How to see math like art, so you can appreciate it fully | Talithia Williams

2m read

·Nov 3, 2024

The number one complaint I hear as a mathematician is, "What am I gonna use this for?" And quite honestly, maybe you're not using calculus every day of your life, but one thing that math teaches us is how to think critically. It teaches us how to be resilient and also improves our decision-making. Thinking through mathematics in that way, it really helps us transfer those skills then to our everyday life.

When someone tells me that they hate math, I really try to get them to just appreciate mathematics as a discipline. Much like you might take an art appreciation course which exposes you to all the beauty of art and different types and works of art. What would a math appreciation course look like?

What might we show people in a class that says, "We're not doing any calculations. We just want you to see the beauty of mathematics and where it shows up." That's a class that people get excited about because they're like, "Great, if I'm not being tested, if it's really just about me appreciating the beauty of it, I'm here for it. Tell me all about it."

I think we miss opportunities to connect people to the beauty of mathematics because we want them to understand the structure and the order, and we want to move them through math courses that aren't always tied to the beauty that mathematicians get to see as they stay in the field.

And so I'd love to think about ways for people to see that earlier so that then they can become more excited about the field. Whether or not they go into it, they can appreciate it. Just like whether or not they become an artist, they can still have beautiful pieces of artwork in their home.

Pilots can influence the sale of a plane.

Q&A with YC Partners at Startup School SV 2016

View All

Whip My MOVE Back and Forth -- Black Nerd Comedy

[Music] I whip my move back in for my place in it. That’s it, so fun with mommy! But if we move back, it will probably turn it back in for [ __ ] with my weed back before we mousse it. Nick Maxine for you know I love Nintendo is my friend. Oh, I can’t pre…

Watchers of the Land | Short Film Showcase | National Geographic

[Music] And you can’t ever lose your history or your stories; otherwise, you’ll lose who you are. It’s the Den way to pass on your teachings to younger [Music] people. A lot has changed since the 50s, and now that we do have a say, you know, we’re going t…

Per capita GDP trends over past 70 years | Macroeconomics | Khan Academy

This is a chart from the New York Times that shows us how per capita GDP has trended on an inflation-adjusted basis since 1947. So you can really think about this as the post-World War II era. World War II, of course, ended in 1945. It’s always good to r…

Jupiter 101 | National Geographic

(ambient music) [Narrator] Born from primordial stardust, 4.5 billion years ago, Jupiter was the solar system’s first planet. And much like its namesake, the king of the ancient Roman gods, Jupiter was destined for greatness. Jupiter is the fifth planet…

People Don't See It - Anthony Hopkins On The Illusion Of Life

I had one moment when I decided to change my life. When I was a little boy, I dreamed of where I am now, and I remember saying to my father, “One day I’ll show you.” Certain moments in our life, we get little signals, little flashes. I may have had a visi…

Example translating parabola

Function G can be thought of as a translated or shifted version of f. Of x is equal to x^2. Write the equation for G of x. Now pause this video and see if you can work this out on your own. All right, so whenever I think about shifting a function, and i…

How to see math like art, so you can appreciate it fully | Talithia Williams

More Articles