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Math Class and The Importance of Numbers

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Do you hate math class? Do you loathe numbers, fractions, division and multiplication, and/or the elusive “imaginary” number? I’d like to suggest that you learn to love them, or at least get along. One of the most useful skills to have, even in day to day situations, is the ability to think in and utilize numbers to your advantage. If the constant progression of humanity has left us anything at all (and it has) math is one of the most valuable of those skills. You see, numbers are important. I’ve recently been teaching my son to count (kind of) and … Continue reading →

Pixar: Where Math Meets Reality

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I remember being in high school algebra class and wondering: “how am I really going to use this in the real world?” I don’t think I was the first math student to wonder such a thing, nor was I the last. It seems that there are even more reasons to take those math classes today than there were in the 1980’s. On Thursday, April 3rd, a scientist from Walt Disney’s Pixar Animation Studios will talk to Hamilton College students about “Math in the Movies”. Tony DeRose heads the research group at Pixar. He has a bachelor’s degree in physics and … Continue reading →

“Cars 2” Trailer Released

I’ve possibly been a bit unfair towards “Cars” in complaining that it gets a sequel, the forthcoming “Cars 2,” when it’s my least favorite Pixar film. I know “Toy Story 3” was fantastic, but I just wasn’t as excited for it or into it as I have been for years about Pixar, because I’m sad that they’re not being encouraged to further innovation. Unfortunately for it, “Cars 2” has borne the brunt of my disgruntlement over the whole issue. Its existence incorporates all the things I don’t like about the direction in which Walt Disney Corp. CEO Bob Iger is … Continue reading →

Miyazaki: Master of Animation, Pt. 2

“Each cell of (Miyazaki’s) movies is a painting you’d want to hang on the wall.” –Kathleen Kennedy, Executive Producer, “Ponyo” English language version Today I’ll conclude my look at Miyazaki’s films, and consider what makes him such a great animator. Whisper of the Heart (1995; adapted by Miyazaki). Based on a comic by Aoi Hiragi, “Whisper of the Heart” is unique for Miyazaki in that it’s set in modern-day Tokyo and is not a fantasy. This is another coming of age story with some Germanic influences and a gorgeous violin soundtrack. It follows teens Shizuku and Seiji as they determine … Continue reading →