Plan for August 31, 2007
Step I. (5 minutes) I heard a wonderful math equation related to the word FEAR.
FEAR=FALSE EVIDENCE APPEARING REAL
Also humanity recently discovered that what FDR (Franklin Roosevelt) said in his first inaugural address WAS NOT TRUE. Do you know why?
(see http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5057/)
Step II:
We divide into two groups (20 minutes) Mike explores Magic squares See for example: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_square
Dani explores about the meaning of the number 0.
Nothing means actually something but really it is No-Thing.
Step III: Conversation with the whole class.
Step IV: Assignment for next Wednesday is to write a response to this using this Blog. What did you learn from the lesson today. If you are so inspired you can also use one of the journal topics that ed suggested in. Converse about another meaningful assignment that you will choose.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
16 comments:
I am sitting here on Saturday evening wondering why not even a single student commented on what I was asking. Is it becuase everyone is so busy with their life or that they have some technical difficulties.
In any case I wanted to summarize what happened in the class on Friday from my perspective: The class was divided into two parts and the students who went with Mike Unis learned how to create a magic square and the presentation in class was wonderful. It was clearn that the presenters knew what they understood and felt the idea and they served as an example to others. EVERYONE can do math and learn Math in their own way but they have to want it first.
As for the other section that stayed with me it was very fulland rich and I wonder how much of this got absorbed and understood.
We started with noticing that the class divided itself into three groups: Those who went wit Mike, Those who stayed with me and those who were undecided but these undecided group was actually the EMPTY SET (which is like the number zero; the topic os the lesson). This realization lead us to mention the theory of two giant logicians from the beginning of this century: Rusell and Whitehead who wrote together "Principia Mathematica"
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principia_Mathematica
and when we showed the class a page from this book one students uttered a strange sound like Ohh (or oh no...)
because the page looked so uncomprehensible. Yet I wanted to point out that our minds, all human minds are actually connected and deep inside every one has the capacity to understand this book. This lead us also to share the idea of the "Crystal and the Dragon" where the Crystal means "The clear answer" while the dragon could mean "Confusion and darkness" and we explained that these two are actually connected and that the art of life is to learn to dance with them. we share the web page by one of my students Julia who arote about it, see:
http://www.ithaca.edu/dani/inspirations/lovemath/Julia/TheDragon.htm
This remined me the idea of the
akashic records, see for example:
http://www.edgarcayce.org/about_ec/cayce_on/akashic/
I quote from there:
"The Akashic Records or "The Book of Life" can be equated to the universe's super computer system. It is this system that acts as the central storehouse of all information for every individual who has ever lived upon the earth. More than just a reservoir of events, the Akashic Records contain every deed, word, feeling, thought, and intent that has ever occurred at any time in the history of the world. Much more than simply a memory storehouse, however, these Akashic Records are interactive in that they have a tremendous influence upon our everyday lives, our relationships, our feelings and belief systems, and the potential realities we draw toward us."
I think that mentioning this concept of the akashic records was a little confusing to some students since it is so foreign.. In any case we returned to out original quest that was to explore the number zero and we shared what happend in Oak Hill Manor Nursing home when we discussed the numer zero and the concept of number friends with the residents who are going through the process of losing their physical connetions including the thinking faculty (we talked about number friendsn (like 4 and 6, 3 and 7... etc.) and asked who is an only child and several students immediately answered 5, which was correct. In the midst of this discussion and questioning we asked what are the 4 stages of dying and several students from the theatre department knew and even added another stage:
denial,anger,bargaining (added),depression and acceptance.
We ended this section by mentioning the true story of Doris from Oak Hill Manor who just celebrated her 100th birthday and was the only one to answer the question: "Two time What equals zero?"
Summary of what we learned this lesson (not in any specific order)
1. The five stages of dying (which apply to everyday life as well)
2. The Concept of the Crystal and the Dragon and Julia's web page. What was her message
3. The Akashic records where all the collective knowledge of humanity is stored. The fact that we can tap into it.
4. What are number friends and who is an only child?
5. What does Doris teach us?
I learned a lot from this lesson about the magic square. I thought it was very interesting to see how the square is made because it is something I never would have thought of before, and I think it is cool how all of the numbers add up to 15.
I liked learning about the magic square because it helped me to understand that not all types of math have to do with adding and subtracting, things that schools use to turn math against us. This was a more interesting type of math to me because it required a different type of thinking. This class is very fun and now I want to learn more!
In FDR's speech he details fear as being, "nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance." While the equation in class defined fear as "false evidence appearing real." It's rather difficult for me to find a whole truth in either statement. I suppose I take a more scientific stance on the matter. When faced with something that causes fear, the body releases adrenaline which ultimatey *in my opinion* gives you the strength to push past the obstacle that is causing you "fear".
The equation in class can be applicable in only certain situations but, for example being trapped in a burning building would cause great amounts of fear not because the evidence of the fire is false but because the danger is indeed very real. On the other hand fear can greatly be amplified by ones own thoughts and insecurities. Fear can be nothing more than "false evidence" that takes a tangible form inside the mind.
In my opinion fear is derived from the unknown. When we learn more about what scares us we can start to overcome that emotion. However that is not to say that knowledge will cure all fears, there is always a variable to be considered because each individual is different and has conflicting views on fear and how to combat it.
I don't think we should necessarily fight fear, nor embrace it. At times it alerts us of impending danger or gives us the added adrenaline to strive for success. At any rate fear is a valid emotion and to deny any emotion is to deny being human yourself.
I think I got lost on a tangent somewhere, my apologies Mr. Novak.
Wish you guys will write your emails with xxx instead of @ to prevent the sharks to get you (I mean the hackers...). I was inspired by what Alison wrote and am planning to show you some intuitive and deep material that connects magic squares with centerdness and also with Mathematical rainbows and frienship between numbers. I cannot do it here but look forward to do it in class.
This is a reply to what Ashton wrote. It was not an a tangent but useful stuff. Please consider that you are possibly not the body but spirit and hence you do not need all of this fear to react skillfully. Animals experience fear but masters do not. I can tell you several true stories about it. When you identify with the body fear may be useful but at another level it simply is not. I know it from personal expeience also.
For example if your body is trapped in a burning building you may actually find a create way to get out if you are not afraid rather than jumping from the third floor or if you know that your body is going to die you will accept it and experience it. I want to tell you a real story about it (the Zen Roshi and my daughter and the Buffalo)
After our first official day in Math class, I can already tell that this class will be like no other class I've ever taken before. I was in the group that learned about the number 0 but I also learned a lot about The Lo Shu square (the magic square) as well. I never knew how much zero had to do with life. Before we are born, you can say that we are 0 years old meaning that we are nothing yet even though we are something. When we die, you can also say that we become nothing but we are really something, we are now apart of the universe which goes into infinity which is essentially two zeros. It's like the song dani sung in class, "No seperation, the black and the white, all of us together in the bright light." We will all one day be together in infinity once we leave this earth.
As a history major, the thing that stuck out to me the most from Friday's class was our discussion on the crystal and the dragon and FDR's famous inaugural quote. In class professor Novak asked us to consider why FDR was, while very inspirational, very incorrect. Practically speaking, when FDR was elected first in 1932, fear was the least of America's problems. The political climate of Europe was boiling over, unemployment was crippling the economies of Britain and Germany, not even to mention to horrific economic conditions in the U.S. itself. Roosevelt's quote smacks of oversimplification and a desire for false optimism in an era where nothing seemed to be going right. Conversely, our discussion on the crystal and the dragon, where the crystal represents clarity and understanding and the dragon represents the fear which often keeps one from finding clarity and understanding, shows how in smaller situations, fear is completely unreasonable. We have no reason to fear math. Unlike the political climate of the early 1930's, math isn't going to overthrow the government or invade Russia any time soon. So much as too little fear often leads to an overly optimistic worldview, too much fear often keeps people from seeing things for what they are. Take that, dragon.
I was touched during class the other day when we talked about Doris. Even though she is in pain, aged, and growing closer to death, she is at peace. She loves her life, and she was the only one in your class that could answer the algebra equation that you gave them.
It is encouraging to hear that someone can be so strong in the face of their own circumstances. If Doris was pessimistic or grumpy, I wouldn't blame her. That type of attitude seems to naturally go with what she's experiencing. However, despite all that, she is at peace. She is happy.
It gives us hope. No matter how we are feeling at any time; no matter how badly things are going; no matter how high the odds are stacked against us, we should remember that Doris is happy. We can be happy, too.
I really enjoyed talking about the number zero, but our conversation made me a little bit sad. I feel like the number zero is constantly associated with loss or emptiness. I've always liked to think of the number zero as something different; something more. An all encompassing number that can hold anything and everything in it's beautiful, round shape. I linked this idea to Doris in a way. Maybe the reason that she got the answer right was that she was able to feel a connection with the number zero- being that her age is 100. Perhaps she felt the ripe wisdom of such an age as 100. She has come full circle in a way- like the number zero itself. All the way around from a time before her existence to a time after so much existence and experience.
I really enjoyed thinking about this special number and I wish we had spent more time discussing it's richness rather than it's emptiness.
I never fully understood the concept of a magic square until this past class. I remember learning about it a very long time ago, but I could not remember what it entailed. It was so nice to sit down and see the connections between the numbers, or "friends" in the square. I felt like it was a concept that was so exciting that it jumped out at me right away. All of the numbers were part of the whole square, related and intertwined, each important in their own way. I found the group discussion that took place once we came back inside to be very interesting, especially the concept of "nothing" or "no-thing," which is something I had never really considered. This class has been very eye opening so far and I belive that I am taking it for a reason...that it will help me discover much more than the answer to the question "What is Math?"
What stood out most for me following class the other day, was in regards to Doris' awareness that even when you're nothing you're something. It seemed just scratched the surface on exploring what exactly it means to be 'No-Thing' and thus somewhere or nowhere and thus 'now-here'. I'm was extraordinarily intruiged by the existence of the akashic records and their reference to the word aether. There is often a sensation I experience, something larger and greater than I can even interpret with any of my 5 senses and it felt relevant and connected to the akashic records as we discussed what they entailed and they intricacies they foretold. It gave me a sense that Doris' was able to wrap her brain around the concept of nothing as something because there exists a place in the world where all the knowledge which have ever been known is contained and available to any and all who need it. I also began to relate the existence of the empty set, the shape of the number zero and the infinity sign in a way they indicates some sort of eternal infallbile prescence of everything and nothing at the same time. It makes me deeply curious to understand precisely what is contained in the principia Mathematica, not so much for the concept of equations but rather to fully grasp this knowledge which was created, harbored and fine tuned by beings such as myself. If they could understand it, I should be able to as well utilizing my own access to the akashic.
As Dani has written in the syllabus as well as stated in class, the word "math" in "What is math?" can be replaced by a variety of other words. I am very excited for the class because I see that we are going to go in many different and interesting directions. I like that we are clearly encouraged to follow our interests and passions and how it is easy to relate it to the discussions in class.
I think that the problem with math for myself and for a lot of other people is that the topic can feel so impersonal. I really enjoyed hearing about Dani's experiences in the nursing home teaching math, and how Doris was able to grasp the problem Dani presented despite the loss of her agility. I like to think that she was able to somehow tap into the Akashic Records, that she was able to access this great source of information.
I was caught off guard as sooon as class started, when math was showcased as an integral part of our every day enviorment and existences verses the standard practice composed of only numbers, calculators and despair. The metaphor of the crystal and the dragon expanded my previous narrow mindset of the subject. A new point of view on my behalf resulted once math enabled me to percieve it as seen on a more personal and verbal spectrum. The clarity of this notion caught my attention and acted as unexpected reminder to always exprience life with an open and inquistive mind.
The magic squares confused me at first because I just found it to be a jumble of boxes. After it was explained to me a couple times I was finally able to grasp the idea 3-Dimensional thinking on a 2-Dimensional plane. It made me realize that everything can't always be taken at first glance, sometimes (maybe even always) you have to dig deeper and try to understand the greater meaning or function of things. This has proven to me, that with a little investigation it is possible to see things in a whole new light and have a new understanding/appreciation for them.
In response to what joey said, I too was confused by the magic squares when it was displayed to me on a 2D plane. However when it was explained to me as a 3D object i could visualize the square. i also didn't fully understand it until my peers helped to explain it to me from the front of the class. This also helped prove the point that dani made about different ways people can contribute. I did not think that I would be learning the square from my peers, but in the end it was the best way for me to learn.
I'm not going to pretend that I had a great epiphany concerning math, because I didn't. While I understand the concepts individually, I'm failing to understand how they relate to each other and how I can apply these to the real world. I was led to believe that this class would help re-educate me concerning math. While these concepts are nice to learn about, I'm concerned about how I can use them to better myself.
Post a Comment