In which we continue our contest for SOME interesting fact about the number 2012, describe Newton’s Law of Cooling, and ask another puzzle on the mixing liquids.
We HAVEN’T yet fully answered the coffee and cream question: a follow up post will be coming soon!
Greg Chaitin, author most recently of MetaMath!, discusses the ubiquity of undecidability: incredibly all kinds of mathematical and physical systems exhibit utterly unpredictable, baffling behavior– and it’s possible to prove we can never fully understand why!
Quick interviews with folks here at the Gathering For Gardner, including Stephen Wolfram, Will Shortz, Dale Seymour, John Conway and many others.
So, I’m teaching a new course, Math 2033, Mathematical Thought, and it’s going great! I’d like to take a moment to write about it!
(This is one reason the MF has been kinda slow lately; another is that I’m chair) When it’s fully up and running, we’ll have about 150 students in one large section each semester (we’re starting with about 100). In a nutshell, it’s the Math Factor, as a course.
Kyle and Chaim finally get back into the studio!
We first pose a quick question: If you drive fifty miles in fifty minutes, must there be some ten minute interval in which you drive exactly ten miles?
Of course there must — mustn’t there? Well prove it!
Our main feature this week is an interview with Michael Breen, from the American Mathematical Society, who came and hosted a game show “Who Wants To Be A Mathematician!” About a hundred high school students from all over northwest Arkansas came to cheer on their classmates; Kyle Strong of Har-Ber High in Springdale came in first, winning $1250, and Karan Batra, of Bentonville placed second with $250.
Our interview includes a few sample problems… I guess we shouldn’t list too many of them, in case Micheal wants to recycle them! Mike’s also responsible for the great series of Mathematical Moments posters— check them out!
PS: We opened with the Up To One Million Dollars In Prize Money May Be Given Away gag… Always fun!
On April 29, 2004, we did a piece on the very first Bamboopalooza; (the segment BG. Bamboopalooza was a couple of years later) and Jenn Starr asks about the sequence 1 3 7 12 18 26 35 …
(Incidentally, once you unlock the secret of the sequence, can you determine how fast, asymptotically, it will grow?)
We visit the Fayetteville Farmer’s Market, soliciting math questions, and pose a problem about funny walks.
Now, really, tell me, what good is a podcast if you can’t promote your beautiful new book?
We are very very pleased to announce the publication of The Symmetries of Things, a comprehensive, modern account of the mathematics of symmetry, complete with over 1000 illustrations!
Frank Morgan chats about math and gives us the solution to his bubble puzzle. If you’re in the area, don’t miss his lecture, Thursday April 10, at 7:30 pm in POSC 211!
We discuss, among other things, whether all mathematicians are liars.
Send us your favorite paradoxes of this kind and we’ll report back on April 15.
Download a great math factor poster to print and share!
Got an idea? Want to do a guest post? Tell us about it!
Heya! Do us a favor and link here from your site!
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