Mathematics is the sense you never knew you had | Eddie Woo | TEDxSydney

Summary

In this engaging talk, the speaker shares an outsider's journey into the world of mathematics, challenging the common perception that math is only for the elite. They recount their personal transformation from struggling with math to embracing it as a career, revealing math's practicality and beauty. The speaker illustrates the omnipresence of mathematical patterns in nature, such as fractals, and encourages the audience to develop their 'mathematical sense' to perceive the universe's inherent order and beauty.

Takeaways

• 🎉 The speaker humorously admits that professing a love for mathematics at a party might not win popularity contests, but it's a passion they embrace.
• 🧐 The speaker identifies as an 'outsider' to mathematics, having struggled with the subject and not finding it their strength in school.
• 🏆 The speaker's high school valued mathematics highly, with social status tied to one's rank in math classes, which contributed to the speaker's initial aversion to the subject.
• 📚 A conversation with a professor at Sydney University led to a pivotal change in the speaker's life, encouraging them to switch to teaching mathematics due to a shortage of math educators.
• 🤓 The speaker discovered that mathematics is not just about rote learning and abstract problem-solving but is deeply practical and even beautiful.
• 🔍 Mathematics is presented as a 'sense' that allows us to perceive patterns, relationships, and logical connections, much like our other senses allow us to perceive the world.
• 🌊 The concept of fractals is introduced, showing how mathematical patterns are evident in natural phenomena like river deltas, trees, lightning, and even our blood vessels.
• 🌳 Fractals are found everywhere in nature, from plants to clouds, and recognizing them can enhance our appreciation for the mathematical beauty in the world around us.
• 🎼 The speaker draws parallels between the patterns in mathematics and those found in art, music, and design, emphasizing the universality of pattern recognition and creation.
• 💐 The golden ratio and rotational symmetry in flowers illustrate how mathematics is not only present in nature but also contributes to its beauty and efficiency.
• 🤓 The speaker challenges the notion that some people are not 'mathematical' by highlighting our innate ability to recognize and create patterns, a skill shared by artists and mathematicians alike.
• 🎉 The speaker concludes with an enthusiastic declaration of love for mathematics, proud to embrace it even in a crowd, emphasizing its importance and beauty.

Q & A

What was the speaker's initial attitude towards mathematics?

The speaker initially struggled with mathematics and considered themselves an outsider to the subject, preferring English and history.

Why did the speaker change their career path to become a mathematics teacher?

The speaker changed their career path after a conversation with a professor at Sydney University who pointed out a critical shortage of mathematics educators in Australian schools and encouraged them to switch their teaching area to mathematics.

How did the speaker's perspective on mathematics change during their university studies?

During university, the speaker discovered that mathematics was practical and beautiful, not just about finding answers but also about asking the right questions, and about forming new ways to see problems.

What is the significance of the river delta example in the speaker's talk?

The river delta example is used to illustrate the concept of fractals, which are shapes with a recursive structure found in nature, and to show the mathematical patterns that are hidden in plain sight.

What is a fractal and why are they important in the context of the speaker's message?

A fractal is a shape that exhibits a repeating pattern at different scales. They are important because they represent the mathematical reality woven into the fabric of the universe, connecting various natural phenomena and demonstrating the ubiquity of mathematical patterns.

How does the speaker relate the patterns found in nature to our inherent human ability to perceive and create patterns?

The speaker relates the patterns found in nature to our human ability by suggesting that we are all born with a 'mathematical sense' that allows us to perceive patterns, relationships, and logical connections, just as we have senses for sight, sound, and touch.

What is the 'golden ratio' mentioned in the script, and where can it be found?

The 'golden ratio' is a mathematical constant approximately equal to 1.618, often found in aesthetically pleasing proportions. It can be found in various places such as the arrangement of sunflower seeds, the human body, and architectural designs.

Why does the speaker compare the study of mathematics to learning to play a musical instrument?

The speaker compares mathematics to learning an instrument to convey how his initial experience with both was tedious and unenjoyable, but later, with the right approach and understanding, he found both to be engaging and creative processes.

What is the speaker's view on the importance of recognizing and appreciating mathematical patterns in our lives?

The speaker believes that recognizing and appreciating mathematical patterns is crucial as it allows us to fully engage with and understand the world around us, and that dismissing mathematics as uninteresting closes us off from a significant part of the human experience.

How does the speaker use the example of Islamic art and design to illustrate mathematical patterns?

The speaker uses Islamic art and design to show how mathematical patterns can be both aesthetically pleasing and intricate, highlighting the cultural and historical appreciation for geometric forms and symmetry.

What is the significance of the 137.5-degree angle in the context of the speaker's discussion on flower patterns?

The 137.5-degree angle is significant because it creates an efficient and aesthetically pleasing pattern in the arrangement of seeds in a sunflower, which is related to the 'golden ratio' and demonstrates the presence of mathematical patterns in nature.