Fun and creative ways to learn about math and its beauty. You probably won't swear at it again after watching these videos.
Believe it or not, math is really an art. While the subject can seem far from it when you’re caught in the doldrums of class, there’s a lot about math that’s just as creative as a Jackson Pollock and elegant as a rendition of Swan Lake. But some of us still run from those dreaded numbers, swearing up and down that it’s too complex, too rigid and just plain not fun.
Still unconvinced? Check out these eight videos that explore the beauty of math, both in its simplicity and its complexity. There are practical applications of math theory, quick tricks to save you time and make you look like a genius and even a little history thrown in that shows how math is truly an awesome thing.
What’s your favourite math-related video? Let us know in the comments.
1. Minute Physics: Taming Infinity
Think about adding up (or even past) infinity, in a series of numbers that gets bigger every single time. Can you tell me what the answer is? Would you believe it’s -1?
The series Minute Physics takes a break from its titular subject to explore math in this quick video, within the larger context of understanding, out to solve "unsolvable problems." This video shows how math and its principles, infiltrate science and our methods of experimentation at large, even when those things feel impossible or absurd.
2. Doodling in Math Class: Stars
Admit it: You’ve been guilty of doodling in math class. It’s hard to actually take notes when you’re not interested in what’s going on in the lecture, and it’s a natural reaction to instead flood your notes pages with art. Math professor and musician Vi Hart understands that, and morphs her math lessons into artistic ventures with her series, Doodling in Math Class.
In this episode, she takes on the mathematical concept of factoring and shows how it relates to the concept of drawing stars, helping you learn while it actually doesn’t feel like you’re learning. Well played, Ms. Hart. Well played.
3. TEDEducation: How Does Math Guide Our Ships?
Before the age of GPS or even a calculator, people had to rely on math (yes, math) to explore the world around them. Sailors and explorers had to be particularly good at math, or suffer the consequences of their poor calculations by missing much-needed island stops entirely.
Exploring the worlds of algebra and geometry, this TEDEducation video shows just how mathematicians, inventors and explorers came together to produce a reliable method for navigating open water. It's as beautiful as it is informative, and it shows just how math has become a fixture in every corner of our lives, past and present.
4. Numberphile: Infinity is Bigger Than You Think
There's no question that infinity is totally awesome - a concept that excites as much as it overwhelms. There's a lot of mathematical hang-ups related to infinity, and nearly as many philosophical puzzles, but how do we know where infinity begins and ends?
The Numberphile series usually talks about, well, numbers, but it breaks its own rule with a discussion of the implications of infinity. From fractions to uncountable decimals, there are many ways infinity can present itself - and it’s mind-blowing.
5. Valentine’s Day for Math Nerds
If you look hard enough, you can even find math lurking in holidays. And, it’s actually pretty hilarious.
The For Math Nerds series is a crowd-sourced feature by motivational speaker Josh Sundquist that invites so-called "math nerds" to develop graphs and equations based on statistics and stories surrounding a certain theme. This video, for Valentine's Day, shows off interesting graphs and data on everything from the money that leaves a boy's wallet over time to how to decide a gift for a valentine, based on expense and "level of love." It's a little lighter math, but certainly is funny.
6. Japanese Multiplication
It sounds exotic, but "Japanese" multiplication is actually a very quick and simple way of visually multiplying numbers of any size with a few well-placed lines. It’s useful for quick math situations and SAT-style number crunching, but it’s not a common method that is shown off.
That is, until now. This video is a useful and accurate breakdown of just how Japanese multiplication can help you break down those really pesky problems with a couple of quick visual tricks. Happy multiplying!
7. 5 Quick Math Tricks for Filmmakers
We've already established that math is literally everywhere, but did you know that it can help you take better pictures and video? If you're a creative with plenty of time behind a camera lens, then you already know there's plenty of math involved in making a photo or video look visually perfect. From algebra to geometry, there are plenty of different disciplines that you can employ to ensure you're getting the best shot.
This video will set you up with all of the skills you need to calculate photo and video mathematics with ease and speed. That way, you'll know for sure that your creative endeavours are the best they can be.
8. The Utilities Problem (and Solution)
The problem appears to be simple: There are three houses and three different utilities, and you must connect each utility to each house without crossing any lines. But, when you start to undertake it, you realize that no matter how hard you try, you keep crossing the lines. What gives?
It turns out that this problem is an illustration of a trigonometric formula that has far-reaching implications in the math world. And, it'll show you just how this problem is physically impossible to solve by exposing the mathematics that lie just underneath its surface.
Top image courtesy of Flickr, fdecomite
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please adhere to proper blog etiquette when posting your comments. This blog owner will exercise his absolution discretion in allowing or rejecting any comments that are deemed seditious, defamatory, libelous, racist, vulgar, insulting, and other remarks that exhibit similar characteristics. If you insist on using anonymous comments, please write your name or other IDs at the end of your message.