Part 1: Why Is Saudi Arabia All-In on Sports?
In part one of this two-part story, we cover the history of sport in Saudi Arabia and some of the explanations behind why the country is so focused on becoming a global sports hub.
Math, Data and Statistics Sub-categories:
- Analytics (3)
- Calculus (2)
- Demographics (2)
- Population and Census (4)
Viewpoints Explained: Redefining Race (Again) in the U.S. Census
The next U.S. Census nationwide poll will include new subdivisions of race. We explain the reason for the shift and the new categories.
Viewpoints Explained: America’s Struggling Cities
Several once prominent cities have struggled to bounce back after a mass exodus of urban residents.
Cities Left Behind: The Reality of Population Decline
As people move past the pandemic, demographers wonder if certain migration trends will change. We discuss population trends and how they impact cities.
TikTok Isn’t the Only App With a Data Privacy Problem
We speak with two experts about the fast-evolving social media landscape and how consumers can better protect themselves from data mining.
One Man, Two Paths: Building a Career in the NFL and Applied Mathematics
Before earning his PhD in applied mathematics from MIT, Urschel played college football at Penn State and then went on to play in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens. This week – we touch on his unique path & what he’s learned along the way.
The Environmental Damage Caused By Millions of Littered Cigarettes
It seems like all too often it’s common to see a driver chuck a cigarette butt out the window or throw one on the sidewalk. We speak with expert Thomas Novotny about how this type of littering affects the environment and the wildlife within it.
A Newsfeed Overload
How often do you skim a headline and feel like that’s all you need to know? Or gather your daily news from a Twitter or Facebook feed? Economist & journalist Tim Harford joins Viewpoints this week to share the impacts of sensationalized or one-sided information and how we can all become more inquisitive consumers of content.
The Joys of Being Back in the Classroom
As some schools return back to in-person learning, we take a look at a few of the ways teaching has changed this year, including new safety precautions and the use of continued e-learning technology. Kelly Rigg is an eighth-grade teacher in Ephrata, Pennsylvania and shares what’s it’s been like to be back teaching in the classroom full-time during a …
Culture Crash: Rewinding Back to Our Highschool Selves
There’s a certain amount of nostalgia when we revisit our favorite music, show and movies from those young, teenage years. This week on Viewpoints we discuss how many Americans cling to the hot pop culture of their generation.
What Happens When Mathematical Calculations Go Wrong?
Matt Parker, a former math teacher turned popular YouTuber, is working to fix that stubborn mindset. In his new book, he illustrates the powerful and interesting side of math through real-life engineering and computing failures that occurred because someone’s mathematical calculations were just slightly off.
Spreading Word of the 2020 U.S. Census
The 2020 census is just around the corner. We speak with an employee from the U.S. Census Bureau about the importance of taking part in the nationwide survey and how the government is reaching students and their families through new in-school programs.
The Annual Holiday Shopping Frenzy
Christmas is just a few days away. By now, most people have bought all of their presents and have tucked their worn-in credit cards away until the new year. Viewpoints’ speaks with Colin Morris, director of product management at Adobe Analytics, about some of the hottest items and shopping trends this year, as well as the estimated 143 billion dollars that …
Why Are People Still Dumping Their Cigarettes on the Ground?
It’s almost 2020. While many more Americans have grown to be increasingly eco-conscious, some things still remain the same. It seems like almost everyday a smoker can be seen stomping on a cigarette on the pavement or chucking a lighted butt out their car window. Did you know that more than one-third of all collected litter is cigarette butts? We speak with …
The Summer of Spiked Seltzer
If you were at a beach or barbecue this summer, there was probably a box of White Claw, Truly or Bon & Viv spiked seltzers somewhere in the vicinity. These canned, around 100-calorie alcoholic beverages have been the hottest drink craze of 2019 and beverage industry experts predict that the hype isn’t going to end anytime soon. Viewpoints spoke with Jim …
Mind & Matter: One Man, Two Paths
John Urschel is not your typical doctoral candidate. Before studying mathematics at MIT, Urschel played college football at Penn State and then in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens. Both mathematics and football have always been two steadfast pillars in his life.
Appreciating the Beauty of Calculus
For many, learning about mathematics can be a terrifying and daunting task. Steven Strogatz discusses the importance of learning the basics of calculus and not only the math itself, but also understanding its historical prevalence and everyday use in our world.
What Big Data Can Teach Us About Ourselves (2019)
These days, there is data on just about everything. Our social media presence, our careers, our web search history- it’s all crunched into data points. And author Seth Stephens-Davidowitz says all that data can shed plenty of light on the truth about who we really are underneath all of our social formalities.
Learning Math Simpler (2018)
American students are way down the international list when it comes to math scores. Why is this? Is there something we could be doing to make learning math a simpler task? Our guests say yes, and have suggestions for kids- and adults- struggling to master mathematics.
Culture Crash: Watching Sports with a Second Screen
It used to be that when you were watching sports, you were only watching with the people in the same room as you. Now, sports have become the gold-standard for entertainment that demands a second-screen.
How to Make Learning Math Simpler (2017)
Our guests have suggestions for kids- and adults- struggling to master mathematics.
What Big Data Can Teach Us About Ourselves (2017)
We talk to data analyst and author Seth Stephens-Davidowitz about some of the conclusions this big data can help us reach.
The Gift of Numbers
We talk to mathematician and author Keith Devlin about Fibonacci’s mammoth contribution to mathematics and our daily lives.
The Ick Factor: Teaching Kids Science
We talk to two experts who say children take to science readily if it’s presented in the right way by tapping into the “ick factor” that seems to fascinate them.
