For Those Wanting Math Instead of MaraLago on the Weekend

Short Potpourri this week, as I’ve been too busy watching NRA officers and our knuckledragging Groper-and-Chief pretend, against all evidence to the contrary, that they have human feelings…

1)  Brief NY Times book blurbs on statistical inference:

http://tinyurl.com/y9jh42oc

2)  I was a bit surprised by how many and varied comments this Cliff Pickover algebraic tweet generated:

https://twitter.com/pickover/status/964190828309688320

3)  If you have dual interests in music and math you’ll want to read Evelyn Lamb’s review of a recent book on such:

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/roots-of-unity/review-from-music-to-mathematics/

4) “Seven Questions With Francis Edward Su”… a short interview with Dr. Su, with wonderful questions!:

http://www.cambridgemaths.org/news/view/seven-questions-with-francis-edward-su/

5)  Patrick Honner is the latest guest on My Favorite Theorem:

https://kpknudson.com/my-favorite-theorem/2018/2/17/episode-13-patrick-honner

6)  Brian Hayes wrote briefly of some older books HERE, and I blurbed about a recent volume yesterday.

side-note: I don't visit Terry Tao's blog often (not having the math chops for it), so not sure how long ago this happened, but when I stopped by this week his blog banner had changed to a quote from the Statue of Liberty:

“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

…Potpourri BONUS! (extra NON-mathematical links of interest): 

1)  Interesting Slate Money Podcast last weekend on cryptocurrencies:

http://www.slate.com/articles/podcasts/slate_money/2018/02/slate_money_on_cryptocurrencies_fertility_in_the_u_s_and_nigerian_corruption.html

2)  Last week TED Radio Hour ran (or re-ran) the story of Daniel Kish, who, blind from early on, developed his own click/echolocation technique for navigating the world (and now teaches the method to other blind people). I’ve linked to his story before, and still consider it one of the most phenomenal, almost incomprehensible, stories of human behavior/ability I’ve ever heard:

https://www.npr.org/2015/11/20/455906507/how-can-you-see-without-seeing