Column

  1. Math

    Abbott and Costello’s Wacky Math

    The Math in the Movies Web page (http://world.std.com/~reinhold/mathmovies.html) provides an annotated list of films in which mathematics plays some sort of role. The choices range from the calculus lessons of Stand and Deliver to the mystifying numerology of the 1998 thriller Pi. Among the notable omissions are several movies featuring the comedy team of Bud […]

    By Ivars Peterson
  2. Math

    Whips and Dinosaur Tails

    The loud crack of a deftly flicked bullwhip can certainly command attention. That distinctive noise is a small sonic boom, generated when the whip’s thin, highly flexible tip exceeds the speed of sound. Swinging a leather bullwhip’s thick, rigid handle in an arc gives the whip angular momentum.