Museum of Modern....Math?

by Lindsey Wallem That's right, The Museum of Mathematics (nicknamed MoMath) and is set to open in Midtown Manhattan in 2012. Read the full story in the New York Times here. With fun hands-on math experiments like riding a bike on square wheels while the surface underneath them moves in a circle, the museum will be seriously cool for all visitors. The concept for the museum was initiated by Glen Whitney who, as a former gifted kid, knows first hand what stimulates talented youth. Like the students in our Summer Program, Mr. Whitney began his "career" taking math classes in the summer months with other exceptional students. He majored in math at Harvard, and eventually became a hedge fund manager, where his talents could be used for profit.  But his career choice was missing that spark he felt surrounding his passion, so he left the hedge fund and began fundraising for the Museum of Mathematics, where other kids like him could feed or possibly even discover a love of math the way he did.Will his museum raise math test scores across the country? "I'm not holding my breath," Mr. Whitney said.  But it can make math fun for the kids who visit, and a change in perspective could be huge for one child.  If there is one constant theme in the stories we tell here at Talent Talk, it is that gifted kids are capable of amazing things. Will you and your child plan a trip to the math museum? What kinds of beyond-the-worksheet "math activities" can you mimic at home?