December 2010

This is a brilliant video introduction to the fine mathematical art of doodling.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heKK95DAKms

This video–one of several from vi hart–is an engaging, witty, and serious look at the mathematics one can explore just by doodling and playing around with a few basic ideas.  Sophisticated concepts in graph theory and knot theory spring up from some very simple, and very beautiful, sketches.

The creator of the videos is a bit hard on math teachers in her narration; apparently she’s had some bad ones.  The snarkiness definintely adds character to the videos, but it’s a bit excessive at times.

I’m sure it isn’t easy making innovative, mind-opening videos like this, but it isn’t easy teaching a class full of doodling students, either!

The next time you are in Germany, make sure to get yourself down to Bonn to check out the Calculator Museum.  Or, you can just visit their website.

http://www.arithmeum.uni-bonn.de/en/home/

The museum is closed on Montags.

I’m not exactly sure what a Theutometer is, but it seems to be available in their giftshop, and I would gladly accept it as a holiday gift.