CH 37: Awesome Numb3rs
Hands down, one of the biggest contributions the entertainment industry has made to mathematics is the show Numb3rs. It concerns an FBI agent and his mathematically gifted brother. The premise of the show is that the FBI is helped in its cases by the creative utilization of sophisticated mathematical techniques. What is so terrific about this show is that the math is quite real and the cases are quite close to or based on reality. The show is well acted, well written and highly recommended. Numb3rs has probably done more than almost any other television show in history to accurately introduce correct higher-level mathematics to a wider audience. The show maintains mathematical consultants from Caltech to ensure the accuracy of the math being used in the show.
Some examples of the concepts from Season One alone include P vs. NP in Chapter 22, Geometric progression in Chapter 32, Monty Hall problem in Chapter 1, and Sabermetrics in Chapter 31.
