S9.321 - Math Busters

The trouble with busting a myth using statistics is the backfire effect. People will forget the evidence and only remember the untruth, particularly if it's something they already believed. A phenomenon which "The Oatmeal" already dealt with earlier this year... wait, assuming the phenomenon exists?

If only math could be clear cut.

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QSINE: So, what math myths can the tourism project address?

QCOTAN: ‘Only certain people can do math.’

QROOT: ‘Boys are better at math.’

VERSINE: ‘Math is all rules, no art.’

QSINE: Versine, you’re on board?

VERSINE: I stir up controversy, Sine. It’s my thing. I even made us two signs to be like that TV show.

(VERSINE holds up 'Plausible' and 'Confirmed' signs.)

QSINE: QLyn, keep an eye on her?

S9.320 - Hi Scream

Things have to escalate quickly when there's only four panels. At least Slope got her ice cream, I'm sure you were worried about that.

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NIS: I’m tired of waiting. We’re leaving.
LATTI: No. You are our prisoners.
QCOSEC: Do that and you declare war on math.
LATTI: Fine.
(Latti slams and locks the door)
PARA: That escalated quickly.
QLOGAN: No worries. The others on our ship will come for us.
(On the ship:)
SIGNUM: AAAAAAAAAAAA!
SLOPE: No, I asked if you wanted ice cream.

S9.319 - Map Time

The "projection" joke forecasted by John Golden arrives. Inspired somewhat by Audrey McLaren sharing this article "Making Accurate Maps is Mathematically Impossible" some months back. Of course, I also used the multiple meaning of "dates" here.

"Mercator projection" for a map preserves shape and direction, but it makes Greenland look the size of Africa. Most modern cartographers don't use it any more. There are a number of map variations offered in the video at that prior link, and Hajime Narukawa created the AuthaGraph map and won a design award for it last year.

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PARA: We're not changing our minds about seeing Ana.
QCOSEC: So bring her already. It's been hours.
LATTI: You don't even know her significance, do you.
HYPER: Were we supposed to?
LATTI: You math types, with your mercator maps.
LATTI: You're the reason people don't know country sizes. You're why our time zones get so screwed up. You're why I don't get dates!
QLOGAN: Now you're projecting.
LATTI: That is the only way to make 2D maps from a 3D globe.

S9.318B - Meme Nostalgia

I decided that if the "distracted boyfriend" meme was still around on Labour Day weekend that I'd do something with it. (Here's the history behind said meme, if you weren't aware. Hey, I've tackled a meme before.)

I feel like this image works on a few levels:

1. Society and Statistical Literacy believe they are getting along just fine, until Mathematics Education enters the picture.

2. Society wants to return to Mathematics Education as it used to be ("rules based"?), while Statistical Literacy begs to differ.

3. Society is nostalgic for the days when Mathematics Education was cosine curves, not Statistics.

Here's a good TED Talk to watch next.

Also, I've launched my comic on the Tapas site! From the start, so now's your chance to subscribe and see all the early strips three times per week. Thanks for reading here, at the least.

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COSINE (labelled "20th Century Mathematics Education") is being checked out by RECI (labelled "Information Society") to the chagrin of PARAB (labelled "Statistical Literacy").