Why Do We Pay Pure Mathematicians?

[Renegade]

An interesting post on math that I think a lot of people here will really enjoy.

http://mathwithbaddrawings.com/2015/02/24/why-do-we-pay-mathematicians/

One of the joys of being married to a pure mathematician—other than finding coffee-stained notebooks full of integrals lying around the flat—is hearing her try to explain her job to other people.

“Are there…uh… a lot of computers involved?”

“Do you write equations? I mean, you know, long ones?”

“Do you work with really big numbers?”

No, sometimes, and no. She rarely uses a computer, traffics more with inequalities than equations, and—like most researchers in her subfield—considers any number larger than 5 to be monstrously big.

Much more at the link.

Have fun!

[wraith808]

If I Reacted to Other People’s Careers the Way They React to Me Becoming a Mathematician

http://putitallonred.com/2014/08/11/if-i-reacted-to-other-peoples-careers-the-way-they-react-to-me-becoming-a-mathematician/

[Renegade]

If I Reacted to Other People’s Careers the Way They React to Me Becoming a Mathematician

http://putitallonred.com/2014/08/11/if-i-reacted-to-other-peoples-careers-the-way-they-react-to-me-becoming-a-mathematician/

Hahah!  That was good!

Here's some practical math that will literally blow your mind, but not in a good way.

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-02-27/paranormal-europe-banks-will-pay-you-borrow-and-charge-you-save

In "Paranormal" Europe, Banks Will Pay You To Borrow, And Charge You To Save

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/28/business/dealbook/in-europe-bond-yields-and-interest-rates-go-through-the-looking-glass.html?smid=tw-share&_r=1

In Europe, Bond Yields and Interest Rates Go Through the Looking Glass

At first, Eva Christiansen barely noticed the number. Her bank called to say that Ms. Christiansen, a 36-year-old entrepreneur here, had been approved for a small-business loan. She whooped. She danced. A friend took pictures.

“I think I was so happy I got the loan, I didn’t hear everything he said,” she recalled.

And then she was told again about her interest rate. It was -0.0172 percent — less than zero. While there would be fees to pay, the bank would also pay interest to her. It was just a little over $1 a month, but still.

...

Last month, Ida Mottelson, a 27-year-old student, received an email from her bank telling her that it would start charging her one-half of 1 percent to hold her money.

If you have 200 apples, and give them to me to hold for you, how many apples for you do I have? 199 of course!