Multimedia Gallery
NSF-funded mathematician Jordan Ellenberg visits NSF and talks about how math is everywhere
Two parts math and one part writer make Jordan Ellenberg a very readable mathematician. Yes, Ellenberg is a professor of mathematics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with a Ph.D. in mathematics from Harvard that allows him to ponder number theory and algebraic geometry by day. However, he also holds an MFA in creative writing from Johns Hopkins. So when he penned his book, How Not to be Wrong, it became a popular read as he pondered math’s impact on day-to-day life. In fact, Bill Gates included it in his summer reading list, summarizing, “Ellenberg explains how math plays into our daily lives without our even knowing it.” After a lecture at the National Science Foundation on geometries and lotteries, Ivy Kupec from the NSF sat down with this enthusiastic researcher/writer to learn more.
Credit: Jeff Miller, University of Wisconsin-Madison (Photo) | Video credit: NSF
Images and other media in the National Science Foundation Multimedia Gallery are available for use in print and electronic material by NSF employees, members of the media, university staff, teachers and the general public. All media in the gallery are intended for personal, educational and nonprofit/non-commercial use only.
Videos credited to the National Science Foundation, an agency of the U.S. Government, may be distributed freely. However, some materials within the videos may be copyrighted. If you would like to use portions of NSF-produced programs in another product, please contact the Video Team in the Office of Legislative and Public Affairs at the National Science Foundation.
Additional information about general usage can be found in Conditions.