Family Fridays

Friday, October 16 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm (in person) How many shapes can hide inside a five-pointed star? Join MoMath and mathematician Emil Simeonov for a hands-on presentation filled with surprising discoveries. Search for hidden polygons, investigate the star’s symmetries, and measure a mysterious number that keeps appearing. Then explore Pentram, Simeonov’s eight-piece geometric puzzle, to build larger and larger shapes, including the famous kite and dart used in Penrose tilings. See how one simple star can lead to an astonishing range of mathematical ideas. Family Fridays is designed to bring family members of all ages together to enjoy a diverse array of engaging mathematical activities, promoting interest and enthusiasm among kids and adults alike. Thanks to the generous support of Two Sigma, this program is free to attendees. “I was very impressed at how such a program could be presented that truly worked for all ages! I, at 68, was as fascinated as the kids. It was fun watching them grabbing what they could and happily keeping up with the activities.” “Super excellent for all ages — one of best programs ever (not just Family Fridays — all programs everywhere!)” “Wow! It’s the first time we are attending Family Friday series. We are so impressed! You guys are amazing! Thank you!” In the form of a final exam, Nell brings us a touching poem conveying the beauty of mathematics and personal friendship through metaphors of lines: parallel lines, perpendiculars and transversals, and tangent lines “unraveling strings of memories.” The vivid imagery of Nell’s poem brings the humanity of mathematics of life. Click here to read Nell’s poem. In high Hogwarts style, Josie, Elisa, and Monika explain the mathematics behind the magic of sonic pressure waves, complete with special effects, spells, and accents. They do a great job of bringing this highly technical material to life in an engaging way. Click here to watch Josie, Elisa, and Monika’s video. With Andres and Alfonso’s “Harmony Code Play” online app, users can explore the mathematical ratios in chords and scales. The judges were impressed by the clarity of the webpage’s design, its attractive interactivity, its references to math in musical pieces — and above all, how fun it is to play with and listen to. This app makes us want to play chords. Click here to view Andres and Alfonso’s app. The multifaceted website “After the 37,” produced by Tomoki, Sho, and Kosei, engages its users from its title on, exploring a surprising strategy for choosing the best option out of a pool of possibilities. The judges appreciated the site’s clean and captivating interface that brings the user into an interactive activity of even picking an apartment in NYC! Click here to read Tomoki, Sho, and Kosei’s essay. The judges were captivated by simplicity and elegance of Sofia’s poetic imagining of a sine curve, that “refuses to choose between joy and sorrow, or between positive or negative,” the text of the poem following the curve itself. Click here to read Sofia’s poem. Aria’s impressive, colorful 3D-animation of a ping-pong table stands out among the many Desmos demonstrations we have seen, using equations of curves, surfaces, and motion to create a colorful animation of a ping-pong table. The judges called it “impressive” and “clear,” noting that the orange parabolas used as decoration are helpful for communication. Click here to view Aria’s project. Camila’s “A Parabola’s Dating Profile” is witty and entertaining, slipping many important facts about parabolas into every corner of the piece. The judges praised the piece for being a clever idea and flawlessly executed, noting that all the little jokes are mathematically accurate and relevant. “Overall,” one said, “it’s engaging and delightful.” Click here to read Camila’s piece. In her poem “The Shape of an Answer,” Ceyda describes her frustration with mathematics class, where “symbols covered the board like quiet code.” Soon, though, vivid metaphors provide her a key: The sides of an equation are like two sides of a story and functions are promises; graphs are records of truth and change. One judge remarked that these beautiful tiny metaphorical expressions really do give insight to the concepts. Another wrote that Ceyda “perfectly captures the emotional journey from frustration to triumph in learning mathematics, wrapped in clever and apt metaphors,” continuing that the poem is a masterful use of words and imagery. Click here to read Ceyda’s poem. “What stays? What goes?” Jason’s rap song on telescoping series has an irresistible hook that encapsulates the key idea succinctly. His lively explanation of how to collapse the terms of a telescoping series is clear and clever. One judge said it was “Delightful! Very engaging, well-explained, and creative,” and another commented on the excellent pacing of this short video. Click here to watch Jason’s video. Have you ever tried to fit a sofa through a corner i