Instead of thoughtful quotations about the meaning of life, for this month’s Parting
Thoughts I offer some creative applications of statistical and mathematical skills.
From Andrew Gelman’s excellent blog about all manner of things statistical comes his paper
(coauthored with George Romero, no less1) proposing the
application of social network survey methods to study zombie infestations.
And from the archives of YouTube, Amelia Downs has posted a video submitted as part
of her application to Tufts University in which she demonstrates
creative math dances.
Who says numbers have to be boring?
Thanks to my Institutional Research and Planning colleague at Cornell University,
Dan Robertson, for introducing me to the zombie research paper and the Gelman blog;
and to Hadley Garbart, Director of Student Records & Research at Maryland Institute
College of Art, for sending in the link to the math dances video.
Reader contributions of Parting Thoughts are most welcome. Send them to Marne Einarson
(mke3@cornell.edu)
1Not really!