Maria D. at Natural Math

Photo of a drawing of mathematical art (descriptive geometry) next to a canvas showing the same drawing in an earlier stage (construction nearly done, no coloring yet). Both show how circles on a sphere containing the North Pole are projected onto lines. By elkement 2024/2026.

I am re-creating my 2024 drawing "Circles to Lines" on gesssoed and sanded canvas!

The construction is nearly done: Six circles on the surface of a sphere, containing the North Pole --> projected onto lines via stereographic projection.

#SciArt #MathSky #Geometry

#iTeachMath

AL celebrates with the big pronouncement of QED and then translates for the classmates.

@johngolden.bsky.social I can't wait to hold your book in my hands! What a timely wellspring of hope, joy, and math circles! And humor.

AL, Logical! A Young Adult Graphic Novel It's like a math circle, but in a haunted multidimensional mansion where a brave artist finds the restless ghost of a mathematician.

Here's something hopeful from our Future Book Club. Parents and educators organized together and made a unique project possible. "AL, Logical" math fantasy for teens is fully funded! Join today and get the book+prizes 🎉 🤝 ❤️ THANK YOU, math friends! #iTeachMath #KidLit #BookSky #MathSky #MTBoS

a box of little brown balls of clay and dirt and seeds in a philly pretzel factory box

Ready to supply ~100 cyclists w/seed bombs for our city's abandoned lots at tonight's @wednightrides.org!

They contain 6-7 species of native plant seeds to juice up the biodiversity of our city, incl.
Ironweed
Echinacea
Partidge Pea
Bee Balm
Blue Vervain
Blackeyed Susan
Swamp Milkweed (sometimes)

Plants: the original mathematicians. 😉

I'm still looking for one more person to join us on the zoom portion, so we can have different voices for the characters in How Hungry Are You? If you're that person, let me know!

Another round that was popular went like this...
Define: A sandwich is something that wraps or contains something else inside.
Silly example that many participants loved: Earth, wrapped by its atmosphere, is a sandwich.

Yes! The definition game we played went like, (1) Choose your examples (2) Define "sandwich" (3) Come up with the silliest examples that formally satisfy the definition. Define: "Something with "club" or "sub" in the name, containing meat." Silly example: "Math club. People are made out of meat."

We just ran a family math circle inspired by the math notes from the book at UNC-CH. We worked on activities with infinite variations: defining hard-to-define things (sandwiches, life), and rebuilding solids from projections. So much math joy! My slides: docs.google.com/presentation... #iTeachMath

There's something mathematically interesting in the way the tentacles turn in on themselves, but I can't formulate it. Maybe they are optimally chunky in some way? Maximal curvature for the given width? Hmm.

Quadratics and the trig were used by old-timey military officers (guns, navigation), and I believe that's the historic reason why they are huge in our curricula. Parabolas are still neat and motivating (gravity, solar cookers), but the four million ways to optimize calculations, not so much.

Had to think of this cool vintage graphic from 1906. I love how it displays population density in a beautifully simple way. Best practice #dataviz if you ask me. Source: buff.ly/3AA35vO

Math Happens was a bright meeting spot, welcoming patterns and other creative things from everyone. Even a lovely paper flower from the origami artist Arlene Gorchov. I took it around Gathering 4 Gardner to meet other math flowers. 🏵️💮✴️ Here's Arlene with her shiny folded pendant. #iTeachMath

A sea creature floating around the deep sea of #mathematics

Based and inspired by x.com/yuruyurau
#p5js #generative #mathart

#mathart #p5js #functions

SciComm Office Hours | Virginia Schutte About SciComm Office Hours and how to register for upcoming sessions.

Free #SciComm coaching! Next few sessions will be:

- Mar 5 AND 6, 3pm ET each day: getting started in scicomm
- Mar 24, 12pm ET: translating skills across opportunities

Details and register: www.virginiaschutte.com/scicomm-offi...

As always, contact me to seed a topic and time of your choice

Large hanging crochet granny square artwork with a red theme

Day ☀️♥️

Man in a laundromat looking at pictures of digital knots on a tablet.

My dad continuing his study of knot theory in #tileFarmStudio at a laundromat in Berkeley, CA.

why do nerds
suddenly appear
every time
I post here

#hottake: Kids are anxious around math not because the problems are too hard, but because the feedback mechanism is too rigid. If they only get rewarded for correct final answers under time pressure, they'd naturally only want to do questions they can answer correctly and quickly. #MathSky

A coffee mug that reads, "Really? Again?! - HISTORY"

lol

AL, Logical! A Young Adult Graphic Novel It's like a math circle, but in a haunted multi-dimensional mansion where a brave artist finds a restless ghost of a mathematician.

Shout out to our Gathering 4 Gardner supporters this week! 🤝The beautiful, thoughtful, and mathy "AL, Logical!" comic book just reached 2/3 of its crowdfunding goal. Preorder by March 6, and your name will be in excellent company. Sample chapter: www.kickstarter.com/projects/nat... #iTeachMath

Take my money!! Will do and done.

Pair of dyscalculiac friends can just about add up between the three of them A couple of autistic friends who also have dyscalculia have managed to compensate for their spiky skill set between the three of them, an indeterminate number of reports have indicated.  Emma…

A couple of autistic friends who also have dyscalculia have managed to compensate for their spiky skill set between the three of them, an indeterminate number of reports have indicated.

AL, Logical! A Young Adult Graphic Novel It's like a math circle, but in a haunted multi-dimensional mansion where a brave artist finds a restless ghost of a mathematician.

Sample chapter from AL, Logical posted at the Kickstarter page! Please peek and share! www.kickstarter.com/projects/nat... #mathstory

Donald Knuth is presenting on stage, with his hands on the overhead projection holding one of his books. The audience members are listening intently.

At G4G, I just asked Donald Knuth, "I work with five-year-olds. What would you say to five-year-old mathematicians?" His answer: "Don't read my books!" (Everyone laughs; the talk is largely about books.) "Or anyone's. Play, and see for yourself how mathematics works." 🤝 #iTeachMath

We were invited to read from our books, which I did of course. But first I had some opening words, which I thought I'd share with you here.

I'll share video too, once that's available.

Haha classic! "The Princess Bride" strikes back :-)

AL, Comical AL, Logical, available on Kickstarter until March 5th! Perhaps the question that have come up the most in discussing AL, Logical with peo...

Wrote a short post about why make AL, Logical a comic book? mathhombre.blogspot.com/2026/02/al-c... Being published with @maria-naturalmath.bsky.social, on Kickstarter till March 5th! www.kickstarter.com/projects/nat...