Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Jesus, Plato, Math And Theology: What Is Truth?, Paul Moffett

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2005

Mathematical ontology is relevant to Christians because so much of Christian theology has been historically shaped by Platonic mathematics and the ontology that goes with it. The various contributors to Mathematics in a Postmodern Age, edited by Howell and Bradley, seem to assume that Christians are necessarily realists in ontology, and they are not alone. But what is the cause of this Christian connection with mathematical realism in ontology? How much has our idea of God been shaped by Plato and his mathematics?

The Artificial Gravity Pitch, Andrew Simoson

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2005

Toss a ball into the air; we analyze and contrast the resultant trajectories when standing both on the Little Prince’s Asteroid B-612 of 1943 and in Arthur C. Clark’s rotating space ship Discovery of 2001.

Integrating Catholic And Marianist Historical Perspectives In A Mathematics Coruse For Elementary Education Majors, Mary Wagner-Krankel

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2005

St. Mary's University in San Antonio recently reaffirmed their distinctive nature as a Catholic university promoting the Marianist tradition. This new affirmation is in response to the smaller number of Marianists serving in teaching and administrative positions on campus. Faculty have been encouraged to explore new ways to integrate Catholic and Marianist values and historical perspectives in their teaching and research. I will discuss some major Catholic mathematicians and some classroom activities that I developed for the course MT3304- Mathematics for the Elementary Teacher.

The Divine Challenge: On Matter, Mind, Math And Meaning, By John Byl, Russell W. Howell

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2005

A book review of The Divine Challenge: On Matter, Mind, Math and Meaning (2004, Banner of Truth Trust) by John Byl.

Integration Of Faith, Learning, And Christian Vocation With First-Year Mathematics Majors, Doug Phillippy, Angela Hare

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2005

The mission of Messiah College is "to educate men and women toward maturity of intellect, character, and Christian faith, in preparation for lives of service, leadership and reconciliation in church and society". Therefore, as faculty in the Mathematical Sciences Department at this college, how we build maturity in our students, not only a mature mathematical intellect, but also maturity of character and Christian faith, reflects our commitment to the mission of the College. Further, our departmental mission statement includes the objective "to challenge students to live out their faith in their vocation as they become servant leaders in society, church, …

James Clerk Maxwell And Why Read Biographies, Sean Bird

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2005

Why do we read about the lives of others? This paper discusses the value of reading biographies and examines the life of physicist-mathematician James Clerk Maxwell.

Writing Math Lessons That Integrate Christian Beliefs: The Kuyers Institute Grant Project, Dave Klanderman, Gary Talsma

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2005

In this paper, we describe multiple math lessons designed to incorporate a Christian perspective. A total of nine lessons, some with materials for multiple class sessions, will soon be published by the Kuyers Institute. These lessons are appropriate for use at the middle school and high school level.

Explicit Null Space Of Discrete Laplacian, Hanna Vanderzee

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2005

For a given partial differential equation, such as Poisson’s equation in two dimensions, stipulating the null-space component of the solution is sometimes a useful alternative to specifying boundary conditions in order to determine a unique solution. To implement this approach computationally, we need a sparse and well-conditioned representation of the null space of the relevant differential operator. We discuss how the null-space method works and present an explicit formula for generating a sparse null basis for a uniform, finite-difference discretization of Laplacian operator on the unit square. The formula makes use of a triangular array which has the large Schroeder …

Artificial Intelligence: Can We Create Machines In Our Own Image?, Derek C. Shuurman

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2005

The field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) leads to many questions about what it means to be human. Some researchers claim that inevitably computers will reach a certain threshold of complexity that will enable them to “think” and artificial consciousness will emerge. This speculation, taken a step further, leads some to believe that computer technology will eventually set humans free from the frailty of their bodies and enable them to achieve immortality. Underlying these claims is a reductionistic philosophy about what it means to be human and how one approaches the mind-body problem. Ever since the fall people have wanted to …

A Christian Constructivist? The Impact Of Worldview On Learning Theories And The Mathematics Education Research Community, Jeffrey Barrett, Dave Klanderman

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2005

This paper analyzes the role of worldview and its impact on learning theories within the mathematics education research community. The authors propose a scholarly agenda for engaging this issue in future research projects.

Asserting Cs != Can't Spcialize, Building Community In A Computer Science Program, Kim Kihlstrom

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2005

As humans, we are designed to live in community. "Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others" (Romans 12:4-5). We believe it is of critical importance to build community within a computer science program, first of all because it is part of God's calling for us. In addition, building communit allows us to equip students with the interpersonal skills that they need for a productive career, and to attract …

Filtering The Bible And Filtering Spam, Gene B. Chase

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2005

I argue that John Craig (1996?–1731) is the first to do Bayesian statistics. Filtering email spam today using Bayes's analysis of 1763 is a new application of an old theorem. Craig 67 years before Bayes's theorem used subjective probabilities reasoning to argue that Jesus would return in the year 3150, because the Bible would eventually come into disrepute (become spam?) then.

Bibliography Of Christianity And Mathematics, Gene B. Chase

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2005

The invited address provides historiographic background for the second edition of Bibliography of Christianity and Mathematics. The second edition builds on the first edition written jointly with Calvin Jongsma, on the historiographic work of Ivor Grattan-Guiness, and on the computer skills of Gregory Ross.

Schedule (2005), Association Of Christians In The Mathematical Sciences

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2005

Fifteenth Conference of the Association of Christians in the Mathematical Sciences

Table Of Contents (2005), Association Of Christians In The Mathematical Sciences

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2005

Fifteenth Conference of the Association of Christians in the Mathematical Sciences

"Got Rocks?" An Inquiry-Based Geology Program For 3rd To 5th Grades In Conjunction With The Museum Of Science, Jennifer D. Todd

Critical and Creative Thinking Capstones Collection

How can the Boston Museum of Science be of help to classroom teachers when planning a field trip? The synthesis presents a set of lesson plans for 3rd to 5th grade science teachers in the Boston area, with an ultimate goal of promoting students’ critical and creative thinking in their classroom units on rocks and minerals. The program was designed especially for those in the New England area because these states are within proximity to take a field trip to the Boston Museum of Science. The institution has many rocks and mineral samples from around the world and in the …

Red Rock Desert Learning Center Core Group Meeting: May 17, 2005, Red Rock Desert Learning Center

Reports (RRLC)

1. Introductions (5 min.)
2. Approval of Minutes from March 15, 2005 Meeting (5 min.)
3. Review of Project Issues & Concerns (30 min.)
   A. Discussion of Strategic Project Review
4. Update on Water Options and NEPA Timeline/Progress – Michael Reiland (15 min.)
5. Core Curriculum Development: Progress Report – Jeannie Klockow (15 min.)
6. Community Outreach – Nancy Flagg (15 min.)
   A. Key Messages
   B. List of environmental groups and media
   D. Revisit Core Group list
7. Standing Reports (20 minutes)
   A. Line and Space Architects – Les Wallach/Henry Tom
   B. BLM Capital Improvements – Michael Reiland
8. Committee Reports (10 min.)
   A. Building Committee – Angie …

Introduction (2005), Association Of Christians In The Mathematical Sciences

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2005

Fifteenth Conference of the Association of Christians in the Mathematical Sciences

Iowa Academy Of Science: The New Bulletin, V01n1, Spring 2005, Iowa Academy Of Science

New Bulletin

Inside This Issue:

--Message from the Executive Director

--New Electronic Iowa Science Teacher Journal

--Bringing the Lost Landscape into Iowa Classrooms

--The Iowa Junior Academy of Science at the 2005 AAAS Annual Meeting

--Iowa Science Foundation Grants

--Iowa Academy of Science Election 2005

--New Web Site Software

--IAS at the State Capitol

Red Rock Desert Learning Center Core Group Meeting: March 15, 2005, Red Rock Desert Learning Center

Reports (RRLC)

1. Introductions (5 min.)
2. Approval of Minutes from January 18, 2005 Meeting (5 min.)
3. Core Curriculum Development: Timeline and Progress Report – Jeannie Klockow (30 min.)
4. Update on Water Testing – Bob Boyd (15 min.)
5. A. Line and Space Architects – Les Wallach/Henry Tom
   B. UNLV/CESU – Nancy Flagg
   C. BLM – Michael Reiland
6. Committee Reports (5 min.)
7. Open Discussion / New Business (5 min.)

Education In The Environment: A Hands-On Student Research And Outdoor Learning Experience: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending February 28, 2005, Margaret N. Rees

Reports (PLI Education)

During the past three-months, the focus of the university’s efforts has included the following highlights:

• Hired Forever Earth/WOW Project Manager Daphne Sewing
• Hired Environmental Education Strategy Project Manager Allison Brody
• Completed five WOW curriculum modules
• Formed a partnership with Clark County Parks and Community Services to pilot WOW events in Spring 2005
• Scheduled first WOW event during the week of March 21, 2005
• Completed Forever Earth orientation trip on February 25, 2005
• Finalized Forever Earth legal documents and insurance requirements

Red Rock Desert Learning Center Core Group Meeting: January 18, 2005, Red Rock Desert Learning Center

Reports (RRLC)

1. Introductions (5 min.)
2. Approval of Minutes from November 16, 2004 Meeting (5 minutes)
3. Presentation of Science Curriculum – Paul Buck (30 min.)
4. Line and Space Architects
   Presentation of Schematic Designs– Les Wallach/Henry Tom (1 hour)
   Update on Design Timeline (10 min.)
5. Standing Reports (10 minutes)
   A. UNLV/CESU – Nancy Flagg
   B. BLM – Michael Reiland
6. Committee Reports (5 min.)
7. Committee Meeting Schedule for 2005 (5 min.)
8. Open Discussion / New Business (5 min.)

Contents

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

No abstract provided.

Mathematics Specialists Definition

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

No abstract provided.

Mathematics Specialists Task Force Report, Virginia Mathematics And Science Coalition Task Force

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

No abstract provided.

Mathematics Specialists In Alexandria City Public Schools, S. Birnie

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

No abstract provided.

Mathematics Specialists In Elementary Schools: "The Arlington Story", P. Robertson

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

No abstract provided.

Mathematics Specialists In Norfolk Public Schools, D. Walston

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

No abstract provided.

Leadership Progress In Stafford County Schools, V. Inge

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

No abstract provided.

Hopewell, Virginia: How Do You "Hook" Elementary Teachers Into Enjoying And Seeing The Beauty Of Mathematics?, Y. Smith-Jones

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

No abstract provided.