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NSF and Discover Magazine Roundtable Discussion:
Does Math Matter?
On June 11, 2002, the National Science Foundation and
Discover Magazine brought together a panel
of experts for a roundtable discussion of the significance
of mathematics today.
The panelists addressed such questions as, "In an age
of computers and calculators, who needs to know math?"
and "Does anyone use his or her knowledge of solid
geometry, trigonometry, or calculus?" Eric Haseltine,
Executive Vice President of Research and Development
for Walt Disney Imagineering, moderated the discussion.
The panelists were Keith Devlin, Executive Director
of the Center for the Study of Language & Information;
Brenda Dietrich, Department Manager, Mathematical
Sciences at IBM's Thomas J. Watson Research Center;
Alan Chodos, Associate Executive Officer of the American
Physical Society; Michael Hawley, Director of Special
Projects and Founder of Massachusetts Institute of
Technology's Go Expedition; John Conway, Professor
of Mathematics at Princeton University; and Sheila
Tobias, author of Overcoming Math Anxiety, participating
by teleconference.
Panel moderator Eric Haseltine.
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Brenda Dietrich and George Andrews.
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Keith Devlin and Michael Hawley.
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Keith Devlin, Michael Hawley, John Conway,
and Alan Chodos.
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All photos:
Peter West/National Science Foundation |
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