Fasters's definitions

And Tango Makes Three

The title of a children’s book that tells the love-and-life story of two inseparable male penguins, Roy and Silo, that successfully hatched an egg to welcome chick Tango in their world—they took turns to nurture her by feeding her, cuddling her in their nest, and taking her for a swim with the other penguin families.

“And Tango Makes Three” was originally classified as nonfiction as it’s based on a true story, but it’s later reclassified as a picture book as the publisher felt that more children should have access to the title—the “adult” book was later challenged but retained, or banned, in a number of school libraries, in red states.

by Fasters August 23, 2022

Woke Math

When both educators and politicians request that mathematicians and math educators relook at the history of their subject and make necessary rewrites so that the study of math doesn’t appear racist or supremacist.

Alt-right Trumpublicans and “fine patriots” are hell-bent to attack anyone who is proposing or promoting any form of woke math or multicultural math in school, which would credit the contributions of non-whites in math and math education.

by Fasters January 21, 2022

Florida Math

Also known as “Anti-Woke Math.” Math curriculums, textbooks, and resources that include materials that whitewash any centuries-long contributions from nonwhite and LGBT mathematicians and math educators worldwide; or contents that exclude any elements of critical race theory, social-emotional learning, journal writing, ethnomathematics, and other MAGA dislikes.

In 2022, the Department of Education rejected more than 40% of math textbooks publishers submitted, because they fell short of the “high” standards set up by Florida math curriculum censors, who work closely with puritan parents and “anti-woke” lawmakers.

by Fasters July 20, 2023

3.14

The name of a company incorporated in Singapore—which was registered on Pi Day by three math geeks, one green billionaire, and four family members-turned-financial angels—that aims at getting attention from those who are curious to know the nature of the business.

It’s pretty tempting even for laypersons with negative experiences, or quasi-zero interest, in school math to Google “3.14,” because they’re piqued up by the catchy name of the organization—could it be another shell company in the tax heaven that is involved in money laundering?

by Fasters December 15, 2021

Health Condition

A euphemistic term often used by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for a public figure who has recently been fired or imprisoned or placed under arrest for corruption charges or sexual infidelity.

China's defence minister, who’s not been seen in public for almost two weeks, is suspected to have had a “health condition.”

by Fasters September 15, 2023

Make Pi Sexy Again

When there are zero excuses why the the number π ought to be limited to the circle or to geometry only, when the mathematical constant has popped up time and again in the least unexpected places in other branches of mathematics—when students ought to be exposed to pi’s presence beyond the math classroom, particularly in popular culture.

Be it in art, fashion, philosophy, or religion, math educators shouldn’t deprive students of pi’s ubiquitous presence outside mathematics—they need to make pi sexy again.

by Fasters May 24, 2022

Pisphere

The wealth of hidden information and earthly or spiritual wisdom that could be mined or divined from the infinite digits of the irrational and transcendental number π.

Thanks to analytics or big data, the birthdays of the nearly eight billion people on the planet and their mobile numbers—including their “good or bad” days—can all be digitally or numerologically extracted from the pisphere.

by Fasters May 4, 2022