Roger:
In response to Perdue on "naked math is the root of all evil," I chose not
to respond to to the blog, but rather to Yasmin. I understand Perdue's
concept of naked math to encompass mathematics that is not modeling
anything in particular. The point about mathematics being relevant,
however, does make sense to engage more people within the field. But
let's not be biased in the heat of debate because "naked art is the root of
all evil" is a corollary of her argument, or should be. If art is shown that
cannot be connected to anything in the real world, isn't it evil--as pure math
is? What is the difference between pure math and pure art?
Perhaps the point is to create bridge areas, but I would go further than
Perdue with regard to modeling. I would say not only should we encourage
mathematical modeling as one way to engage others, but that mathematics
should be treated as subject material for design and art. This is something
I stress in my classes -- let's take the core of mathematical thought in terms
of both its solution-based output as well as its formal structure in terms of
media design. Simultaneously, let's view art from a mathematical perspective--
set theory, for instance - the ability to create amazing abstractions that go
far beyond appearance. Mathematics and art are both beautiful in their
pure forms.
-p
On Oct 7, 2013, at 6:22 PM, roger malina <rmalina@alum.mit.edu> wrote:
> Jennifer
>
> yes its a fact that the growth of the art science technology field is occurring
> in a context where the arts and humanities are in general under budgetary
> attack- your unesco news is part of a growing trend
>
> in our own university at the same time that our art and technology
> program and emerging media program are growing with new student enrollment,
> there is declining enrollment in arts and humanities- i know in england the
> effect of the new evaluation metrics has steadily reduced investment
> in humanities-
> and i remember seeing a university in canada closed down a humanities department
> based on an inadequate student/faculty ratio- the idea of a 'liberal'
> arts and sciences
> foundation is disappearing
>
> Sundar Sarukkai in his two SEAD white papers (links below) discusses
> at length the situation in India
> where the recent rapid growth of science and technology universities
> with little serious effort to include
> the arts and humanities - a 'polytechnic' approach that is common in
> some other countries- it will be
> interesting to see the path taken by higher education in india
>
> HUMANITIES EDUCATION IN KARNATAKA (A draft note prepared for the
> Karnataka Knowledge Commission, Government of Karnataka)
>
> http://seadnetwork.wordpress.com/white-paper-abstracts/draft-white-papers-for-comment/humanities-education-in-karnataka/
>
> HUMANITIES IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTES (A CASE STUDY OF ONE
> INSTITUTE IN INDIA)
>
> http://seadnetwork.wordpress.com/white-paper-abstracts/draft-white-papers-for-comment/humanities-in-science-and-technology-institutes-a-case-study-of-one-institute-in-india/
>
> One of the interesting things about robert and michele root
> bernstein's work on the impact of early arts and crafts
> education on future scientists and engineers is their strong claim
> that it can be demonstrated using quantitative
> evidence that if you want to train innovators-then the arts and
> sciences have to be joined in the cultural imagination
> at a very early age.
>
> There is a fun discussion on linked in right now on naked Math as the
> Root of All Evil !!
>
> Naked Math is the Root of All Evil
>
> Dr. Diana S. PerdueMathematics Educator & Entrepreneur
>
> Mathematics should have meaning... that requires context. As such, the
> latest post on the Solver Blog makes the case that Naked Math (i.e.
> math without context) is the root of all (educational) evil. Read more
> at:
> http://www.rimwe.com/the-solver-blog/43.html
>
> That's the mission of Rimwe Educational Resources LLC.
>
> It really is that simple. Math is the language of science,
> technology, engineering, art, music, nature, and the universe. As
> such, it is critical that people, all people, as inhabitors of this
> world, understand mathematics. It is the structure behind everything
> we build, create, invent, and aspire to do. Sadly, the way we've
> taught math in the past has been as a disjoint, disconnected set of
> rules to memorize and "do" rather than understand. But fear not,
> there is hope! There IS a better way: Rimwe ("rim-way")!
>
>
> dont know how we work on the UNESCO problem-but sounds like
> mobilisation is needed
>
> roger malina
>
>
> On Mon, Oct 7, 2013 at 4:32 AM, Jennifer Kanary Nikolov(a)
> <jenniferkanary@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> HI All,
>>
>> Just wanted to point out this new petition about creativity in education in danger of being eliminated from UNESCO, very relevant to this discussion I would say:
>>
>>
>> "UNESCO has been busy analyzing and ranking the areas of their work by
>> priority, with those areas that receive the lowest ranking being marked
>> for elimination. The Creativity programme, within which arts education
>> falls, was ranked at the very bottom of UNESCO's 48 priority areas and
>> is at risk of elimination. If this happens, UNESCO's invaluable work in
>> this area, including the Road Map for Arts Education, the World
>> Conferences for Arts Education, the International Arts Education week,
>> and all the other projects related to both arts education and creativity
>> in the broadest sense, will be terminated and will no longer receive
>> support. An additional consequence will be to give our governments yet
>> another excuse to de-prioritise Arts Education and to deny both
>> promotion of and access to the arts for children and young people"
>>
>> https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/Ensure_Creativity_remains_a_UNESCO_priority/?sTqfFfb
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> Jennifer
>> _______________________________________________
>>
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Paul Fishwick, PhD
Chair, ACM SIGSIM
Distinguished Chair of Arts & Technology
and Professor of Computer Science
Director, Creative Automata Laboratory
The University of Texas at Dallas
Arts & Technology
800 West Campbell Road, AT10
Richardson, TX 75080-3021
Home: utdallas.edu/atec/fishwick
Blog: creative-automata.com
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