When my friend Alisa Bowman asked me to answer some math questions for a health blog she writes for, I didn’t quite expect what she sent over. In terms of health, I’m usually asked how to find BMI or how to calculate the perfect caloric intake. Here’s what Alisa wanted to know:
I’ve heard that treadmill readouts are notoriously inaccurate. Is there a way to figure calories burned in your head?
I’m at book club. How many glasses of wine can I drink and still be safe to drive home?
If I am at high altitude, how do I figure out how long to boil an egg to make sure I don’t get salmonella?
I had no idea how to answer these, so I put my reporter cap on and did some research. I was especially interested in the last question, as I’ve had zero experience cooking at high altitudes. And I found the answer really interesting! Maybe you will, too.
(By the way, Alisa is the author of an amazing book, called Project Happily Ever After, that her story of how she went from wishing her husband dead to falling back in love with him. Check out her site.)
I loved Alisa’s random questions. They made me think, and I learned something — which is the best part of being a writer. Do you have random math questions? Have you been in a situation when you think math could help, but you’re not sure how? If so, post your question in the comments section or drop me a line. If it’s a good fit, I’ll answer it in an upcoming blog post!