It’s turkey time here in the U.S. — the weekend we celebrate family, friends and all of the blessings in our lives. And since I’m certainly thankful for math (seriously!), I thought we should take a look at some interesting
The Cult That Changed Geometry
While the development of numbers continued for many, many centuries, even before the discovery or invention of zero, the Greeks were responsible for a long, long period filled with mathematical advances. By 600 B.C., a fellow named Thales of Miletus brought Babylonian
The Number that Changed the World: History of numbers, part 3
Things were moving right along in the invention and use of number systems. The Sumerians started things off sometime during the 3rd millenium, when their budding commerce system helped them invent the first set of written numbers. The Egyptians systematically engineered a formal base-ten
Count Like an Egyptian: A history of numbers, part 2
So the Sumerian system of numbers — as far as we know, the first in the world — came into being rather naturally and out of necessity. But the Egyptians took things one step further, and they did it very systematically. Priests and
The World’s First Numbers
When the world began 4.54 billion years ago, it didn’t come with numbers. They didn’t appear with the dinosaurs or first mammals or even the first homo sapiens. That’s because numbers were createdas a way to describe the world. And that
A Mathematical Time Machine
Was mathematics invented or discovered? (I’ll give you a second or two to really think about that.) Most non-mathematicians have never really given that question much thought. Math has just always been there. An isosceles triangle has always had two
Exit Polling: A statistics refresher
Most of you are probably sick to death of Political campaign polls. But these numbers have become a mainstay of the American political process. In other words, we’re stuck with them, so you might as well get used to it —
Why National Polls Don’t Matter: Electoral college math
This post makes me scared. Not because the math is challenging or because I’m worried about the election. I’m afraid of looking partisan or being accused of ideology. (It’s happened before!) But I can’t avoid election math any longer, so
Welcome Sandy! Meteorology and math
Things are looking bad for those of us in Hurricane Sandy’s path. Like most of my neighbors I spent the weekend cleaning up the yard and cleaning out the local grocery stores. But one thing is certain: In a short while,
Saving Face: Avoiding performance math
If there’s one thing most folks assume about me, it’s this: That I am some sort of mathmagician, able to solve math problems in a single bound — quickly, in public and with a permanent marker. Nothing could be farther from
Engineering tops highest-earning degrees — again
With the economy still struggling along and a price of a college degree outpacing ordinary inflation, more and more personal finance experts are suggesting that students choose a major based on its earning potential. And true to form, this year’s American
Boo! Scaring up savings at Halloween
I’ve admitted it here before: I’m a dedicated DIYer. Pinterest is a huge playground for me, and I scout craft shows for ideas I can try at home. Like most Martha Stewart wanna bes, I leave a lot of projects