Does land area assume a country is perfectly flat? @standupmaths
Does land area assume a country is perfectly flat?  @standupmaths
Uploaded August 2020 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
You can listen to the A Problem Squared podcast here (and everywhere else). Please do! aproblemsquared.libsyn.com

Huge thanks to Dr Laura Graham! Everything they did is on github:
github.com/laurajanegraham/surface_area/blob/master/surface_area.md
All about Laura: laurajanegraham.github.io

Prof Alasdair Rae was also big help and sent me their slides.
bit.ly/measurelandarea
This is that video: youtube.com/watch?v=pDYkiK90WCM
All about Alasdair: statsmapsnpix.com

Thanks to Phil Chapman for sending in the question and taking the time to record themselves reading it for me.

Geoscience Australia were super helpful and answered all of my ridiculous questions.
https://www.ga.gov.au/scientific-topics/national-location-information/dimensions/area-of-australia-states-and-territories

Check out Steve Mould's Numberphile video on fractal coast lines.
youtube.com/watch?v=7dcDuVyzb8Y

Thanks to Bec Hill: comedian; podcast host; and the new voice of Geoscience Australia.
youtube.com/channel/UC5_iLVNOt2i0fX57v8AjMEQ
bechillcomedian.com

CORRECTIONS
- At 14:02 I accidentally say a 9 instead of a 7 (the area is 247719 not 249719). The on-screen numbers are correct. Phew.
- Let me know if you spot any other mistakes.

Thanks to my Patreons who mean I can spend tens of days of my life on a silly video like this. Here is a random subset of those fine Patreon People:

Cubey
Andy B
Nicholas Koceja
Jordan Scales
Malcolm Rowe
Sean
Derek Chandler
Paul LeVan
Kristian Joensen
Patrick Stover

patreon.com/standupmaths

As always: thanks to Jane Street who support my channel. They're amazing.
janestreet.com

Filming and editing by Matt Parker
Additional filming by Lucie Green
A bunch of footage is from Pond5
Audio and music by Howard Carter
Design by Simon Wright and Adam Robinson

MATT PARKER: Stand-up Mathematician
Website: standupmaths.com
US book: penguinrandomhouse.com/books/610964/humble-pi-by-matt-parker
UK book: mathsgear.co.uk/collections/books/products/humble-pi-signed-paperback
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Does "land area" assume a country is perfectly flat?

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