第32期 0330的加餐| 生活不能没有数学

So why do we learn mathematics? Essentially, for three reasons: calculation, application, and last, and unfortunately least in terms of the time we give it, inspiration. 

Mathematics is the science of patterns, and we study it to learn how to think logically, critically and creatively, but too much of the mathematics that we learn in school is not effectively motivated, and when our students ask, "Why are we learning this?" then they often hear that they'll need it in an upcoming math class or on a future test. But wouldn't it be great if every once in a while we did mathematics simply because it was fun or beautiful or because it excited the mind? Now, I know many people have not had the opportunity to see how this can happen, so let me give you a quick example with my favorite collection of numbers, the Fibonacci numbers.

I cringe when hearing "Math teaches you to think".

It's a well-meaning but ineffective appeal that only satisfies existing fans. Math seems different, and here's why: it's a specific, powerful vocabulary for ideas. 

Words are handholds that latch onto thoughts. You (yes, you!) think with extreme mathematical sophistication. Your common-sense understanding of quantity includes concepts refined over millennia: base-10 notation, zero, decimals, negatives.

What we call "Math" are just the ideas we haven't yet internalized.

Our concept of numbers shapes our world. Why do ancient years go from BC to AD? We needed separate labels for "before" and "after", which weren't on a single scale.

Why do we accept the idea of a vacuum, empty space? Because you understand the notion of zero.

Why is anti-matter or anti-gravity palatable? Because you accept that positives could have negatives that act in opposite ways.

How could the universe come from nothing? Well, how can 0 be split into 1 and -1?

Our math vocabulary shapes what we're capable of thinking about. 

1. Learning math is good for your brain.

2. Math helps you tell time.

3. Math helps you with your finances.

4. Math makes you a better cook (or baker).

5. Math helps us have better problem-solving skills.

6. Practically every career uses math in some way.

7. Math is all around us and helps us understand the world better.

To live in a mathematically-driven world and not know math is like walking through an art museum with your eyes closed.  Learning and appreciating math can help you appreciate things that you would not otherwise notice about the world.  In reality, math is everywhere! Don’t believe me?  Read on for some examples of math in nature.

Bees, masters of geometry, use hexagons to build their honeycombs.  The Fibonacci sequence, a famous sequence of numbers in mathematics, is found throughout nature: in pinecones, seashells, trees, flowers, and leaves.

The number pi can also be observed all around us. 

It can be empowering to learn about mathematical principles because it can help make sense of a world that, oftentimes, does not make much sense.

7. Math can make you more popular.

Before you start to disagree with me, think about how great it is to go to dinner with a friend who can quickly divide a check in their mind to determine how much each person needs to pay to split the bill.  Your knowledge of fractions can also help you divide a pizza among a few people.  While math is popularly the realm of nerds, your ability to avoid awkward confusion and silence as you and your friends try to divide a pizza or a dinner bill is a truly valuable skill.  

8. Math can help you shop for a good sale.

10. Math is a universal language.

表达拓展：

last but not least

in terms of

on terms of

internalize

Words are the handholds that latch onto thoughts.

split the bill

go Dutch