Sunday Punting Practice

Like sokoban the target is to push objects (in this case punt-discs or 'pucks') around a maze to cover various targets. In a punt maze however the pusher slides forward tilt-style until it hits an obstacle, and a puck that gets struck will be punted forward a matching distance.'

'Aim: Use the black cross as a pusher to 'punt' the yellow pucks onto the blue targets.
Movement: Use the arrow buttons provided to move the pusher (black cross). The pusher will run in a straight line until it hits a wall or a yellow puck. If it hits a puck the puck will be punted forward a matching distance.'

Are you ready to play?

(Thanks again to Think Again!)

Why Should I Learn Math?

This is taken from an article (Math Will Rock Your World) from Business Week. A few snippets:

Y'wanna get a really interesting job working with people on lots of interesting things?

But just look at where the mathematicians are now. They're helping to map out advertising campaigns, they're changing the nature of research in newsrooms and in biology labs, and they're enabling marketers to forge new one-on-one relationships with customers. As this occurs, more of the economy falls into the realm of numbers. Says James R. Schatz, chief of the mathematics research group at the National Security Agency: "There has never been a better time to be a mathematician."

Learn math!

How'd ya like a six figure salary?

...new math grads land with six-figure salaries and rich stock deals. Tom Leighton, an entrepreneur and applied math professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, says: "All of my students have standing offers at Yahoo! (YHOO) and Google (GOOG)."

Learn math.

D'ya wanna to work on the biggest most cutting edge issues of our day?

This mathematical modeling of humanity promises to be one of the great undertakings of the 21st century. It will grow in scope to include much of the physical world as mathematicians get their hands on new flows of data .... "We turn the world of content into math, and we turn you into math," says Howard Kaushansky, CEO of Boulder (Colo.)-based Umbria Inc., a company that uses math to analyze marketing trends online.

Learn math.

Y'wanna make one of the most significant contributions to the betterment of humanity?

"The next Jonas Salk will be a mathematician, not a doctor."

Learn math.

What are the implications for k-12 education?

Outfitting students with the right quantitative skills is a crucial test facing school boards and education ministries worldwide. This is especially true in America. The U.S. has long leaned on foreigners to provide math talent in universities and corporate research labs. Even in the post-September 11 world, where it is harder for foreigners to get student visas, an estimated half of the 20,000 math grad students now in the U.S. are foreign-born. A similar pattern holds for many other math-based professions, from computer science to engineering.

The challenge facing the U.S. now is twofold. On one hand, the country must breed more top-notch mathematicians at home, especially as foreigners find greater opportunities abroad. This will require revamping education, engaging more girls and ethnic minorities in math, and boosting the number of students who make it through calculus, the gateway for math-based disciplines. "It's critical to the future of our technological society," says Michael Sipser, head of the mathematics department at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. At the same time, school districts must cultivate greater math savvy among the broader population to prepare it for a business world in which numbers will pop up continuously. This may well involve extending the math curriculum to include more applied subjects such as statistics.

Learn more math!

"But I don't like math. Besides, I don't need it. I'm going into the humanities or business!"

As mathematicians expand their domain into the humanities, they're working with new data, much of it untested. "It's very possible for people to misplace faith in numbers," says Craig Silverstein, director of technology at Google. The antidote at Google and elsewhere is to put mathematicians on teams with specialists from other disciplines, including the social sciences.

Just as mathematicians need to grapple with human quirks and mysteries, managers and entrepreneurs must bone up on mathematics. Midcareer managers can delegate much of this work to their staffers. But they still must understand enough about math to question the assumptions behind the numbers. "Now it's easier for people to bamboozle someone by having analysis based on lots of data and graphs," says Paul C. Pfleiderer, a finance professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. "We have to train people in business to spot a bogus argument."

Ya gotta learn more math!

Yes, it's a magnificent time to know math.

'Nuff said.

Sunday Slither!

Thanks go out to Mrs. Armstrong for pointing to today's game from Think Again!.


The game, from Japan, is called Slither Link.

Rules of Slither Link


    1. Connect adjacent dots with vertical or horizontal lines.

    2. A single loop is formed with no crossing or branches.

    3. Each number indicates how many lines surround it, while empty cells may be surrounded by any number of lines.

Play here.

Just For Fun (or Getting Ready to Think Again!)

I found this "test" over at Teaching and Developing Online. Try it out .... just for fun. ;-)

Below are four (4) questions and a bonus question. You have to answer them instantly. You can't take your time, answer all of them immediately.

OK?

Let's find out just how clever you really are. No looking at the answers in advance.

Ready? GO!!! (scroll down)

First Question:

You are participating in a race. You overtake the second person.

What position are you in?

Answer:If you answered that you are first, then you are absolutely wrong!


If you overtake the second person and you take his place, you are second!

Try not to mess up in the next question.


To answer the second question, don't take as much time as you took for the first question.

Second Question:

If you overtake the last person, then you are...?

Answer:If you answered that you are second to last, then you are wrong again. Tell me, how can you overtake the LAST Person?

You're not very good at this! Are you?

Third Question:

Very tricky math! Note: This must be done in your head only.

Do NOT use paper and pencil or a calculator. Try it.

Take 1000 and add 40 to it. Now add another 1000. Now add 30.
Add another 1000. Now add 20. Now add another 1000 Now add 10.

What is the total?

Scroll down for answer.

Did you get 5000?


The correct answer is actually 4100.


Don't believe it? Check with your calculator!

Today is definitely not your day.

Maybe you will get the last question right?

Fourth Question:

Mary's father has five daughters: 1. Nana, 2. Nene, 3. Nini, 4. Nono.
What is the name of the fifth daughter?

Answer:Nunu?

NO! Of course not.

Her name is Mary!

Read the question again.

Okay, now the bonus round:

There is a mute person who wants to buy a toothbrush. By imitating the action of brushing one's teeth he successfully expresses himself to the shopkeeper and the purchase is done.


Now if there is a blind man who wishes to buy a pair of sunglasses, how should he express himself?

He just has to open his mouth and ask, so simple.

So simple it is ... ;-)

A Comment From a Former Student

I know many of you don't read the comments left on each other's posts — you really should — sometimes a real gem is hidden there; like this comment from a former student. I think he wanted all of you to read it so here it is:

As far as I know I have been through pre cal and calculus in post secondary school and it's different. Mr K., as strict or fast paced as he may seem, is teaching all of you very well as he is preparing you for the future. I know he has been a great help in my future studies. He has been able to explain things in different ways unlike my new profs who use the book/text only as a reference and do things like completing squares to find roots; which wasn't taught to me in university but was taught in high school and has made life easier.

Also as much as you may think it is stupid to remember the cosine song I wish I could remember it as it would have gained me an extra 10% in post secondary. Also don't ever forget that a log is an exponent. It may seem stupid or useless but it helped me get that extra 10% needed to get a B+ in math. When you are in doubt a log is still an exponent.

This is written from a past student of Mr. K. and he is doing his best and succeeding in preparing you for post secondary. (I wish I would have tried harder). Also, don't mind my English as that wasn't my focus so it may be poor.

Good luck and assignments vs final mark are very close together.

Happy New Year! ;-)