Hooray for New Math! - 25 September 2021 - Plague Journal Day 562

Micah 6:8
Genesis 15:5-6
Yes, your life matters.

Some of you are still sheltering in place, but fear not: I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

I posted recently about the raging insanity at our southern border. Looking at the calendar, I wondered if perhaps the president biden mightn't have gotten confused by some of today's celebrations. Today is Fish Amnesty Day as well as National Food Service Employees Day. Since he seems to think that the waves of immigrants are coming here to take jobs in the food service industry, and since fish amnesty is simply catch and release, perhaps a conflation of these led to the president's "decisions" in this matter. Perhaps not.
Of course, today is also National Psychotherapy Day, so maybe he's just crazy. I'm not a doctor, so I'm not going to make a diagnosis.

While I'm not a doctor, I am a mathematician, and today is also Math Storytelling Day. To observe this important holiday, I thought I'd share a brief story of my mathematical journey.

It's important to note that I'm a pure mathematician, not an applied one. After the first couple of semesters, I seldom saw numbers in my textbooks other than to designate pages and chapters. Even my number theory class was curiously devoid of most numerals.
At any rate, I was talking with my Dad (an engineer) about my impending graduation (having changed my major from Physics to Pure Mathematics in my sophomore year) and he asked me "What are you going to do with that degree, open a theorem store?" Ah, would that I had!

Still, to prove there is actual use for mathematics in popular culture, I invite you to view this wonderful video. I would also encourage you to look for a recording of the fabulous Disney video, Donald Duck in Mathemagic Land.




Keep Calm and Don't Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.