2017.11 November-December

Dear MoMath friends,

MoMath is turning five!  Don’t miss the exciting party celebrating the nation’s only museum of math: help construct a giant kinetic sculpture, enjoy music, drinks, and desserts, explore engaging math exhibits, plus dance the night away on the dynamic, interactive Math Square.  As a special thank you, free or discounted tickets* are available for all members — join today!  Fall festivities also include cutting cake (fairly), creating holiday boxes, and folding fractals.  Plus, don’t miss your opportunity to explore hyperbolic space using the cutting edge VR technology seen in the New York Times!

MoMath at a Glance  
Wed, November 1 Math Encounters: “Fair Division: How to Cut Cakes (and other things) Fairly” with Francis Su
Thurs, November 9 Roundtable, the MoMath Math Teachers’ Circle: Let’s Play Spirals!
Fri, November 10 Family Fridays at MoMath presented by Two Sigma: “Which One Doesn’t Belong?” with Christopher Danielson
Sat, November 11 Autumn-gami: create autumn-themed boxes for Thanksgiving!
Sat, November 11 Unlimited, MoMath’s mix-n-mingle program for 6th through 9th graders
Wed, November 29 Tween Primes, the MoMath book club for tweens and teens: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Wed, November 29 Volumes, the MoMath book club: Weapons of Math Destruction with special guest, author Cathy O’Neil!
Thurs, November 30 Roundtable, the MoMath Math Teachers’ Circle: Adventures in Long Division
Fri, December 1 Family Fridays at MoMath presented by Two Sigma: “Folding Fractals” with Josh Zucker
Sat, December 2 2017 Dimensions puzzle hunt at MoMath
Sat, December 2 Math After Dark: Happy 5th Birthday, MoMath!
Sun, December 3 Unlimited, MoMath’s mix-n-mingle program for 6th through 9th graders
Wed, December 6 Math Encounters: “Winding Worlds: An Exploration of Curves on Surfaces” with Moira Chas
Sun, December 17 Stunning new VR experience: Don’t miss your chance to explore hyperbolic space — one day only!
Tue, December 19 Beyond the Flat World: An exploration of non-Euclidean virtual reality
Weekends MoMath’s Derivatives tour program and Explorations sessions, available upon request
Now Open! Hoop Curves: See how the Harlem Globetrotters took their best shots with MoMath’s newest exhibit!

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Bring MoMath to your school with MoMath’s new Extensions program!
Now you can bring the excitement of MoMath to your school with a one-hour assembly program appropriate for elementary school students.  This three-part, hour-long show will engage your students by showcasing math in unusual places, including balloon geometry, musical instruments, and games of strategy.  For more information and to register, visit extensions.momath.org.

Open Set — MoMath’s Song Contest
Make math your muse!  MoMath is now accepting submissions for its annual mathematical song competition, Open Set.  Write your own words to a favorite tune or compose your own melody; the only rules are that the lyrics must be original and must be about math or a mathematical concept.  The winners will be announced and will have a chance to perform their winning songs at an open mic night at MoMath in April 2018.  Submissions will be accepted through January 15, 2018.  Submit your song at openset.momath.org.

Now open: MoMath’s newest exhibit, Hoop Curves
Check out the exhibit that brought the Harlem Globetrotters to MoMath!  Recreating a regulation-size free throw space within the Museum, Hoop Curves invites you to take your best shot and then to do so again, this time with the aid of a robotic ball-shooter.  Using cutting edge technology to record the components of every ball launch, this exhibit combines America’s love of sports with data visualization techniques that will help you improve your throw.  So come on down and take your best shot…with math!  Learn more at hoopcurves.momath.org.

Weekend programs for families
Take a tour with MoMath’s Derivatives tour program (derivatives.momath.org), or join one of MoMath’s specially-trained educators in Explorations, a hands-on classroom experience to discover the wonder of mathematics (explorations.momath.org).  Don’t miss your chance to see math in a whole new light, only at MoMath.


Math Encounters: “Fair Division: How to Cut Cakes (and other things) Fairly” with Francis Su
Wednesday, November 1, 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm
The classic question “How can we cut a cake fairly?” has been around since antiquity, but what happens when mathematicians and economists focus on the situation?  Is there always a way to divide things fairly?  Join Harvey Mudd Professor of Mathematics Francis Su as he shares envy-free (and tasty!) solutions to this very human problem.  Learn more and register at mathencounters.org.
 
Roundtable, the MoMath Math Teachers’ Circle
Thursday, November 9, 5:00 pm
Join the MoMath Roundtable!  If you’re a K-6 educator who wants to enjoy or improve your relationship with math, don’t miss the next installation of the Math Teachers’ Circle at MoMath.  Join us for an evening of creative math play and camaraderie.

Let’s Play Spirals!  Spirals are delightful and playful, but we hardly ever get a chance to study them.  Let’s make some spirals in a variety of media, ask questions about them, investigate their properties, and be inspired by spinning, twisting, curvy, beautiful math!  Join award-winning author and educator Christopher Danielson (Which One Doesn’t Belong) as he hosts this month’s exciting installation of the MoMath Roundtable.  Learn more and register at roundtable.momath.org.

Family Fridays at MoMath presented by Two Sigma: “Which One Doesn’t Belong?” with Christopher Danielson
Friday, November 10, 6:30 pm
If you’ve ever wondered whether hearts are shapes, or why polygons need to have straight sides, you’re in for an evening of great thinking and fun with author Christopher Danielson.  He’ll bring the provocations and materials you’ll need to explore the length of spirals, the measures of angles, and the nature of vertices.  You’ll find yourself asking new mathematical questions in response to his award-winning Which One Doesn’t Belong?  A Shapes Book.  Fun and challenges await for all ages and geometry backgrounds.  Learn more and register at familyfridays.momath.org.
 
Autumn-gami: create autumn-themed boxes for Thanksgiving!
Saturday, November 11, 10:30 am
Join us on Saturday, November 11, when origami mathematician Dave Masunaga returns to demonstrate the folding of autumn-themed boxes just in time for Thanksgiving.  Dave will be available at MoMath throughout the day (10:30 am to 4:30 pm) to help everyone build mathematical modular origami structure creations.
 
Unlimited, MoMath’s mix-n-mingle program for 6th through 9th graders
Saturday, November 11, 6:30 pm
If you’re excited by the idea of a math-filled, parent-free night where you can hang out with old and new friends, enjoy cookies and hot chocolate, and move to some great tunes, then don’t miss this exciting program just for 6th through 9th graders.  The best part?  No parents allowed!  Learn more and register at unlimited.momath.org.
 
Tween Primes, the MoMath book club for tweens and teens: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Wednesday, November 29, 4:30 pm
Seconds before the Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy who, for the last fifteen years, has been posing as an out-of-work actor.  Together this dynamic pair begin a journey through space aided by quotes from The Hitchhiker’s Guide, which claims, among other things, that 42 is the ultimate answer to life, the universe, and everything.  Is there math in this whimsical odyssey, or is it math fiction?  Discuss this and more at the next Tween Primes, the MoMath book club for tweens and teens.  Learn more and register at tweenprimes.momath.org.
 
Volumes, the MoMath book club: Weapons of Math Destruction by Cathy O’Neil
Wednesday, November 29, 6:30 pm
Special guest: author Cathy O’Neil! In an age where many of the decisions that affect our lives — where we go to school, whether we get a car loan, how much we pay for health insurance — are being made not by humans, but by mathematical models, author and former Wall Street quant Cathy O’Neil sounds an alarm.  The models being used today are opaque, unregulated, and uncontestable, even when they’re wrong.  Welcome to the dark side of Big Data.  Join the discussion about the mathematical models that pervade modern life — and threaten to rip apart our social fabric.  Learn more and register at volumes.momath.org.
 
Roundtable, the MoMath Math Teachers’ Circle
Thursday, November 30, 4:30 pm
Join the MoMath Roundtable!  If you’re a K-6 educator who wants to enjoy or improve your relationship with math, don’t miss the next installation of the Math Teachers’ Circle at MoMath.  Join us for an evening of creative math play and camaraderie.

Adventures in Long Division: Join the founding director of the Julia Robinson Math Festival, Josh Zucker, as he takes you on an unusual exploration of long division.  Starting with the usual process of converting fractions to decimals, we will dig deeply enough to uncover some neat ideas in number theory.  Learn more and register at roundtable.momath.org.

Family Fridays at MoMath presented by Two Sigma: Folding Fractals” with Josh Zucker
Friday, December 1, 6:30 pm
Who knew folding a piece of paper in half could be so interesting?  Join Josh Zucker, founding director of the Julia Robinson Math Festival, as he uncovers several surprising patterns to be found in a folded strip of paper; you’ll even create a Dragon Curve!  Learn more and register at familyfridays.momath.org.

2017 Dimensions puzzle hunt at MoMath
Saturday, December 2, 5:00 pm

Includes complimentary admission to MoMath’s 5th Birthday Party, until 10:30 pm
Journey to MoMath for a puzzle hunt that will be out of this world!  Sharpen your wits, collect your friends, and join us on December 2nd for an evening of challenges at the sixth annual puzzle hunt at MoMath, Dimensions 2017.  This year’s game, designed by Wil Zambole, features puzzles by Wil Zambole and James Williams.  Eligible players (ages 21 and older) will receive complimentary admission to MoMath’s 5th Birthday Party following the puzzle hunt.  Learn more and register at puzzlehunt.momath.org.

Math After Dark: Happy 5th Birthday, MoMath!
Saturday, December 2, 7:30 pm
It’s MoMath’s fifth birthday, and you’re invited!  Join us for desserts, drinks, music, and dancing, to celebrate five years of mathematical wonder, and see what nightlife at MoMath is all about.  Free or discounted tickets* are available for all members.  Advance registration is requested.  21+ only.  Learn more and register at 5years.momath.org.
 
Unlimited, MoMath’s mix-n-mingle program for 6th through 9th graders
Sunday, December 3, 6:30 pm
If you’re excited by the idea of a math-filled, parent-free night where you can hang out with old and new friends, enjoy cookies and hot chocolate, and move to some great tunes, then don’t miss this exciting program just for 6th through 9th graders.  The best part?  No parents allowed!  Learn more and register at unlimited.momath.org.
 
Math Encounters“Winding Worlds: An Exploration of Curves on Surfaces” with Moira Chas
Wednesday, December 6, 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm
Is it possible to divide a king’s land among four heirs so that each heir’s land shares a boundary with every other heir’s land?  What about five heirs?  On a land with two lakes, it’s impossible to construct a circular path that winds the lakes multiple times without crossing itself…but it is possible with three or more lakes.  Join mathematician Moira Chas as we explore the world of curves, crossings, surfaces, and more!  Learn more and register at mathencounters.org.
 
Explore hyperbolic space: don’t miss MoMath’s VR experience — one day only!
Sunday, December 17, 2:00 pm
Don’t miss your chance to wander through hyperbolic space using the latest in VR technology: the HTC Vive, that tracks both your orientation and position as you explore!  Visit MoMath on Sunday, November 17, from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm, and join Elisabetta Matsumoto and Henry Segerman, featured in the NY Times, on this exciting journey.  Free with Museum admission.
 
Beyond the Flat World: an exploration of non-Euclidean virtual reality
Tuesday, December 19, 6:00 pm
The properties of Euclidean (flat) space seem so natural and obvious to us that it took over two thousand years to see an alternative.  The eventual discovery of hyperbolic geometry in the 19th century shook our assumptions, revealing just how strongly our native experience of the world blinded us from consistent alternatives.  Join Henry Segerman and Elisabetta Matsumoto as they take us on a direct, immersive journey to explore these exotic spaces using the latest wave of virtual reality hardware, as seen in this recent NY Times video.  Stick around after the talk for your chance to wander through
hyperbolic space using the latest in VR technology: the HTC Vive, that tracks both your orientation and position as you explore.  Learn more and register at vr.momath.org.
 
*Details at 5years.momath.org.

Events, birthday parties, and more
Looking to host a one-of-a-kind event where your guests can interact with over 40 engaging exhibits?  Enter a world of mathematical intrigue, but don’t worry: amidst all the activity, there is plenty of space for gala-worthy dinners, over-the-top birthday bashes, laser-cutting parties, and bar/bat mitzvahs.  Who knew math could be this much fun?  Email events@momath.org for more information.

School and group visits
MoMath has over a dozen great programs for school groups visiting the Museum.  From graph coloring to Möbius bands, bring your students to MoMath for a view into the exciting world of mathematics, and see why kids of all ages love visiting the Museum.  Register at fieldtrips.momath.org.

Free trips for Title I schools
Thanks to the support of companies including OppenheimerFunds, Con Edison, and Two Sigma, as well as some generous MoMath friends, support for Title I schools is now available.  To apply for a free trip in the 2017-2018 school year, visit titleone.momath.orgInterested in sponsoring a field trip?  Email donation@momath.org.


Beautiful Math
See what mathematicians think is beautiful about mathematics at beautiful.momath.org.  Now featuring Stephen Wolfram!

Have you tried out for Varsity Math yet?
Get your weekly puzzle fix from MoMath in the Wall Street Journal every Saturday, or check out varsity.momath.org and blogs.wsj.com/puzzle.

Spread the MoMath word
Like MoMath?  Let the world know!  Share your comments at:

Join the MoMath community
Become a member today and help ensure that MoMath continues to deliver exciting and engaging math programs for all ages.  Visit momath.org/join to become a member and receive unlimited access to MoMath’s innovative exhibits, plus discounts in Additions, the shop at MoMath.  Become a premium member and receive early notices and invitations to exclusive MoMath events.  Join now and take advantage of MoMath’s low rates.  To learn more about long-term memberships, call (212) 542-0566.

We need you!
Interested in volunteering on the Museum floor?  If you love math, would like to help others enjoy MoMath’s interactive suite of exhibits, and are willing to devote two 4-hour shifts each month, please send an email to jobs@momath.org with the subject line “MoMath integrator.”  Please include a cover letter, current résumé, and a newly-written essay that, in approximately 150 to 300 words, describes an experience that shaped your love of mathematics.

We hope to see you at MoMath!

Regards,
National Museum of Mathematics

Support MoMath at momath.org/contribute
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