Embodied Mathematics

     The most interesting thing for me was at the beginning of the article, when Ascher was talking about types of maps. I never really thought much about the Mercator projection version of our world map, but the article made me realize that the world wouldn't translate so easily onto a flat sheet of paper because the world itself is not flat. The distances of the world map we see most often are actually not accurate, and Mercator projection conserves alignment rather than distance. It was an interesting thought experiment to think about different types of maps and then for the text to relate what we just thought about onto Marshall Island stick charts.

    In the context of Marshall Island stick charts, embodied mathematics is important as the charts themselves are mathematical models of the the physical world. It links real concrete information to something we can visualize and digest. Ascher also mentions that navigators must lie down and feel the way the ship rocks before interpreting this movement as a chart (pp. 361). All throughout history, people have been finding different ways to represent what they observe from the natural world. This can be through diagrams and models, pattern weaving, or charts like these ones. It's been really cool to see the different ways through which humans interpret mathematics. In secondary school learning and teaching, students can explore mathematics in similar ways. There's many different ways to visualize and get a feeling for mathematics, so letting them know that there is a variety of ways in which they can interact with math can allow them to explore ways that work and make sense for them.

Comments

  1. Amanda FritzlanDecember 19, 2022 at 4:45 PM

    The rectilinear system of representing our world is so widely taught that not many question its accuracy. I like the possibilities for new perspectives with your thought experiment!

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