Our readÂer GarÂnet sets the stage for this video: “MathÂeÂmatiÂcians have long declared that geoÂmetÂriÂcal hyperÂbolÂic space could not be modÂeled in the real world. Now it’s been done, through croÂchet! Watch TED video sciÂence writer MarÂgaret Wertheim explain how the art of croÂchet emuÂlates sea slugs creÂatÂing coral strucÂtures in hyperÂbolÂic space, using art to bring attenÂtion to the disÂapÂpearÂance of coral through globÂal warmÂing.” You can get more inforÂmaÂtion about this preÂsenÂtaÂtion here. And, for more TED Talks, don’t forÂget to check out this handy online spreadÂsheet.
UpdatÂed post: It’s rare that we get to covÂer math here. So here it goes: AdriÂan BanÂner, a lecÂturÂer at PrinceÂton, has put togethÂer a lecÂture series (in video) that will help stuÂdents masÂter calÂcuÂlus, a subÂject that has traÂdiÂtionÂalÂly frusÂtratÂed many stuÂdents. The 24 lecÂtures (get them on iTunes) were origÂiÂnalÂly preÂsentÂed as review sesÂsions for PrinceÂton introÂducÂtoÂry calÂcuÂlus coursÂes offered in 2006, and each runs about two hours. It’s worth notÂing that BanÂner has used the lecÂtures to develÂop a handy book, The CalÂcuÂlus LifeÂsaver: All the Tools You Need to Excel at CalÂcuÂlus. To find this course (and many othÂers like it), look in our colÂlecÂtion of Free Online CoursÂes from Great UniÂverÂsiÂties. Here you will also find MIT’s course, SinÂgle VariÂable CalÂcuÂlus, which now appears on YouTube and iTuneÂsU.
This comes to us via a tip from TwitÂter. The Khan AcadÂeÂmy has now postÂed on YouTube over 800 videos (find a comÂplete list here) that will teach stuÂdents the ins-and-outs of algeÂbra, geomÂeÂtry, trigonomÂeÂtry, calÂcuÂlus, staÂtisÂtics, finance, physics, ecoÂnomÂics and more. The clips have been recordÂed by Salman Khan, a HarÂvard BusiÂness School and MIT grad. And to give you a feel for them, we’ve postÂed above the first in a long sequence of lecÂtures on difÂferÂenÂtial equaÂtions. (The remainÂing lecÂtures can be found here.) This YouTube chanÂnel, which now appears on our list, IntelÂliÂgent YouTube Video ColÂlecÂtions, is one of sevÂerÂal video sites that proÂvide free online tutorÂing via video. As menÂtioned in the past, you can find online good video colÂlecÂtions dedÂiÂcatÂed to chemÂistry and calÂcuÂlus.
Arthur BenÂjamin is a self-proÂclaimed “mathÂemaÂgiÂcian.” He’s also a proÂfesÂsor of mathÂeÂmatÂics at HarÂvey Mudd ColÂlege. No need to say more. Watch him go. We’re adding this one to our list of YouTube favorites.
DurÂing the past couÂple of days, fans from our FaceÂbook page have recÂomÂmendÂed two math videos for us. Here they go: “D” offers up a piece called “The New Math” (above), which talks, yes, about the revÂoÂluÂtion in teachÂing mathÂeÂmatÂics. As you’ll see, the piece breaks into comÂic song, and it all kind of has an Arlo Guthrie, Alice’s RestauÂrant feel to it. A bit of a strange comÂbo, to be sure.
Next up, Heather gives us MathÂmatiÂcious (get it here), which is a mathÂeÂmatÂiÂcal parÂoÂdy of FerÂgie’s “FerÂgaÂliÂcious,” although sadÂly or, maybe actuÂalÂly hapÂpiÂly, I’m not familÂiar with it. Snooty, snarky me…
Here’s a quick fyi on two iniÂtiaÂtives announced for high school stuÂdents this past week:
For six years, MIT’s OpenÂCourseÂWare iniÂtiaÂtive has done a great job bringÂing free eduÂcaÂtionÂal mateÂriÂals to adult learnÂers worldÂwide. (More on the iniÂtiaÂtive here.) Now, it has launched a secÂtion of its webÂsite devotÂed to high school stuÂdents and teachÂers. Here, you’ll find a series of “MIT introÂducÂtoÂry coursÂes” withÂin 11 major areas of study (e.g. EngiÂneerÂing, ForÂeign LanÂguages, Math, etc.). Plus, you can access inforÂmaÂtion that supÂpleÂments AP BiolÂoÂgy, Physics and CalÂcuÂlus coursÂes. This is a trove of mateÂrÂiÂal that the ambiÂtious stuÂdent will cerÂtainÂly want to explore.
Next, Google announced its first open source conÂtest for pre-uniÂverÂsiÂty stuÂdents. Called the “Google HighÂly Open ParÂticÂiÂpaÂtion ConÂtest” (a bit of a mouthÂful), it’s intendÂed to “help introÂduce secÂondary school and high school stuÂdents to open source softÂware develÂopÂment and to encourÂage young peoÂple through opporÂtuÂniÂties in the fields of sciÂence, techÂnolÂoÂgy, engiÂneerÂing, and math.” For more inforÂmaÂtion you can click here and here.
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