Test-optional colleges (those that do not require SAT or ACT scores for admission) are not being kind to students. They are setting students up for EXPENSIVE FAILURE.
Test-optional colleges are seeing the consequences of ill-prepared students
www.spokesman.com
The Common Application for this college admissions cycle is now open, and roughly 1.5 million students will likely use it to apply. Many will aim for the “best” college, usually defined by some mi... • 377 groundbreaking math proofs.
• 722 papers.
• One single day.
OpenAI's massive deluge has left the mathematics community reeling. Where do we go from here?
Transformation | Quanta Magazine
www.quantamagazine.org
A weekly dispatch exploring the latest news in math and AI… Math scores worldwide just hit their lowest level in twenty-five years of testing. The slide started before the pandemic and has not stopped.
doi.org
The OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2025 evaluates what students know and can do in science, reading, mathematics and computational problem-solving, assessing how effectivel... A million-dollar math problem, unsolved since 2000, fell this week to ten thousand AI agents working for 88 hours. The mathematicians are already arguing about who deserves the credit.
AI Has Solved One of Math’s $1 Million Millennium Prize Problems | Quanta Magazine
www.quantamagazine.org
Mathematicians at OpenAI showed that the Navier-Stokes equations, which describe how fluids flow, can sometimes “blow up.” But the massive result is not without controversy. UC-Berkeley Math Professor says she has to teach fractions to calculus students. Tip of the iceberg: We have a crisis in U.S. math education.
www.yahoo.com
In a scathing piece, she described the admissions process as "less like careful evaluation and more like chance" at the prestigious California college.Artemis II is returning astronauts to the moon after 50 years absence. I am following the mission on BBC, which is offering daily updates through the entire mission. All young people should follow along.
BBC World Service - 13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II
www.bbc.co.uk
The BBC’s space podcast. NEW: Artemis II, Nasa’s mission to loop around the MoonPerseverance Rover has discovered rocks on Mars that may be the key to proving life once existed on the red planet—but only if those rocks can be returned to earth for full scientific analysis.
Nasa rover finds rocks on Mars with potential signs of past life
www.bbc.com
Unusual mudstones found on the Red Planet are potentially associated with ancient Martian microbes.High school students' math, reading and science scores hit historic lows:
A new Nation's Report Card shows drops in science, math and reading scores
www.npr.org
It's the first Nation's Report Card since the Trump administration began making cuts to the U.S. Education Department. The scores reflect the state of student achievement in early 2024.In the wondrous universe of math, Fourier transforms shine with breathtaking beauty and practical brilliance. They unveil hidden patterns, drive technologies, and make the abstract tangible.
What Is the Fourier Transform? | Quanta Magazine
www.quantamagazine.org
Amid the chaos of revolutionary France, one man’s mathematical obsession gave way to a calculation that now underpins much of mathematics and physics. The calculation, called the Fourier transform, ... The Pythagorean Theorem is amazing, as are two smart students of St. Mary's Academy in New Orleans!
Two teenagers have once again proved an ancient math rule
www.sciencenews.org
Ne’Kiya Jackson and Calcea Johnson have published 10 trigonometric proofs of the Pythagorean theorem, a feat thought impossible for 2,000 years.By the time students applying to college today actually graduate from college, AI will have eliminated most entry-level job openings. The best way students can prepare now is to get into the absolute best college they can. This will keep their options open, as open as possible given the upheaval looming in job markets.
Behind the Curtain: Top AI CEO foresees white-collar bloodbath
www.axios.com
Hardly anyone is paying attention. The 19th century formalization of calculus is one of the great stories of the history of mathematics. Weierstrass was an important, if unlikely, contributor.
The Jagged, Monstrous Function That Broke Calculus | Quanta Magazine
www.quantamagazine.org
In the late 19th century, Karl Weierstrass invented a fractal-like function that was decried as nothing less than a “deplorable evil.” In time, it would transform the foundations of mathematics. Year in Review: Math in 2024
Share this fascinating story with your youngsters. Science is a wonderful gateway to enjoying math! www.facebook.com/share/p/HhPGb1ENvPjKjh4P/
Asteroid to orbit Earth as 'mini-moon' for nearly 2 months: When you can see it
www.registerguard.com
Amidst a severe shortage of math teachers, more bad news for students:
Schools are bracing for widespread teacher layoffs. Here’s why | CNN Politics
www.cnn.com
Schools across the country are announcing teacher and staff layoffs as districts brace for the end of a pandemic aid package that delivered the largest one-time federal investment in K-12 education.WARNING: Watching this video will motivate you to learn geometry. You will want to work for NASA!
Imagine a single shape that tessellates (fills) 2-dimensional space the same way squares or hexagons can tile a bathroom floor, but WITHOUT forming a repeating pattern. The first such "einstein" tessellation was just discovered by amateur mathematician David Smith from Yorkshire, England.
Newfound Mathematical 'Einstein' Shape Creates a Never-Repeating Pattern
www.scientificamerican.com
A new shape called an einstein has taken the math world by storm. The craggy, hat-shaped tile can cover an infinite plane with patterns that never repeat. Students face a crisis in math education that goes well beyond the lingering impact of remote learning shortcomings during COVID.
Students Are Regaining Academic Ground—Except in Math
www.edweek.org
Schools report fewer students below grade level in most core subjects, federal data show.For youngsters, social interactions can be hurtful. Here's how to help.
Teaching Kids the Art of the Comeback
www.psychologytoday.com
How to increase resilience on the playground.Calculus becomes most interesting when you apply it to complex numbers! Joseph J. Kohn, who did groundbreaking work on this topic, has died at 91
Joseph J. Kohn, Who Broke New Ground in Calculus, Dies at 91
www.nytimes.com
The techniques he developed in the field of complex numbers have found use in tackling a wide range of fundamental equations in physics. Teachers are being stretched to the breaking:
Across the country, many teachers feel a growing disrespect as school year begins
In some schools, dread over the new year: ‘We’re scared to teach’
www.washingtonpost.com
Educators report being threatened and attacked by students and, in some cases, their parents. Elsewhere, they worry about censorship. It is wonderful for students to be competitive on the playing field. In their math and science studies, it is more important that they cultivate interpersonal and collaborative skills.
Opinion | Forget independence. Teach your kids this instead.
www.washingtonpost.com
Many parents believe they should raise self-reliant kids. But we should really be teaching a more profound lesson. Summer time is a great time for students to develop a personal reading habit. Finding excellent books a student will love can be a challenge. These book recommendation apps may help.
8 Book Recommendation Apps to Find Your Next Read | Book Riot
bookriot.com
Finding the perfect book is magic. Find the best book recommendation apps to fill your shelves in this list! Amidst a crisis in math education, California reforms spark controversy.
California Adopts Controversial New Math Framework. Here's What's In It
www.edweek.org
Hundreds of comments influenced revisions to the document, which will shape math in the largest state—as well as materials used nationwide.If you haven't been talking to your students about the Euclid telescope launch, you should.
Euclid telescope lifts off in search of the secrets of dark universe
www.theguardian.com
European Space Agency mission launches on SpaceX rocket from Florida to shed light on dark energy and dark matter Student math skills are not recovering from the pandemic.
American Kids' Math Ability Has Gone Backward by Decades
www.sciencealert.com
American 13-year-olds continue to struggle academically in the wake of the pandemic, especially in mathematics, according to official data out Wednesday. Standardized math and reading test scores plunge, with no sign of pandemic recovery
www.washingtonpost.com/education/2023/06/21/national-student-test-scores-drop-naep/
National test scores plunge, with still no sign of pandemic recovery
www.washingtonpost.com
Student scores released Wednesday by the National Assessment of Educational Progress show the single largest drop in math in 50 years. a new telescope will investigate dark energy and dark matter:
Scientists hope Euclid telescope will reveal mysteries of dark matter
www.theguardian.com
European space probe will capture images that will provide insights about what the universe is made of A simple yet compelling film about trigonometric functions, their identities and hints as to the origins of their names. Hat tip to Doug Wagoner for sharing!
Cell phones are an enormous problem for today's teens.
www.theatlantic.com
They impede learning, stunt relationships, and lessen belonging. They should be banned. Detecting AI may be impossible. That’s a big problem for teachers and students.
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/06/02/turnitin-ai-cheating-detector-accuracy/
Analysis | Detecting AI may be impossible. That’s a big problem for teachers.
www.washingtonpost.com
Turnitin has acknowledged a reliability problem with Ai cheating-detection software used on 38 million student papers. Limiting teens’ social media feels impossible. But we have to try.
www.washingtonpost.com/parenting/2023/05/25/social-media-mental-health-parenting/
Limiting teens’ social media feels impossible. But we have to try.
www.washingtonpost.com
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy issued an advisory that says what most parents have long known: Social media is hurting our kids. What do we do about it? In math education, there is a recurring debate: the reformists versus the traditionalists.
California’s New Math Framework Doesn’t Add Up
www.educationnext.org
It would place Golden State 6th graders years behind the rest of the world—and could eventually skew education in the rest of the U.S., tooSchool enrollments are down and resources are drying up.
Enrollment in US schools hasn’t bounced back since pandemic, data shows
www.theguardian.com
Lost students, dwindling relief funds and a juggernaut of new schooling options could portend layoffs and school closuresTo cell phones distract students, or something worse?
Students can’t get off their phones. Schools have had enough.
www.washingtonpost.com
Administrators see them as an intensifying distraction — or, worse, a tax on students’ mental health.Nationwide, teens are in a mental health crisis. Girls are especially at risk.
Opinion | America’s teens are in crisis. States are racing to respond.
www.washingtonpost.com
Governors across the ideological spectrum are surging resources into expanding access to mental health care for students who desperately need it.The four-color problem is delightfully easier to understand but took a computer 1,000 hours to prove.
Only Computers Can Solve This Map-Coloring Problem From the 1800s | Quanta Magazine
www.quantamagazine.org
The four-color problem is simple to explain, but its complex proof continues to be both celebrated and despised.Numbers too large to comprehend:
The numbers that are too big to imagine
www.bbc.com
When you move beyond trillions, there are some extremely mind-bending numbers, says Richard Fisher. Some of them are too large to fit in the mind – or indeed the visible Universe.If we don't support teachers, they can't support our students.
US teachers grapple with a growing housing crisis: ‘We can’t afford rent’
www.theguardian.com
Educators are struggling with pay disparities and a widening housing and cost-of-living crisisThe early history of computer programming was dominated by women. In 1984, something changed. Female participation in the field flatlined and then plunged. Why!? NPR explores this mystery.
When women stopped coding (Classic) : Planet Money
www.npr.org
A lot of computing pioneers were women. For decades, the number of women in computer science was growing. But in 1984, something changed.Subscribe to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org...Higher education in America largely runs on exploiting the people who actually do the teaching. I have witnessed and suffered from the system firsthand.
Closed labs, cancelled classes: inside the largest strike to hit US higher education
www.theguardian.com
University of California campuses come to a standstill as 48,000 student workers strike for better payData science, at the cutting edge of metrology:
The world generates so much data that new unit measurements were created to keep up
www.npr.org
The mass of the Earth can now be measured as 6 ronnagrams rather than 6,000 yottagrams. An electron's mass can now be said to be about 1 rontogram rather than 0.001 yoctograms.Orion has entered a lunar orbit.
Nasa’s Orion spacecraft enters lunar orbit as test flight nears halfway mark
www.theguardian.com
Nasa considers capsule’s flight a dress rehearsal for the next moon flyby in 2024, with astronautsHigher education is hurtling towards a demographic cliff. Everyone will be impacted.
The incredible shrinking future of college
www-vox-com.cdn.ampproject.org
We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences com...Artemis I will attempt a night launch early in the morning on November 14th.
NASA Sets Coverage for Artemis I Moon Mission Launch
www.nasa.gov
NASA is targeting Monday, Nov. 14, for the launch of the Artemis I Moon mission during a 69-minute launch window that opens at 12:07 a.m. EST."If you fail to plan, you plan to fail." – Taylor Swift
A fascinating, inspirational video about one of the Solar System's dwarf planets. Worth sharing with students.
COVID has been devastating for student learning, especially in mathematics.
U.S. student test results show toll of pandemic lockdowns on learning
www.reuters.com
U.S. students have suffered historic learning setbacks with math and reading scores falling to their lowest levels since before the COVID-19 pandemic, national exam results released on Monday showed, ...
Mark your calendar!
NASA has a new launch date for its Artemis I megarocket
www.theverge.com
After two failed launch attempts, NASA will try again on the 27th.On top of the pandemic, we have a nationwide teacher shortage further eroding students' education.
Amid a U.S. teacher shortage, Florida turns to military veterans
www.reuters.com
So many Florida teachers have abandoned their profession in recent years that the state is inviting military veterans with no prior teaching experience to lead classrooms while they earn education cre...Artemis is this generation's Apollo mission. If your youngsters are not aware, make them aware. Talk to them about it. However it plays out, this will be inspiring history. It kicks off monday, August 29th.
How to watch the Artemis I mission lift off to the moon
www.cnn.com
Here's everything you need to know about the uncrewed Artemis I mission: What it is, where it's going, why, how to tune in, tracking mission milestones, a timeline and countdown to launch, and more.Welcome News for students!
U.S. CDC no longer recommends students quarantine for COVID-19 exposure
www.reuters.com
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will no longer recommend quarantines or test-to-stay programs at schools or daycare centers for people exposed to COVID-19, the agency said in updat...A wonderful interview with Fields metal winner Maryna Viazovska:
Maryna Viazovska, mathematician: Imagining a world in eight dimensions is ‘bad for your health’
english.elpais.com
The Ukrainian researcher has won the Fields medal, the pinnacle of mathematics, after demonstrating the best way to stack spheres beyond three-dimensional spaceAfter many years with little to show for their efforts, particle physicists are experiencing a period of remarkable discoveries. Here is the latest.
Scientists at CERN observe three "exotic" particles for first time
www.reuters.com
Scientists working with the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) have discovered three subatomic particles never seen before as they work to unlock the building blocks of the universe, the European nuclear res..."Research shows that high quality tutors and mentors positively impact student achievement, well-being, and overall success," the White House announced in a statement.
U.S. seeks 250,000 mentors, tutors to address pandemic learning loss
www.reuters.com
The Biden administration on Tuesday will launch a new effort to recruit 250,000 mentors and tutors to help students who have fallen back in their learning during the coronavirus pandemic, the White Ho...There is no Nobel Prize for mathematics. We award Fields Medals instead. Maryna Viazovaka just became the second woman to win one in the medal's 86-year history. And she did so while Russian artillery devastates her homeland.
Ukrainian Mathematician Maryna Viazovska Wins Fields Medal | Quanta Magazine
www.quantamagazine.org
With her homeland mired in war, the sphere-packing number theorist Maryna Viazovska has become the second woman to win a Fields Medal in the award’s 86-year history.This year's college graduates who have technology degrees face a softening jobs market. If the economy sinks into a recession, next year's graduating class could face even worse prospects across many industries.
U.S. tech companies yank job offers, leaving college grads scrambling
www.reuters.com
One by one, over the last week of May, Twitter Inc rang up some members of its incoming class of new hires who had recently graduated from college and revoked the job offers in 15-minute calls, accord...
NASA just released a photo of the Marge Magellanic Cloud produced by the James Webb Telescope. It is stunning.
NASA Releases Ridiculously Sharp Webb Space Telescope Images
gizmodo.com
The telescope achieved a "perfect" alignment, according to Webb scientists.American mathematician Dennis Sullivan has been awarded the 2022 Abel Prize, one of the most prestigious awards in math.
www.livescience.com
Sullivan will receive more than $860,000 for his achievements in topology and dynamical systems.The human brain has specific neurons for performing addition and other specific neurons for performing subtraction.
The foundations of mathematics were hotly disputed in the early 20th century. That debate was more abandoned than resolved.
Omicron seems to be out of control. We all need to be extra alert and look out for our students.
U.S. schools delay openings as Omicron pushes pandemic to record highs
www.reuters.com
Thousands of U.S. schools, including in some major cities, have delayed this week's scheduled return to classrooms following the holiday break or switched to remote learning as the Omicron variant of ...Currently, about 300 US schools plan to revert to remote learning in January.
US alarm at rise in child Covid infections sees school closures back on agenda
www.theguardian.com
Omicron threat stokes fears coast to coast but leading public health expert says ‘We know how to keep schools open and safe’These are extraordinarily stressful times for students. Their mental health and well-being must be a priority.
Another Surge in the Virus Has Colleges Fearing a Mental Health Crisis
nyti.ms
After almost two years of remote schooling, restricted gatherings and constant testing, many students are isolated and depressed. Omicron may make things worse.The omicron variant is already impacting schools:
U.S. universities move final exams online as COVID-19 spreads anew
www.reuters.com
A growing number of U.S. colleges and universities were moving final exams online and cancelling non-essential gatherings as the rapidly spreading Omicron coronavirus variant sent people in droves to ...Tools that may someday transform online math instruction:
Reimagining Online Mathematics — MATH VALUES
www.mathvalues.org
By: Audrey Malagon, Batten Associate Professor of Mathematics, Virginia Wesleyan University, @malagonmath Due to COVID-19, colleges & universities moved quickly last spring to remote teaching and lear...Fascinating history of The cubic formula and imaginary numbers. Hat tip to Doug Wagoner for bringing this to my attention!
Challenging times: Teachers are overwhelmed.
'Overwhelmed' teachers lead Virginia Beach City to end certain school days early
malaysia.news.yahoo.com
One Virginia school district has made select Wednesdays shorter for students as teacher burnout through the coronavirus pandemic drags on.Advanced math education is essential for young, developing minds.
Opting out of advanced math education alters adolescents’ neural development, study finds
www.psypost.org
A brain imaging study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found evidence that missing out on math education can alter neural development. Young adults who had chosen not t...Part of learning math is remembering all that is learned. Here are three surprisingly simple tricks students can use to improve memory.
3 Nearly Effortless Ways to Improve Your Memory and Recall, Backed by Neuroscience
www.inc.com
Want to almost instantly improve your short term memory and recall? Of course you do.We are entering the third school year to be impacted by covid. How bad will things get this time?
This School Year Is Going to Be a Mess—Again
www.theatlantic.com
We have the tools to keep Delta in check, but schools have to actually use them."Governors and other elected officials are trying to whistle past the devastating learning setbacks that schoolchildren incurred during the shutdown."
Opinion | The School Kids Are Not Alright
nyti.ms
A year of lost schooling will hurt children for years to come.Returning to school with the Delta variant is not going to be easy.
U.S. teachers' union shifts stance to back vaccine mandate as COVID surges
reut.rs
COVID-19 vaccinations should be required for U.S. teachers to protect students who are too young to be inoculated, the head of the nation's second-largest teachers' union said on Sunday, shifting cour...Students have fallen far behind in math and reading. Merely reopening schools has not solved the problem.
The Pandemic Hurt These Students the Most
nyti.ms
New research shows that all groups are behind in math and reading after disruptions during the pandemic. But it’s the most vulnerable students who experienced the steepest setbacks.A newly translated tablet reveals that the Babylonians were doing trigonometry 1,000 years before the ancient Greeks!
3,700-year-old Babylonian stone tablet gets translated, changes history
www.upworthy.com
They were doing trigonometry 1500 years before the Greeks.Most people can see this intriguing new optical illusion.
A new type of optical illusion tricks the brain into seeing dazzling rays
www.livescience.com
Creators call the illusion the "scintillating starburst."School hesitancy is widespread - for many reasons.
Schools Are Open, but Many Families Remain Hesitant to Return
nyti.ms
Even as fears of the coronavirus abate, many students are continuing to opt out of in-person learning. Some school leaders are trying to woo — or push — them back.Math is the gateway to physics.
Physicists Prove That the Imaginary Part of Quantum Mechanics Really Exists!
scitechdaily.com
An international research team has proven that the imaginary part of quantum mechanics can be observed in action in the real world. For almost a century, physicists have been intrigued by the fundamen...Students have fallen as much as a year behind during the pandemic. Should they repeat a grade?
‘Parents are powerless’: Students face being held back after a year of remote learning
www.politico.com
Pandemic-related learning loss means some parents are weighing whether their children should repeat a grade. In 18 states, they won’t have a choice.Once diophantine equations get hold of you, there's no coming back!
The Mystery of Number 33 and the Diophantine Equations | OpenMind
www.bbvaopenmind.com
Is it possible to express the number 33 as the sum of the cubes of three whole numbers? Find out how.Perfect numbers are easy to understand but pose a mystery dating back 2,500 years.
The Mysterious Math of Perfect Numbers | Quanta Magazine
www.quantamagazine.org
Enter the world of perfect numbers and explore the mystery mathematicians have spent thousands of years trying to solve.Successful tutoring begins with careful planning, so let’s start with a free phone consultation. There is no obligation. This is an opportunity to ask questions; discuss needs; learn about the technology we will use during tutoring; and work with me to plan tutoring to achieves your goals. Parents and adult learners can message or email me at glynholton@gmail.com to request a consultation. Please briefly describe your situation, provide a phone number and your time zone. Shall we begin?
Perspectives on my math instruction, both teaching in the classroom and tutoring online.
Spectacular video of NASA rover Perseverance landing on Mars:
Nasa reveals new video from Mars
www.bbc.co.uk
The American space agency has released stunning video of its Perseverance rover landing on Mars.Chances of getting into a top college may just have improved: Interest is surging in Top Colleges that have scrapped standardized test requirements this year.
Interest Surges in Top Colleges, While Struggling Ones Scrape for Applicants
nyti.ms
Waiving standardized test requirements during the pandemic brought more hopefuls to the Ivy League and large state schools, while less-selective colleges face an alarming drop.The surface of Mars as seen by Curiosity Rover with the sound of Martian winds captured by InSite lander. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
twitter.com
“The surface of Mars as seen by Curiosity Rover with the sound of the Martian winds captured by InSight lander. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS t.co/Qseu1wxQCs”College admissions and financial aid are far too complicated. Students must know what they're up against.
High School Grades Could Be Worth $100,000. Time to Tell Your Child?
nyti.ms
Most colleges and universities now use a “merit” aid strategy to solicit teenagers. Your eighth grader probably ought to know how it works.Developing a daily reading habit is one of the most important things a young person can do.
Carl Sagan on the Importance of Choosing Wisely What You Read (Even If You Read a Book a Week)
www.openculture.com
More than a few of us have a reading goal for 2021: a book a week, say. Some of us may have had the idea planted in our heads long ago by Carl Sagan, in his capacity as creator and host of the PBS ser... The pandemic should be under control by September, which makes that a perfect time to start college. There are hurdles to applying.
The Exquisite Angst of Applying to College in a Deeply Anxious Year
nyti.ms
The pandemic has changed everything about the stressful admissions process, adding even more strain on students.As students fall behind, national testing is postponed.
National math and reading tests in U.S. postponed until 2022 due to coronavirus
reut.rs
National math and reading tests used to track U.S. students' knowledge in those subjects are being postponed until 2022 due to the coronavirus outbreak, the National Center for Education Statistics (N...The quickest route to the foundations of mathematics is asking what is impossible?
When Math Gets Impossibly Hard
www.quantamagazine.org
Mathematicians have long grappled with the reality that some problems just don’t have solutions.Hilda Geiringer is an inspiration for young women -- an inspiration for anyone who struggles for acceptance in a STEM field.
www.bbc.com
She fled the Nazis, only to face a new challenge: being accepted in academia."Teachers are definitely settling into it ... "
'It's exhausting': American families stumble through first weeks of virtual school
reut.rs
Meredith Kablick sat next to her five-year-old son Peter at home in Cheverly, Maryland, as he logged on to a Zoom video call for his first week of kindergarten at a French immersion school.How can students grow emotionally and socially while socially distancing?
The 2020 Back-to-School List for Teens’ Emotional Well-Being
nyti.ms
Forget backpacks and binders. Here are the essentials teenagers will need for the strange school year ahead.
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