Interviewer:
Oh, I get it… They are mining for numbers.
Cartoonist:
Yes, but look at the awesome number they found! That's the golden ratio: 1.61803398875...
Interviewer:
I've heard of the golden ratio before, but I never knew it was approximately 1.618. Why is it called “golden”?
Cartoonist:
It’s "golden" because it has so many beautiful mathematical properties. This irrational number is often written as phi (φ) after the Greek artist Phidias who used this aesthetic ratio in his sculptures that were often literally made of gold.
Interviewer:
Now I know what to make my math-crazed daughter for her birthday: a golden ratio statue! Looking forward to the next Off the Number Line cartoon.
Read how educators are using math cartoons in the classroom!
Matthew Peterson, Ph.D., is Co-founder and Chief Research & Development Officer at the MIND Research Institute. James Huang is Senior Visual Designer at MIND Research Institute.
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