In a recent issue of Nature was a paper by Juan Camilo Bohorquez, Sean Gourley, Alexander R. Dixon, Michael Spagat and Neil F. Johnson, which argued that all insurgencies–wars in which guerrilla-type units are fighting a standing military–share a single, predictable pattern in their violent attacks. In other words, according to their model, the decisions […]

RADIO host Adam Spencer will California for the annual TED conference at the end of next month. (article source here) Spencer, who runs ABC’s popular Sydney radio breakfast show, wowed selectors last year with a six minute audition based on his life long calling to study mathematics. The key to successful TED talks is being as […]

The art of fitting together mathematical shapes in repeating patterns is the basis of many fine designs and art work (unlike this one): In 2012 there was an excellent exhibition of mathematical art works. Click on this image below (“hyperbolic tiling”) to find out about these wonderful works and their author-artists: (Footnote: the first pic […]

Dan Meyer gives Maths Teaching (and learning) a new perspective at TED Talks. Today’s math curriculum is teaching students to expect (and excel at) a paint-by-numbers (formulae and fun- flavoured) classwork, robbing students of a skill more important than solving problems: formulating them. In his talk, Dan Meyer shows classroom-tested math exercises that prompt students […]

Check out this amazing TED talk which investigates the mathematics of scale and the beauty of the nano world: