We are set today to preview some new models. We are hoping despite the rain to show some visitors the stereographic projection of a sphere. Its a really good demo on how the distortion happens with Maps. Why it happens has to do with mapping for ease of navigation. We are working on explaining this in connection with La Belle,
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We brought a variety of materials and most importantly three of our UTeach Spring Interns to Educator night sponsored by the Austin Museum Partnership, and hosted at the LBJ Library — Fancy. We had some great conversations with teachers and with museum staff about adding math to museum offerings and about opportunities to take Math Field Trips!
We are getting closer to having finished exhibit pieces for the Austin Nature and Science Center! We need to add some elements, minimize and reduce signage and produce some “safety”calipers. Finding more Golden Ratio connections in the existing specimen collection.
What it is: In any group of 30 people there is a 50% chance that two of the people share the same month and date birthday (not year). And if you have 100 people mixing in a group, there is a 99% chance that at least one pair exists and likely several. So participants put the month and day (like
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What we learned: The Little Free Library is a non profit organization that provides materials to construct a free library for homeowners. The libraries are free and passersby can take or leave books. The organization runs promotions to help engage potential librarians and were interested in a math book donation for Pi Day. MathHappens: We donated 250 copies of Thinking
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What we learned: The Austin Toy Museum is a new museum featuring a collection of action figures, toys and arcade games primarily from the mid 1980s and 1990s. The founders were interested in attracting families and school groups and hope to be a destination for kids of all ages. UTeach intern Michelle Tat spent several hours touring the museum while
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What we learned: Cemeteries are full of numbers, dates, and all kinds of connections to the actuarial sciences. They also offer poetry, history, and a personal connection to the past. At this place, the focus of the conservators is preservation, conservation and respectful fundraising to address the tilting of the monuments caused by unstable soil, tree roots and simply age.
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Volunteer Charles Ahrens helps visitors appreciate the variety of critters, bones, skins and artifacts in the specimen room. MathHappens is pleased to provide him and the Nature Center a precision quality set of of Golden Ratio Calipers along with some wooden ones made by us for loaning to visitors. If you are interested in learning more about insects and all
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We visited the Longhorn Studios maker space in the Cockrell School of Engineering in January. We made a stereoscopic projection piece. If we shine a light at the top it projects a perfect 6×6 grid. This is a great way to introduce the concept distortions in maps showing the continents.
The PROGRAM GUIDES The Measurement Activities (Mr. Morales/ Mr. Ahrens). In the planetarium We’ll have the giant calipers, the arm – wrist – hand proportional measurement tool, some pictures of various animals, the Hurricane Sandy Puzzle with its golden spiral, the Golden Ratio Hand Mirrors, and the calipers to give to each student. Students will also visit the specimen room
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