MathPlus's definitions

Mask Therapy

When someone deliberately uses masks to ignite their creativity, such as donning a face mask while venturing in the wilderness or in an open air surrounding, with no one around, in the hope of getting some novel ideas for a project, or of experiencing an aha to a wicked problem.

After being stuck for weeks with an unsolved math problem, Prof. Dean decided to go for a mask therapy, by trekking some off-campus mountainous region, and hoping to be rewarded with some insight during the trip.

by MathPlus June 21, 2021

Maskhole-in-Chief

A fake medical doctor or pseudoscientific folk who argues that anyone wearing a mask in public after being vaccinated or recovered from an infection is mere theater, because there is apparently zero proof that they can spread the coronavirus or be infected, or become re-infected.

For political or public vanity, Maskhole-in-Chief Rand Paul argues that an inoculated person wearing a mask is just for show rather than serves as a protective measure against the deadlier variants of the virus.

by MathPlus March 20, 2021

Think like Pi

The mathematical equivalent of thinking like a child, who uniquely looks at the world imaginatively, playfully, or creatively, much to the delight of others who might even experience an aha! moment from their spontaneous response or behavior.

If mathematical constants like e and 𝛷 were to think like pi, by consciously or freely promoting themselves regularly, there is no reason that they couldn’t be as popular and interesting as the beloved π.

by MathPlus November 24, 2021

Holey Spirit

Whisky whose ratio of water to alcohol is a whole number made up of digits with holes like 6, 8, or 9.

Some math profs have this weird drinking habit of not partaking in any types of whisky other than holey spirit.

by MathPlus December 24, 2018

Singaporeans

1. Europeans who lived in colonial Singapore.
2. Eurasians who lived in the British colony in the early 1900s.
3. Malayans who lived in Singapore when it was expelled from Malaysia in 1965.
4. Present-day citizens who are tolerant of other races and religions, and ready to defend multiracial Singapore.

Today's younger Singaporeans are a complaining and an ungrateful lot: most take Singapore's peace and prosperity for granted—terrorism, nationalism, and antiglobalization could usher them into a future they'd be unprepared for.

by MathPlus December 11, 2016

Masked by Math

When someone’s worth as a person in society is often defined by their grade in school math, which means that the odds of their securing a promising career or future look bleak if they were not born with the “mathematical gene” or didn’t have a silver-spoon upbringing.

Guesstimate how many millions of otherwise intelligent people worldwide have their dreams dashed every year, because the course they plan to study in college requires them to have a passing grade in math or statistics or calculus—in other words, what percentage of the world’s population has been unfairly or unjustifiably been masked by math?

by MathPlus July 27, 2021

Flood, Fire, or Famine

When everybody goes through a hard time every now and then, but this is necessary not only to build up their character and faith, but each trial propels them to a greater height and a higher plane.

You may go through a flood, fire, or famine, but if you know who God is in your life, the pain and frustration are often a mere set-up for something greater that you are about to experience in your life.

by MathPlus October 19, 2017