Month:

How does the artist represent infinity?

  • September 9

This video is part 3 of 3 videos visiting the artwork, This Land is Your Land in NorthPark Center. What is infinity? How did the artists create infinity for the viewer? Join Dr. Glen Whitney, Founder of the National Museum of Mathematics, as you discover how the artist created the sense of infinity in the piece, This Land Is Your Land, in NorthPark Center. Can you see other examples of infinity around you? This video was supported by NorthPark Center. Supplementary Activity Guides for this video... CONTINUE READING

How can a mirror help you play with symmetry?- This Land Is Your Land

  • September 9

This video is part 2 of 3 videos visiting the artwork, This Land is Your Land in NorthPark Center. Mirrors can create fun optical illusions if positioned in specific ways. Join Dr. Glen Whitney, Founder of the National Museum of Mathematics, as you discover how to use a mirror to play with symmetry, and see how the artist used this in This Land Is Your Land. This video was supported by NorthPark Center. Supplementary Activity Guides for this video to extend student learning for K-12 grade levels... CONTINUE READING

How is the artwork different from a water tower? – This Land Is Your Land

  • September 9

This video is part 1 of 3 visiting the artwork, This Land is Your Land in NorthPark Center. Artist reference the real world all the time when creating artwork. Can your brain determine the differences between a sculpture and the real object? Join Dr. Glen Whitney, Founder of the National Museum of Mathematics, as you discover how to determine the differences between artwork and objects in the real world. You can try this at home with any artwork! What differences do you see? This video was suppo... CONTINUE READING

What’s the Scale?

  • September 9

The giant mosaic North Texas Sunrise depicts many native texan flowers, all far larger than life. Using a standard 8.5" x 11" sheet paper as a measuring device, we calculate how much larger the mosaic flowers are than the real thing, determining the scale of the artwork. This video was supported by the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs. Supplementary Activity Guides for this video to extend student learning for K-12 grade levels are freely available here:... CONTINUE READING

What’s the farthest distance between 2 points on the map?

  • September 9

Does it ever seem like you parked at a store that is farthest away from the store you want? Join Dr. Glen Whitney, Founder of the National Museum of Mathematics, as you discover how to determine what the farthest points are within NorthPark Center. This video was supported by NorthPark Center. Supplementary Activity Guides for this video to extend student learning for K-12 grade levels are freely available here:... CONTINUE READING

What’s the biggest store?

  • September 9

Join Dr. Glen Whitney, Founder of the National Museum of Mathematics, as you discover how to best estimate which store is largest, given a map. This video was supported by NorthPark Center. Supplementary Activity Guides for this video to extend student learning for K-12 grade levels are freely available here: https://talkstem.org/talkstem-activity-guides/... CONTINUE READING

How Do We Measure Slope?

  • September 9

Slope is a way of describing the way that a line or plane – like a sidewalk – changes over a distance. Using these principles, we describe the way the grounds around us were built. Join talkSTEM and UT Southwestern faculty and grad students as they explore the STEM concepts on their campus.... CONTINUE READING

How Many Cells Does It Take to Cross the Road?

  • September 9

DNA is the molecule used to store genetic information in living things. Despite the vast amount of information it stores, DNA is physically very small, curled and bunched up thousands of times – in fact, if DNA was fully stretched out, it would be incredibly long! We make calculations of just how long here. Join talkSTEM and UT Southwestern faculty and grad students as they explore the STEM concepts on their campus.... CONTINUE READING

How Tall is this Imaginary Person?

  • September 9

The sculpture Undulating X is constructed from metal in the shape of a giant chromosome, a discrete spool of DNA within a cell. But if a chromosome were actually this size, rather than microscopic, how big would the person who it belongs to be? Math can help us figure that out. Join talkSTEM and UT Southwestern faculty and grad students as they explore the STEM concepts on their campus.... CONTINUE READING

How Many Circles Make Up this Pattern?

  • September 9

There’s a pattern of overlapping circles in the ground pavement around the medical center – but is there any way to estimate how many circles there are? We investigate a few different methods of figuring it out! Join talkSTEM and UT Southwestern faculty and grad students as they explore the STEM concepts on their campus.... CONTINUE READING