More or Less, Are there more possible games of chess than atoms in the universe?

More or Less

Are there more possible games of chess than atoms in the universe?

20 January 2024

Available for over a year

We investigate how the vast possibilities in a game of chess compare to the vastness of the observable universe.

Dr James Grime helps us understand the Shannon number – a famous figure on the chess side of the equation - and astronomer Professor Catherine Heymans takes on the entire observable universe.

Presenter: Tim Harford

Producers: Debbie Richford and Nathan Gower

Production Co-ordinator: Brenda Brown

Series Producer: Tom Colls

Sound Mix: Andy Fell

Editor: Richard Vadon