Leanne's Page

I was eleven years old when I made my first mathematic breakthrough. Like most mathematicians, I was not looking for a discovery. The inspiration struck me while I was drudging through my math homework on factorials. “6!” it screamed. “8!” it demanded. I was quickly getting bored of the monotonous task. Factorials were old hat. I already knew how to multiply all the integers up to a certain point. What I really needed was a way to add them. I snatched up my loyal friend, a powder-blue TI-30.… Continue

I love many things about my calculator. It's a black and grey TI-89, in the sleek, rounded style. It can graph parametrics, run programs, and integrate in milliseconds. Heck, it even has a calendar. Clearly, this thing can do way more things than me. I certainly can't approximate irrational numbers to 30 places, and I can't even come close to approximating the intersection points of ln(x+x^4)/(log4(x^3)) and 4^(x^6-2x^3+2x^4). Then again, I do happen to have some semblance of computing power… Continue

As of about 30 seconds ago, I finished reading Gadsby by Ernest Vincent Wright. It is a book written entirely upon the premise of omitting the letter "e." The author supported his decision to avoid words with the letter in order to prove that it is possible and to explore new corners of the English language. Quite frankly, I thought he wasted his time. Even though he ended up using more creative words and phrasings, the plot lacked in interest, and he complained about the… Continue

I recently had an assignment in my English class based on a 2008 AP essay question. It reads as follows:



"Read the following passage from “America Needs Its Nerds” by Leonid Fridman. Then write an essay in which you analyze how Fridman develops his argument.



There is something very wrong with the system of values in a society that has only derogatory terms like nerd and geek for the intellectually curious and academically serious.



A geek, according to Webster’s… Continue

I love Nerdfighters because we don't deify imbecility. I love the ning because it's so full of thoughtful forums. I can't think of anywhere else I could find such well-phrased, civilized discussions about tricky topics. Nerdfighteria is like a release from discussions where one person begins with a ridiculous claim, the other person negates it thoughtfully, and the first person gets flustered, gives up, and insults the other person for disagreeing. I love that… Continue