STEM: without Mathematics it’s just STE! Or SET – Or ETS – Say, how many ways could we do that?

Mathematicians Seek to Understand Patterns: 1, 2, 3, 4, …. For each of the following patterns, tell what number follows:

Mathematicians Seek to Understand Patterns: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 1, 2, 3, 4, …. For each of the following patterns, tell what number follows:

Mathematicians Seek to Understand Patterns: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, …. 1, 2, 3, 4, …. For each of the following patterns, tell what number follows:

Mathematicians Seek to Understand Patterns: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, …. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 1, 2, 3, 4, …. For each of the following patterns, tell what number follows:

Mathematicians Seek to Understand Patterns: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, …. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 1, 2, 3, 4, …. For each of the following patterns, tell what number follows:

Mathematicians Seek to Understand Patterns: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, …. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, …. 1, 2, 3, 4, …. For each of the following patterns, tell what number follows:

Mathematicians Seek to Understand Patterns: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, …. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, …. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 1, 2, 3, 4, …. For each of the following patterns, tell what number follows:

Mathematicians Seek to Understand Patterns: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, …. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, …. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 1, 2, 3, 4, …. For each of the following patterns, tell what number follows:

Mathematicians Seek to Understand Patterns: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, …. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, …. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0, -1, -2, -3, -4, -5, -4, -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, …. 1, 2, 3, 4, …. For each of the following patterns, tell what number follows:

Mathematicians Seek to Understand Patterns: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, …. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, …. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0, -1, -2, -3, -4, -5, -4, -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, …. 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, For each of the following patterns, tell what number follows:

Mathematicians Seek to Understand Patterns: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, …. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, …. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0, -1, -2, -3, -4, -5, -4, -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, …. 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, …. For each of the following patterns, tell what number follows:

More Patterns: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, …. 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, …. 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, …. 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, ….

More Patterns: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, …. 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, …. 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, …. 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, ….

More Patterns: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, …. 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, …. 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, …. 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, ….

More Patterns: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, …. 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, …. 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, …. 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, ….

More Patterns: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, …. 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, …. 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, …. 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, ….

Try Some Patterns in Graphs: What’s next?

Patterns in Graphs: What’s next?

Patterns in Graphs: What’s next? If we keep it up “forever”, this is:

Graphs of the First Patterns: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, …. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, …. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0, -1, -2, -3, -4, -5, -4, -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0, -1,…. 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, ….

Growth Graphs of the Second Set of Patterns: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, …. 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, …. 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, …. 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, ….

A Pattern from the “Real World” In what year will the wiggly curve reaches 450? (and why do we care?) Mathematicians come in two types: pure and applied. I’m an applied mathematician. I like to try to solve real-world problems….

The Wiggly Curve is Atmospheric CO 2 :

Why is the Red Curve Wiggling?

A little more of the history… (West Antarctica)

Now for a lot of the history!

Why Does It Matter? “Decreasing CO 2 was the main cause of a cooling trend that began 50 million years ago, large scale glaciation occurring when CO 2 fell to 450 ± 100 ppm, a level that will be exceeded within decades, barring prompt policy changes.” James Hansen As indicated in the preceding video, CO 2 and Temperature are related through the Greenhouse Effect (first described by Joseph Fourier in 1824):

We are engaged in a Grand Experiment! What happens when we take all this carbon from the ground and dump it into the air?

Some Consequences of Global Climate Change: 1. As temperature rises, we expect more extreme weather conditions (drought, massive hurricanes, etc.) 2. We expect sea level rise (arctic ice has reached an all-time historic low this year, but this will not contribute to sea level rise, because Arctic ice floats; but Greenland and Antarctic ice is also melting, and that ice moves from land to sea. Furthermore, water expands as it is heated, and ocean temperatures are increasing -- so levels rise). If Antarctica and Greenland ice melts, sea levels will rise by upwards of 70 feet. 3.Species will disappear, as the niches to which animals are adapted disappear (e.g. Resplendent Quetzals in Costa Rica). 4.Ocean acidification and temperature threats: reefs are disappearing (half the Great Barrier Reef gone in 30 years); corals are dying due to bleaching; shells can’t form.

The Most Fundamental Problem of Humanity "It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon his not understanding it!" (according to Upton Sinclair, , author of The Jungle):

Conclusions 1.Mathematicians study patterns – whether in the interest of pure or applied mathematics. 2.Patterns may not be obvious, and clearly we need to presume that we may have followed “the wrong path”. Applied mathematicians say “All models are wrong; some models are useful.” 3.We may be successful in identifying patterns in pure mathematics, and discovering interesting mathematics (primes, Fibonaccis, exponential growth, etc.). 4.Applied mathematicians are usually interested in solving specific problems within a context. The context here is the study of global climate change. We have data – in this case, the Keeling CO 2 data – and use that to deduce when we’re likely to hit a prescribed anticipated danger level – 450 ppm of CO 2. 5.Global climate change offers up “opportunities” for many students in STEM disciplines, for the foreseeable future. Species at risk, climate modeling, ocean chemistry, forest structure, invasive species, vector-borne diseases, etc. etc. etc. “A society shot through with scientific illiteracy poses a threat: repeated failure as a nation to take forward-looking actions before it’s too late.” Chris Mooney, in Unscientific America

What Makes People Deny? Carbon is valuable, and if you’ve got it, you want to be able to sell it to make money. Your paycheck is dependent on getting that carbon out of the ground; so you can’t believe that taking it out of the ground is bad. There is a sense in America that the left-wing want to keep it in the ground and convert to green energy, while the right-wing wants to “Drill baby, drill!” Thus it becomes a political football (even though climate change is fundamentally apolitical).

Whack-A-Mole Denialism Warming? What warming? It was warmer in 1934… It’s urban islands. Al Gore has a big mansion. CO2 is good for plants. What about sunspots? What about those East Anglia s? What about Earth’s orbit – it’s just natural cycles! What about [whack-a-mole!]?