The case for practical maths?
A New York Times Op-Ed piece makes the case for maths for life, and not just for the classroom. The article’s authors, Sol Garfunkel and David Mumford, argue strongly in favour of a maths curriculum that exists in relation to the science, engineering, finance (and so on) that it serves every day, and they say [...]
Read the whole postExtra pi for Pi Day
So we’re a little late, and it’s Pi day (March 14th) plus a bit. For those who can’t fathom March 14th as Pi day, think of it as 3.14, the first three digits of pi. It makes more sense if you’re American. Read a fun fact and listen to a lovely song, all about pi.
Read the whole postUse trigonometry – unleash heaven’s fire
The US scientists working on the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos in 1945 were at the forefront of physics. When they devised the nuclear bomb, as Robert Oppenheimer later said, they became “…death, the destroyer of worlds.” So it’s a good thing they were halfway decent at maths… [click the pic to see the whole [...]
Read the whole postBenoit Mandelbrot, RIP
Mandelbrot gave his name to a famous fractal ‘set’, whose image has adorned thousands of student bedrooms, science labs, and psychedelic paraphernalia, but he has contributed a huge amount to maths in particular, and science in general.
Read the whole postMaths – the best use for golf balls
Rather than serve only to be hooked, sliced, or shanked into the near distance, chased by a volley of insults, hundreds of red and blue golf balls have been put towards a magnificent three-dimensional Sierpinski Triangle (or tetrahedron, in this instance).
Read the whole postSimple Pumpkin Pie recipe – just use ‘math’
Stuck without a simple pumpkin pie recipe? Try this! It won’t taste any good, but it might help you pass your geometry exam…
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