Minds of Modern Mathematics

Gr 7 Up—In 1961, Charles and Ray Eames created an exhibit for IBM, Mathematica: A World of Numbers...and Beyond, which was seen by millions of people at the 1964/1965 New York World's Fair. That exhibit, a 50-foot timeline installation on the history of mathematicians and mathematics, has been reborn as an app.The iPad is the perfect platform for this timeline as it allows users to interact with the exhibit in ways that weren't possible before. The title is divided into three parts: a reproduction of the original timeline (here carefully retouched); an interactive history of mathematics from the year 1000 to 1950; and a collection of short films by Charles and Ray Eames. Several access points lead to the information, which also offers cultural context for the achievements.The interactive "Men of Modern Mathematics" is an illustrated chart. Tapping on a mathematician brings up information about the subject, including live links to Wikipedia pages or biographical sources. Touching an image provides an enlarged view and a caption.The films, most of which were produced for IBM, come from the vaults of the Eames Office and cover a variety of related topics such as "Copernicus" and "Symmetry." Many are narrated, but some aren't; together they employ animation, reproductions of artwork, live-action sequences, and music to tell their stories. (Try using the one on the "powers of numbers" and "Exponents" when introducing a lesson on the topic.) This well-executed production will be of interest to students of math, science, and history and could be used as the basis for lively discussion in these classes.—Daniel Greene, U-32 School, Montpelier, VT (6/6/12)