#hands-on math

[inkskinned]

i love you vaccines i love you research i love you reading the book instead of having chatgpt summarize it i love you critically thinking rather than reacting to a headline i love you investigating the source material i love you science i love you math even though you are personally my enemy (math/yn slowburn) i love you writing even though you try to stab me a lot i love you Experts in Your Field i love you Using The Brain

[presswoodterryryan]

🎉 Alice's Guide to Conquering Multi-Step Word Problems! 🎉

By Alice Hey everyone! It’s me, Alice, your favorite snack expert, treasure hunter, and sometimes math student. Today, I have big news: Big Sister Ariel has written a mind-blowingly smart paper about multi-step word problems! 😲 Now, when I first heard “multi-step word problems,” I thought, “Ugh. That sounds like too many steps. Why can’t math just take one step?” But Ariel said multi-step word…

[berrycrisps]

Morning routine ☕️

[ionomycin]

Welcome home

[a-weepin-willow]

I have no more comments. I mean this is just what happened

[pvtpunsart]

he is... thinking...

[grooviestsadpapaya]

This painting took me. Six months. Because I didn't wanna buy the 30 dollar cardboard cutout. Because. I wanted it to be dwarf sized. Its 5 feet tall btw.

[averlym]

"you're lost, little girl"

[randomness-is-my-order]

for me, nothing at all changes about jiang cheng’s end-of-canon circumstances by the reveal that he distracted the guards that led to his capture by the wens after the lotus pier attack and the reason for it is simple: you can’t be redeemed by something you did before you committed your wrongdoing. the change of character and growth needs to happen after you fucked up. his prior “good” choices/“heroic” acts do NOT make him a better person in hindsight because he went ahead and acted like a piece of shit later on, anyway. it’s like saying a murderer should be pardoned because they saved a bird from dying ten years ago or that they donated to charity that one time, “omg look they had a good heart <3”. even the text treats it like this afterthought, contextually, because by the time any of it would be revealed—it’d have been way too late for anything to change. a history of violence and hate cannot be erased nor reduced by an action taken in good faith (if not good sense) before this history ever began.

redemption happens as a response to your choices in the aftermath of your fuck-ups (or in some cases, the narrative effectively nullifies the wrongdoing itself which leads to a blank slate/redemption; but that is NOT the case with jc), not as callback from the distant past when you were perhaps a less shitty person. many think jc revealing this “secret” would be significant in some way. but... how exactly would you expect wei wuxian to react to this revelation? show gratitude after jc’s choice inevitably led to the loss of his golden core? be happy that his once-buddy cared for him before jc contributed to his death and the death of the wens and the death of countless other innocents? imagine someone once close to you lied and betrayed your trust and say, framed you wrongfully so you got jailed. later, they recount how they kicked your bully in the balls when you were both in school. okay...? how the FUCK does that change anything? you are STILL in jail?

jc’s prior good will means nothing after the bridges he’s burned to the ground, burying them twenty feet under. and he knows this. he knows that revealing the truth will make no dents. wei wuxian won’t have a better view of him just because of it. jiang cheng’s actions do not gain a softer edge. the redeeming action has to come after the tragedies he has helped with and participated in. he’s not magically a better person with this context. he’s just as who he was before. because what we are evaluating his morals on was not his supposed love/care for wei wuxian but his actions. his violence. his hatred that targetted people unjustly. these do not change. these don’t go away. these should not go away. these should not be as easy to go away. that’s all.

[presswoodterryryan]

🎉 Alice's Ultimate Guide to Mastering (and Maybe Even Loving) Long Division! 🎉

By Alice Hey everyone! It’s me, Alice, your favorite adventurer, snack enthusiast, and math-avoider turned math-explorer! 😱 Big Sister Ariel has written the most amazing and smartest paper EVER about long division, and guess what? I actually understand it! (Shh… don’t tell her I said that! 😆) You wouldn’t believe how exciting it was to dive into numbers and see how everything fit together. Long…

[gentle-stitches]

Thrift Haul (yarn)

This is 22 skeins (and one mini skein) of merino sock yarn... almost all from small hand dyers. Thrifted for $25 all together. I can understand why the thrift gods have blessed me so hard today

[liltaireissocute]

remember those 2 weeks Vax spend with Percy in his Whitestone lab? 'cause i do

[cicada-heart]

just updated my shop with some new earrings ❤️‍🔥 hand stitched on felt with vintage and salvaged beads

etsy

[martyryo]

Dudes from maths notes is all I can offer for now 😵‍💫

[sharffffff]

Pangi felt silly. After all the effort they went to to get this cure, after many near-death - and in the case of Lukey, death - experiences with the wardens, after filling the catalyst with souls of more types of creatures than he even realized existed in this world, after actually trying some cure prototypes already with varying degrees of success - it was now, that they were one step away from the solution, he decided to get cold feet. Why now, if he was so ready to get cured just a couple of days ago, when Aimsey was throwing all these concoctions at him? They were as likely to work then - in his eyes, at least - as they are to work now, so why is he so scared of it? He could see the worried look in his friends’ eyes, he felt like he wanted to be cured, to be rid of this corruption, to get the memories from the book to feel like his own - so why couldn’t he? Why was he so afraid?

He knew why. He was afraid that regaining his memories, that becoming their Pangi - that it would mean the death of this Pangi. The death of himself. A person is the combination of their memories, and if he gets them back - would he even be himself? Would he even still exist? Or would it be another, different Pangi, the one that he was before all this - with him that he is now seizing to be? Or would it be someone else entirely? The combination of the two, one who has the memories of both but isn’t either? Pangi was scared to find out, and even as he heard the others call out to him, he kept spiraling down this pit of fear, unsure if this was actually how he wanted to proceed, his vision getting blurry, breath hastening, until-

Pangi’s vision cleared, focusing entirely on his hand - or rather, the fact that Lukey was holding it, trying to calm him down. This one gesture, this one show of affection almost made him break down on the spot, break the shell he had spent the past four years building - because on Lifesteal, showing emotional vulnerability is more dangerous than anything else, and getting killed is far less impactful than getting betrayed - and now, he almost lost it because of this… of this hamster? 

He knew the past him was close to him - he was told so, he has read so, but he didn’t know just what he could’ve ever seen in Lukey - but apparently it was something he saw again, even if he couldn’t pinpoint it exactly. He knew he shouldn’t let this continue, that he should jerk the hand away, that he should build up more and more walls to make sure he doesn’t seem vulnerable - but he didn’t. He let the hand stay, just looking at it for a second that felt like an eternity, before averting his gaze. He could almost hear Aimsey snicker behind him, and his tail curled a bit in slight embarrassment, but as much as he refused to believe it, this gesture… helped. He was no longer afraid, and it was so stupid that it worked. It shouldn’t have worked. Pangi hated it. 

“Hey, it’s going to be alright. Just one last step, and you will have the memories back, and you’ll be cured- if you still want it.” Pangi hated just how soft Lukey’s voice was, he hated that he was afraid, he hated that he wanted this cure - but bore the risk of losing himself if he were to take it. Everything about this felt wrong, and he didn’t know if it was the corruption within him speaking or if it was his genuine feelings - and he hated this fact, too. This would never have happened on Lifesteal, and it felt like almost being farmed for hearts by Zam was better than this. 

And it hurt. It hurt because of how much Lukey cared about him - but Pangi felt like he cared about the past him, the him that he once knew, not the him that was standing in front of him now. Would he care as much if he never knew a different Pangi, if this was the only version he ever saw? He hoped the answer would’ve been yes, but was scared of a possibility of it being no. He had the jealous urge to say no to the cure, but that didn’t make much sense - that Pangi was still him, and he was still that Pangi. He wanted the memories back, he wanted to be free from corruption - even if it felt wrong to say, even if his entire being craved to run away from the cure, he knew it wasn’t him thinking that. And it felt weird, not being in control of some of his own thoughts.

“Y-yeah, I still want this, I still want the cure. You died for it! It would be weird to back down now, and- and I want those memories to feel like my own. Let’s just- Let’s just get it done with quick, before my mind is changed for me.”

The quick glances Aimsey and Lukey shared was enough evidence for Pangi that they understood what he meant, understood that the corruption was fighting to stay while he wanted it gone. And so they went to work, Pangi feeling a slight disappointment as Lukey let go of his hand, but quickly chasing it away as something to dwell on later, not now. Not like he had that much time to dwell on it now - the cure prototype, hopefully the last one, was done, held in Aimsey’s hand - hurting them, but it wasn’t like they cared - they were beaming with hope and happiness, ready to have their friend back - and as much as Pangi wanted to be upset over it, he wanted to be back too, he wanted to be himself, to have his memories, to know everything that happened to him without having to rely on a stupid book - and it’s not like he would be gone because of this. It would still be him, just… more. 

As Pangi turned around so the vial wouldn’t be dodged, he felt it hit him, shaking him to his entire core. It worked, he knew it worked, as the corruption was fighting against his body to try and stay, to try and persist. But he also knew something else, something he suspected, something that was oh so ironic now considering how much he feared it just seconds ago. And as he was bent in half from the pain piercing his body as the last sentient presence of corruption withered away, leaving only the broken shell behind, devoid of color and life, he couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh, startling Aimsey and Lukey who were here, trying to help him. 

“It worked, it sure worked,” he snarled through the pain that soon gave way to numbness. “But I don’t think that cure was the last step to getting cured.” A weak smile appeared on his face as he straightened up, knowing what had to be done next. This body couldn’t persist, it was barely even a body anymore - and to be cured, to have an ability to live, he had to die first. He needed a new body, and there was only one way to get it. 

“What? What is the last step, then? How- how can we help you?” Lukey’s voice was still as soft even as he was panicking, trying to figure out a way to keep Pangi alive, seeing just how much this cure was hurting him. Aimsey, however… Aimsey’s eye met Pangi’s, and they gave him a slight nod of understanding. 

“Oh, Pangi… Are you sure we have to do it?”

Pangi was sure. He was already putting all his stuff away in the chest, carefully taking off armor and numerous belts full of potions, as well as all the other mess scattered around his inventory, while Lukey was still throwing confused glances between Aimsey and Pangi - he understood what was happening, but refused to acknowledge it. He wanted to save Pangi, and him having to die to be saved… it just felt counter-productive.

“Do what?! What do you guys know that I don’t?! Pangi- Pangi doesn’t have to die, we can find a different way to save him, we-”

“Lukey, this body is gone anyway. The cure can’t magically return that has been destroyed… It has to happen. So…” Pangi turned back to the chest for a second, before taking out a crossbow and a stack of arrows - the same crossbow that once took Lukey’s life, now given to him to take Pangi’s. “Would you like to get your payback? I’d rather it be you than going to the fishtank to drown or dying to a zombie, hah!” 

The look of distress on Lukey’s face deepened, and as he took the crossbow in his hands what felt like unwillingly, he couldn’t help but notice just how much they trembled. “I- You know I never took a life before, I- Do we have to do this? Is there no other way? Can’t we find a way to save you- Can’t we do anything?”

“You’ve already done everything you had to do. Now it’s my turn to do something, and that part is very easy - I just have to die.” Pangi smiled again, putting his hands on top of Lukey’s hands, helping him aim the crossbow straight at his heart. “Just one arrow, it should be enough. I know you can do it, so please - just pull the trigger. Allow me to come back.”

Lukey’s hands still trembled, kept steady only by Pangi’s, but he nodded - he understood it had to be done, even if he hated the fact that he couldn’t save him. No matter how much Pangi would tell him that he did, the loss of even one life was too much. But- It had to be done. He closed his eyes and pulled the trigger - crossbow being so close to Pangi’s body that he could feel the arrow going through, and then another, and another. Pangi was wrong, it took far more than one to kill him, but his hands remained on top of Lukey’s until it was done, and he didn’t even flinch as the barrage of arrows did their thing, only letting go once the last breath escaped his body - before crumbling to dust in Lukey’s hands. And only once he was gone Lukey allowed himself to break down, Aimsey there to comfort him, despite needing comfort themself.

***

When Pangi woke up, he wasn’t back at his spawn point in the lab - but he wasn’t expecting to be there. He half expected to woke up here, in the Null, before the life left his body - after all, he heard that many have found themselves here after a reset, and even if this death wasn’t a reset… it might as well have been. He wouldn’t be able to answer the question of “which” Pangi he was - he had memories of both, he was both, and neither of them were not him at the end of the day - just the one that he was for the past few weeks didn’t have the full picture. Can he really be the old Pangi if he has lived through experiences that the old one hasn’t? If he was a philosopher, he’d try to answer these questions, but thankfully it was easier to just ignore them. And the familiar sound would distract him from those thoughts anyway.

“Hey, Newt… Sorry I didn’t hold onto myself for him for longer. I tried, I really did, but it spreads faster than you think. Maybe if I held on for longer, he wouldn’t have lost that life in the ancient city… Or maybe he would. Won’t stop me from blaming myself.”

The hooded figure took a step - if these slight teleportations that Keepers did could be called steps - closer to Pangi, as if to look in his eyes, but stopped and turned around. 

“You promised him you would protect him… you wouldn’t let him die again… And yet you did.” Newt’s words hurt, but Pangi knew he was right. He broke the promise he made to Lukey - even if he didn’t remember that promise at the time, he still broke it. But before Pangi could even reply, Newt’s words pierced his mind again. “I won’t blame you for that… He was reckless, you almost died too… But at least you got the cure, that’s what matters. Take care of him…” 

Newt moved again, just a couple of meters further, and Pangi moved closer and nodded. “I will. I’ll try to, anyway. Oh, shit! Could you send me back? I just- I just realized just how bad that must have looked in chat, if there’s a whole army on the search to kill him for killing me now, I really need to return before-”

Pangi didn’t even manage to finish the sentence before waking up in the bed he set in the lab right before dying, right next to Aimsey and Lukey, who seemed startled by his sudden appearance minutes after he was supposed to be there. But before he could explain anything, he noticed something clutched in his hand - a piece of amethyst, the same lucky charm he once unwittingly threw away, and a piece of paper. “You lost it once, don’t lose it again.”

And then he was swept away in a hug, free of corruption, free of the nagging desire to spread it, free of the memory loss - and free to cry as he is embraced by the two people closest to him, the two people happy to see that their efforts were not for nothing. Free to finally let himself cry.

[mydogatemymotivation]

I had a thought about Lasan. People tend to agree that Zeb is kind of looked down on or seen as less intelligent by the people around him, despite him obviously being very smart, and I was wondering why that was. I do think there's some underlying xenophobia in the rebellion, even if it's not as rampant, that when someone looks at Zeb they might see him as something 'other' or somehow more animal like and therefore unintelligent. But then why does Zeb so frequently look down on himself as well? Is it just a lack of confidence? Well, I was thinking and I came up with this idea: what if the foundation of knowledge itself is different on Lasan compared to the rest of the galaxy?

So, hear me out, I'm a historian, I love history and there was a history class I was in some time ago that was all about the Aztec, Inca, and Maya, major empires each during their heyday, and in one of the units, we learned about the Mayan calendar and their number system (you don't have to be a mathematician for this, I promise) (I can't do math) (also this whole post is an excuse for me to talk about this cuz I think it's neat).

The Mayans (and by extension most people in Central America) used a completely different number system to do math. They used what's called a vigesimal system, not a decimal system. A decimal system is a Base 10 system: 1's, 10's, 100's.  This is the way we learn math today.

(sorry for the shitty quality. and the. stains. i was snacking on salt an vinegar chips and they spilled. ignore that.)

However a vigesimal system is not Base 10, but Base 20, and this changes the most basic arithmetic. Actually, it flat out changes the way numbers are read.

It seems like Lasan was a fairly isolated planet, there weren't a lot of Lasat seen in the galaxy at large, and Lasan was neutral during the Clone Wars, so it could be that there wasn't a big push to learn how things are done in the rest of the galaxy unless you were specifically planning on leaving Lasan. And since Zeb was in the Honor Guard, I don't imagine he ever even wanted to leave, but rather was forced to. Which means he probably never would've learned the systems that the rest of the galaxy used.

Now, I will say that the decimal system only exists because humans have ten fingers, which is why it called Base 10. And the vigesimal system exists because humans have ten fingers and ten toes, which is why it's called Base 20. Lasat have neither, which means they probably didn't use a vigesimal system; but it also means they probably didn't use a decimal system either. Not unless they imported it. Like I said, I'm not a mathematician, so I'm not even going to try to figure out what a Base 8 or a Base 16 number system looks like, I'm not that good at math.

But imagine, if you will, being forced to step out into a world where you can't even read numbers (I'm going to keep using vigesimal as an example). How would people look at you? Say you're in a foreign market and you're trying to scrape together enough credits to buy food. You look at the characters the rest of the galaxy uses and you have to translate them, so you're stood there staring at this price tag, the guy behind the counter is getting impatient. So you manage to translate the characters into the ones you know and pull out your credits. It's a 2 and an 8. 2x20 is 40 and an 8, is, well, 8. So you try to pay 48 credits for the food. Your new traveling companion clears his throat and tells you that's almost double the price and you really can't afford to lose credits on a translation error. Then you remember, they use tens. So 2x10 is 20. Not 40. Now the shopkeeper's looking at you funny, and your companion is paying the proper price for the food. And you have to just stand there, embarrassed, that you can't even do basic math.

So you get back to your new ship and there's this thing there, it's metal, and it thinks with a system called binary. Which is somehow a language based on a number system that you don't understand. And it's yelling at you. Loudly. And a lot. Would anybody blame you if you tried to punt the little trash can into the sun? If that was your experience day-in, day-out would you offer yourself up when somebody asks for ideas? I wouldn't. And to go through some version of that repeatedly without really being able to explain because first of all, who wants to learn new math just for you, and second of all, this is your second language anyway so how are you supposed to explain new math sufficiently when you have to translate everything in your head first. That would be crushing, and isolating. And some days, maybe it's just easier to be the dumb brute.

As someone who grew up bad at math, all STEM actually, and blonde (which doesn't seem like it'd be a big deal, but people really do treat like you're stupider than everyone else. Far and away NOT the worst hair-based discrimination, but the stereotype does get under your skin eventually) I was genuinely convinced I was stupid. I know now that my brain is wired for arts and humanities and I am NOT stupid. But my inability to do simple math without a calculator is humiliating to this day and I can really empathize with Zeb about feeling like you're lacking something that comes naturally to everyone else. The self-doubt and the self-loathing that come with looking around you and realizing that if you ask for help, you open yourself up to mockery because what's hard for you is basic for everyone else. It sucks. I don't blame Zeb for being so down on himself.

Zeb could've had the best education on Lasan but it truly doesn't matter how quality your education is if everyone around you reads 28 differently than you do. It's not a lack of intelligence, it's a translation error coupled with a lack of grace from the people around you. I'd beat myself up, too.

I'm not saying that I think this is what the writers had intended or anything, in fact, I don't think they thought about Lasan and it's culture all that much, if I'm being honest, but that's a thought for later. I just, I had this idea and wanted to share.

Can you believe this post exists because my dad bought me a mug lol. I collect mugs and my dad found one that has Mayan hieroglyphs carved onto it and he knows that I can understand a handful of glyphs and thought I'd like it. I don't have it yet but it's en route. Anyway, it got me thinking about ancient Maya and I've got kalluzeb brainrot and they collided and made this.