Bonus Events | National Math Festival
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Bonus Events

Join the National Math Festival for these extra online events that you can participate in from anywhere in the world with just your computer or mobile device! Past events are also archived below.

 

Eddie Woo on "Mathematics: The Hidden World"

Tuesday, September 21, 2021 from 2-3pm Pacific Time (5-6pm Eastern)

Audience: Open to all friends of the National Math Festival ages 11+

 

Eddie Woo

Author and YouTuber Eddie Woo presented "Mathematics, The Key to a Hidden World" on Tuesday, September 21, a free, online interactive event geared at middle and high school students as well as adults.

Do we really need to learn about mathematics in our modern world? We all carry calculators around in our pockets and so much of what we're taught in school mathematics can seem irrelevant to our lives. However, the reason we learn mathematics is not just to solve problems. It's to unlock a world hiding in plain sight, to enable us to appreciate its patterns and navigate its secrets. In this session we'll explore some of those secrets and see how mathematics helps us to wonder at the world we live in.

This free live event geared at ages 11+ was presented by the National Math Festival and the Mathical Book Prize.

Eddie Woo is a high school mathematics teacher in Sydney, Australia. He uploads his everyday classroom lessons to his YouTube channel, Wootube, which has more than 1.2 million subscribers and over 80 million views. In 2018, he was listed as one of the Top 10 Teachers in the World by the Global Teacher Prize. He is the Education Ambassador for Sydney University, a children’s TV host, and the author of IT'S A NUMBERFUL WORLD.

View the recording below or on Vimeo.

 

NMF Roundtable #3: Performing New Steps Together

Wednesday, May 27, 2020 from 12-1pm Eastern

Audience: Open to all friends of the National Math Festival

National Math Festival logo: NMF Roundtable #3, Performing New Steps Together; Wednesday, May 27, 2020, 12-1pm Eastern via Zoom

We need each other more than ever right now. How can math help us stay connected and whole during challenging times? What does ‘performing change’ look like?
In this roundtable, David Eisenbud and Kirsten Bohl from the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI) joined 2021 National Math Festival presenters to share tiny performances — or reflections on math and performance — including:

View the recording below or on Vimeo.

Jump to a specific presenter using these video timestamps:

  • Rhys Thomas (beginning at the 4:29 mark)
  • Professor Lyrical, with special guest, 7-year-old mathematician Henry (17:07)
  • LaMar “Mr. Q-U-E” Queen (33:20)

NMF Roundtable #2: Focus on Mathical Books

Wednesday, May 6, 2020 from 2:30-3:30pm Eastern

Audience: Open to all friends of the National Math Festival

National Math Festival logo: NMF Roundtable #2, Focus on Mathical Books; Wednesday, May 6, 2020, 2:30-3:30pm Eastern via Zoom

Hosts David Eisenbud and Kirsten Bohl from the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI) joined 2021 Festival presenters to share stories of change, encouragement, and exploration, including:

  • Songju Ma Daemicke, author of Cao Chong Weighs an Elephant  
  • Jennifer Swender, author of Solving for M
  • Brittney Morris, author of Slay
  • Tiana Addai-Mensah, award-winning library media specialist at the Miles Jones Elementary Media Center in Richmond, Virginia
  • Robin Adelson, executive director of the Books for Kids Foundation
  • Dr. Herb Ginsburg, Mathical Book Prize Selection Committee member and emeritus professor of psychology and education, Teachers College, Columbia University

The award-winning Mathical authors above read to us from their winning books. We announced and celebrated 25 Title I school libraries around the US who are the first-ever recipients of the Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards, administered by the School Library Journal. We shared news about Mathical titles being distributed to children in need through our partners at the Books for Kids Foundation, and announced new Mathical reading guides from DREME, available for online support for parents and educators.

View the recording below or on Vimeo.

Jump to a specific presenter using these video timestamps:

  • Songju Ma Daemicke (beginning at the 4:08 mark)
  • Jennifer Swender (10:26)
  • Brittney Morris (18:50)
  • Intro to School Library Journal Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Award and 2020 winners (26:09)
  • Tiana Addai-Mensah (31:33)
  • Robin Adelson (36:16)
  • Dr. Herb Ginsburg (43:41)

NMF Roundtable #1: Stories of Math and Play, Change and Courage

Wednesday, April 15, 2020 from 12-1pm Eastern

Audience: Open to all friends of the National Math Festival

National Math Festival logo: NMF Roundtable #1, Stories of Math and Play, Change, and Courage; Wednesday, April 15, 2020, 12-1pm Eastern via Zoom

We need each other more than ever right now. How are some National Math Festival presenters coping with change? Is it all right to play during a pandemic? How can math help us stay connected and whole during challenging times?
 
Hosts David Eisenbud and Kirsten Bohl from the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI) joined 2021 Festival presenters to share stories of change, encouragement, and exploration, including:

View the recording below or on Vimeo.

Jump to a specific presenter using these video timestamps:

  • Maria Droujkova (beginning at the 11:42 mark)
  • Christopher Danielson (23:11)
  • Mark Saul (35:51)
  • Q&A (45:14)

Online Q&A: Mathematical physicist Dr. Robbert Dijkgraaf

Photo of Dr. Robbert Dijkgraaf, and "Ask Me Anything!" with Reddit logo

Dr. Robbert Dijkgraaf, Director and Leon Levy Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS)

Thursday, April 18, 2019 at 11:30am Eastern

Link: Reddit: Ask Me Anything (This event is now concluded, but you can view it at Reddit!)

Audience: Reddit is intended for ages 14 and up. As an open, public forum, some user-generated content may not be appropriate for younger readers.

Dr. Robbert Dijkgraaf is the Director and Leon Levy Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study, one of the world’s foremost centers for curiosity-driven basic research, located in Princeton, New Jersey. He is a mathematical physicist specializing in string theory, and his research focuses on the interface between mathematics and particle physics, as well as the advancement of science education. Reddit users joined Dr. Dijkgraaf to talk about fundamental questions in physics like the Big Bang, black holes, and the mathematics of the universe.

In light of recent news about the first black hole photograph, Dr. Dijkgraaf shared an article he wrote about the importance of the image. You can also view a talk he gave at the 2017 Festival on The End of Space and Time: The Mathematics of Black Holes and the Big Bang. Follow him on Twitter @RHDijkgraaf or visit the IAS website to learn more about the many ideas that were discussed!

Dr. James Tanton's Social Media Takeover Puzzles

Photo of Dr. James Tangon, and #NMF2019, Facebook and Twitter logos, "with Dr. James Tanton, February4-8, 2019"

Celebrate #NMF2019 with Dr. James Tanton’s week of puzzles!

February 4-8, 2019 on Facebook and Twitter

Link: www.nationalmathfestival.org/watch-play/2019-festival/celebrate-nmf2019-dr-james-tantons-week-puzzles

Audience: All ages

2019 Festival presenter Dr. James Tanton of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) and the Global Math Project helped us celebrate the upcoming National Math Festival with a social media takeover event. For five days, Dr. Tanton shared videos of some of his favorite mathematical tidbits, which we’ve shared with you at the blog post here. Thanks to all who followed along with us!

Online Q&A: Dr. Mary Lou Zeeman and Dr. Ross Lieblappen

Photos of Dr. Ross Lieblappen and Dr. Mary Lou Zeeman, with "Ask Me Anything!" and the reddit logo

“Math, Tipping Points, and Planet Earth”

Thursday, April 19, 2018 at 2pm Eastern

Link: This event is now concluded, but you can read about the discussion at our blog.

Audience: Reddit is intended for ages 14 and up. As an open, public forum, some user-generated content may not be appropriate for younger readers.

What do lakes, fisheries, coral reefs, moods, kayaks, social media posts, the spread of disease, and the Earth’s energy balance all have in common? Tipping points: when a system changes abruptly from one alternative steady state to another. How can mathematical modeling help support decision making in the face of these alternative possibilities? What makes for resilience? What causes change? Mathematician Dr. Mary Lou Zeeman (Bowdoin College) answered your questions about these exciting and accessible dynamics, which can inform your own choices and those of our global society. She was joined by environmental scientist Dr. Ross Lieblappen (Vermont Technical College).

Personal Polynomials

Personal polynomial: The mathematical formula that spells your name! https://globalmathproject.org/personal-polynomial and Logos for Global Math and the National Math Festival

 

The Math Formula that Spells Your Name!

The Global Math Project and the National Math Festival have teamed up to celebrate Global Math Week 2017 with fun formulas for everyone. Come get your very own Personal Polynomial!

What’s a polynomial? Just a type of math expression. What’s your Personal Polynomial? Find out by typing your name into the online generator! Desktop web browser users can even save your polynomial as an image file to dazzle your friends and family. How does it all work? Visit the Personal Polynomials site to see a video explanation!

This project was created by Dr. James Tanton (Global Math Project) and Dr. Branden Stone (Adelphi University), with support from the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI).

Online Q&A: John Urschel

Photo with John Urschel with "Ask Me Anything!" and Reddit logo

MIT Mathematics Ph.D. Candidate and Former NFL Offensive Linesman, Baltimore Ravens

Friday, September 8, 2017 at 2pm Eastern

Link: Reddit: Ask Me Anything (This event is now concluded, but you can view it at Reddit!)
Audience: Reddit is intended for ages 14 and up. As an open, public forum, some user-generated content may not be appropriate for younger readers.

Whether you’ve seen recently retired Baltimore Ravens player John Urschel in action on the football field, followed his puzzle column in The Players’ Tribune, or read about his career in major publications from Sports Illustrated to The Washington Post, there’s more to learn!

Urschel answered your questions about football, math, chess, and more on September 8th. If you missed the live Q&A, you can still read through the responses at Reddit. You can also learn more about his mathy side in this February 2016 profile from the Notices of the American Mathematical Society newsletter, or follow him on Twitter.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like... Math!

It's beginning to look at lot like... math! #lookslikemath Share your pictures with us!

Share your pictures using #lookslikemath on social media!

December 12, 2016 – January 6, 2017

This holiday season , join us in celebrating the math all around you! As school breaks begin, share a picture of something mathy you find in your everyday life using the hashtag #lookslikemath on social media. Whether you’re finding the Fibonacci sequence in a pinecone, fractals in snowflakes, or just counting out cookies, we’d love to see where you find math popping up in your life! We’ll share your submissions on the National Math Festival Facebook, Twitter (@natmathfestival), or Instagram (@natmathfestival) – don’t forget to use #lookslikemath!

Online Q&A: Dr. Rebecca Goldin

Photo of Dr. Rebecca Goldin with reddit logo and "Ask me anything about statistics & the media!"

Statistics and the Media

Monday, November 21, 2016 at 12pm Eastern

Link: Ask Me Anything about Statistics and the Media! (This event is now concluded, but you can view it at Reddit!)

Audience: Reddit is intended for ages 14 and up. As an open, public forum, some user-generated content may not be appropriate for younger readers.

How do journalists make sense of statistical data when they write about scientific results? The National Math Festival held a two-hour “Ask Me Anything” session with Dr. Rebecca Goldin, director of STATS and an upcoming 2017 Festival presenter! STATS is a statistical literacy project run by Sense About Science USA in collaboration with the American Statistical Association.

Dr. Goldin answered your questions about everything from polling accuracy to explaining p-values. If you missed the live Q&A, you can read all about it on Reddit, or join her National Math Festival presentation in April, taking a deeper look at statistics on video games and violence.

Follow the Festival on Social Media