.

[Molly Bloom]

Well, Issa, I think you are the perfect host for our 100th episode because we're gonna focus all of our curiosity on just that.

[Issa Camargo]

The number 100. It's a pretty popular number.

[Molly Bloom]

100 pennies in a dollar 100 yards in a football field, there are 100

[Issa Camargo]

centimeters in a meter and 100 years in a century.

[Molly Bloom]

When you give your all, it's 100%.

[Issa Camargo]

And water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.

[Molly Bloom]

You see the number 100 everywhere. But why?

[Issa Camargo]

We called Rafael Nunez earlier this week to ask him.

[Molly Bloom]

He's a cognitive scientist at University of California, San Diego.

[Rafael Nunez]

Isabela. Okay. Hi, my name is Rafael.

[Issa Camargo]

Nice to meet you.

[Rafael Nunez]

Nice to meet you. Where are you?

[Issa Camargo]

I live in Orlando, Florida, and I'm in my dining room right now.

[Rafael Nunez]

Well, I'm at the. On the other side of the US In San Diego, California.

[Issa Camargo]

Oh, cool.

[Rafael Nunez]

Yeah, very cool.

[Issa Camargo]

Why do people think the number 100 is so important?

[Rafael Nunez]

Oh, okay. Well, can I ask you a question? Back to you. Whose people? Were you there?

[Issa Camargo]

Well, just basically, like, everyone on the. Like, at my school, because we celebrate the 100th day of school a lot. And everyone's like, oh, happy 100th day of school. And I'm like, why are you so excited about the number 100?

[Rafael Nunez]

I see. Yeah, that's a good question. Well, you see, we people, we humans, we love to have milestones. We're very good at it. Many, many cultures, you know, milestones of all sorts are marked with kind of important events, important parties, important celebrations, important rituals and so on.

[Issa Camargo]

What is a milestone?

[Rafael Nunez]

Yeah, that's a very good question. Thanks for asking me. So they used to be done on stone on the side of the road, saying, okay, here is the mile 20 or whatever, so you know where you are. This is before gps, before cell phones and so on. So it was very important for people to get oriented. So we use it metaphorically sometimes to say some days are very important, like a birthday party or like some holiday or graduation day and so on. So those are kind of metaphorically now referred to milestones as, when we talked originally in the past, as marking some distance on the road when you were traveling from one place to another. So in our Western culture, numbers are very important. We use them for everything, for money, for paying, for measuring time, for, you know, measuring temperature. And we talk about that all the time. Sometimes we have milestones that involve numbers. So, for example, the NFL, the Super Bowl, 50. There was a huge, huge event, much bigger than the other Super Bowls because it was 55, 0. So then you say, well, why didn't they do that for this super. Well, because it was 52, you know, so 50 looks like a. An important milestone. So then the question, well, what's in common between 50, in the case of the Super bowl there, or 100? Well, they have in common that they sort of count in tens. Now, we may want to know, why is 10 important? Right? Or why is 5 important? It may have to do a little bit with the fact that our anatomy, you know, we are animals with upper limbs and lower limbs, so arms and legs. So each one has five toes or five fingers. So in the upper limbs, the hands, we have a total of 10 fingers. So when we manipulate objects and when we, you know, imagine in the old times, in human evolution, people cooking or people, you know, preparing fire or doing. Preparing tools and so on, always manipulating objects with this ten fingers in front of them. And so it could be that this is in part of why we are so prone to gather things in groups of tens or groups of five. And actually, in English, the word five comes from fist, which is like five fingers in one hand. So it has kind of a very prominent presence, the five and the tens. And then if you count groups of tens in fives and tens, then you start to get hundreds and fifties and so on.

[Issa Camargo]

I know people think that the number 100 is important, but is the number 100 important?

[Rafael Nunez]

Well, as I was saying, it becomes important when we call it to be important. Marking the end, for example, of all those numbers that you write with, in our system, at least with two digits, you get to 98. So a nine and an eight, and then nine and a nine, and then boom, you start like a new. A new type of number, which now would have three digits, 1, 0, 0, and then you go 1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 2, 1 through 3. And so on. So these are, in a certain way, cultural. You know, cultural picks based on the fact that we like to mark labels and milestones. And also we have a notation that supports that. It kind of makes it more visible that 100 is something qualitatively different from 99 and 101.

[Issa Camargo]

That's so cool. Do other cultures celebrate the number 100? If not, do they celebrate a different number like 1000?

[Rafael Nunez]

Well, you know, that's a very interesting question, too. In other cultures, for example, they don't even have numbers around 10. 100 is the way we designate very precisely a certain type of quantity that in other cultures may be just something like many or a lot. So many cultures just work like that. That's all they need. Until not so long ago in human history, before some groups invented writing, probably a lot of the quantities were just referred as that. So in that sense, the idea of 100 being precise and important and so on didn't even exist.

[Issa Camargo]

Thank you.

[Rafael Nunez]

All right, have a good time. Bye bye. Thank you.

[Molly Bloom]

When it comes to the number 100, there's a lot to wrap your head around.

[Issa Camargo]

That's something one of our old Friends is learning the hard way.

[Molly Bloom]

Let's hear about it. This is the tale of Gungador versus 100.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Meet Gungador.

[Issa Camargo]

Hello.

[Gungador]

It me Mightiest in land.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

He was trained from birth to battle monsters for a sport called Most Epic Fighting. Battle Round.

[Monster Master]

And he was so good too.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

That's Monster Master Gangador's trainer. They were unstoppable until one fateful match against a sound wave.

[Gungador]

Hear the battle in Brains on Piano

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Episode After Gungador's defeat, he decided to quit fighting and go back to school to study dance.

[Monster Master]

A ridiculous idea if you ask me.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

But no one asked you. Now, Gungador is about to finish high school and apply for the dance program at Juilliard. But one thing stands in his math class.

[Ms. Brown]

All right, class. See you tomorrow. Oh, hey, Gungador. Do you got a minute?

[Gungador]

Gungador has all the minutes.

[Ms. Brown]

Yeah. Great.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Okay, look.

[Ms. Brown]

I know you've been trying. But your math grade is still too low for me to pass you this semester.

[Gungador]

But Gungador must pass. Gungador need diploma for college.

[Ms. Brown]

I know. I know this means a lot to you. So here's what I'm proposing. I'm going to give you a special extra credit assignment. And if you ace it and keep your grades up, I'll pass you. But if you fail. I'm sorry.

[Gungador]

Give Gungledore a chance. Gungador will conquer extra credit just like Gungador conquered Vomit Vixen and Dragon face in many battles.

[Ms. Brown]

What's a Vomit Vi? You know what? I don't care. Here's your assignment. I want you to find a way to add up all the numbers between one and a hundred in your head. No paper, no calculator. I'll give you two days to figure it out and you tell me how you did it. Sound fair?

[Gungador]

Challenge accepted.

[Ms. Brown]

Where'd that music come from?

[Gungador]

One plus two plus three is six. Pow. Four plus five is nine. Add nine and six to get 15. 15 plus seven and eight is. Wait. Did Gungador forget six? Gungador confused. Starting over one plus two is three.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Okay, okay, okay.

[Ms. Brown]

Think on it, Gungador. You've got until Friday. Good luck.

[Gungador]

Thank you, mighty Master of math.

[Ms. Brown]

Uh, it's Ms. Brown. And you're welcome.

[Gungador]

Now at 14 and 15 and you get. Wait. Did Gungador forget 13? Starting over, one plus two is three.

[Kylie]

Hey, Gungador, what's with the counting?

[Gungador]

Hi, Kylie. Gungador must add up all numbers between 1 and 100 in head to pass math.

[Kevin]

Yikes.

[Kylie]

Sounds tough.

[Gungador]

Yes. Harder than doing double Kick Karate chop, knee jab combo.

[Kylie]

Uh, is that a fighting thing?

[Gungador]

Yeah, that. Life over now.

[Kylie]

Well, I'm sure you'll solve that math problem. Oh, and look what I brought. It's our costumes for the talent show Friday. Check it out.

[Gungador]

Wow. Costume is perfect.

[Kylie]

You don't think this is too many sequins, do you?

[Gungador]

Gungador needs all the sequins. Gangador dances to show world how Gangador feels inside. Shiny costume part of that.

[Kylie]

Cool. I agree.

[Kevin]

Hey, look. It's that weirdo Kylie with her freak friend, Gungadork.

[Gungador]

Good one, Kevin.

[Rafael Nunez]

Oh.

[Gungador]

Am Gungador. Masher of faces, Crusher of kidneys, Defeater of the hordes of dog breath, and conqueror of the realm of Blurgh.

[Kevin]

Do you always talk like that? More like Gungebore.

[Sandon]

Ah, snap.

[Kevin]

Am I right?

[Monster Master]

Up top.

[Sandon]

Yeah.

[Issa Camargo]

Dude. What weirdos.

[Kevin]

Come on, guys. Let's go write the word butts inside library books. Later, losers.

[Kylie]

Just ignore them, Gungador. They're insecure brats.

[Molly Bloom]

Gungador, please report to the principal's office.

[Kylie]

That's weird. Are you in trouble?

[Gungador]

No idea.

[Kylie]

Well, I'll see you in English later.

[Molly Bloom]

Are you Gung Gador Mightiest Inland?

[Gungador]

Yes.

[Ms. Brown]

This call is for you.

[Gungador]

Call?

[Monster Master]

Who couldn't? Hey, Gungy, old pal. It's me, your dear friend, Monster Master. You remember me, right? We used to fight other monsters together.

[Gungador]

Gangador remembers.

[Monster Master]

Sorry to interrupt your preschool or whatever.

[Gungador]

High school.

[Monster Master]

Sure, that. Anyway, I was calling to see if you're ready to come back and fight for me. Battles just aren't the same without you. None of my other monsters come close to your skill and strength.

[Gungador]

Gungador. Done fighting students now and soon. World famous dancer Dancing.

[Monster Master]

What a Gunga snore. You are meant for epic battles and beating the pulp out of your enemies. Dancing is for graceful creatures.

[Gungador]

Gunga door is graceful.

[Monster Master]

Yeah, right. You'll see. You were born to fight. You can't escape it. You'll fail at dancing, you'll fail at school. And then you'll come begging me to take you back.

[Mark Sanchez]

Ha.

[Monster Master]

You'll see. You'll see.

[Issa Camargo]

No.

[Gungador]

Monster Master is wrong. Gandor can dance, Gangador can graduate. Gangador just needs to solve math problem.

[Molly Bloom]

You done?

[Gungador]

Yes.

[Molly Bloom]

Then chop chop with the pep talk and get to class.

[Gungador]

Sorry.

[Principal]

Five more laps, people. And whatever you are, Gung Gador.

[Gungador]

Okay. What if Gungador starts at 100 and adds backwards? 100 plus 99 is. 199. 199, 98 is. Why is problem so hard?

[Kevin]

Hey, look. Dummy door not now, Kevin.

[Gungador]

Gangador trying to concentrate.

[Kevin]

On what? Not tripping over your giant feet while you run. Good luck.

[Gungador]

No, concentrate on math.

[Kevin]

Here's a problem for you. What do you get when you take away 100 from 100?

[Gungador]

Uh, zero.

[Kevin]

What a coincidence. That's like your IQ, right?

[Gungador]

Gungador not need this now. Gungador toss Kevin.

[Rafael Nunez]

What?

[Kevin]

Let go me, you freak.

[Gungador]

Kevin go. Bye bye.

[Kevin]

Please don't throw me. I'm sorry. I'm such a jerk. Raging hormones combined with unresolved childhood issues make me insufferable.

[Principal]

Gungador put Kevin down. You just got detention, buddy.

[Gungador]

Oh no.

[Kylie]

Hey, Gungador, why is your tray empty? Are you not eating?

[Gungador]

Gungador almost tossed. Kevin have detention today. Feeling bad? Not hungry?

[Kylie]

Sorry, pal. But he probably deserved it. Look, we can always move our dance rehearsal to later this evening when you you get out.

[Gungador]

Maybe Gangador skip rehearsal.

[Kylie]

But the talent show is tomorrow. We need to polish our leaps and high kicks.

[Gungador]

What is point? Gungador can't solve 100 problem. Gangador going to fail math. Gangador is dumb and not graceful. Just like Kevin and Monster Master say no.

[Kylie]

You're not traditionally graceful, but no one moves like you.

[Gungador]

Forget it. Gangador done with school, done with dancing. Gangador is just dumb fighter. Goodbye, Kylie.

[Kylie]

Don't say that. I don't want to dance without you. Gungador come back. Gungador. Gungador.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Will Kylie and Gungador get to show off their sequins at the talent show? Will Gungador solve his math problem? Will Kevin and Monster Master ever grow up? Keep listening.

[Issa Camargo]

Wow, what a cliffhanger.

[Molly Bloom]

I know we are gonna hear how it all turns out in just a bit. But first 100 episodes means we've all learned a lot of cool stuff.

[Issa Camargo]

But some facts are just cooler than others.

[Narrator/Announcer]

We asked you to tell us about

[Molly Bloom]

your favorite fact from the show and here's what you said.

[Issa Camargo]

My favorite fact that I learned on Brains on is if you connected all the nanotubes, you could put an elevator and it could go into space.

[Hannah Sunsala]

Astronauts eat em dried up food.

[Issa Camargo]

Dogs can smell how high or low a human's blood sugar is. The dogs can smell pee in the pool. When dogs sniff each other, they can tell how each other are feeling. How dogs can't tell how other dogs are feeling, but just by smelling. My favorite fact that I learned on Brains on is that dolphins throw octopuses into the air so that they can eat them so their suckers don't choke the dolphins. Taller elevators go faster than shorter elevators. The wetter ones are about to tornado. Some can go up to the clouds and some go down from the clouds. One fact I learned was how they make dead people twitch with electricity. I like learning how lasers work. They're really cool. Turtles or tortoises can live at the for 100 years.

[Narrator/Announcer]

That was Emerson, Audrey, Libby, Drew, Evie, Eloise, Donovan, Kail, Lily, Jacob, Dorothy, and Elliot. Isabella. Do you have a favorite fact from brains on?

[Issa Camargo]

My favorite fact was when I learned that there were three types of tears. Basal tears, reflex tears, and emotional tears.

[Molly Bloom]

So why did that fact stick out to you?

[Issa Camargo]

Because I thought there was only one type of tear and that was the emotional tear. But then I found out there are two others and I was like, what? Two other tears?

[Molly Bloom]

So it surprised you?

[Gungador]

Mm.

[Molly Bloom]

Well, I have a fact and a surprise right now because it's time for the mystery sound.

[Issa Camargo]

Mystery sound

[Molly Bloom]

Ears open, brains on. Here we go. Okay, do you have a guess?

[Issa Camargo]

It sounds like someone running in like this big stadium sort of.

[Molly Bloom]

That is an excellent guess. We are going to let you think on it just a little bit more and we'll be back with the answer very soon.

[Issa Camargo]

Do you have a mystery sound to share or like me? A lot of questions you'd love answered.

[Narrator/Announcer]

Send them to [e-mail] contact. You can also share drawings or ideas. Again, that's brainson.org contact thanks. Today's episode is sponsored by Shopify. When we went independent here at Brainzon, there was a lot to figure out and it was pretty overwhelming. And when you're starting something new, it

[Molly Bloom]

just feels like the to do list

[Narrator/Announcer]

keeps growing and growing and growing. But that's why finding the right tool that not only helps you out but simplifies everything can be a game changer for us. One of those tools is Shopify. Shopify is the commerce platform behind millions of businesses around the world and 10% of all e commerce commerce in the US Shopify is your commerce expert with world class expertise in everything from managing inventory to international shipping to processing returns and beyond. And if you get stuck, Shopify is always around to share advice with their award winning 24. 7 customer support. Start your business today with the industry's best business partner, Shopify and start hearing. Sign up for your $1 per month [e-mail] brainson go to shopify.com brainson that's shopify.com brainson

[Booking.com Sponsor]

this episode of Don't Listen to Us is brought to you by booking.com I'm looking out my window and spring is in the air. It's time to go travel. I've got to say, if you're looking to grow your vacation rental business, this is the place to be. Booking.com is one of the most downloaded travel apps in the world, and for good reason. Since 2010, they've helped over 1.8 billion vacation rental guests find places to stay. That's billion with a B. But here's the thing. Most vacation rental hosts don't even realize they can list their properties on booking.com and if you're not on the platform, your rental is basically invisible to millions of Booking.com travelers worldwide. After all, they can't book what they can't see, right? But once you start listing on booking.com, your property gets seen by a massive global audience of unique travelers. That means more visibility, more bookings, and more opportunity to accelerate the growth of your rental business. And it couldn't be easier. You can register your property in as little as 15 minutes, and nearly half of hosts get their first booking within a week. So if your vacation rental isn't listed on booking.com, it could be invisible to millions of travelers searching the platform. Don't miss out on consistent bookings and global reach. Head over to booking.com and start your listing today. Get seen, get booked on booking.com brains on.

[Molly Bloom]

This is the 100th episode of Brains on. I'm Molly Bloom.

[Issa Camargo]

And I'm Misa Camargo.

[Molly Bloom]

And we're talking all things 100.

[Issa Camargo]

You might think you know the number 100, but it's got some tricks up its sleeve.

[Molly Bloom]

If numbers hat sleeves.

[Issa Camargo]

Here to show us some cool 100 tricks is Arthur Benjamin.

[Molly Bloom]

He's a math magician and a professor of mathematics at Harvey Mudd College. Hello, Arthur.

[Sandon]

Hello.

[Molly Bloom]

We are very excited to have you here. So tell us why the number 100 is so magical.

[Sandon]

Well, I'm a mathematician, and the number 100 is very interesting for several reasons. For example, 100 is a perfect square. 10 squared is 100. And the reason it's called squared is if you took 10 rows of dots and laid them in a row. 10, 10, 10, 10, 10. In 10 rows, you form a square, and that's 100. I like multiplying numbers, squaring numbers, cubing numbers. If you take the cubes of the numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4, right? 1 cubed is 1. 2 cubed is 8. 3 cubed is 27. 4 cubed is 64. If you add them together, guess what you get 100.

[Molly Bloom]

What?

[Sandon]

So that's pretty cool. But let me show you something even more magical, okay? Something that I want you and all your listeners to do. I want you to think of a number between 1 and 10, okay? Don't tell me what it is, just think of it.

[Issa Camargo]

Okay, I've got mine.

[Sandon]

Okay, now double that number. Okay, now let's add 10 to that number.

[Molly Bloom]

Okay?

[Sandon]

Okay, now whatever you're thinking of, I want you to divide it by two. That's the hard part. Okay? You got it, Isa?

[Issa Camargo]

I think I got it.

[Sandon]

Okay, now I want you to subtract the number that you started with. Now, whatever you're thinking of, I want you to double that number. And now I want you to multiply that number by itself. And if the magic has been working, you should be thinking of the number 100 now.

[Molly Bloom]

Yes.

[Issa Camargo]

That's so cool.

[Sandon]

Here's another one that's also pretty mysterious. Think of a number between 1 and 50. Okay? Think of it. Make it a two digit number. Okay? Between 10 and 50.

[Molly Bloom]

Okay.

[Rafael Nunez]

Okay.

[Sandon]

So whatever number you're thinking of, I want you to add the digits together. So like, if you were thinking of 42, then 4 plus 2 is 6, okay? But don't tell me what it is. Now I want you to subtract that number from the two digit number you started with. So for example, if you start with 42, you'd subtract 6 and now you'd have 36. Okay? Now whatever number you're thinking of now I want you to add those numbers together. If you're thinking of 34, then three plus four is seven. That's all I'm saying.

[Molly Bloom]

Okay?

[Issa Camargo]

Got it?

[Sandon]

Got it. If you have a one digit number, leave it alone. If it's a two digit number, add those two digits together.

[Rafael Nunez]

Okay?

[Molly Bloom]

Mm.

[Sandon]

Okay, now I want you to add one to that number. That's easy.

[Mark Sanchez]

Okay.

[Sandon]

All right. And if we multiply that number by itself, I'll bet we get 100 again.

[Issa Camargo]

Yes, we do.

[Mark Sanchez]

Yay.

[Issa Camargo]

So I know that you said, like, the problem you do will always equal 100. What if you do a number that's above 100, will it still equal 100?

[Sandon]

It absolutely will. Whether we started with 6 or 50 or a million or a Google. By the way, do you know what a Google is? It's the number one with a hund. It's a one with a hundred zeros after it. So it's a gigantic number, Google. And the company Google was kind of named after that giant number. And if you put a one with a Google number of zeros after it that's called a Googleplex. I don't know any applications for a Googleplex, but it's still cool that you can think of these numbers, even if you'd never be able to write it down. Even if you spent your whole life writing down numbers. So that's pretty cool.

[Molly Bloom]

So cool. Well, thank you so much for sharing your amazing math with us.

[Sandon]

My pleasure. See you later.

[Issa Camargo]

That was awesome. Bye Bye.

[Gungador]

Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba.

[Rafael Nunez]

Brains on.

[Molly Bloom]

Hmm. I wonder if any of those tricks could help Gungador with his math problem.

[Issa Camargo]

Let's find out. Let's get back to the tale of Gungador versus 100.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

When we last left Gungador, he was struggling in math, in trouble at school, and just blew off his best friend. Jeez, this story is depressing. Let's rejoin the story later that night.

[Gungador]

Gungador is failure. All Gungador good for is smashing. Stupid school. Stupid bullies. Stupid math problem. Gangador is so mad. Want to break number 100 apart?

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Well, that's an idea.

[Gungador]

Who said.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Never mind that. What were you just saying?

[Gungador]

That Gangador wants to break 100.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Interesting. What would happen if you broke it apart?

[Gungador]

Well, 100 becomes two parts. One starting at one and the other ending at 100. Hmm.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Say, what would happen if you took those two N's and started your adding there?

[Gungador]

Huh? Like adding the first number and last number. 100 plus one.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Sure, why not?

[Gungador]

It equal 101.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

101. Well, what about the next two numbers you've got there?

[Gungador]

99 and two. Let's see. Also equals one hundred and one. Wow.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Now that's uncanny. Just keep going.

[Gungador]

Next is 98 and three, also 101. Then 97 and four. 101 again, 96 and five, also one hundred and one. They all equal one hundred and one.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Fascinating. Each pair, when added, equals one hundred and one. But how many pairs are there total, I wonder?

[Gungador]

Easy. Pairs are sets of two. 100 divided by two equals 50. There are 50 pairs all equal 101 when added together.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Okay, so you're telling me you have 50 pairs of numbers in the number one hundred and each one, when added together, equals 101.

[Issa Camargo]

Hmm.

[Gungador]

That mean there is 50 pairs of 101. Answer to question is just 50 times 101.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

So what's a hundred times 50?

[Gungador]

51. Hundreds. Easy. Five thousand.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

And then what's 1 times 50?

[Gungador]

Just 50.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

So what is 101 times 50?

[Gungador]

Five thousand and fifty. Wait, that answer. Five thousand and fifty. That is what all numbers from 1 to 100 added up equal. Gungador gets it. Thank you, mystery voice, for helping Gungador solve most vexing problems.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

I didn't help you. You figured it out all by yourself. In fact, I'm not really even here. This was all a dream. Dream, dream.

[Gungador]

Ah, what weird dream. But Gangador has answer. Now Gungador can pass math. Oh no. Late for.

[Ms. Brown]

All right, class dismissed. Have a good weekend. And don't forget, next period is the talent show. So go straight to the auditorium.

[Gungador]

Mathmaster Gangador conquer problem have answered.

[Monster Master]

Great.

[Ms. Brown]

Lay it on me.

[Gungador]

Gangador realized. First number of 100 plus last number equals 101. Next highest and lowest numbers also equal 101. All pairs from there on equal 101. There are 50 pairs of 101 total. 101 times 50 equal 5050 Kapow. Gungador wins.

[Ms. Brown]

Excellent work, Gungador. I'm proud of you. That wasn't easy.

[Gungador]

Gungador stomped tough problems.

[Ms. Brown]

Well, I'm off to the auditorium for the talent show.

[Issa Camargo]

Oh no.

[Gungador]

Talent show. Gangador forgot. Time for epic run through halls.

[Ms. Brown]

Nope. No running allowed.

[Gungador]

Time for epic fast walk through halls.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

You know what? I'll allow it.

[Gungador]

Must get to stage in time. Must find Kylie.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Meanwhile, backstage at the auditorium.

[Principal]

Alright, Kylie, you're up in one minute. Ready?

[Kylie]

No, I. I can't do it. I'll look dumb. I'm. I'm just gonna skip it. Is that okay?

[Gungador]

No, not okay. Kylie is meant to dance. And so is Gungador.

[Kylie]

Gungador, you made it.

[Gungador]

Gungador learned that dreams are important. Sometimes they help you solve math problems. And sometimes they tell you to dance.

[Kylie]

I knew you wouldn't give up on yourself. But I don't think you have enough time to change into your costume.

[Gungador]

Gungador doesn't need costume. Gungador sparkles from inside. Now let's show epic dance moves.

[Principal]

You guys are up.

[Kylie]

All right, Gungador, let's rock.

[Gungador]

Hoo. Ha.

[Kylie]

High kick, twirl, sashay, pirouette. Super pirouette. High kick, sashay jump, twirl.

[Molly Bloom]

Hey, Isa. Are you ready to hear that mystery sound again?

[Issa Camargo]

Yes, I am.

[Molly Bloom]

Here it is. Okay. Any new thoughts?

[Issa Camargo]

I mean, it so sounds sounds like someone running, but I'm changing. Like where they're running instead of like a big stadium. I think they're like at the gym or something.

[Molly Bloom]

That's an excellent guess. Here's the answer.

[Hannah Sunsala]

That was the sound of me sprinting the 100 meter dash.

[Molly Bloom]

So, Issa, you are 100% correct. Yeah, that's Hannah Sunsala. She's a computer science and math major at Macalester College, and she also holds the school's record for the 100 meter dash, just 12.26 seconds.

[Issa Camargo]

Cool.

[Hannah Sunsala]

I began sprinting in, like, sixth grade, so I've been running for about eight to 10 years. I'd say my first sport was basketball, and for that, yeah, going back and forth on the court, there's a lot of movement, and you have to be really quick to be able to get back on defense or get back on offense. So I'd say I'd always have, like, be fairly quick. But when you do a sport that's like purely running, it helps you to focus a lot more on that speed.

[Molly Bloom]

So there's a lot that goes into running 100 meters in 12.26 seconds. During practice, Hannah and her coaches pay extremely close attention to each step she's going to take. Every movement from head to toe is scrutinized and refined. So when race day comes, she doesn't even have to think about what her body is doing. Hannah thinks about the race in three parts, mentally.

[Hannah Sunsala]

the beginning of the race, right when you get out of the blocks, I'm really focused on just pushing hard, trying to push the track behind me and get out very quickly. And then the middle of the race is more running as fast as you can. So you're accelerating from the beginning, through the middle. And then the last part, I'm just trying to make it to the finish line before anybody else or as fast as I possibly can.

[Molly Bloom]

Issa, do you run?

[Issa Camargo]

I used to be in Runners Club, but I don't anymore because it only lasted for like, two weeks. And I'm like, I can't do this anymore. I'm just not meant for running. I quit.

[Molly Bloom]

I feel the same way. I am not a runner. But for those who are runners in our audience, if you want to go a little faster in your next race, Hannah has something you can practice.

[Hannah Sunsala]

For sprinters, I would say, make sure you're running on your toes. Don't be a heel striker. So when you run on your toes, instead of strike your heels first, you're touching the ground a lot less, your feet are in the air a lot more, and that allows you to have a faster reaction and then you're running faster. So I think running is just something that everybody can do, and I don't think there's really a right or wrong way to do it. There might be a more efficient way to do it, but it's not really wrong.

[Molly Bloom]

Okay, listeners, on your mark. Get set, go. Before we go, we have a gift for you, our listeners.

[Issa Camargo]

There's no way we could have made it this far without all our friends, fans, and family.

[Molly Bloom]

So our producer, Mark Sanchez, wrote this song.

[Mark Sanchez]

Thank you. And you. And you, and you, and you and you. Thank you. And you. And you and you and you and you. Thank you. And you. And you and you and you and you and you. Thank you. And you and you and you. And especially you.

[Monster Master]

Hey, this is Sandon. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. Oh, man. 100 episodes. What an achievement. Couldn't have done it without you.

[Kylie]

That's right. Without you.

[Sandon]

You're awesome.

[Kylie]

Thank you.

[Rafael Nunez]

Hey, everybody, this is Mark. And I just want to to say

[Sandon]

that you did it.

[Rafael Nunez]

Not we did it.

[Kevin]

You did it.

[Rafael Nunez]

You helped us get to 100 episodes. Here's to another hundred.

[Molly Bloom]

This is Molly, and I just want to say it's been so much fun making these episodes, and we want to thank you for listening to them and sharing your ideas and questions and mystery sounds and all of the awesome things that you send us that make this show possible.

[Narrator/Announcer]

Thank you.

[Molly Bloom]

100. More like fun hundred.

[Mark Sanchez]

Thank you. And you, and you, and you and you and you.

[Gungador]

Thank you.

[Mark Sanchez]

And you and you and you. And of course, you, too.

[Issa Camargo]

In many cultures, the number 100 is everywhere.

[Molly Bloom]

That's because these cultures count in a system known as base 10.

[Issa Camargo]

It probably stems from the fact that we have 10 fingers.

[Molly Bloom]

But not every culture cares about the number 100, and some don't even have precise numbers like that at all.

[Issa Camargo]

And the number 100 has some pretty cool math around it, especially if you can remember all those cool tricks we learned. That's it for episode 100.

[Narrator/Announcer]

Yes.

[Molly Bloom]

We did it. High five. Ow. Still a little sore there.

[Issa Camargo]

Brain Zone is produced by Mark Sanchez, Sandon Tauten, and Molly Bloom.

[Molly Bloom]

We had engineering help from Michael Demark, Veronica Rodriguez, and Mac Dula.

[Issa Camargo]

We had production help from Emily Allen, John Lambert, Lauren D. And Jacqueline Kim.

[Molly Bloom]

Special thanks to Jill Ferris, Judy Augsburger, John Miller, Nancy Yang, Abby Stevens, Ali Lozoff, Chris Worthington, Diana Floten, and Max Nesterak.

[Issa Camargo]

You can follow us on Twitter and Instagram. We're at Brainson and find us on Facebook too.

[Molly Bloom]

Oh, and we would love if you told a friend about the show. It is the best way for us to grow.

[Narrator/Announcer]

Now it's time for the Brain's honor roll. These are the incredible kids who keep the show going with their questions, ideas, mystery sounds, drawings, and high Fives Cordelia from Ottawa Forrest from Manassas, Virginia Jack from Lancaster, Pennsylvania Maximus from Oxen Hill, Maryland Owen from Denver Isaac from Petaluma, California Violet from Henderson, Nevada Imra from Los Angeles Brendan Jr. And Philip from Marietta, Georgia Willa from Pine Mountain, Georgia Amani from Phoenix Ophelia from Bethesda, Maryland Rastan from St. John's Newfoundland Izzy from Los Gatos, California Charlotte from Annandale, New Jersey Alexander from Sydney, Australia Antonio from Tempe, Arizona Noah, Jabreel, Amina and Mariam from Palos Hills, Illinois Mariana from Stanford, California Carly from Quakertown, Pennsylvania Samuel from Harrisonburg, Virginia Vasara and Nalais from Chicago Hunter from Sydney, Australia Carl from Cambridge, Massachusetts Aria from Tallahassee, Florida Emmett from Philadelphia Moopi from Baton Rouge, Louisiana Trey from Rockwell, Texas Owen from Naperville, Illinois Lucas from Watkins, Georgia Josie from Sanos, Maryland Isaac from Reno, Nevada Miles from Fairfield, Connecticut Emily from Knoxville, Tennessee Alex and Albert from Oakville, Ontario Clara from Federal Way, Washington Brianna from Naples, Florida David and Juliana from Salisbury, North Carolina Lexin from Sturbridge, Massachusetts Rebecca from Knoxville, Tennessee Max, Nicholas and Sophie from Toulouse, France Layla from Los Angeles Minh from Hanoi, Vietnam Luke from Orlando, Florida Sophia from Dubai Matilda from Champaign, Illinois Stella from American Fork, Utah Brady and Blake from Phoenix Gideon and Saffron from Sun Prairie, Wisconsin Lulu from Vancouver, Washington Nickon from Portland, Oregon Elliot, Edith and Ava from Singapore, Georgia from Overland Park, Kansas Annie, Gus and Lucy from Norman, Oklahoma Max from Newport, Richey, Florida Robert from Lincoln, Nebraska Casey from Milton, Massachusetts Maverick from Greenfield, Indiana and Cora from Doha, Qatar. We'll be back next week with an episode of smashboom.

[Ms. Brown]

Best.

[Issa Camargo]

Thanks for listening.