Monthly Archives: January 2007
The demon in the dryer
Doing some laundry last night, I threw a duvet cover and nine pairs of socks into the dryer together. (Household hint: Don’t.) The duvet cover is a giant fabric pouch with a slit along one side; think of a queen-size … Continue reading
Posted in modern life, physics
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The green fuse
The spirals and whorls seen in sunflowers, pine cones and various other plant structures have long held a special fascination for mathematicians and for biologists with a mathematical bent. After all, you can find Fibonacci numbers in those natural patterns—who … Continue reading
Posted in biology, mathematics
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Math on the Mississippi
The mathematicians—5,130 of them, at last report—are in New Orleans this weekend. The occasion is the annual joint meeting of the American Mathematical Society and the Mathematical Association of America (with participation from several other organizations). When the same group … Continue reading
Posted in mathematics
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