This Week's Math-Mix

some maths from the week:

1)  The 2015 topic for the FQXi annual essay contest was "Trick or Truth: the Mysterious Connection Between Physics and Mathematics." Peruse the entries here:
http://fqxi.org/community/forum/category/31424?sort=community

2)  Another interview with Cedric Villani:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/07/cedric-villani-mathematic_n_7223966.html

3)  Just another lesson in Bayesian statistics, the NSA, and terrorists:
http://headinside.blogspot.com/2015/05/simple-math-not-so-simple.html

4)  Perhaps it's just me, but here's an example of the sort of socio-neuro-psycho-biologic study (producing a mathematical formula for "happiness") I don't much enjoy reading :
http://www.pnas.org/content/111/33/12252.full

5)  VERY interesting Numberphile interview with mathematically-inclined billionaire investor James Simons:
18 min. condensed version: https://youtu.be/gjVDqfUhXOY
full length, hour-version:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNznD9hMEh0&feature=youtu.be

6)  Computer scientist Bill Gasarch tries to use logic on the Republican presidential candidates, and it's not pretty:
http://blog.computationalcomplexity.org/2015/05/the-law-of-excluded-middle-of-road.html

7)  One blogger's response to the b-b-b-bogus notion that "teachers stop improving after three years":
http://tinyurl.com/qybl559

8)   Michael Harris on the recent Breakthrough (mathematics) Prize Laureates panel discussion:
https://mathematicswithoutapologies.wordpress.com/2015/05/13/univalent-foundations-no-comment/

9)  "5 Reasons to Teach Mathematical Modeling" from American Scientist:
http://www.americanscientist.org/blog/pub/5-reasons-to-teach-mathematical-modeling

10)  Peter Cameron offers an overview of "Mathematics, Poetry, and Beauty" by Ron Aharoni:
https://cameroncounts.wordpress.com/2015/05/11/mathematics-poetry-and-beauty/

11)  Interesting video on the 3-D Gömböc object having just one stability point (h/t Steven Strogatz):
https://vimeo.com/51887199

12)  Podcast interview with Jim Henle, author of the wonderful "The Proof and the Pudding":
http://slice.mit.edu/2015/05/12/alum-books-podcast-the-proof-and-the-pudding/

13)  Early in week I wondered here at MathTango how many mathematicians ever experience a sudden loss of passion for their subject? ...a question inspired by an earlier post at Mike's Math Page:  http://tinyurl.com/q355eyo

==> Also, be sure to return here Sunday morning when I'll have Interview #31 posted.


Potpourri BONUS! (extra non-mathematical links):

1)  just a nice tweet from the week:
https://twitter.com/CaseyHayden1/status/598380098409144320

2) ...and important news coverage from the New Yorker:
http://tinyurl.com/ng4yuhj