A new post is available over at Second-Rate Minds by Samuel Hansen.
I interview a lot of mathematicians and one of my favorite topics is the origin story, the why behind their study of mathematics. I have received answers that range from heavy Martin Gardner influence to falling in sideways from engineering. One thing that I have not received is the story of a …
Read the full post: “The Moment“
A new post is available over at Second-Rate Minds by Peter Rowlett.
How would you calculate ? I remember being sent as a boy of ten into the schoolyard to find circular objects to measure. Our attempts to wrap a tape around a dustbin lid clearly did not represent the optimal method. Perhaps you know a few digits of . Starting from scratch, how would you find …
Read the full post: “How to calculate π“
A new post is available over at Second-Rate Minds by Samuel Hansen.
Why your friends have more friends than you do. That is the rather provocative title of a 1991 paper by Purdue University sociologist Scott Feld. While the title is rather provocative, thankfully it turns out that the statement is built on a solid foundation. It turns out that your friends having …
Read the full post: “The True Importance of Friends“
A new post is available over at Second-Rate Minds by Peter Rowlett.
The light bulb puzzle presents you with three switches, one of which controls a light bulb inside a closed room. You are permitted to flip switches as much as you like, then you must open the door and say which switch controls the light bulb. You don’t seem to have enough information. You can …
Read the full post: “Why the hot light bulb annoys me“
A new post is available over at Second-Rate Minds by Samuel Hansen.
A blinking light was truly a sign of a good night’s sleep. Swinging his legs off the bed Lee spoke to no one, “REM Scanner results.” From speakers hidden somewhere out of sight came the answer, “Two probable, three potentials, and one solution.” “Bring them up on …
Read the full post: “Early Morning Mathematics“