A number of us may be familiar with the term ‘semantics’ when used in an idiomatic sense, i.e. ‘that’s just semantics’. This kind of statement is often used as a put-down when someone is trying to complicate an argument with a wordy explanation. However, in truth, semantics is a very important subject. Semantics is the…
You may have read the Sunday Times article this weekend (a front-page commentary written by Tim Shipman and Sian Griffiths), about the ‘war on innumeracy’ that could take place over the next few years. The article states that ‘at present the UK ranks 23rd for reading, and 26th for maths in international league tables for…
‘Alice in Wonderland’ is a delightful story written by Lewis Carroll (a mathematician whose real name was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson). The story originated from an experience when Carroll was out rowing with three daughters of a friend of his, Henry Liddell. In order to entertain the girls during the five-mile journey, Carroll made up a…
In December, I posted a list of 15 classic book titles that I suggested children should add to their reading lists. A few parents have asked why their children should read these books, as an old fashioned style of writing can make it a little harder to read. My response is always the same. These…
There has been much debate about whether or not creativity is learnt or inherited. This has been researched from many viewpoints including both sociological and medical. Recent studies (2013) at the University of Queensland, Australia, conducted by Social Psychologists, suggest that researchers have previously focused on the intelligence and motivation of specifically ‘talented’ individuals, measured…