5 Jul 07 Update: Napier's Bones, a complete revelation! Although some historians argue that they were of major practical importance and others claim that they were were just educational tools, Napier's Computing Rods (or "Bones") remained in use for more than two hundred years. Even Sir Isaac Newton found them of great utility during his years of scientific inquiry. Whatever your opinion of them, it still took us moderns more than 400 years to make a calculator of greater capability. This is my contribution to Naper and his inventions. Click here or select "Napier's Bones" from the projects page.
Good math and science projects for high school level students are often hard to find. By good, I mean projects that foster the synthesis and integration of math precepts with the world around us. And that is what most of the projects on this web site are about: they require thought and focus to resolve.
Some are open-ended research questions whose solutions demand a broad view integrating matters of health, geography, monetary exchange, social conditions, economics, physical science, mathematics and original thinking. Others are historical adventures that show how the founders of modern math, science and technology started out.
This site will eventually have an eclectic collection of mathematical and science topics, with projects and literature from the beginnings of Western mathematics to the present. This can all be used as a resource for the classroom and other personal joy.
I hope that you'll share your ideas and comments and consider posting them here. Write any time to jimsmath@jimsmathandscience.com.
Jim