We Are Experiencing Technical Difficulties

Episode Description: When the Time Radio malfunctions, Max and Molly accidentally jump to the wrong time and place — landing on a volcanic island moments before the historic Krakatoa eruption! To fix their device, they explore buoyancy, density, and the physics of springs using Hooke’s Law. With time literally running out, teamwork and Math become their only way home. Math Concepts: Density and buoyancy; Volume and displaced water; Unit comparison and real-world measurement; Hooke’s Law (F = –kx);History/Geography Concepts:  The Krakatoa volcanic eruption (1883); Indonesian geography (Sumatra, Java, Rakata Island); Early scientific observation of sound waves and pressure.

Episode Description: The day starts with Max trying to score goals on the soccer field – but ends with the Problem Solvers trying to meet their goal of finding the next server.  This takes them back to Ancient Greece and the legendary Colossus of Rhodes statue.   There the foursome of Max, Molly, Katrina and Charlene use unit conversions, time calculations, and problem-solving to outsmart history without changing it. But when a shadowy figure appears, they realize the POGs may be closer than ever. Math Concepts: Circumference and diameter of a circle; Using π (Pi) to calculate diameter from circumference; Unit conversion (feet to inches, cubits to inches/feet); Area comparison using real-world objects (soccer balls vs. goal size); Multiplication strategies (mental math using ×11); Time calculationsHistory/Geography Concepts:  The Colossus of Rhodes and the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World; Ancient Greece (Rhodes, 230 BCE); The Siege of Rhodes; Ancient measurement systems (cubits); Greek mythology (Helios, Oracle of Delphi)

Episode Description: The Problem Solvers follow a musical clue back to 17th-century Istanbul, where math, music, and history collide at the workshop of legendary cymbal maker Avedis Zildjian. Using solfège, fractions, percentages, and number patterns hidden inside familiar melodies, the team unlocks a musical combination protecting a POG server. But teamwork — and patience — are tested as they race to shut it down before moving on to the next threat. Math Concepts: Percentages and fractions; Division and decimals; Number sequences and patterns; Repeated values and doubling (74 × 2 = 148); Logical problem solving using constraints. History/Geography Concepts:  Solfège and musical scale degrees; Relationship between music and math; History of musical instruments (cymbals); Istanbul / Constantinople historical context; Cultural significance of music across time

Episode Description: The Problem Solvers search for a hidden POG server in Oshkosh using Math, maps, and an unexpected clue from an old pneumatic tube system. As they calculate area, distance, and city blocks, tensions rise over trust, teamwork, and Charlene’s true motives. In the end, a forgotten underground system reveals a surprising connection between past technology and modern threats. Math Concepts:  Percentages and probability; Area of squares & square roots; Square miles vs. square feet; Unit conversion (miles to feet); Estimation & rounding; Perfect squares (25, 49, 64, 81, 100)History/Geography Concepts:  Pneumatic tube transport systems (19th-century technology); How information was moved before digital communication; Land area measurement of cities; Analog vs. digital security systems

Episode Description: To stop the POGs’ prediction network, Max and Molly realize they need help—and fast. However, they are torn on whether or not they can trust Charlene.  To test her honesty, they recreate an experiment with a “lost” wallet stuffed with cash. Will Charlene pass the test?  As math, probability, and human behavior collide, the Problem Solvers learn that trust might be the most valuable currency of all. Math Concepts: Ratios and fractions; Percent conversion; Probability and win–loss percentages in sports; Division and rounding; Estimation and Averages; Multiplication with large numbersHistory/Geography Concepts: Real-world behavioral science experiment on lost wallets (conducted across 40 countries); Quarantine and disease prevention (mono); The concept of global research studies and data collection

Episode Description: During a break while playing Bingo – Max and Molly discover how probability shapes games of chance—right before a mysterious emoji message pulls them back into the hunt for the POGs. A hacked toy, a glitchy wi-fi signal from 1998, and a massive hidden server reveal the POGs’ terrifying “Prediction Calculator.” Now, the only way to stop them is to track their servers across time. Math Concepts: Probability in games of chance: bingo odds, coin-flip probability, randomness vs. strategy; Percentages; Circumference formula: C = 2πr; Simplifying operations by canceling factors (×4 and ÷4); Exponential calculationsHistory/Geography Concepts:  • FAO Schwarz; Early electronic toys: Super Talk Barbie, Teddy Ruxpin, Edison Dolls; Origin of the Butterfly Effect concept; Understanding how networks, servers, and digital communication evolved over time; The idea of encrypted information and decryption

Episode Description: While warming up indoors on a snowy day, Max and Molly review their mysterious clues about the POGs—until Max’s Alexa begins acting strangely. Decoding a message leads them to the famous toy store, FAO Schwarz, in 1998, where they overhear a secret meeting of sinister toy avatars plotting chaos across time. To stop them, Max and Molly decide they must become… moles. Math Concepts: Division with whole numbers and decimals; Multiplying decimals for cost calculations; Calculating time spans; Sound waves: how speed varies with temperature, medium, and environmental conditions.History/Geography Concepts: FAO Schwarz history (established 1862; cultural significance); Toy history: Tickle Me Elmo, Furbys, Teddy Ruxpin, and Edison Talking Dolls (late 19th-century experimental tech); Reading direction of Asian writing systems (Chinese, Japanese, Korean: historic right-to-left vertical writing).

Episode Description: Summoned to a High Tribunal – Max and Molly must defend their claim that a Mole has infiltrated The Order of Problem Solvers. After passing a high-pressure test, they argue their case—but nothing goes as planned. But in a twist, they discover that nothing might actually be the answer to their problems – and that perhaps the best Mole… is no Mole at all! Math Concepts:  Measuring time using heart rate; Division with remainders: 273 ÷ 78 = 3 + 39/78; Reducing fractions using divisibility rules; Divisibility rule for 3 (digit sum test); Identifying prime numbers.History/Geography Concepts:  Logic tests and tribunals (judicial structure, evidence, burden of proof); Concepts of espionage, infiltration, and “false leads.”; Idiom origins: “wild goose chase.”; Critical thinking and evaluating assumptions vs. evidence.

Episode Description: It’s the holidays, and Max and Molly are ready for two weeks of cookie-eating and cocoa-sipping—until a mysterious package arrives down the chimney. When the gift leads them to a riddle-filled party at Problem Solver HQ – fun Math games turn into accusations including Max making a shocking claim – that a Mole might be among the Problem Solvers! Math Concepts:  Multiplication for calculating time off from school; Probability and odds; Multiples of 3 and 4; Prime number identification; Reinforcement of number theory and divisibility rules.History/Geography Concepts: Ethical reasoning and logic in problem-solving; Historical references to “stooges” and wrongful accusation through time; Probability in games of chance and its real-world implications.

Episode Description: Max and Molly suspect one of their own might be a Mole inside the Problem Solvers. But when their investigation takes them on a mission to ancient Europe to save… cabbage, things spiral out of control—literally. As they battle Trolls, numbers, and paradoxes, they learn some problems can’t be solved in straight lines. Math Concepts:  Division of time and averages; Multiplication and proportion; Order of operations; Geometry: comparing circle vs. square perimeter-to-area ratios; Perimeter and circumference formulas: History/Geography Concepts:  Ancient Greece and Zeno’s Dichotomy Paradox (motion as illusion); Western Europe around 1000 BCE and early cultivation of Brassica oleracea (wild cabbage).