Source Mathematics has little surprises that are designed to test and push your mental limits. The following 12 simple math problems prove outstandingly controversial among students of math, but are nonetheless facts. They’re paradoxes and idiosyncrasies of probability. And they’re guaranteed to start an argument or two. If you’re looking for a mathematical way to … Read more
The first time I read Bertrand Russell’s History of Western Philosophy, I could not get over the chapter on Pythagoras. As Russell claims, “Pythagoras… was intellectually one of the most important men that ever lived, both when he was wise and when he was unwise. Mathematics, in the sense of demonstrative deductive argument, begins with … Read more
Apparently the title of this documentary also has something to do with Toy Story? Well, I haven’t seen that movie, but I can tell you what this documentary is about… Infinity. The most obvious way to start thinking about infinity is through numbers: take any number, and you’ll soon realize that there is no such thing … Read more
We live in a world in which we presuppose as a given that great scientific discoveries require the existence of great, expensive technological equipment: lasers, the Large Hadron Collider, microscopes, computers, the Hubble and Kepler telescopes, synchrotrons, super-duper cameras, you name it… But more than great technology, the real secret to discovery is creativity, because … Read more
As it turns out, there are people who don’t quite understand the concept of a leap year. And while I was looking for pictures to post on this entry, I discovered that I wasn’t aware that there is some movie by the same name. I wasn’t impressed by the trailer, so why don’t we take … Read more