Guess what? It’s March 14th, aka 3.14, aka PI DAY. Pi, as you probably remember from high school geometry, is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. Pi is one of the sexiest math concepts in the game, because it’s huge (recent calculations have mapped it out to 5 trillion digits) and poetic and mysterious. My friends and I have been celebrating this sacred holiday for the past few years. Want to honor the almighty pi? Here are some ways to get in on the fun… Keep reading »
I’ll endorse this T-shirt, which does not promote violence, sexism, anorexia, or the stereotype that all women are bad at math. Non sequitur, but remember when T-shirts weren’t trying to be clever? Those were simpler times in the world of T-shirts. [Think Geek]
Everything I know about physics I learned playing Angry Birds. (Physics is all about different types of birds divebombing mean green piggies, isn’t it?) And now the youth of America can learn from everyone’s favorite iPhone game, too. Boing Boing found this question on a math test — worth seven points — to school the kiddies about fractions and square roots and piggy-killing strategy. [Boing Boing] Keep reading »
Way to perpetuate the myth that girls suck at math, Forever 21.
The retailer pulled a dopey magnet that says “I’m too pretty to do math” after complaints. Dr. Jennifer Shewmaker, who runs a media literacy non-profit for kids, posted on her Facebook page that a friend of hers complained to Forever 21 about the sexist magnets and the store actually pulled the item from Forever21.com. According to her Facebook wall, the company wrote:
“We apologize if the magnet offended you in any way. We have received numerous emails regarding this item and it has been forwarded to upper management for review. However, please note that the item has since been taken off our website for purchase.”
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison say that gender inequality is the cause of the “math gap” between boys and girls—not just girls sucking at math.
The study looked at countries in the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Index and found that girls score better at math in countries where there is more freedom, better education and financial opportunities for females. For example, girls in Iran, that beacon of women’s rights, scored low in the International Mathematical Olympiad—but in the U.S., girls are taking high school calculus at the same rate as boys. Keep reading »
More and more of us are studying math in college, and not just Stats 101 to fulfill a requirement. According to research released in the journal Science, women earned 48 percent of undergrad degrees in math. Sadly, we still lag behind in physics and engineering. Maybe the Nerd Girls will change that. [AP via WSJ]
Keep reading »
We love it when smarty-pants people, like MIT grads Jessica Rosenkrantz and Jesse Louis-Rosenberg, use their brilliance for things like curing disease and/or making jewelry. This “Full Moon” necklace from their “Nervous System” line is a “one of a kind composition born from the intersection of rapid prototyping and pattern generating algorithms.” Yeah, we don’t get it either, but isn’t it pretty? [$70, N-E-R-V-O-U-S.com via The-Coveted.com] Keep reading »
entertainment
Face-Off: “Mad Men”‘s Pete Campbell & “Game Of Thrones”‘ Theon Greyjoy Are Kind Of The Same Person |
guys
Girl Talk: I Would Like To Have Guy Friends |
relationships
4 Things To Remember If You Never Hear From Them Again |
|
style
10 Beauty Hacks That Save Every Woman Time (And Money) |
|
sex
Sex Tips That Are Kinky, Not Freaky |
