February 22, 2009 by Uri.

For the unfamiliar, there is a class of jokes about how awesome Chuck Norris is. Here I will post those with mathematical twist.

• Chuck Norris counted to infinity, twice.
[www.chucknorrisfacts.com, as of 2009-02-22]

• Chuck Norris knows the last digit of pi.
[www.chucknorrisfacts.com/page8.html, as of 2009-02-22]

• Chuck Norris can divide by zero.
[www.chucknorrisfacts.com/page2.html, as of 2009-02-22]

• If you have five dollars and Chuck Norris has five dollars, Chuck Norris has more money than you.
[www.chucknorrisfacts.com, as of 2009-02-22]

• The square-root of -1 is not imaginary. It is just hiding from Chuck Norris.
[Ben, 2009-02-22]

• The shortest distance between two points is Chuck Norris.
[original, 2009-02-22]

• The square root of 2 is rational number for Chuck Norris.
[org.]

• Chuck Norris can square the circle, double the cube and trisect an angle using only his fingers for a compass and his arm for a straight edge.
[org.]

Posted in Math Education, Math Humor, Math | 1 Comment »

March 15, 2008 by Uri.

Posted in World Economy, World development, Visualization, Demography, Statistics, TED, Time, Math Education, Science Education, Math | No Comments »

March 15, 2008 by Uri.

Posted in Physics Education, Math Video, Science Education, Math Teaching, Math Education, Math Learning, Math | No Comments »

October 28, 2007 by Uri.

In her Math Doesn’t Suck: How to Survive Middle-School Math Without Losing Your Mind or Breaking a Nail, Danica McKellar writes in a language that will appeal to her target reader — middle-school girls. It is a commendable attempt to encourage girls to do well in their math studies. Danica presents middle-school math subjects in context that is relevant to the girls she addresses. I hope she is most successful.

I have found one problem with the book, a publishing problem, and I wish that Hudson Street Press, the publisher, will fix it for the next edition. The problem is this:

If a girl or someone who loves her is shopping at Borders or Barnes & Noble store, they would probably browse the Young Adult section, perhaps even the Young Adult Nonfiction shelves. Unfortunately Math Doesn’t Suck can be found only in the math section of brick and mortar or online bookstores.

I suspect that the culprit is the classification of the book as “Mathematics—Study and Teaching, Middle School” (see the back side of the title page.) Before its next edition, paperback — I’m certain it will have one — or otherwise comes out, Hudson Street Press should also list this title under something like “Young Adults, Girls Life”. I am suggesting this not because the book deserves this classification, which it does, but more importantly, girls and anyone, who cares for them, should be able to come across it without having to mistakenly wonder into the math section of the store.

Posted in Math Books, Math Education | 1 Comment »