Mealor's Mathematical Musings

Karl — Fri, 27 May 2011 15:33:17 +0000

Well, I guess after 18 years in education, I’m finally graduating. In June, 2011, I will begin pastoring full-time at Brockton Road Baptist Church in Jefferson, GA. Although I’m excited about the new opportunities and challenges that this change will bring, I’m also a little saddened to be leaving a place that has been such a huge part of my family’s life. Please pray for us as we transition.

Due to this change, I will not be updating this site regularly, if at all. If you would like to contact me, click here to e-mail.

God’s Language

Karl — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 14:51:12 +0000

“Mathematics is the language God used to write the universe.” This quote has been attributed to Galileo, Richard Feynman, and others. In my far too limited study of mathematics and physics, I have been well convinced of its accuracy.”

Mark Eckel expounds on this topic at his excellent blog, Warp & Woof.

Math in the news…

Karl — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 14:54:11 +0000

12-year-old autistic boy wows math professors, says he can disprove Einstein’s theory of relativity

Article on Donald McClure, executive director of the American Mathematical Society

McClure’s quote (from which he immediate backpedals) was most interesting: “It’s kind of a philosophical question,” McClure says. “ ‘Mathematics: does it exist? Is it there, just waiting to be discovered? Or is it something that I’m creating?’ I tend to think of it as the latter.” I disagree with McClure (I’m sure he’s disappointed). More on that later.

Disturbing. Girls’ misconception that math is a subject for boys may be ingrained by second grade.

How Female Mathematicians Helped Win WWII

Karl — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 18:20:51 +0000

Before computers, humans had to perform all calculations pretty much by hand. During World War II, thousands of ladies were hired to perform calculations related to ballistics. CNN has an excellent article about these national heroes. (Several high school students were similarly hired to work at Los Alamos for research related to the atomic bomb.)

ACS Egg Drop

Karl — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 16:07:47 +0000

We are currently studying momentum in Physics. This week, students were given 12 sheets of paper, 1 meter of duct tape, scissors, and 20 minutes to build something to keep a dropped egg from breaking. (Thanks, Scott, for the idea.) The design in the video was dropped from the top of the press box—approximately 24 feet.

Rubik’s Cube

Karl — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 16:15:51 +0000

A mathematics class at Washington and Jefferson college is using the Rubik’s cube, Sudoku puzzles, and card tricks in their studies. Click here for the article.

Does anyone have suggestions for incorporating a Rubik’s cube into a high school math class?

A Christian view of gambling

Karl — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 19:58:23 +0000

As a math teacher at a Christian school, I am often asked the following question when we are discussing probability:

Is gambling a sin?

Today, I came across this article by Albert Mohler concerning a Biblical view of gambling.

Countdown to the AP Calculus Exam

Karl — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 14:03:49 +0000

There are now fewer than 200 days until the AP Calculus Exam, May 4, 2011. You may click here to see the exact amount of time remaining. The link for the countdown is also in the sidebar under “Links of Interest”.

Think 5!

Reaction Time

Karl — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 16:44:58 +0000

Click here if you’re interested in testing your reaction time.

Twin Prime Conjecture

Karl — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 04:01:51 +0000

Today is “twin day” at ACS. Pairs of students are supposed to dress alike. So, to follow the theme…

Twin primes are prime numbers that differ by two. Examples are 3 and 5, 41 and 43, and 101 and 103. In 300 B.C., Euclid proposed that there are an infinite number of twin primes. Some 2300 years later, no proof of this conjecture exists, though mathematicians have found twin primes that are over 100,000 digits long.