Science in Sports
Published June 21, 2012 | 
Normally we think of sports as totally separate from science and math; after all, they’re activities where you’re mostly using your body and not your mind, and have a reputation of being played by those with little interest in science-y stuff. But nothing could be further from the truth! The fact is that all sports nowadays benefit big-time from the introduction of all kinds of scientific studies, and statistics in particular. In fact, there are entire careers in the professional sports world that you can make for yourself with a knowledge of math and science. Continue reading “Science in Sports” »
Math in College
Published June 21, 2012 | 
Math will help you get places.
It’s no secret that math is one of the most important subjects you’ll ever study at school, but have you ever thought about how math can get you into school? The college application process can be long and complicated at times, but there’s one thing that you can always be sure of: good scores in math will give you a boost. On top of that, math will give you a solid foundation for a lot of very useful programs of study when you finally arrive at your institution of higher learning. Continue reading “Math in College” »
The Radical Scientific 20th Century
Published June 21, 2012 | You might not realize it, but the one hundred years between 1900 and 2000 were quite possibly the most radical and important in the history of science and technology. During the 20th century, mankind went from steam ships and horse-and-buggies to putting a man on the moon — and that only in 1969! Almost every field of scientific learning and engineering saw incredible development. Here are just a few examples of the way advances in technology changed the world during the 1900′s. Continue reading “The Radical Scientific 20th Century” »
Math in Different Careers
Published June 8, 2012 | One of the most common misconceptions about math is that it’s useless — who actually needs to learn this stuff other than scientists and people like that? In fact, math is one of the most generally applicable disciplines that you can learn. Second perhaps only to writing, math is used in more diverse careers and professions than almost any other school subject. By taking the time to learn math, you are setting yourself up as a very marketable candidate for almost any job that you can think of.
Got the job? Thank math!
Being good at math doesn’t mean having to go down the path of academia or spending the rest of your life inside a lab; in fact, most of the math involved in those fields is more abstract and theoretical than the geometry, algebra, and calculus that you’ll learn in high school in college. But anything from managing a storefront to being the architect that designed the building it’s in? That means having a working knowledge of those three types of math at the very least. Professions like publishing require math too — doing things like calculating how much profit specific books and authors are going to generate, royalty percentages, and negotiating foreign language rights all involve arithmetic and algebra.
In short, don’t think it’s a good idea to shirk studying math! When first starting out, math can seem uninteresting compared to classes like English or history, but ultimately will prove to be at least as useful of either of those fields. Stick to it and you’ll be glad you did when it comes to searching for a job.
The Search for a Cure for Cancer
Published June 7, 2012 | Check out this infographic by Medicare Supplemental Insurance on the difficulties of finding a cure for cancer.
Everybody knows that the elusive cure for cancer is the “Holy Grail” of contemporary medicine and research. By combating the disease, doctors and science hope to put an end to one of the most lethal and historically rampant maladies known to mankind. Science has been making undeniable advances — the infographic details how cancer survival rates have increased dramatically over the course of the 20th century. As medicine continues to evolve most professionals remain hopeful that a cure for cancer will eventually be discovered; until then, however, cancer remains a very serious conundrum to those in medical and scientific fields, and a grave reminder to the rest of the world that the need for a cure is of the utmost importance.
Click image to enlarge
Via: MedicareSupplementalInsurance.com
The Transitive Property
Published June 7, 2012 | 
Here’s a simple and nifty mathematical property that’s great to use in lessons for beginners, and also just plain useful for everyone else. It’s called the ‘transitive property,’ which states that:
If there exists some number a such that a=b,
and b=c,
then a=b=c, or a=c.
You see? It might be simpler to think of the variables a, b, c as terms to make things clearer, so if we were to say:
3=(1+2)
and (1+2)=(1+1+1),
then obviously 3=(1+1+1).
This also works for inequalities, where
if a>b, and b>c, then a>b>c, or a>c.
Let’s use concrete numbers again as an example:
If 3>2, and 2>1, then 3>1.
Pretty straightforward, right? And yet it’s a vital building block for much of mathematics. Learning and internalizing the transitive property is the first step towards a more complete understanding of algebra and other forms of higher math. If you’re instructing younger students, it’s essential to make sure they understand this concept!