Popular mathematics writer and Cornell University Professor Steven Strogatz discusses the difference between calculus and algebra, and what calculus can do that other math can’t. Plus: learn about how distraction can alter your memory, and the science behind the Hindenburg disaster of 1937. Please vote for Curiosity Daily in the 2019 Discover Pods Awards! We're a finalist for Best Technology & Science Podcast. Every vote counts!https://awards.discoverpods.com/finalists/ In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes: A New Study Shows How Distraction Can Alter Your Memory — https://curiosity.im/34pOUtH What If The Hindenburg Had Used Helium Instead of Hydrogen? — https://curiosity.im/36ucJCp Additional resources from Steven Strogatz: “Infinite Powers: How Calculus Reveals the Secrets of the Universe” on Amazon — https://amazon.com Additional publications — https://amazon.com Steven Strogatz official website — http://www.stevenstrogatz.com/ Cornell University profile — https://math.cornell.edu/steven-strogatz Google Scholar profile — https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=FxyRWlcAAAAJ Follow @stevenstrogatz on Twitter — https://twitter.com/stevenstrogatz
Popular mathematics writer and Cornell University Professor Steven Strogatz discusses the difference between calculus and algebra, and what calculus can do that other math can’t. Plus: learn about how distraction can alter your memory, and the science behind the Hindenburg disaster of 1937.
Please vote for Curiosity Daily in the 2019 Discover Pods Awards! We're a finalist for Best Technology & Science Podcast. Every vote counts! https://awards.discoverpods.com/finalists/
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:
Additional resources from Steven Strogatz:
Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/how-calculus-is-different-w-steven-strogatz-distraction-can-alter-your-memory-and-why-the-hindenburg-used-hydrogen
CODY: Hi! We’re here from curiosity-dot-com to help you get smarter in just a few minutes. I’m Cody Gough.
ASHLEY: And I’m Ashley Hamer. Today, you’ll learn about how distraction can alter your memory; and, the science behind the Hindenburg disaster of 1937. You’ll also learn about what calculus can do that algebra can’t, from popular mathematics writer Steven Strogatz.
CODY: Let’s satisfy some curiosity.
A New Study Shows How Distraction Can Alter Your Memory — https://curiosity.im/34pOUtH (Cody)
Picture this: your phone dings, and you’ve got a text message or an email. You glance at it, then get back to whatever you were doing. Seems like that distraction just took a second, right? Well new research suggests the consequences of little distractions like these could be monumental. As in, they may even be altering your perception and memories of reality. Do I have your attention yet? Here’s the scoop. Our brains are not wired for multitasking. Even if it just takes 10 minutes to reply to your boss's email while you're working on a big report, the lapse in concentration could set you back up to 25 minutes. But on top of hurting your performance and slowing you down, scientists at The Ohio State University now say distractions can impact your memory in ways you don’t even realize. A team of researchers had 26 participants look at a computer screen with four blank squares on it. Then, in less than the blink of an eye, all four squares were colored in — but only one had a white outline. And then, the participants had to click on the point on a color wheel that showed the color of the square that was outlined in white. They were surprisingly good at this, despite how fast it happened. But that wasn’t the only challenge. To make things harder, the researchers tried to distract participants by surrounding one of the un-outlined squares with four dots. Most of the time the participants were able to effectively ignore the distracting dots. But 20 to 30 percent of the time, they'd report the color of the distractor square instead of the "correct" target square, which is a mistake the researchers called a “swapping error." And the participants who made swapping errors were just as confident when they reported the wrong color as they were when they picked the right color. Even stranger was the second most common type of error, which researchers called "repulsion errors." In these errors, participants would almost get the color right, but they'd shift it away from the color that distracted them. So like, if the "correct" color was green and the distraction color orange, participants would click on the blue-green area of the color wheel — close to the original color, but farther away from the distraction color. It was like they were unconsciously overcompensating for the distraction. The study's lead author said the results raise questions about memory. It’s possible they could help to explain lots of memory glitches, from everyday problems like “did I remember to lock the door?” to more critical ones like eyewitness testimony. And the takeaway is this: try to slow down and stay focused on one task at a time. Even more important, remind yourself that your memory isn't perfect. You might think you remember everything clear as day, but it's a good idea to double-check just in case.
What If The Hindenburg Had Used Helium Instead of Hydrogen? — https://curiosity.im/36ucJCp (Ashley)
Speaking of memory, today we have a story about the science behind a historical event that was a turning point for transportation. I’m talking about the Hindenburg disaster, the tragic event that happened on May 6, 1937. The Hindenburg disaster killed 36 people and brought the once-bright era of lighter-than-air transport to a screeching halt. But at the turn of the 20th century, it seemed like the future of transportation was in airships: lighter-than-air crafts that gain their lift from large gasbags and can navigate under their own power. Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin flew the world's first airship in 1900 and built several more in the years to follow. And not all of the zeppelins were disasters; after being unveiled in 1928, LZ-127 or the "Graf Zeppelin" flew over a million miles, becoming the most successful zeppelin ever built. But other airships weren't so lucky, because of one element: hydrogen. Hydrogen is the lightest element on the periodic table, which makes it a fantastic lifting gas. But when mixed with an oxidizer — such as, you know, the oxygen in our air — the slightest spark can make it explode. That danger led German aeronautical engineer and Hindenburg creator Hugo Eckener to design his ship with helium as the lifting gas. Helium is rare, expensive, and weighs twice as much as hydrogen, but it doesn't explode because helium is a noble gas, which means it's not flammable. So then, what happened to the Hindenburg? Well, unfortunately, in the 1930s, the United States had a monopoly on the world's supply of helium. The government was afraid that other countries might use helium for military purposes, so they banned its export, and that’s why Eckener retooled his 800-foot-long zeppelin to use hydrogen instead. As a result, on that fateful May day in 1936, the Hindenburg burst into flames upon landing in Lakehurst, New Jersey, at the end of its first trans-Atlantic crossing. Thirty-six of the 97 people aboard were killed, with the fire officially being blamed on a discharge of atmospheric electricity near a hydrogen gas leak from the airship. The disaster marked the end of the airship era. But what if it had never happened? If Eckener was able to use helium as he planned, would the skies of today be punctuated by dozens of grand airships? There's no way to know how the transportation industry would have been different, but one thing is likely: 36 lives would have been spared.
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Steven Strogatz 2 - How calculus is different in what it does re: math [2:15] 11/11 (Cody)
Calculus can help us cope with the world in ways that algebra just can’t. And on today’s Monday Math refresher, we’re gonna drill into how that works — although don’t worry, I promise you won’t have to write down any numbers. Last week on our podcast, we learned why without calculus, we wouldn’t have GPS, ultrasounds, or live-saving HIV therapy. And right now, popular mathematics writer and Cornell University Professor Steven Strogatz is back with more on just what makes calculus so special. Here’s our conversation.
[CLIP 2:15]
For things that move, you need calculus? Sounds KINDA important. You can learn more about why calculus is cool in Steven Strogatz’s newest book, “Infinite Powers: How Calculus Reveals the Secrets of the Universe.” And the title of that book begs a question I’ll ask him next week: can calculus solve quantum mechanics? Stay tuned for next Monday’s Math refresher to find out.
ASHLEY: So why were we so excited about today’s episode?
-One more reason to try to not have distractions
-Interesting to think about an airship with helium instead of hydrogen
-And that for REAL MOTION, you’ve gotta use calculus. Algebra just isn’t up to snuff.
[ad lib optional]
CODY: Today’s stories were written by Ashley Hamer and Steffie Drucker, and edited by Ashley Hamer, who’s the managing editor for Curiosity.com.
ASHLEY: This podcast was scripted, produced, and edited by Cody Gough.
CODY: Join us again tomorrow to learn something new in just a few minutes.
ASHLEY: And until then, stay curious!