Learn from popular mathematics writer and Cornell University Professor Steven Strogatz why calculus matters and what exactly calculus is. Plus, learn a surprising reason why you shouldn’t lie to your kids. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following story from Curiosity.com about why kids who are told lies by their parents are more likely to lie when they grow up: https://curiosity.im/2NeyYUk 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 Download the FREE 5-star Curiosity app for Android and iOS at https://curiosity.im/podcast-app. And Amazon smart speaker users: you can listen to our podcast as part of your Amazon Alexa Flash Briefing — just click “enable” here: https://curiosity.im/podcast-flash-briefing.
Learn from popular mathematics writer and Cornell University Professor Steven Strogatz why calculus matters and what exactly calculus is. Plus, learn a surprising reason why you shouldn’t lie to your kids.
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following story from Curiosity.com about why kids who are told lies by their parents are more likely to lie when they grow up: https://curiosity.im/2NeyYUk
Additional resources from Steven Strogatz:
Download the FREE 5-star Curiosity app for Android and iOS at https://curiosity.im/podcast-app. And Amazon smart speaker users: you can listen to our podcast as part of your Amazon Alexa Flash Briefing — just click “enable” here: https://curiosity.im/podcast-flash-briefing.
Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/why-you-should-care-about-calculus-w-steven-strogatz-and-why-lying-to-kids-is-harmful
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 why you shouldn’t lie to your kids. Then, you’ll learn about why calculus matters and what exactly calculus IS, from popular mathematics writer and Cornell University Professor Steven Strogatz.
CODY: Let’s calculate some curiosity.
Kids Told Lies by Their Parents Are More Likely to Lie as Adults — https://curiosity.im/2NeyYUk (Ashley)
If you think telling kids a few white lies just to make things easier or keep them in line can’t hurt, then think again. New research published in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology suggests that kids told lies by their parents are not only more likely to lie as adults but might also have a harder time dealing with psychological and social difficulties.
These were the findings by the research team, led by Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, which surveyed 377 young adults on how often their parents lied to them as kids and how often they now lie to their parents. The study also assessed how well they had adjusted to challenges in adulthood. Those who reported being lied to more often as children were not only more likely to report lying to their parents as adults, but were also more likely to both internalize their problems (through anxiety and social isolation) and externalize them (by being disruptive and causing trouble).
Trust is an essential element in building relationships, and the relationship and trust built between a parent and a child is often the first relationship developed in a person's lifetime, so it carries extra weight. The researchers suggest that children whose parents erode their trust by lying to them have difficulty forming close, unguarded relationships with others and are often also more likely to develop problematic behaviors like aggression and rule-breaking. Taken to the extreme, the researchers suggest that pathological lying that begins in childhood may be a marker for psychopathy later in life.
As with any study, particularly those involving questionnaires, there were several limitations. The surveys relied on the young adults' recollection of being lied to. The surveys also did not distinguish between different types of lies as they relate to the parents' motivations. Some lies, especially those meant to assert the parent's authority, are more harmful than others.
Setoh Peipei, the study's lead author suggests a better way which involves acknowledging children's feelings, giving them information so they know what to expect, and problem-solving together, especially by offering them choices in how to deal with a situation.
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CODY: Today’s episode is sponsored by Purple Mattress.
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Steven Strogatz #1 - Why calculus matters and what exactly it is [4:43] (Cody)
CODY: I have a confession to make: I’ve never taken a calculus class. And I know I’m not alone; according to a 2018 article in Education Week, today about 800,000 high school students nationwide take calculus, or 15 percent of all high schoolers. I’ve never been particularly good at math, but I’ve always been curious about what I was missing out on, because calculus always felt somehow “different” to me. And that’s why we got in touch with popular mathematics writer and Cornell University Professor Steven Strogatz. Earlier this year he published his newest book “Infinite Powers: How Calculus Reveals the Secrets of the Universe.” And today he joins us to explain why calculus is important and why it matters — and what it even is.
[CLIP 4:45]
Pretty cool, right? Well we’re not done with Steven Strogatz yet. You’ll be hearing from him over the next few weeks while we do a little Monday Math refresher — and don’t worry, we’ll do it without making you crunch any numbers. Or, you can do an even deeper dive into the wonderful world of calculus in Steven’s book, “Infinite Powers: How Calculus Reveals the Secrets of the Universe.” You can find a link to the book and lots more from Steven in today’s show notes.
ASHLEY: Okay, so why was today’s episode awesome?
Q: Why do they never serve beer at a math party? A: Because you can't drink and derive...
[ad lib optional]
CODY: Today’s first story was written by Steffie Drucker, and edited by Ashley Hamer, managing editor for Curiosity-dot-com.
ASHLEY: Today’s episode 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!