tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392124628233049222Thu, 17 Jun 2010 15:37:58 +0000http://blog.benzylene.com/noreply@blogger.com (Cynte)Blogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392124628233049222.post-2885350115407945520Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:09:00 +00002009-11-27T21:23:20.198-05:00college...by going to a prestigious university that contains a lot of notable faculty members, be warned that you will likely meet them only if you major in the field they are in. If any of these distinguished faculty teach any courses they will usually be in the upper-undergraduate to graduate level. The normal introductory classes are usually covered by lecturers, who are not on a tenure track at all.http://blog.benzylene.com/2009/11/if-you-want-to-meet-nobel-laureates.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cynte)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392124628233049222.post-1313445599037914735Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:23:00 +00002009-11-25T11:25:02.257-05:00educationmathRomanian mathematics, grade seven:In triangle ABC, P is the midpoint of side BC. Let M be on AB and N be on BC such that MN is parallel to BC, and let Q be the intersection of MP and BN. The perpendicular from Q on AC intersects AC at R and the parallel from B to AC at T. Prove that a) TR is parallel to MR, and that b) angle MRQ is equal to angle PRQ. 7th grade math in the US:What is a triangle?http://blog.benzylene.com/2009/11/romanian-mathematics-grade-seven-in.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cynte)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392124628233049222.post-385397782968889083Mon, 23 Nov 2009 02:18:00 +00002009-11-23T09:04:48.252-05:00educationcollegeadmissionsIn a typical freshman class of an Ivy League school, (11% are international students and are not considered)21% are 'underrepresented minorities' (Black, Latino, Native American, Pacific Islander, etc.)10% are 'legacies' (parents associated with college or donated lots of money)7% are athletic recruits9% of remaining (5% of total) are from 'underrepresented states' (states that for some reason http://blog.benzylene.com/2009/11/diversity-in-college-admissions.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cynte)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392124628233049222.post-5910455124225053019Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:38:00 +00002009-11-21T18:07:20.434-05:00extracurricularcollegeadmissionsscienceRanked from hardest to easiest to do. International Tchaikovsky Competition, or some related musical eventOlympic gamesDonation of over $10 million from your parentsInternational Science OlympiadsWriting a best seller bookPatenting an inventionPrincipal author for an article in the Journal of Biochemistry (or any other major scholarly periodical)Nationally ranked athlete or musicianIntel or http://blog.benzylene.com/2009/11/things-that-will-capture-colleges.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cynte)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392124628233049222.post-3192883381249323185Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:29:00 +00002009-11-16T09:39:26.016-05:00mathThere are no right or wrong answers for some of these; but you should be somewhere close. The most important part is the reasoning you used to arrive at your answer, which can involve a variety of methods. 60,000,000,000,000 = 13 zeros466 - 209 = 466 - 200 - 9 = 257. 105 - 75 is 30, so the halfway point is 15 from either number: 75 + 15 = 90. We are looking for 5280/3. 17*3 = 51 and 18*3 is 54, http://blog.benzylene.com/2009/11/60000000000000-13-zeros-466-209-466-200.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cynte)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392124628233049222.post-6945930100919721530Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:30:00 +00002009-11-16T09:43:55.193-05:00mathHow good are you with numbers? These questions, roughly in increasing order of difficulty, test your mathematical thinking and familiarity with numbers. The answers are here.NOTE: No calculators!!!How many zeros are in 60 trillion?466-209=?What number is halfway between 75 and 105?To the nearest hundred, how many yards are in a mile (1 mile = 5280 feet)?A month starts on Wednesday. What is the http://blog.benzylene.com/2009/11/test-your-numerical-literacy.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cynte)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392124628233049222.post-8689407855731028231Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:20:00 +00002009-11-12T21:44:19.941-05:00extracurricularswimmingAny serious swimmer has done what's known as a "double session" (colloquially known as "doubles"). As its name implies, there would be two practices on the same day, one in the morning, and the other in the afternoon. This provides twice the opportunities to recover and improve, as well as keeps the swimmer in better shape. In varsity swim teams, the morning practice will usually be very early, http://blog.benzylene.com/2009/11/double-sessions-in-swimming.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cynte)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392124628233049222.post-4440912461519901538Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:21:00 +00002009-11-11T13:23:43.850-05:00chemistryBecause synthesis is really challenging and time-consuming, it's a big deal when a group is able to successfully make a compound in acceptable yield and purity, especially if it has great biological applications. Many top journals will feature at least one "total synthesis" (starting only with commercially available materials) article, and the length of the papers are deceiving: although http://blog.benzylene.com/2009/11/who-said-organic-synthesis-was-boring.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cynte)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392124628233049222.post-5963416046196485276Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:20:00 +00002009-11-09T21:48:50.708-05:00chemistryAKA: how to make new stuff from existing stuffA typical trip through the process: find a compound that is useful in some way search through over 55 journals in biochemistry, biology, pharmacology, etc. to find something. You decide on a chemical called "Taxol" found in Pacific yew trees. Realize that the practical applications, whether biological, industrial, or chemical, are king if you ever http://blog.benzylene.com/2009/11/organic-synthesis.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cynte)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392124628233049222.post-6090922401311631068Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:37:00 +00002009-11-07T18:40:30.888-05:00miscellaneouswritingIf you haven't already, you may want to check this site out. You'll be coming in late (it started 11/1) but there's still more than enough time. Starting tomorrow will mean 2174 words a day for 23 days to get to the 50000 word threshold.http://blog.benzylene.com/2009/11/ever-thought-about-writing-novel.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cynte)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392124628233049222.post-6100655489133933544Sat, 07 Nov 2009 04:00:00 +00002009-11-06T23:25:03.951-05:00mathA recent article here suggested that if a car weighed more, it would have less fuel efficiency. This seems intuitive, but then it also included a suggestion that fueling only half-tank at a time would be beneficial. Now it's time to see whether it is actually worth it for the time. The article states that 100 pounds of reduced weight increases the mileage by 1-2%. Assume that:- the vehicle can http://blog.benzylene.com/2009/11/evaluating-half-tank-suggestion.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cynte)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392124628233049222.post-7795566701076888794Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:22:00 +00002009-11-04T09:45:54.379-05:00economicseducationI've always had this feeling that most people don't have the concept of investing: that you sacrifice something in the hope that it will return more in the future. However, after thinking a bit, I have realized that there is evidence of this everywhere. The most obvious example is in our excessive spending. The average US citizen will spend $95 for every $100 dollars he gets. This works quite http://blog.benzylene.com/2009/11/americans-dont-know-what-investment-is_04.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cynte)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392124628233049222.post-3001907933911724765Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:53:00 +00002009-11-02T17:59:20.755-05:00musicThe speed of this person's hands is simply crazy:http://blog.benzylene.com/2009/11/mad-piano-technique.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cynte)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392124628233049222.post-2490790064106324059Sat, 31 Oct 2009 21:30:00 +00002009-10-31T17:32:05.317-04:00musicI recently listened to a piece by John Cage on Youtube (and unfortunately I can't find it anymore). While I don't mind most of his compositions, I found this one highly distracting and I had to admit that it was just "bad" music. The comments agreed with my opinion, with many objections, but then there was one person arguing against everyone, accusing them of having "uneducated ears". Having http://blog.benzylene.com/2009/10/uneducated-ear.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cynte)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392124628233049222.post-8228399327854402047Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:22:00 +00002009-10-30T10:25:35.760-04:00educationmathAfter 8 years of Spanish in school, I hear someone in my class say "yo dormir". In English this translates to "I to sleep" ("yo duermo" would be the correct conjugation). Present-tense verbs are something introduced in the first year of Spanish education, yet students cannot figure it out after eight. And there is no reason, given their progress, that they will know it after ten or twelve years http://blog.benzylene.com/2009/10/why-schools-fail-in-teaching-foreign.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cynte)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392124628233049222.post-5609975763024930502Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:43:00 +00002009-10-28T20:16:17.404-04:00educationcollegeadmissionsSee also: the problem with college admissionsSometimes the selectiveness of the current admissions process is hard to grasp. Indeed, the competition has gone straight up even more in the past few years. Harvard had a 7% admit rate last year for their class of 2013, down from 13% a few years ago. That means that many students who graduated recently there would not have gotten in last year!7%. http://blog.benzylene.com/2009/10/how-selective-is-most-selective.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cynte)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392124628233049222.post-9136433579617746054Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:31:00 +00002009-10-28T09:37:35.024-04:00collegeadmissionsHere I will apply the document I wrote about in the previous post about an admissions formula to an older article titled "Just who gets in?".Candidate 1:SAT: 2270 = 6ptsSAT II's: 800 (Biology-Molecular), 780 (Math I), 770 (US History) = 6ptsRank: 4th of 305 = 6ptsAP's: 5's in US History, Chemistry, Biology, and Psychology; 4 in Calculus BC and PhysicsCourse level: has taken 6 AP level, 4 IB levelhttp://blog.benzylene.com/2009/10/using-rubric.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cynte)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392124628233049222.post-3477311559312270505Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:09:00 +00002009-10-28T21:02:25.127-04:00collegeadmissionsmathdigg_url = 'DIGG_PERMALINK_URL'; I have made a little "formula system" here (the "cutoffs" for colleges are on the last page):It is obviously subject to interpretation and definitely not meant to be predictive. However, it has worked for many people I know. The "admit scores" cutoffs are just guesses at the moment; I will have to look into more cases to get more accurate numbers. The fact that Ihttp://blog.benzylene.com/2009/10/no-magic-formula-for-college-admissions.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cynte)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392124628233049222.post-7130604720510076423Sat, 24 Oct 2009 21:45:00 +00002009-10-25T23:45:39.909-04:00musicThere have been many people that disagree with Lang Lang's piano playing, and I too share some of those criticisms. He's pretty much the devil in any conservative musician's mind for his exaggerated movements and incorrect musical interpretations. However, I am very impressed with his performance in this video (just don't watch his face):The piece is Liszt's Réminiscences de Don Juan, a operatic http://blog.benzylene.com/2009/10/don-juan-fantasy.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cynte)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392124628233049222.post-3081391240226220222Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:11:00 +00002009-10-22T15:17:18.704-04:00mathYou might be wondering what the previous post on arrow notation can be used for. It is mainly a useless convention that is inapplicable in most contexts, because the numbers involved are so big as demonstrated by the 3↑↑↑↑3 case. However, it is an integral part in explaining the largest named number in existence. Obviously, there is no such thing as a biggest number, but this one has actual http://blog.benzylene.com/2009/10/using-arrow-notation-grahams-number.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cynte)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392124628233049222.post-2455709236193043993Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:35:00 +00002009-10-21T10:09:27.092-04:00mathAs you know, multiplication is repeated adding: 5 x 4 = 5+5+5+5 = 20. So a x b = a+a+a+... +a, where there are b a's. Raising to an exponent is repeated multiplication:5^4 = 5x5x5x5 = 625. So a^b = a x a x a x ... x a, where there are b a's (see a similarity?). How about repeated exponentiation? This is possible through something called the "up-arrow" notation: 5↑↑4 = 5^(5^(5^5)). This means to http://blog.benzylene.com/2009/10/up-arrow-notation.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cynte)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392124628233049222.post-4479122543323192230Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:16:00 +00002009-10-19T09:33:27.637-04:00educationsciencemathI recently found this site, that probably most of the world has already heard of one time or another. However, I have seen that there are several useful ways to use the quiz features. It is very easy to make quizzes to test yourself, whether it is studying for tests or just reinforcing knowledge. Enter the questions in one column, and the answers in another. When you play, the system will show http://blog.benzylene.com/2009/10/sporcle.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cynte)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392124628233049222.post-5587316689075558942Sat, 17 Oct 2009 16:43:00 +00002009-10-17T18:11:02.216-04:00educationmathIn the previous post, I mentioned a forceful article by Paul Lockhart illustrating the problem with teaching math in school as facts to memorize. He is exactly right. But I feel that given our current system, it would be nearly impossible to turn math education into a "exploratory" subject - that is, a form of art. The barriers include:- our cultural perception. Until someone is powerful enough http://blog.benzylene.com/2009/10/why-lockharts-suggestion-will-probably.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cynte)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392124628233049222.post-3312319458917010649Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:05:00 +00002009-10-16T09:17:05.195-04:00educationmathAn excellent article on mathematics education, which I recommend you read fully (it is a rather quick read, despite its length): "A Mathematician's lament"It's sad that just 1% of students in school ever get to enjoy the full range of creativity that mathematics has to offer by participating in interesting math competitions or exploring the problem-solving aspect. I believe that the math http://blog.benzylene.com/2009/10/mathematics-education-in-schools.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cynte)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392124628233049222.post-1515597046630659618Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:00:00 +00002009-10-15T10:28:55.034-04:00miscellaneousmathI was quite shocked to read a short while ago that a "speed limit" on a road represents the 85th percentile speed of drivers, meaning that 85% of cars should be going at or below the limit. To be honest, I think that in some roads it better represents the 5th percentile; for 95% of people, it is an inconvenience to drive at the limit. On small roads within residential neighborhoods, the posted http://blog.benzylene.com/2009/10/speed-limits.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cynte)0