Mathematica 8: Resources, free online seminars, plus TED-talk video: "Teaching kids real math with computers"

I admit it.  Once in a while, I wake up after having a dream with a re-occurring theme of algorithms, technology, and programming.  It happened again this morning, inspiring me to take a look at the Wolfram Mathematica website. 


Here are a few on-line seminars I might take a look at soon:

Seminar: What's New in Mathematica 8?

"To give a broad overview of the major new features in Mathematica 8, including free-form linguistic input and Wolfram|Alpha integration, probability and statistics, finance, control systems, graphs and networks, improved image processing, wavelet analysis, C code generation, and more, using example-driven material."

Statistics and Data Analysis with Mathematica 8
Image Processing with Mathematica (Seminar description and registration)


Look at what I found while exploring the Wolfram suite of websites!


TEDGlobal 2010: 
Conrad Wolfram: Teaching kids real math with computers



RELATED
Mathematica 8 Seminar Calendar
Image Processing and Analysis (Info)
Interface development with Mathematica (I haven't tried this out.)
Here are a few links about the arts and math, from the Wolfram site:
Mathematica and High Fashion
Art Inspires a Lesson in Calculus
Computer Science PRofessor Sculpts Award-Winning Art with Mathematica
Wolfram Tones: An experiment in a new kind of music
Mathematica Music Demonstrations
Computerbasedmath.org 
Conrad Wolfram
Stephen Wolfram

FYI:  For those of you who are curious to know more about my technology dreams, I plan to devote a few posts about them in the future.   Here's a link to a post I wrote after waking up from a dream about haptic interfaces:

Last night I dreamt about haptic touch-screen overlays...

Folk Dance Your Algorithms! (Intercultural Computer Science Education, Sapientia University, Romania)

An interesting post by Nathan Yau, of Flowing Data, crossed my path today.  I anticipated something about interesting information visualizations, but to my surprise, I had a chance to view a couple of videos of.... folk dancers!    Nathan shared information about about Algo-rythmics, a project created by researchers from Sapientia University (Romania) that blends art, culture, and technology to enhance computer programming education: 

"Sorting algorithms demonstrated with Hungarian folk dance".

Before viewing the videos below, take a moment to read the abstract from a research paper written by some of the people behind the Algo-rythmics project:

Zoltan Katai and Laszio Toth (2008)  Technologically and artistically enhanced multi-sensory computer-programming education Teaching and Teacher Education Volume 26, Issue 2, February 2010, Pages 244-251

Abstract

"Over the last decades more and more research has analysed relatively new or rediscovered teaching–learning concepts like blended, hybrid, multi-sensory or technologically enhanced learning. This increased interest in these educational forms can be explained by new exciting discoveries in brain research and cognitive psychology, as well as by the accelerated integration of technology (computers, intranets, internet, etc.) in education. We have investigated how the educationally valuable outcomes of these trends could be implemented in computer-programming education and in what ways this process could be catalysed by arts (dance, music, rhythm, theatrical role-playing). We present a theoretical basis for technologically and artistically enhanced multi-sensory teaching–learning strategies. This work focuses particularly on how dance can be involved in computer science classes."

Sapientia University, Mathematics–Informatics Department, Tirgu Mures/Corunca, Soseaua Sighisoarei 1C, 540485, Romania

"In the case of each algorithm we chose such implementation version that fits best with the characteristics of the corresponding folk dance. After students have understood the key features of the algorithm the teacher should discuss with them the possibilities the algorithm can be optimized." AlgoRythmics  (Also see the Alog-rythmics Facebook page)

FYI: There will be additional algorithm concepts presented through folk dances in the near future on the AlgoRythmic's YouTube channel.  

Enjoy!

Insert-sort with Romanian Folk Dance

Bubble Sort with Hungarian ("Csango") Folk Dance

Credits (as listed on the AlgoRythmics YouTube Channel)

Created at Sapientia University, Tirgu Mures (Marosvásárhely), Romania.
Directed by Kátai Zoltán and Tóth László. 
In cooperation with "Maros Művészegyüttes", Tirgu Mures (Marosvásárhely), Romania.
Choreographer: Füzesi Albert. 
Video: Lőrinc Lajos, Körmöcki Zoltán. 
Supported by "Szülőföld Alap" and evoline company.

Select-sort with Gypsy Folk Dance

Shell-sort with Hungarian (Szekely) Folk Dance

RELATED

Sorting algorithms demonstrated with Hungarian folk dance

Nathan Yau, Flowing Data, 4/14/11

Sorting algorithms as dances

I Programmer, 2/10/11

AlgoRythmics:  Sorting Algorithms in European Folk Dance

Clyde Smith, All World Dance, 4/13/11

Sorting Algorithm Animations

RockMelt? Watch the video interview of the co-founders to learn more about the worlds newest web browser!

A quick glance at my morning newspaper- yes, the kind that involves paper and ink- brought to my attention that today is the first day that the RockMelt browser meets the world.


So what is special about RockMelt?  According to the RockMelt blog, the browser is built on Chromium, the same source code that fuels Google's Chrome. The biggest investment in RockMelt was $10  million dollars, from Marc Andreessen's venture capital firm.  Andreessen is also one of RockMelt's board of directors.  RockMelt is tightly integrated with Facebook, which is understandable, since Marc Andreessen is also on that company's board of directors.  (Marc Andreessen is the guy behind Netscape, one of the first popular browsers in the mid 1990's.)


Below is a video of an interview of the co-founders of RockMelt, who explain the reasons why browsers need to be re-invented to address social networking, "the cloud", and more.  





"Wherever you go on the Internet, RockMelt makes the Web a personal experience. Because RockMelt is the first browser you log into, it unlocks  your Web experience with your Facebook friends, your feeds, your favorite services, even your bookmarks and preferences. RockMelt is also the first browser to be fully backed by the cloud. This means you can access your personal browsing experience from anywhere, and you get quick updates from the people and sites that are important to you."  -RockMelt Blog


Promo Video:  RockMelt- Your Browser. Re-Imagined







For more information, visit the RockMelt website.  You can also sign up to get the browser at the website. The browser might be a little buggy, as it is a Beta version, and is still in development.