Dear Math Friend,
Help us make Pi Day a success, with a screening of COUNTED OUT math is power.
This math documentary explains how, “…whether we know it or not, our numeric literacy—whether we can speak the language of math—is a critical determinant of social and economic power.” (https://www.countedoutfilm.com/)
Pi Day, also known as the International Day of Mathematics, falls on March 14th (3/14) each year. We’ll be celebrating before, during, and afterwards, and with your help, can include a film screening as part of the festivities this year.
Click on the film graphic below to view a trailer of Counted Out:
COUNT≠D OUT trailer
Here’s the deal: we were actually able to screen this film last year as a remote part of the San Francisco Film Festival, and it was amazing! Unfortunately, we had to act on the opportunity with very short notice, and screen the film in a very tight window.
I really want more people in the Mid-Hudson Valley, and especially in the Bard Math Circle community, both children and adults, to have the chance to view this film.
This time around, we do have to pay for the license to screen the film. Normally, this would be way beyond our means, but the film promoters have dropped the license cost to $314 as part of a Pi Day promotion. There is another short deadline: we have to wrap up the purchase by the end of the month — 4 days away!
I need your help in making this year’s Pi Day celebration a success. Please view the trailer, and then make a donation.
I know we can raise $314 quickly, and I hope to see you at the screening!
Sincerely,
Japheth
--
Japheth Wood, PhD
Director, Bard Math Circle and Co-Director, Bard Math CAMP
Continuing Associate Professor of Mathematics, Bard College
COUNT≠D OUT
math is power
a film by Vicki Abeles
In the 21st century, fueled by technology, data, and algorithms, math determines who has the power to shape our world. —from www.countedoutfilm.com
Spring Programs
AMC 8 contest: January 23 (snow date Jan 24) at Bard College
Purple Comet: Practices on Feb 1, Mar 1, Mar 29 and competition on Apr 26 at Bard College
Family Math Afternoons / Parent’s Math Workshop: Saturday afternoons, Feb 14, Mar 14, Apr 19, and May 17 at the Kingston Library
Math and STEM Tutoring: visit our tutoring page to learn more. We currently have a waiting list.
Summer Program
Bard Math CAMP: August 4–8, 2025 at Bard College. The application process will open soon!
Purple Comet!
The Purple Comet! Math Meet is an annual and international team mathematics competition designed for middle and high school students that has been held every year since 2003. Teams of from one to six students compete by submitting solutions to a list of mathematics problems. The problems range in difficulty from fairly easy to extremely challenging. There are too many problems and too little time for any one student to solve them all, so teamwork is critical!
We will compete in the Mixed Teams category (teams whose members attend more than one school or are home schooled) for both the middle school and the high school contest. levels.
Our practice sessions at Bard College will be on February 1, March 1, and March 29. The competition date is April 26. Please click on the registration button for more information:
The Family Math Afternoon
Our monthly family math afternoon is back! For middle school students and their families, the session features Engaging Math Problems, Logic Puzzles, and Thinking Games! You will enjoy a selection of engrossing and hands-on math activities. The mathematical fun will be infinite!
No prior registration is needed for the Family Math Afternoon. We meet in the Community Room.
Location: Kingston Library, 61 Crown Street, Kingston NY 12401
Schedule: Saturdays, 2-4pm
Dates: February 15, March 15, April 19, and May 17 in 2025
Parking: The library has plentiful free parking
Parent’s Math Workshop
We are piloting a Parent’s Math Workshop that will run alongside the family math afternoon. For parents who would like to develop a math friendly home environment and invite their young ones into the world of mathematics. Space in the workshop is limited, so please sign up below.
Bard Math CAMP
Save the date! Our next Creative and Analytical Math Program will run the week of August 4–8, 2025. Read about past summers on our CAMP page.
Summer Mathematics Programs Consortium
We’ve joined the Summer Mathematics Programs Consortium! This community of mathematically-intensive summer enrichment programs is dedicated to improvement and promoting greater access to advanced study in the mathematical sciences for middle and high school students.
If you are a CAMP alum in high school, take a look at our partner programs and let the adventure continue!
PHYSICS RESEARCH INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY AT BARD COLLEGE
Research Description
The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatories (LIGO) are large astronomical instruments that has given scientists the ability to observe the universe in a completely new way. Unlike conventional telescopes, which use the light emitted by stars and galaxies to learn their properties and their place in the universe, GW detectors use gravitational waves (GW), which are similarly emitted by many astrophysical objects.
Professor Antonios Kontos
Gravitational waves are ripples in spacetime that travel to Earth and cause the detectors to essentially change in size. To observe this change the LIGO detectors require state-of-the-art mirrors, which are used to sense the stretching and contraction of space and time. Improvements in mirror design will allow observers to look further into space and detect more of these GW signals. Work in our optics laboratory at Bard college aims in pushing the mirror technology by utilizing light scattering as a tool to study mirror coatings. Specifically, an important aspect of the quality of a mirror is the presence of defects which scatter light and inhibit the operation of the LIGO detectors. This research is designed to study defects on mirrors so that it will be possible to ultimately improve LIGO’s sensitivity.
Internship Details
This internship is an opportunity for two high school students to learn and work in a physics laboratory at Bard College, Annandale, NY.
The successful candidates will engage in research in optics and gain experience in various laboratory activities related to lasers, optics, vacuum systems, data analysis and simulations. The duration of the program is up to 8 weeks (June - July, depending on student schedule). This is a paid internship ($700 per week). No room and board will be provided. Students will be required to be in the lab daily, Monday to Friday, from 9 am to 5 pm, but there is flexibility if there is advance notice. The applicants need to demonstrate interest in the sciences, but no prior experience is required. Candidates who have taken courses in any areas of science will receive priority. We particularly encourage applicants from underrepresented groups. Please contact Professor Antonios Kontos at akontos@bard.edu for more information.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 17th, 2025
The Upstate New York Math Team
Compete with a community of high school math students in the American Regions Math League.
Show Math Some Love!
Your support of the Bard Math Circle makes a real difference.
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