Math Extra Credit Blog #1 - 140 Year Old Problem Solved

There is a math problem that has defeated mathamaticians for over 140 years. However, recently, a man from London solved it. The problem is in an area of math known as Conformal Mapping which scientists use to make complicated and intricate shapes in to simple circular shapes. The article from ScienceDaily.com states "A formula, now known as the Schwarz-Christoffel formula, was developed by two mathematicians in the mid-19th century to enable them to carry out this kind of mapping. However, for 140 years there has been a deficiency in this formula: it only worked for shapes that did not contain any holes or irregularities." Professor Crowdy was also reported as saying "This formula is an essential piece of mathematical kit which is used the world over. Now, with my additions to it, it can be used in far more complex scenarios than before. In industry, for example, this mapping tool was previously inadequate if a piece of metal or other material was not uniform all over - for instance, if it contained parts of a different material, or had holes." Obviously, math is not completley figured out, and there are still some mysteries in the mathematics world.

E.D.-ucation News Podcast

This is our first podcast!
(Yes, we know it is a little long and boring but please give us comments about it anyway :])

CLICK HERE FOR THE PODCAST

We are doing a Podcast Interview with Dr. James D. Wright from Rutgers University. Below is a list of the podcasts that other students in Omega made. (Let them load they take a minute)

Computers Speak Dog?-- Current Event-- Blog #3

The amazing computers of today can speak just about every language known to man. But what about Dog? The topic is:

COMPUTERS CAN NOW SPEAK DOG!


This new computer that can understand barks of dogs is amazing. They first recorded 6 barks from 14 Hungarian Sheepdogs, and let the computer analyze them. Each bark meant something different (Ex. Walk, Play, Fight, etc.). The news article from LiveScience explains what it can do:
"After analyzing digital versions of the barks, overall the computer program correctly identified the kinds of barks the dogs made 43 percent of the time — about the same as humans' 40 percent, said researcher Csaba Molnár, an ethologist at Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary. The software identified 'walk' and 'ball' barks better than people, although people identified 'play' and 'alone' barks better than the software."

The computer even analyzed the correct bark 52% of the time! You may think that is low, but it is still accurate more than half of the time!

They continue to improve the machine and hope to come through with more discoveries about the canine language soon.

SOURCES

LiveScience News Article

Podcasting-- Class response-- Blog #2

Today, in class, we started researching on scientists alive or dead that we were assigned. The assignment is:

PODCASTING

First of all, what is podcasting? Podcasting is basically like a radio show that you can use to record anything you want on it. Our assignment was to pick a scientist, and then research the facts on the chosen scientist. If the name you pulled out had a; ® next to it, then your scientist is still alive and can be contacted at Rutgers University. My scientist happened to be from Rutgers and he gladly answered all of the questions that my partner and I asked. In the next few days we will begin to record the podcasts and it will be available on my blog.

Ancient Chocolate -- Current Event-- Blog #1

PEOPLE WERE EATING CHOCOLATE OVER 3,000 YEARS AGO!

Scientists had before believed chocolate was consumed a half millennium (500 years) LATER than that. They found theobromine (a substance also found in the cocoa plant which is what produces chocolate) in the ancient pottery! This just shows how the appreciation for chocolate has been there for so long and maybe is the reason for our love for it. They also had served it as a desert at weddings and other special occasions, just like us! Our ancestors sure had a great taste for food!

SOURCE

CNN Article

Free Rice For The Poor!

This is a great website!
Basically, it's a word game that gives you a word and it gives you an option of a few possible defenitions of it. If you get it right, Free Rice donates 20 grains of rice to starving people! You get smarter, and help charity without leaving your computer! Just click here and start helping starving people everywhere: FreeRice.com

Droopy's Double Trouble

This is our word study project!
No stealing our idea please!