Mathematical Morsels from

The Simpsons and Futurama 

Talk given by Dr. Sarah J. Greenwald

Associate Professor of Mathematics

Appalachian State University

Did you know that The Simpsons and Futurama contain hundreds of humorous mathematical and scientific references? What curious mathematical object is used as a bottle for beer in the 31st century? What is a Frinkahedron? What is the significance of the number 1729? The only prerequisite for this talk is an open mind, so come find out!

We'll explore the mathematical content and educational value of some favorite moments along with the motivations and backgrounds of the writers during an interactive talk. Popular culture can reveal, reflect, and even shape how society views mathematics, and with careful consideration of the benefits and challenges, these programs can be an ideal source of fun ways to introduce important concepts and to reduce math anxiety. In the process we'll look at related, recent work in geometry and computational number theory so a calculator and writing utensil will be useful.

Presented by the UW-L Math Club

When: Thursday, October 11, 2007; 5 PM

Where: Room 156 Cowley Hall, UW-L

See more information at: http://www.mathsci.appstate.edu/~sjg/simpsonsmath/