Maths in the Movies: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

The 5th movie in the Indiana Jones series was released in the UK on 28th June 2023. Amongst the fans in my circle of friends it has been well-received, certainly more so than the 4th instalment (Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) was. This isn't a general review^[1], but a brief discussion of some of the mathematical themes that make an appearance.

A stylised depiction of Indiana Jones wearing his trademark hat, satchel and whip, trying to fend off a snake.

I'll do my best to make the following spoiler-free, but as I'm discussing things that happen in the movie I can't guarantee that I'll manage. With that in mind, if you haven't yet seen the movie the safest course of action would be to lock this post in a snake-ridden vault and grab your hat & whip and head out to the cinema before reading any further.

Do Maths Teachers Think They're Mathematicians?

A topic that pops up time and time again in an online community of maths communicators that I am a member of is who gets to call themselves a mathematician?^[1] Something I've wondered for a while is how maths teachers see themselves: Do they feel comfortable referring to themselves as a "mathematician"? Do they want to be included in that set?

Tokikom. Anboto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

I did the only thing that can be done in such situations: I employed that most rigorous of statistical tools, the Twitter poll.

Books with Maths in Them: Diaspora (Greg Egan)

Greg Egan is an author I hadn't encountered until Albert recommended one of his books in response to my request for 'books with maths in them'.

The book cover for Diaspora by Greg Egan

Diaspora is, at the time of writing, available for only 99p on Amazon Kindle.

Diaspora, released in 1997, is a science fiction novel set some time after much of humanity has left behind corporeal form to become software-based beings living in simulated realties. They interact with the 'real' universe by way of a network of probes, sensors, drones and digital archives spread out across the solar system and collectively known as the Coalition of Polises, with the post-humans who exist within it referred to as Citizens. Some people eschewed this mass-migration and remained as biological entities (known as Fleshers) but have since formed a variety of communities representing the span of possibilities between using science to heavily modify their genes (for longevity, improved intelligence, or to thrive in extreme environments, for example), and just letting nature take its course. Somewhere in between are the Gleisners who transmuted into digital form but inhabit individual, flesher-shaped robots in order to interact more closely and personally with the real world.

Green's Windmill & Science Centre: Museum Review

It's not immediately obvious where Green's Windmill and Science Centre is in relation to the signposted car park, which is shared with a nursery school. It might seem strange that an entire windmill can hide behind a small school, but it took a bit of wandering before realising that there's a path to the side of the school. Once on this path the windmill came into view, the flaking paint of its white dome hinting at its age and modern usage.

George Green's windmill, a four-storey brick tower with a white dome, stands against a backdrop of fluffy white clouds floating in a blue sky on a sunny day. The sails, sticking out from behind the tour from our point of view, are bare having been stripped for maintainance. At the base of the tower is a wall covered by greenery, and in front of this is a rubbish bin on the edge of a grassy area. There is a path leading towards the viewer, and another leading off to the left. The paths join at a gap in the wall to the left of the base of the windmill, which leads into the site.

Green's Windmill & Science Centre by T. Briggs is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

It's one of those small local museums that's run by love rather than money, an observation supported by the Green's Windmill Trust plea for donations of time, money or skills to help in its mission to keep the sails turning and promote the reputation of George Green. The trust began as a small band of enthusiasts aiming to preserve a piece of local heritage, becoming a registered charity in 2012.

Kindle Scribe Software Update: New Pen Styles

... and as if by magic Amazon have released an update for the Kindle Scribe.

An email arrived on Tuesday 28^th Feb announcing an update, which would either automatically arrive on my Scribe at some point, or I could download and install it manually. Of course, I didn't wait.

The update does address a few minor things that appear on my Scribe wish list: