Archive for November, 2007
Thursday, November 29th, 2007
Ever since starting this blog a couple of months ago I have felt that text and graphics could only go so far in helping people to get wild about Math. I knew that video was the next step in helping to explain mathematical ideas and in getting more people engaged ...
Posted in Mathcast, Fast Arithmetic | 11 Comments »
Tuesday, November 27th, 2007
This is hilarious. There's a new web-site, Rejecta Mathematica, that claims to give new hope to many. They've got a call for papers in the mathematical sciences. They're looking for papers specifically rejected from peer-reviewed journals for reasons like "mapping the blind alleys of science", "applications of cold fusion", and ...
Posted in Fun | 3 Comments »
Tuesday, November 27th, 2007
Here's something fun, not too heavy on the Math unless you want it to be, and quite remarkable to those who haven't seen this before. You're going to create a Moebius strip, and variations on it, and surprise yourself and others when you see what you get when you cut ...
Posted in Trick, Fun | 9 Comments »
Monday, November 26th, 2007
One of my favorite subjects to write about is the use of multiple intelligences (MI) in teaching Math. A while back I reviewed Math for Humans and I wrote a couple of articles that touch on MI: 10 ways to get wild about Math, and 11 tips for building a ...
Posted in Education | 4 Comments »
Monday, November 26th, 2007
Yesterday Mathmom (is that her real name?) posted a great video on her blog, Ramblings of a Math Mom. The video is of a working Lego mini-car factory made out of Lego Mindstorm pieces. Some people have way too much time on their hands. I love it!
I have to say ...
Posted in Fun | 2 Comments »
Saturday, November 24th, 2007
Here's a game that's easy and leads to a nice exploration of number theory for those so inclined. Two people play. All you need is a sheet of paper and a pencil or pen. Here's how to play:
Each person thinks of a number between 1 and 50 without telling the ...
Posted in Game, Fun, Algebra | 7 Comments »
Friday, November 23rd, 2007
Judging by the comments I've received on the blog there's a good amount of interest in techniques for simplifying and speeding up basic arithmetic. This is great because I enjoy learning and writing about these techniques.
Jakow Trachtenberg was a Ukranian mathematician who, while imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp during ...
Posted in Fast Arithmetic | 6 Comments »
Thursday, November 22nd, 2007
Here's a really easy Math trick you can impress your friends and family with. All you need is 4 index cards and a pen. Here's what you do:
Copy what's on the four cards on the right to your four index cards.
Ask your friend to think of a number between 1 ...
Posted in Fun | 14 Comments »
Wednesday, November 21st, 2007
I'm always impressed to see a new way to do something familiar. Recently, I happened upon a fascinating video, titled Weaving Numbers at the IsAllAboutMath web-site, which has some instructional Math-related videos.
Weaving Numbers demonstrates several non-traditional ways to do multiplication. I found the Napier's bones approach depicted fascinating as well ...
Posted in Education, Geometry, Algebra | 8 Comments »
Tuesday, November 20th, 2007
It's been a month and a half since I started this blog and I'm delighted with the nice reception it's received. Thank you all for the kind comments you've left. I wish each of you a warm, safe and wonderful Thanksgiving. Enjoy good times with your families. Oh, and it's ...
Posted in Blog Carnival | 5 Comments »
