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  • Video 
    An Unexpected Tool for Understanding Inequality: Abstract Math

    An Unexpected Tool for Understanding Inequality: Abstract Math

    How do we make sense of a world that doesn't? By looking in unexpected places, says mathematician Eugenia Cheng. She explains how applying concepts from abstract mathematics to daily life can lead us to a deeper understanding of things like the root of anger and the function of privilege. Learn more about how this surprising tool can help us to empathize with each other.

    Subjects:
    Mathematics and Statistics
    Keywords:
    Mathematics -- Social aspects Equality
    Resource Type:
    Video
     
  • Video 
    The Greatest Mathematician That Never Lived

    The Greatest Mathematician That Never Lived

    When Nicolas Bourbaki applied to the American Mathematical Society in the 1950s, he was already one of the most influential mathematicians of his time. He'd published articles in international journals and his textbooks were required reading. Yet his application was firmly rejected for one simple reason: Nicolas Bourbaki did not exist. How is that possible? Pratik Aghor digs into the mystery.

    Subjects:
    Mathematics and Statistics
    Keywords:
    Mathematics -- History Bourbaki Nicolas Functions
    Resource Type:
    Video
     
  • Video 
    How Fast Is The Speed of Thought?

    How Fast Is The Speed of Thought?

    Your mortal enemy has captured you and hooked you up to a bizarre experiment. He's extended your nervous system with one very long neuron to a target about 70 meters away. At some point, he's going to fire an arrow. If you can then think a thought to the target before the arrow hits it, he'll let you go. So who wins that race? Seena Mathew examines the speed of thought.

    Subjects:
    Health Sciences and Biology
    Keywords:
    Neurons -- Physiology Thought thinking Brain -- Physiology
    Resource Type:
    Video
     
  • Video 
    The paradox at the heart of mathematics: Gödel's Incompleteness Theorem

    The paradox at the heart of mathematics: Gödel's Incompleteness Theorem

    Consider the following sentence: "This statement is false." Is that true? If so, that would make the statement false. But if it's false, then the statement is true. This sentence creates an unsolvable paradox; if it's not true and it's not false– what is it? This question led a logician to a discovery that would change mathematics forever. Marcus du Sautoy digs into Gödel's Incompleteness Theorem.

    Subjects:
    Mathematics and Statistics
    Keywords:
    Incompleteness theorems Gödel's theorem
    Resource Type:
    Video
     
  • Video 
    Math and Statistics: Relating Math to the Real World

    Math and Statistics: Relating Math to the Real World

    Throughout his life, Hrabowski has loved the intersection of math and language. The challenge of finding clear, simple language to explain complex math problems to others is part of what drove his decision to focus on teaching math. Hrabowski points out that math and statistics provide the tools for not only for engineers and scientists to do their work, but also for physicians, accountants, social scientists, business owners and even university administrators!

    Subjects:
    Mathematics and Statistics
    Keywords:
    Applied mathematics
    Resource Type:
    Video
     
  • Video 
    The Math And Magic of Origami

    The Math And Magic of Origami

    Robert Lang is a pioneer of the newest kind of origami -- using math and engineering principles to fold mind-blowingly intricate designs that are beautiful and, sometimes, very useful.

    Subjects:
    Mathematics and Statistics
    Keywords:
    Origami -- Mathematics
    Resource Type:
    Video
     
  • Video 
    The Beautiful Math of Coral

    The Beautiful Math of Coral

    Margaret Wertheim leads a project to re-create the creatures of the coral reefs using a crochet technique invented by a mathematician -- celebrating the amazements of the reef, and deep-diving into the hyperbolic geometry underlying coral creation.

    Subjects:
    Mathematics and Statistics
    Keywords:
    Crocheting Coral reef ecology
    Resource Type:
    Video
     
  • Video 
    Teaching Kids Real Math with Computers

    Teaching Kids Real Math with Computers

    From rockets to stock markets, many of humanity's most thrilling creations are powered by math. So why do kids lose interest in it? Conrad Wolfram says the part of math we teach -- calculation by hand -- isn't just tedious, it's mostly irrelevant to real mathematics and the real world. He presents his radical idea: teaching kids math through computer programming.

    Subjects:
    Mathematics and Statistics
    Keywords:
    Mathematics -- Study teaching
    Resource Type:
    Video
     
  • Video 
    The Surprising Math of Cities And Corporations

    The Surprising Math of Cities And Corporations

    Physicist Geoffrey West has found that simple, mathematical laws govern the properties of cities -- that wealth, crime rate, walking speed and many other aspects of a city can be deduced from a single number: the city's population. In this mind-bending talk from TEDGlobal he shows how it works and how similar laws hold for organisms and corporations.

    Subjects:
    Environmental Engineering and Mathematics and Statistics
    Keywords:
    Cities towns -- Growth -- Econometric models Sustainable urban development
    Resource Type:
    Video
     
  • Video 
    The Beautiful Math Behind The World's Ugliest Music

    The Beautiful Math Behind The World's Ugliest Music

    Scott Rickard set out to engineer the ugliest possible piece of music, devoid of repetition, using a mathematical concept known as the Costas Array. In this surprisingly entertaining talk, he shares the math behind musical beauty ... and its opposite.

    Subjects:
    Mathematics and Statistics
    Keywords:
    Repetition in music Mathematics Composition (Music)
    Resource Type:
    Video