Beyond Euclid - #119
Welcome to Beyond Euclid #119, the newsletter for the best mathematics and science stuff of the week. I am Ali, and I curate cool math and science stuff every week to help you have a better week.
📰 Happy Friday, everyone! The 119th issue of Beyond Euclid, your weekly deep dive into the fascinating and ever-evolving world of mathematics, is ready. It's been another quite speedy week. This week's issue is a bit longer, but I believe it's much, much better than many previous ones. So grab a cup of your tea, find a comfortable spot, and join us on this numerically nourishing journey. By the way, if I can make you happy and keep you curious, that means I am successful. That's why your feedback is, as always, eagerly awaited!
Anyway, if you appreciate the work I do, please consider being a paid subscriber. I truly value your support. While reading this issue, you can listen to Una Noche Mas from Yasmin Levy.
• The Long Story of the Oldest Math Book: Euclid’s Elements. I don't know exactly why, but I have a deep respect for Euclid's Elements. It could be because it teaches people how to think, I don't know. And I finally managed to translate all I know about Euclid's Elements into a long blog post. I think it's a very nice weekend read for you. I hope you like it.
• The decimal point originated around 150 years earlier than previously thought, invented by Italian mathematician and astronomer Giovanni Bianchini in the 1440s. Bianchini, who had a background in economics not typical for astronomers, used a decimal system in his astronomical tables from the 1440s, including a decimal point. This predates the earliest known use by 150 years. Using decimals made calculations easier for astronomers, who previously had to use a difficult base-60 sexagesimal system from the Babylonians. Bianchini's system caught on over a century later.
• This polygon labs probably is the best geomety gif ever.
• This division is trivial, but still, the result is beautiful.
• Whangamata square waves by Jack Burden. Here is a nice wallpaper for your phone. Photographer Jack Burden captured a unique aerial drone shot of criss-crossed ocean waves at Whangamatā Beach in 2019. The photo showed perpendicular square wave patterns that puzzled thousands online who commented it was a natural phenomenon or photoshopped. A meteorologist explained that square waves can form when waves meet at 90-degree angles, which happens at Whangamatā due to the island's positioning.
• The graph of x•sin(1/x) made me look. 👀
• Islamic Geometric Patterns by Eric Broug is a beautiful introduction to Islamic geometry. It teaches you how to design fascinating geometric patterns step by step, just using pencil, rule, and compasses.
• On May 1, 1935, Albert Einstein wrote an article in New York Times on the death of his friend and colleague Emmy Noether. He mainly mentioned the struggles that Emmy Noether encountered. At some point, Einstein gave a beautiful definition of mathematics.
• Apple has officially warned users against putting wet iPhones in rice, stating that it could cause further damage to the device. This popular remedy has been used for years, with the belief that the rice absorbs excess water from the phone. However, Apple and other repair experts have found that this method works slower than simply letting the phone dry on its own.
Years ago, I dropped my phone into the water. Then I took the battery out of the phone, wiped it first with a dry cloth, dried it thoroughly with a blow dryer, and tried to turn it on. The phone turned on but had lost some of its functions. It turned itself off shortly afterward. Then, I decided to try this rice method. While looking at new phone models online, my phone fell asleep in the rice. Maybe I had sent it off to eternity. In desperation, I took the phone out of the rice in the morning. It was as if the phone had been brought from the Apple store. It worked flawlessly.
• Researchers found that reforestation of the eastern US has significantly countered rising temperatures by up to 2°C annually due to climate change. Vast areas of the eastern US, larger than England, have been reforested in the past century, reversing earlier widespread deforestation. The transpiration of water through tree leaves cools surrounding areas through evaporative cooling, with the most effect within 400m of trees. Reforestation has contributed to the "warming hole" effect, where temperatures have remained steady or declined in parts of the southeast US. While not the sole cause, reforestation has had a major cooling impact, especially in reducing peak temperatures by 2-5°C on hot summer days.
• A study in Spain found that children with more green space near their home and school had lower anxiety levels over a 9-year period. Researchers used satellite imagery to measure green space surrounding 622 children's homes and schools from ages 3 to 11. Children exposed to more greenspace consistently exhibited fewer anxiety symptoms, according to various assessments. The correlation persisted across socioeconomic groups but was more pronounced for children from lower-income families. While not proving causation, the findings suggest promoting green space near neighborhoods and schools could benefit urban children's mental health.
• The study followed over 2,800 girls until age 20 and is the first to link actual medical and birth data to simulator dolls. The infant dolls used in these programs are designed to look and behave like real babies, requiring constant care and attention. While some may argue that these programs engage teenagers and teach them about the consequences of becoming pregnant, they may reinforce desires for their baby or be seen as an easier alternative to caring for a simulated infant.
• Isaac Asimov predicts that computers will be at the center of everything and will be in every household for entertainment and convenience in 1982. He sees humanity as still in the early stages of exploring space and foresees space stations, solar power stations, factories, and settlements housing thousands in space. Asimov acknowledges that robots will replace many human jobs, though not by killing people, but rather by eliminating the need for certain jobs.
• Writing by hand is better for memory and learning. Early handwriting and drawing activities in preschool stimulate brain development, which is important for later learning. For kids, handwriting engages different brain areas than reading or observing alone. It may help distinguish mirrored letters, and learning lasts longer.
• There have been more than 2,000 nuclear explosions in all of history. Ehsan Rezaie of Orbital Mechanics made a video that offers a simple-looking but deceptively information-rich presentation of every nuclear explosion that has so far occurred. The size of each circle that erupts on the world map indicates the relative power of the explosion in its location.
• Researchers have discovered vast, previously unseen seagrass meadows in the Bahamas by attaching cameras and sensors to tiger sharks. The sharks' movements revealed the secret habitat. This discovery could help protect important marine ecosystems and capture more carbon than rainforests. New lightweight sensor tags allow tracking of even small animals globally via satellites. This could provide insights into migrations and climate impacts and help conserve species. The International Cooperation for Animal Research Using Space project aims to monitor 100,000 animals simultaneously via the ISS to gain a comprehensive view of animal movements and environmental changes.
• Researchers at Penn State University have found that the commonly overlooked water plant, Carolina Azolla, has the potential to provide a nutritional food source for humans in a disaster scenario. This fast-growing aquatic fern can double its biomass in just two days and can capture nitrogen from the air, making it a valuable green fertilizer. Native to the eastern U.S., Carolina Azolla requires minimal inputs and processing and could be used as a short-season crop to increase the food supply.
Cooking methods such as boiling, pressure cooking, and natural fermentation can further reduce polyphenol content, making Carolina Azolla a viable food source for humans and livestock.
The researchers suggest cultivating Carolina Azolla could provide a quick solution in catastrophe scenarios or serve as part of a long-term resilience plan for regions vulnerable to disasters.
• Here is a unique timepiece unlike any other—a poetic clock. Every minute, it breathes life into a fresh poem, each composed by the articulate and creative AI. The clock's face, an adorable e-paper screen, provides a modern canvas for digital wordsmithery, bringing a charming twist to the passage of time.
• The Center for Climate Integrity report found that plastic producers have known for over 30 years that recycling is not viable but promoted to ensure continual plastic consumption. Plastics are difficult to recycle due to chemical variety incompatibility and material degradation with each reuse. Internal documents show that the industry knew issues but obscured the truth in marketing, which focused on "disposability" and recycling. Symbols like chasing arrows and ads misled the public while privately calling recycling "uneconomical" and "not a permanent solution."
• Beautiful News showcases good news, positive trends, uplifting statistics, and facts. The website focuses on slow developments and quiet trends that often go unseen and uncelebrated.