When our primitive instinct makes us treat the comparison of large numbers as logarithmic rather than linear—for instance, we feel like the gap between a trillion and a billion is the same as that between a billion and a million, because both are a thousand times bigger, when the jump to a trillion is really much bigger.
When young children are asked which number is halfway between one and nine, their answers are three instead of five, as given by those with formal schooling. Is this a case of logarithmic instinct, where the middle is in relation to multiplication rather than addition: 1 × 3 = 3, 3 × 3 = 9?
by MathPlus October 08, 2020
Overjoyed at the mind-blowing or wallet-friendly deals and promotions that are on offer at supermarkets or shopping malls.
Mrs. Jones has ever been so dealighted before that she’s so far sent no fewer than 500 SMSes to relatives and friends informing them about the sexy offers.
by MathPlus April 14, 2021
Math questions that leverage on the coronavirus pandemic—lockdowns, infections, deaths, face masks, social distancing measures, stimulus packages, tax rebates, rent reliefs, vaccines, and the like—to hone students’ problem-solving or guesstimation skills.
Two Covid-19 math questions are:
1. After parking their cars, 317 Trump supporters took a bus instead of walked to the rally. Each bus can hold 28 passengers. How many buses were needed to ferry them?
2. Eric and Don each have a certain number of face masks. If Eric gave Don five masks, Don would have twice as many masks as him. If Don gave five masks to Eric, they each would have the same number of masks. How many face masks does each brother have? Answer: Eric: 25, Don: 35.
1. After parking their cars, 317 Trump supporters took a bus instead of walked to the rally. Each bus can hold 28 passengers. How many buses were needed to ferry them?
2. Eric and Don each have a certain number of face masks. If Eric gave Don five masks, Don would have twice as many masks as him. If Don gave five masks to Eric, they each would have the same number of masks. How many face masks does each brother have? Answer: Eric: 25, Don: 35.
by MathPlus December 16, 2020
Also known as “Friday 13.” The feeling most White House staff experience every day since 2016, because with Trump, every day is a Friday the 13th.
by MathPlus November 12, 2020
When people in a meditative or prayerful state are unprovenly more likely to graduate to a semi-conscious or hypnotic state, or are more prone to experience a trance, if they don a face mask for paranormal or unexplainable reasons.
What percentage of masked folks who practice yoga as a transcendental activity rather than a mere breathing exercise are likely to reap the spiritual or occultic “benefits” of mask meditation?
by MathPlus July 14, 2021
The very act of my plotting points on a pair of x–y axes and being conscious of it proves my existence, unless my action is taking place in a dream.
If Donald Trump can say, “I tweet, therefore I am,” then René Descartes can say “I coordinate, therefore I am.”
by MathPlus November 27, 2018
Stamps that depict different face masks commonly worn by both the medical community and the lay public in various countries to protect themselves and others against the coronavirus.
Philatelists are excited that a number of countries would be issuing philamask commemoratives or first day covers to promote the message why it is mandatory for the public to don a face mask during a pandemic.
by MathPlus July 25, 2021