May 10, 2011

Nature By Numbers

Nature By Numbers: A Short Film

http://www.etereaestudios.com/movies/nbyn_movies/nbyn_mov_youtube.htm

For those of you interested in showing your nature lover why math matters!
(Beautiful CG too!)

May 7, 2011

Cursive or No Cursive?

An interesting article!

The Case for Cursive
By KATIE ZEZIMA
Published: April 27, 2011

For centuries, cursive handwriting has been an art. To a growing number of young people, it is a mystery.
"The majority of students cannot write in cursive, nor can they read it. At the same time, their printing skills are awful. Not only is it difficult for me to read, they themselves often cannot read back their own notes."

The sinuous letters of the cursive alphabet, swirled on countless love letters, credit card slips and banners above elementary school chalk boards are going the way of the quill and inkwell. With computer keyboards and smartphones increasingly occupying young fingers, the gradual death of the fancier ABC’s is revealing some unforeseen challenges.

Might people who write only by printing — in block letters, or perhaps with a sloppy, squiggly signature — be more at risk for forgery? Is the development of a fine motor skill thwarted by an aversion to cursive handwriting? And what happens when young people who are not familiar with cursive have to read historical documents like the Constitution?

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/28/us/28cursive.html?_r=2