Kerry Whisnant, an avid St. Louis Cardinals fan and professor of physics at Iowa State University, may be on to something that will greatly impact team winning percentages. Mathematical models that he and other fanatic baseball statisticians have helped produce may accurately predict teams' successes. Whisnant and other members of the Society for American Baseball Research have analyzed...
Math Blog
02
Mar
In 1966, a mid-air collision between a USAF B-52 bomber and an air refueling tanker off the coast of Spain caused more damage than the destroyed aircraft. The bomber carried four atomic bombs. Three were recovered soon afterward on land, but the fourth was nowhere to be found, and presumed to be at the bottom of the Mediterranean.
Intelligence officers convened a group of top...
25
Feb
Dr. Larry Norton of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York has noticed patterns in the way cancer spreads. He is advocating a higher degree of mathematical study for researchers who are delving into the disease. He argues that by taking a quantative approach, oncologists can create and analyze equations that may model the growth of...
23
Feb
Anyone who has spent time trying to solve a Rubik's Cube knows it can be frustrating. (How quickly you can turn order into chaos, never to return to order....) But with a little help from the makers of the cube, you might learn to do it. And quickly impress your friends.
A new web site celebrating the Rubik's Cube's 30th anniversary offers "secrets" to solving the puzzle. Take a look, and your trophy shelf may...
19
Feb
For centuries, we humans have been building big bridges. And just when we thought we had the science and math figured out to span waterways most efficiently, we may be in for some new discoveries.
Matthew Gilbert, a structural engineer in the United Kingdom, with his team of researchers, has developed a numerical optimization program that could help us build large suspension bridges even more effectively....
09
Feb
A math professor at Dartmouth College has found an interesting way to bring two of his interests--math and art--together. Using mathematical problem solving techniques, Daniel Rockmore is helping to detect art forgeries. Read the story from NPR.
29
Jan
An 1801 letter written to then-president Thomas Jefferson has drawn recent attention. The letter, written by University of Pennsylvania professor Robert Patterson, "was devoid of capital letters or spaces and scrambled in a way that left no readable segments," according to a Physorg article. A mathematician helped break the 200-year-old code in 2007, helping us understand more about the secret message sent to...
26
Jan
Researchers in Alberta are using mathematics to predict driving patterns in order to understand the science of traffic jams. Their studies are helping to understand how the actions of one driver can amplify as a wave of behavior on a busy road. The behavior, researchers say, is similar to wave patterns caused by detonation explosions. A greater understanding of these patterns can help city planners to set safe...
19
Jan
Was 2009 a good year for you? It was for French computer scientist Fabrice Bellard, who on December 31 claimed the world record for calculating pi to 2.7 trillion digits.
07
Jan
As the world's volatile economic situation fluctuates from day to day, a degree in a high-demand field provides an added security benefit. This Wall Street Journal article profiles a young math grad. in California whose job as an actuary is among the top jobs in the nation, based on environment, income, employment outlook, physical demands and stress.
While the nation faces its...
Quote Of The Day
"Students often ask me what to take in school… my answer?... follow your natural interests, but take lots of math!"
Vice President and General Manager for GE Medical Systems
General Electric Company
Figures represent salary potential.
08
Mar
Kerry Whisnant, an avid St. Louis Cardinals fan and professor of physics at Iowa State University, may be on to something that will greatly impact team winning percentages. Mathematical models that he and other fanatic baseball statisticians have helped produce may accurately predict teams' successes. Whisnant and other members of the Society for American Baseball Research have analyzed...
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