Baltimore Ravens offensive lineman John Urschel will begin a PhD in mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology this year. He graduated from Penn State with a 4.0 GPA. His PhD studies will focus on spectral graph theory, numerical linear algebra, and machine learning. In a previous interview, Urschel told a reporter that he spends time on road trips reading math books and research papers. Read more about this incredible athlete-mathematician here!
We Use Math Blog
Supermoon Math
Challenge your students to do some “supermoon” math! Click here for content.
Study Links Fitness to Math Skills
A new study suggests that children who are aerobically fit tend to have significantly thinner gray matter in their brains than their “low-fit” peers, which is associated with better mathematics performance. The research team discusses the relationship between fitness and academic performance here.
Stereotypes Affect Performance
A study from Indiana University suggests that gender stereotypes regarding women’s math performance negatively affect their performance. However, both men and women believe that these stereotypes will not negatively affect women, rather they will boost their motivation to perform better. Click here to read more!
The Perfect Bracket
Is it possible to construct a perfect NCAA bracket? Jeff Bergen, mathematics professor at DePaul University, says, “It would be more likely for the next 16 World Series to be won by the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox than it would be to pick a perfect bracket by guessing.” Basketball knowledge increases the odds, but the odds of picking a perfect bracket would be approximately one in 128 billion. Nevertheless, March Madness is fun and you can still win your office pool even without a perfect bracket! For more of Professor Bergen’s commentary, click here.