Friday Math Potpourri

You’d probably rather read about Donald Trump's spiraling out of control, but instead here’s some mathy readings for the weekend:

1)  On “the declining authority of statistics” from the Guardian (h/t Nalini Joshi):

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jan/19/crisis-of-statistics-big-data-democracy

2)  The surprising success of the “Shanghai maths method” (h/t Dan Finkel):

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-38568538

3)  New video from “Mathologer” (on infinity and axiom of choice):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDOP0XynAzA

4)  A quickie salute to Eugenia Cheng, “senior liberal arts lecturer at the Art Institute” (h/t to Egan Chernoff):

http://www.universityherald.com/articles/61342/20170121/how-a-liberal-arts-lecturer-makes-math-more-desirable.htm

5)  A short list of “Fundamental Principles of Statistics”:

http://www.fharrell.com/2017/01/fundamental-principles-of-statistics.html

(from the relatively new blog, “Statistical Thinking.”)

6)  RJ Lipton & KW Regan on checking difficult proofs:

https://rjlipton.wordpress.com/2017/01/25/how-to-check-a-proof/

7)  New autobiographical volume on Edward O. Thorp now out:

http://amzn.to/2jQWSpA

8)  Ben Orlin with another smile-inducer, inventing words mathematicians can hardly live without:

https://mathwithbaddrawings.com/2017/01/25/a-guide-to-mathematical-emotions/

9)  A transcribed interview with Ian Stewart:
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/people/interview-ian-stewart-university-of-warwick

10)  Finally, I haven't attempted to comprehend this, but Colm Mulcahy points out a "New Geometrical Proof of Fermat's Last Theorem" that surely will be of interest to some, reported briefly on here:
http://interestingengineering.com/geometrical-proof-fermats-theorem/

==> ADDENDUM:  a respected mathematician writes me to disapprove of including this in the potpourri saying it is “almost certainly… crank mathematics,” and indeed I’ve seen nothing on the Web lending it credence, but leave it here if only for entertainment value. If anyone cares to further comment on it feel free to.

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

1)  ICYMI, Dave Barry’s review of a year most of us would prefer to forget:

http://www.miamiherald.com/living/liv-columns-blogs/dave-barry/article123321019.html

2)  As most readers here probably already know, in the aftermath and success of the Women’s March on Washington, a science march on Washington is now being planned for all those with a strong interest in the methods/integrity/conduct of science for the good of society. You can follow the progress/planning here:

http://www.scientistsmarchonwashington.com