Maths fun factor is highly probable
The Chronicle, 23 October 2018
‘Maths explains why a sunflower’s seeds spiral in the way they do, maths explains the sprawling shape of a river delta meeting the ocean, and maths explains why bees around the world build their honeycombs in such a perfectly hexagonal arrangement.’
Eddie Woo has been called the Kim Kardashian of Australian maths teaching. With more than 400,000 followers to his ‘WooTube’ channel, he specialises in making maths fun.
As a school student, maths didn’t come naturally to Eddie, which is why he understands that people might need a few different explanations before a concept clicks. Perhaps a sports-loving student will better learn parabolas upon realising it’s the arc a ball traces. Or a fashion-loving student will learn angles by seeing how they’re used to cut fabric.
WooTube began when a student in Eddie’s class was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and began missing large chunks of class. Eddie started recording his lessons, then posting them online. Soon, people from around the world were tuning in. This year, he was recognised as Australia’s Local Hero.
At 5.30pm on Wednesday 14 November, I will be hosting Eddie Woo to give the annual ‘Fenner Lecture’ at Llewellyn Hall at the Australian National University. It’s a free talk, perfect for maths-lovers and maths-phobics alike. Just go to www.AndrewLeigh.com/FennerLecture2018 to register.
I hope the probability you’ll be there is closer to one than zero!
Andrew Leigh is the Federal Member for Fenner, and his website is www.andrewleigh.com
Authorised by Noah Carroll ALP Canberra
Be the first to comment
Sign in with