First Blog

  As social people, we love to give advice. “You should do this.” “You shouldn’t do that.” “The prof’s an easy grader. Just study the worksheet.” “You should buy that car.” But do you ever know all the facts? Do you see only a simplified situation with essential facts removed? Is your friend asking for advice or asking for hope? There’s a difference.   Hope is the meta-fuel of well-being, giving comfort and peace in times of distress. Is your friend asking for the advice they want to hear? For something they’ve considered but needs confirmation? For a go-sign? We, the advice-givers, all too often venture into homespun psychology. Not good, mostly because we don’t know any. Among the biggest advice-givers are friends, parents, pastors, and teachers. For younger persons, parental advice is often rejected, but the other three are on the spot.   Because, if they give advice, they must accept some responsibility if it is accepted. The pastor hopefully limits advice to simple homilies o

  How is math used in everyday life? This is a big question requiring a big answer.   It is amazing at just how many uses are significant.   Math is everywhere, all the time, and constant as we move on.   Yet, few of us actually need to do any calculations beyond the basics. Knowing is has invaded almost everything is important to know.  A. Medicine. CAT scans and MRI scans require deep math at their basis. Modeling of DNA and sequencing of genes use much math. The origin was with SONAR, where the computer was the human brain, i.e. operator. It is well past that now. The mathematics is called tomography. It takes the scans and uses them to reconstruct the complex images within the brain or body. B. Transportation. Routing of vehicles (trucks and aircraft, etc) to maximize efficiency of costs use deep math. Involves one of the most difficult math problems called “The Traveling Salesman Problem.” It is still open, i.e. unsolved. C. Electronics. Use the math of all of electromagneti

Just as a FYI. The Indians just won game one in the series.  One team had to win. Now, suppose the two teams are evenly matched meaning the probability of either team winning is 0.5.  That is the odds are 50-50. True? Not true?  You decide. Assume no home team advantage - a stretch of your beliefs, I know. With these assumptions, we can compute. A. Suppose the Indians win the first game and both teams are evenly and stay evenly matched. Then the probability of the Indians win the series (best 4 of 7) is about .65. B. If Indians win the first two games, Then the probability the Indians win the series is  about .80. C. If the Indians win the first three games, Then the probability the Indians win the series is  about .94. Yet records indicate in the most recent twelve World series, the team winning the first game has a probability of winning the series is .91.  (Compare with .65.)  So, does this imply the team winning the first game is actually better (and it would have to be