Thoughts and Musings

Pi Day, 2008 Photo Gallery

Current Interests:

A Line in the Standards
Summer Enrichment, '11
Free Open Source Software and R

Riemann Hypothesis
Intermediate Algebra Related Stuf
SLOs Controversy
Scientific Visualization: Sabbatical Proposal for 2005/6
Geometer's Sketchpad
Earth Systems Science

Play Algebra Arcade
Sabbatical Work

Scooping the Loop Snooper

My critique of the Office of Acadamic Affairs Rationale for Course Reductions.
My report on the CMC3 meeting in Montery, December 2010.
My report on AMS/MAA joint meetings attendance in New Orleans, 2004.
My report on CMC3 conference in Monterey, December 2008.
Review of Time Magazine article about community colleges

The theme of
Mathematics Awareness Month 2010 is Sports

The theme of
Mathematics Awareness Month 2006
was
Mathematics and Internet Security
Past MAM Themes

My User’s Guide to the TI-85

TI-85Program Archive

Large Integers on the TI-85

2^2,976,221 - 1
is prime!
... and, as of November 17, 2003
we know
2^20,996,011- 1
is also prime!
Join the Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search

Earth Statistics

Mass (kg)	5.976e+24
Mass (Earth = 1)	1.0000e+00
Equatorial radius (km)	6,378.14
Equatorial radius (Earth = 1)	1.0000e+00
Mean density (gm/cm^3)	5.515
Mean distance from the Sun (km)	149,600,000
Mean distance from the Sun (Earth = 1)	1.0000
Rotational period (days)	0.99727
Rotational period (hours)	23.9345
Orbital period (days)	365.256
Mean orbital velocity (km/sec)	29.79
Orbital eccentricity	0.0167
Tilt of axis (degrees)	23.45
Orbital inclination (degrees)	0.000
Equatorial escape velocity (km/sec)	11.18
Equatorial surface gravity (m/sec^2)	9.78
Visual geometric albedo	0.37
Mean surface temperature	15°C

Atmospheric composition

Nitrogen	77%
Oxygen	21%
Other	2%

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