This essay is not about the multi-centuries of history of the entity known as zero; others have written whole scores of essays and books about ye ol' zero, so, yeah no, that's not what will be revealed here. This essay is about the power of nothing...
I hadn’t realized how emotionally isolated I was in my relationship with mathematics till the physical limitations of 2020 were imposed on the world. I hadn’t realized how strong my feelings of adulation were for math till there were severe limits placed on ...
Let's begin with this excellent definition of what a logarithm is: Logarithms are mathematical relationships used to compare things that can vary dramatically in scale. I find that the clearest way to explain what a logarithm is to first say what its relationship is to an exponent, because...
In the living room of the house I grew up in, there was a big ol’ grandfather clock that my mom picked up at a garage sale and, with the help of one of my brothers, restored back to working condition. When it was oh-so-quiet in the room and I’d be curled up in my chair reading...
I’m going to tell you about one of those words that has a definition that can be ever-so-slightly different depending on not just the context of how it’s being used, or what part of speech is assigned to it (Sometimes it’s a noun! Sometimes it’s an adjective!) but its definition can also be...
You know how people say, “because, science” in response to a question that is about anything from why diseases spread, to how diamonds are made, to why some bird migrations land in the same backyard, year after year? And while we should always...
I am fond of saying, “Equilibrium. That’s all that we want. That’s all any of us want, really.” And if I’m compelled to say this phrase, then that usually means it feels appropriate to say it in a dramatic way; I pause between each sentence. I might gesticulate (not wildly). I might even throw in...