In this newsletter:
- Latest news
- Browse with Plus
- Mathematical moments
- Live maths
- Competition
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Here goes the Sun - News on the solar eclipse in March
http://www.plus.maths.org/latestnews/jan-apr06/eclipse/index.html
Lost in music - How to interact with your music collection
http://www.plus.maths.org/latestnews/jan-apr06/music/index.html
Plus... more news from the world of maths
US law is Euclidean
http://www.plus.maths.org/latestnews/jan-apr05/plusmore35/index.html#taxi
Einstein is proved right
http://www.plus.maths.org/latestnews/jan-apr05/plusmore35/index.html#Einstein
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Browse with Plus
Chaos, fractals and the Mandelbrot set
Bob Devaney is one of the top researchers in this field. His homepage
contains various fractal animations and games, as well as a really nice
introduction to the Mandelbrot set and Julia sets (click on "Dynamical
systems & technology project" on the homepage).
http://math.bu.edu/people/bob/
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Mathematical moments
Benjamin Franklin - Born: 17 January 1706 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Died: 17 April 1790 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Benjamin Franklin would have celebrated his 300th birthday last Tuesday!!
Franklin is most famous as a statesman with extraordinary intelligence and
wit. He was one of the Founders of the USA and is often considered to be
the "first American". More than anyone else he defined the notion of
"America" and influenced the course of the American Revolution.
Franklin made his considerable fortune as a newspaper editor and printer.
With his money he founded the first lending libraries and the first fire
department in the United States. But being a revolutionary, politician,
leader of the Enlightenment, editor and philanthropist wasn't quite enough
for him: he was also a scientist and mathematician. His keen interest in
the physics of electricity led him to invent the lightening rod.
Mathematically speaking, his most interesting invention were Franklin magic
squares and magic circles. As in ordinary magic squares, rows and columns
add up to a constant in Franklin magic squares, but, to add to the magic,
other interesting patterns add up to the same constant, too. In his magic
circles, it's the radii and concentric circles that add up to the same
number.
He is quoted as saying: "What science can there be more noble, more
excellent, more useful for men, more admirably high and demonstrative than
mathematics."
Find out more about him in this wikipedia entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Franklin
Or more about his maths on this website:
http://pasles.org/Franklin/index.html
And about his birthday on his official 300 years website:
http://www.franklin300.com/index.php
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Live maths
National Science Week
National Science Week runs from the 10th tom the 19th of March 2006. It's a
great opportunity for people of all ages to take part in science,
engineering and technology activities. To find out what's happening near
you or even to put on your own event visit
http://www.the-ba.net/the-ba/Events/NationalScienceWeek/
How to grow Trees
Trees are not always plants. This free public lectures by Professor Robin
Wilson explores how they turn up in families and electrical circuits and
explains how you can deal with them using graph theory. It also promises to
relieve instant insanity.
When: 1st of February 2006 at 1pm
Venue: Barnard's Inn Hall
Gresham College
Holborn
London EC1N 2HH
Website: http://www.gresham.ac.uk/default.asp
Theories of everything
What are these theories? What is "everything"? What do they explain? Are
physicists and cosmologists about to find any? Professor John D Barrow FRS
explains in this free public lecture organised by Gresham College.
When: 16th of February, 1pm
Where: The Lecture Theatre, The Museum of London, EC2
Website: http://www.gresham.ac.uk/default.asp
Making sense of the Universe: a history of cosmology
Everything you could possibly want to know about humanity's quest for the
stars is explained at this half-day seminar at the National Maritime Museum
in Greenwich. Four different speakers will explore everything from the
cosmology of the ancient Greeks to Einstein, and from black holes to string
theory. Tickets are 29 pounds (22 concession) and can be booked by emailing
[log in to unmask] or by phoning 0208 3128560.
When: 18 February 2006 at 10:30 am
Where: National Maritime Museum
Park Row
Greenwich
SE10 9NF
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Competition
As part of National Science Week 2006, the BA (British Association for the
Advancement of Science) and ESRC (Economic & Social Research Council) have
launched "Illuminate", a photography competition aimed at capturing the
colour in science.
Entrants of all ages are encouraged to send in images which they believe
illustrates a colourful aspect of science. This could be anything from
copper sulphate solution in a test tube to buttercups, blue plaques for
scientific achievement to neon pink signs for nightclubs. Entries must be
submitted by the 10th of February and winners will be honoured during
Science Week.
For more information visit
http://www.the-ba.net/the-ba/Events/NationalScienceWeek/WhatsOnNSW/Illuminate/
Happy reading from the Plus team!
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