The mathematically impossible ball that shouldn’t exist.

Thanks to everyone at Liverpool FC for being so accommodating and friendly.

Humble Pi stand-up special is on Maths Gear as a download, and all the other places.

CORRECTIONS
- None yet, let me know if you spot anything!

Filming and editing by Alex Genn-Bash
Written and performed by Matt Parker
Produced by Nicole Jacobus
Maths of the Day music by Howard Carter
Design by Simon Wright and Adam Robinson

MATT PARKER: Stand-up Mathematician

[unvergebeneid]

You should've told them the sign embarrasses football, not geometry. Nobody cares about education but make a video go viral of tourists laughing at the English for not knowing what a football even looks like and you'll have even the old signs ripped out by next Tuesday.

[ralphmay]

2:56 Love the condradiction, "It wouldn't be visible to drivers" and "It would be so distracting drivers would have accidents" is just so Town Council that it's kinda inspiring in a way.

[zlate]

I just looked it up on Google street view: in Italy the signs show a correct football and Italy has won more titles than England - coincidence? I think not!

[markpolo]

I have to admit that despite only having been in England twice, each time for less than a day, I was unduly distracted by these footballs. "That doesn't look right". "Wait, it's all hexagons!". "Don't they know about the Euler characteristic of a sphere?" Good thing I wasn't driving.

[qwertyfinger]

tfw you love geometry so much that you go into fits and crash you car upon seeing a geometrically accurate football

[jpdemer]

There's only one thing left to do: print up adhesive stickers that show an actual soccer ball, and start plastering them on the street signs.

[Loncouverite]

As an ex civil servant, try with the department of digital culture, media & sport. You’re more likely to get them onside and then the request to DfT will be harder to ignore.

[greedyProphet]

Honestly, if I saw the impossible football on a sign while driving, *that* would be distracting. It looks immediately incorrect in a way that is not immediately obvious. That would definitely distract me as I tried to figure out what's wrong.

[Jimorian]

The UK government just called for an election, so time to ask every politician how they stand on this touchstone issue!

[loganstrong]

On the one hand, I understand why this issue wouldn't be a priority to them and they'd want to just say "no, go away." However, once there was a fully signed petition, why nobody used this as a "do something effortless to get good PR" opportunity is beyond me. They don't even need to change current signs, just add one sentence that says "if replacing the sign, replace it with this version instead."

[MyChevySonic]

The sign is both too small for drivers to see details, but it also would be potentially dangerously distracting to drivers with the correct geometry.

Schrodinger's football.

[spelcheak]

“Appreciation for geometry” was the wrong direction to go in, it should have been “to not look like idiots” from the start.

[Tker]

The emails reminds me of one of my favorite Onion headlines "CIA finally realize they've been using black highlighters"

[chrisckelly]

Over here in Ann Arbor, Michigan, there's a mural featuring a Rubik's cube that is impossible to solve due to having two white centerpieces. The mural also includes the phrases "Challenge Everything" and "Create Anything, " which offer a reassuring message and diminish the frustration upon reading them. 🤷‍♂️

[frederf]

"The worst they can say is no." Government proceeds to lie to your face, invoke public safety, insult your intelligence.

[voidmayonnaise]

Nobody would notice the sign difference.
But also, the change would be so shocking it would distract drivers.

[Impossiblah]

"You wouldn't be able to see the detail from the road. Also the design would distract drivers."
Incredible

[AFastidiousCuber]

I was driving when the notification for this video came up. Fortunately, the football in the thumbnail is geometrically incorrect. Otherwise, I could have been in a serious accident.

[QuantumHistorian]

The funniest thing to me is someone from Liverpool FC inviting Matt to see some of the players, and him turning them down in favour of the analytics team. Bet that's never happened before.

[derosterhase]

In contrast to fixing some street signs in the UK, fixing all footballs in the world sounds like a reasonable task (I guess)