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It’s About What People CAN Do

publisher@islandtimesmagazine.ca (Administrator) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 08:00:00 +0000

It’s about what people can do, and not what people can’t do.

Matchmaker, Matchmaker, make me a match!

publisher@islandtimesmagazine.ca (Administrator) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 08:00:00 +0000

A matchmaker can act as a personal trainer for your love life. If you are newly single after years of marriage it can be intimidating, to say the least, to re-enter the dating scene. Finding a committed, long-term relationship can take tremendous amounts of time and energy. A matchmaker does all the leg work for you.

The 24th Annual Pacific Rim Whale Festival

publisher@islandtimesmagazine.ca (Administrator) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 08:00:00 +0000

A Celebration of Coastal Life! Throughout the coastal towns of Tofino & Ucluelet and around Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, the non-profit Pacific Rim Whale Festival Society is preparing to welcome whales and visitors alike to the 24th Annual Pacific Rim Whale Festival. Community locals claim it’s an all-out Celebration of Coastal Life that’s determined to earn its gold star as a well-worthy roadtrip.

10 Smart Cosumer Electronic Tips for the Home

publisher@islandtimesmagazine.ca (Administrator) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 08:00:00 +0000

If you are bewildered about the consumer electronics age, Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association (CEDIA) offers 10 Smart Consumer Electronic Tips for your home environment.

A Recession: A Perfect Time to Remodel

publisher@islandtimesmagazine.ca (Administrator) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 08:00:00 +0000

A recession provides a unique opportunity to remodel your home. Labor is cheap, commodities are 60 percent less expensive, and there’s significant promotional pricing being offered in an effort to move product. These factors, when taken together, can reduce the overall cost of the remodeling project by 25 to 30 percent. The bottom line is that there are plenty of opportunities to increase the value of your home over time.

A Glance at Rathtrevor Park and The Brant Festival

publisher@islandtimesmagazine.ca (Administrator) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 08:00:00 +0000

Rathtrevor Provincial Park is an important participant in the Brant Festival. Each year the Oceanside communities: Parksville, Qualicum Beach and Nanaimo, play host to the Brant Festival in honour of the annual Brant geese migration. The Brant Festival runs from early March to the end of April; it celebrates and highlights the biodiversity of the area, our interdependence on the natural ecosystems around us and the importance of nature to everyone’s quality of life.

Math Puzzle for Volume 2 Issue 2

publisher@islandtimesmagazine.ca (Administrator) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 08:00:00 +0000

Do you Know the Answer to this Math Puzzle?

Question:

You roll five ordinary six-sided dice on a glass coffee table and add the numbers on the top faces of the dice. Your kid brother is lying underneath the table and adds up the numbers on the bottom faces. Is it ever possible that your brother and you will obtain the same sum, and if so, what is this sum?

Answer:

On an ordinary die, 6 is opposite 1, 5 is opposite 2 and 4 is opposite 3. So if you are adding the numbers a.b. c and d your brother is adding the numbers 7-a, 7-b, 7-c, 7-d and 7-e This means that if your sum is S (i.e. S=a+b+c+d+e) then your brothers sum is 35-S. If the two sums are ever equal we would have S=35-S which can be rewritten as 2S=35. But this means S=35/2, a sum that certainly won't be obtained from rolling dice. We must conclude that your brother and you will always obtain different sums.

David Bigelow, Ph.D.

Island Times Magazine would like to welcome Dr. David Bigelow to our monthly features. Thank you, Dave, for your support.

David Bigelow, Ph.D. is Chair of the Department of Mathematics at Vancouver Island University. Dr. Bigelow has been witness to many developments over the nineteen years of his employment at VIU. In 1990, VIU was the fledgling “Malaspina University College.” At that time, the Department of Mathematics offered a university transfer program in mathematics, with only first and second year courses. Now, VIU offers a Minor in Mathematics, with plans of developing a Major due to ever-increasing interest from students. For any students who might be intimidated by math, VIU is one of few universities that offer free tutoring in the Math Learning Center, by upper-level students.

Dr. Bigelow earned his Master’s degree and Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Waterloo, in Ontario. When asked how his interest in math began, Bigelow responded, “It was a process, rather than a moment,” as he sat back, fondly remembering a story about his father, who was a biochemist. Bigelow’s first interest was in astronomy. One night while sitting with his father, the then eight-year-old Bigelow questioned the theory of a universe filled with infinite space. He was convinced that at some point, if travelling in a spaceship, one would certainly hit a brick wall.

To this reasoning, Bigelow’s father responded, “Okay, then what would be behind the brick wall?”
“Well, more space,” Bigelow replied.

Years later, curiosity about mathematics finally led Bigelow to a linear algebra course while attending the University of Manitoba. It was this course that cemented his future in mathematics. Bigelow knew that he had found his calling.

So, what is math according to Dr. Bigelow? “If I had to describe math in only a few words, I would say that math is about measuring and counting. How would you describe things such as speed, height, weight, density, and temperature without math? The list goes on and on. Many everyday processes involve math,” said Bigelow.

Dr. Bigelow is a well-respected member of Vancouver Island University’s faculty, known for his entertaining, and somewhat theatrical method of inspiring students to go from fearing math, to enjoying it; frequently Bigelow’s calculus students smile and giggle, mostly at Bigelow’s expense. Bigelow enjoys being the catalyst of the transformation of calculus fear into appreciation, and creating a “fired-up” attitude in his students.

Outside of VIU, Bigelow also enjoys golf, cooking, and Scrabble, and has won the annual Scrabble tournament hosted by Literacy Central Vancouver Island three times in the experienced division.

One day, if you have the privilege of becoming acquainted with Dr. David Bigelow, ask him about the yellow banana suit.