There’s a lot of magic involved in Santa Claus’s annual journey around the world. Delivering presents to that many households can’t be done without it. But there’s also quite a bit of math. And I’m thrilled that Santa agreed to
Math at Work Monday: Sole the fashion designer
I’ve been dying to have a fashion designer in this spot for a very long time. So when designer Sole Salvo‘s message arrived in my inbox on Friday morning, I was thrilled! As an avid sewer — who doesn’t like using patterns —
Math at Work Monday: Cecilia the grant writer
While we’re on the subject of museums, I thought I’d introduce you to Cecilia Meisner, who is the Director of Grants and Government Relations at the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA). In short, she’s a fundraiser, specializing in writing grants (rather than
Math at Work Monday: Mary Helen the History Museum Curator
I’ve known Mary Helen Dellinger my whole life. That’s because she’s my cousin, born a whole two months before I was (a fact she never let me forget when we were kids). Growing up in Virginia as we both did,
The Mother of All Scientific Computing
Ada Lovelace was probably bound for greatness. The product of the brief marriage between Lord Byron (yes, that Lord Byron) and Anne Isabella (“Annabella”) Milbanke, she was born in 1815. But in true Romantic tragedy, her parents separated soon after her birth ,
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
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
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
Math at Work Monday: Wendy the astronaut
Meet Wendy Lawrence, a real, live astronaut who has logged more than 1,225 hours in space. Cool, huh? From 1995 until 2005, Lawrence took four trips into space, including the last Shuttle-Mir docking mission on Discovery. She also took rides
Math at Work Monday: Greg the weightlifting coach
I’m of the age when I should be lifting weights — to help manage my increasingly decreasing metabolism and ward off bone density loss. And actually, I like strength training. But not as much as Greg Everett, founder of Catalyst Athletics and Olympic-style weightlifting
Math at Work Monday: Joe the Platform Consultant
In the IT field, there are many machines and programs that are really confusing and difficult to understand. Not only do we have to trust and depend on these machines, but also the people who service them. Joe Thompson is